Chapter 32: Emily's Sky Part 1: Heartache

Emily's apartment, 9 AM, Three Days Later

Emily yawned as she walked down the stairs, rubbing her eyes as she found Abel walking out the kitchen with a small bag with his lunch inside. Both stared each other for a brief moment, but Emily walked pass him, heading straight into the kitchen to prepare herself a cup of tea.

Abel stared at her for a moment, but turned to the front door and told Emily "I'll be back after lunch... Don't wait up." And like that, he teleported away, leaving Emily alone in the kitchen.

She just stood there, silently waiting, as if he was still around watching her. Now that he was staying closer to her did she notice those subtle looks he gave her occasionally, soft, caring looks that would make any woman feel special, the kind of looks Lena gave her in their more intimate and happy moments.

Not Emily though, those looks made her stomach wrench, knowing they weren't for her, but for Alex instead. She knew he missed her too much, she knew he didn't want to let her go, and she knew that if she encouraged him, he would end up hurting both himself and herself.

While she prepared her tea, Abel teleported from telephone pole to telephone pole, jumping all the way to the Armourgeddon Tank Museum. Where he arrived, punched in, and hurried to the garage, where an old Renault FT-17 awaited repairs.

He coughed for a bit, feeling his chest tighten after teleporting so far, but recomposed himself before the other's arrived. He put on the proper safety equipment, and got to work on the old tank.

He started by removing the tracks, using a metal rod to pull them off individually, and rolling them up. He labeled them and then examined the suspension system, followed by trying to spin the track wheels, making a loud screeching sound that made Abel's substance arm shutter and nearly fall off.

He took note then opened the engine block, and found, or better yet didn't find, an engine. It was empty, making him sigh, and look around the garage for the engine, he went left and right, from ine end to the other looking for the engine, until he got tired and yelled "WHERE'S THE FT-17'S ENGINE!?"

Ecopoint, 11 AM

Junkrat and Roadhog both stared at Ashe as she stared back at them, Junkrat sniffling until he sneezed aside from having gotten sick due to the cold. Roadhog handed Jamison a mug of warm tea, which the Australian accepted and drank up, all the while Ashe asked "Aren't you two supposed to be somewhere else?"

Junkrat gave her a flat, almost bored look and asked "Do you really think we're that bloody stupid?" then finished his tea while Ashe rolled her eyes.

This had been an hourly thing for them, Junkrat and Roadhog would get bored, Ashe would try to get them to leave, and they would deadpan her with a quick and shirt quip. Ashe was genuinely bored of this predicable schedule, and stared at the Junkers until McCree arrived and told them "Go on, get something to eat... I'll keep watch."

The Junkers didn't even make a sound as they left, too hungry and go to even care as Ashe glared at McCree and asked "Fuck you want? Came to rub it in?" McCree chuckled, but shook his head and told her "Monkey man has a proposal for you..." making Ashe raise a brow as he took his seat.

McCree looked at her with a smug, grade A, shit eating grin as he told her "You could have some conditional freedom... If you help us with Talon." Ashe glared at him, and asked menacingly "And if I don't?" McCree sighed, brandished his revolver, then explained "We're wasting food and electricity with you... I could just say you tried attacking me... Wouldn't be the first time I do this, and you of all people know it..."

Ashe growled, then tried attacking him through the bars, coming short as she screamed and wailed "YOU FUCKING BASTARD! OPEN THIS GATE AND LET'S SEE IF YOU STILL ACT LIKE A BIG TOUGH GUY!" McCree stared at her as the mess of a women tried clawing at him, swiping at the air as McCree sighed and muttered as he aimed at her "I'll never understand what people saw in you..."

Ashe stopped, growled and sat back down, holding the bars as McCree asked "In all seriousness now, you in or not?" She looked down, remained silent for a moment, making McCree sigh and walk to the door, followed by her muttering "Fine..."

McCree halted himself, spun on his heel, then asked her "Fine... What?" She spat at his face, and replied "Fine, I'll help, you degenerate shit..." McCree chuckled, and cleaned his face while explaining "Yeah, I might be a degenerate... But at least I can get someone to like me. You? The best you will ever do will be the kid... And that's just sad for someone like you."

She grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and headbutted him between the bars, muttering "Fuck you... I don't even like the little shit..." McCree still had that grin as he told her "Keep telling yourself that... He's the only one who will ever be capable of forgiving a cruel bitch like you..."

Emily's Home, 6 PM

Lena and Emily both sat behind this house on the patio, watching as Abel ran laps from the back door to a lone tree on a hill roughly two hundred meters away. Both wore sunglasses as the sun shined down on them as Lena asked "He's getting slower... What lap is this?" Emily took a sip of her glass of lemonade, then replied as she looked at her phone "This is his 8th lap, each lap he finishes in a little over eighteen seconds..."

Lena nodded and both watched as he came running back, and stopped by them, panting and sweating as he entered a coughing fit. Lena sighed and walked up to him, and helped him take a seat as he coughed up blood and substance, making Emily wince and go inside.

Emily kept her distance as Lena gave Abel a glass of water and told him to cool off, then entered and looked at Emily, who had her back to the door as she busied herself with some small insignificant chore. Lena hugged Emily, and told her "Gonna take him to pick up his medicine, we won't take long." then gave Emily a quick peck on the lips.

Emily smiled as she watched Lena zip out of the kitchen, and was thankful that she didn't leave Abel here with her. So she continued washing what little dishes there were while Abel changed into a black button up and got on Lena's motorbike.

- Insert Theme: Song of the Ancients (Devola) by Keiichi Okabe -

She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her abdomen, then took off, driving full speed down the old road to highway. Abel held on for dear life as Lena asked him "So love, what's wrong?" making him sulk his face into her back, and asked her "Can you pull up somewhere no one will hear us...?"

Lena raised a brow, but did so, taking the nearest exit as she pulled over the side of the highway. She then turned off the engine and both got off, all the while cars whizzed beside them on the road. Abel looked at the road, hands behind his back as he asked Lena "How happy are you Lena?"

Lena was now confused, but replied honestly "Currently? It's hard to be happy, but i ways look for a reason to smile." This inturn made Abel ask "Why is it hard to be happy? Because you have to worry about me? Worry about the trouble I bring? The trouble I bring to Emily?"

Lena made him turn to face her, his look was a tired look, but it was mostly because of his current physical state. They grey bags under his cavernous eyes made him look sadder than he actually was, making him ask "Do I get in the way? And if so, do I get in the way of you and Emily...?"

Lena shook her head, and insisted "Love, you are not in our way, I promise." but Abel shot back by asking "Do you really believe that? How much longer before someone breaks down the doors and windows in Emily's home looking for me...?" Lena was defeated, sighed, and replied "I don't know... But I know we wouldn't have you anywhere else than with us for your own sake... Please love, you ain't alone... Just listen to reason."

Abel looked at her, a dead serious look in his eye as he told her "I'm considering leaving Overwatch..." That made Lena feel sad, but that sadness turned into movement as she slapped Abel across the face, making him actually reel due to not seeing that coming. He looked at Lena as she got back onher bike, then told him "Hop on." In a stern tone.

Abel rubbed his cheek and told Lena "Lena-" but was cut off as she yelled st him "Get on the bloody bike!" Abel put a hand on her shoulder, making Lena look at him with a nice expression of sadness and anger. He saw it, and asked Lena "Why do you want me close to you...? All that will happen is that I'll rest another day or two, then out if the blue Talon finds me, kidnaps someone, then make me fight them..."

Lena wasn't having any of that,and ordered him "Love, get on this bloody bike this instant, hang on, and I'll take us back home where we'll talk this over." Abel grabbed Lena by the neck of her jacket, snapping as he yelled at her "WHY?! SO THAT EMILY IS PLACED IN HARM'S WAY?! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER, NOT PLACE HER IN DANGER LENA!"

Lena stared down at Abel as he held her up, then dropped her, muttering "I'm sorry..." Lena fixed her jacket, pulling it down, then stood next to Abel, held his hand, and explained "Love, a relationship isn't about keeping one safe... It's a part of it, yes, but one must also take risks to improve. And helping others improve is always gonna be a risk... You can't just choose one or the other."

Abel looked at Lena, sighed, and finally told her "I like Emily..."

Lena sighed, and replied "I figured as much..." making Abel look at her and ask "And you aren't mad about it?" Lena chuckled, and told him "As far as I know, you haven't done anything to her... And you just told me truthfully that you like her... And made it clear you want her safe... I can't be mad. Bothered? Yes. But not mad."

Abel let go of Lena, then asked her "So... What will you do about it?" Lena stayed staring at the road, then replied in a chirpy tone "I'll let Emily decide... I do love her, Abel. With all my heart... But she isn't your Alex... She will never be Alex..." Abel let his head hang low, but Lena flicked his forehead, and informed him "But she could be better than her."

Abel smiled a bit, and told Lena "Fine... We'll let her decide..."

Lena nodded, got back on her bike, and told Abel "Now Love, we gotta hurry, we need to pick up your meds." Abel nodded and hopped on, followed by Lena speeding back into the highway.

- Theme Ends -

About half an hour later Lena and Abel were stepping out of the drug store, Lena looking over the medication while Abel looked around the street. He spotted a hobby store and noticed a small model kit that caught his eye, and gave him an idea on how to go around his substance shortage.

Chapter 32: Completo.

And god damn has this week been just hard on me, but now i bring you guys the next chapter, and hopefully have the next one out within the next few days. Glad to see every one, so let's get to the reviews:

He23t: glad to see you enjoying the chapters, hope to hear your opinion on this one.

Noble6117: You called?

BlueCimsonFlames: It's alright man, glad to hear from you again, and would love to hear what you think.

And that's about it, sooooo...

I'm still in the Trenches, and I hope You Enjoyed.