When Hana went into school the next morning, she sighed as she sat at her desk in her first class, feet throbbing. She had blisters on her ankles from her skates from the prior night. She had no clue how Lucio's feet were so tough. He never, ever got blisters. She awaited the arrival of her best friend, who came in a few moments later, joining Hana and sitting next to her.

"How're your feet holding up?" Lucio asked, the usual smile on his face.

Hana groaned. "Sore as hell. Track practice is gonna suck. Do you think Coach Oxton would give me the day off?"

Lucio shrugged his shoulders. "Couldn't tell ya. We'll see after school, I guess. Maybe you can stop by her office in the gym during lunch?"

Hana nodded her head. "I think that's what I'll do."

Classes went by as usual. Turning in homework, nearly falling asleep during boring lessons, and just getting through another general day, though with the added annoyance of blistered feet. During their lunch period, Hana got up from her table after eating her food and walked out of the cafeteria down a hall to the gymnasium door. She opened the door and entered, taking an immediate left to the door of a small office.

She knocked on the door before opening it, seeing her cheerful track coach sitting at her desk, talking on the phone.

"Yep, I'll see you after practice... Excuse me for a moment, a student came in." Lena placed the phone on hold and set it down, smiling.

"What brings you here, Hana?" She asked. Hana was always amazed by the petite woman's ever-positive attitude. There was no bringing her down, even in the face of disappointment, which Hana was sure she was about to bring.

"Well... I may have to take it easy at practice today. I have blisters on my feet from going to the skating rink last night. I hope that's okay..." Hana looked down sheepishly, hoping her coach would understand.

"Oh it's no problem, love. If you need a day or two to recover from them, it's fine. You work hard enough on a good day to make up for a few days of lost training, believe me. You can show up if you want, but you don't need to if you just want to head home after school." Lena smiled and stood up. "Do you have a bandage over the blisters, or some ointment to put on them to keep them clean? I know what a pain they can be, trust me."

"Um, no..."

"I'll grab you some, then." Lena scurried around her office, searching for the items she mentioned, then handed a small packet of antibiotic ointment over, as well as a few bandaids.

"Here you go, love. Put those on, and replace the bandages tonight sometime. Can't have my 2nd best track star getting an infection!" The coach pat her student's shoulder with a grin.

"Lucio's still got the best times, huh?" Hana laughed a bit. "You seem to be in a great mood, coach."

Lena grinned, cheeks tinting pink. "I'm in a very good mood actually. Don't tell anyone, but I've finally got a date. She actually called me just before you came in."

Hana gasped, beaming at her mentor. "Really? Aw, that's great news! Who is she? What's she like?"

Lena brought her pointer finger to her lips. "Shh, calm down, Hana. The whole world doesn't need to know I'm dating a woman." She giggled. "She's French. She has some problems, but she seems confident in herself. Apparently she's been through some bad relationships, but she wants to be with someone who's positive and who will be kind and understanding."

"Sounds like you're a good match for her. Do you think she's a good match for you?" Hana asked.

"I don't know. That's what dating is for." Lena winked an eye then leaned back in her chair. "You should get going back to lunch. I'm gonna finish up this phone call then head out to the track and get set up for practice."

Hana nodded her head. "I'll see you tomorrow, coach."

With that, Hana exited the office and went over to the bleachers, sitting down and taking off her shoes. She applied the ointment and bandaids to her blisters, then stuffed the supplies in her pocket before returning to the lunch room, plopping down in her seat next to Lucio.

"What'd coach say?" Lucio asked, turning his head to look at Hana.

"She said I can take the day off. I am so thankful to have a coach like her." Hana said with a sigh of relief.

"That's awesome. So are you gonna go straight home or stick around to watch practice?" Lucio mumbled, mouth half-full of food. He was polite enough to cover his mouth with a hand while he spoke.

"I think I'll head home... though that means walking." Hana cringed. "Maybe I'll stick around and get dad to pick us up."

Lucio chuckled. "Sounds good to me. Your dad is a cool guy... but, uh... about the whole Reyes thing... Your dad seemed pretty stiff on the subject."

Hana nodded her head in agreement. "He doesn't like the idea of him getting out of jail so soon... but there's not much we can do. It's scary, but... hopefully he'll have learned through ten years of prison that he can't get away with something like that... And he'll be watched even more closely nowadays. I'm hoping for the best."

-

Jack got up in the morning with the intention of seeking out Amelie Lacroix, to see if she was willing to take Gabriel back. He had a determination in his eyes, and his wife easily recognized it.

"Got a plan for the day, Jack?" Angela inquired as she put on her makeup in the mirror, glancing at Jack in the reflection as he got dressed, pulling a plain black t-shirt over his torso.

"I'm going to see if Amelie still lives where we last knew she did. To talk to her about Gabriel." Jack had no use in hiding his thoughts from her. She always found out in the end anyways. Hell, she'd discovered he was going to propose to her many days before he was even going to pop the question.

Angela paused for a moment and turned around, putting a hand on her hip. "It's been ten years, Jack, do you really think she lives in the same house? Especially with her illness? I can only imagine it got worse without Gabriel there to make sure she took her medications."

"Well, it's worth checking. If Gabriel can find someone worth staying with, that means it's less likely that we'll have to deal with him. And if Amelie has been taking her medications, she should be fine. You said it yourself, you saw her picking up her prescription a little while ago."

Angela nodded her head. "Yes, but with the side-effects I know those type of medications cause, there's no telling whether or not she's been motivated to take them. Some people find solace in mental illness, rather than taking medications and feeling physically ill."

"You know I understand that." Jack himself used to take anti-anxiety medications after he'd returned home from deployments. While they certainly helped his anxiety, they made him feel like shit. Sick to his stomach, and due to that, he didn't eat much. After switching around medications a few times, they found one that wasn't so harsh, and he took that until he felt he didn't need it anymore. He still had a bottle sitting around here somewhere, just in case his anxieties decided to come back.

"Just don't go on a wild goose chase after Amelie. It's Gabriel's problem to deal with, not ours." Angela reminded him. Jack nodded his head silently, finishing getting dressed.

"I'll see you when you get home from work, Angela." The gray-haired man hugged his wife and gave her a peck on the lips before heading out the bedroom door. He went down the stairs then turned and exited the front door. He the made his way to his truck, getting in and starting it up. It rumbled to life and brought a slight smile to Jack's face. It was satisfying to hear it start up, even with the daily use he put the old vehicle through.

He pulled out of the driveway and drove about ten minutes to a small, one-story house at the edge of town. It was nearby an old steel factory that was still in use making various niche steel parts. The owner of the factory was an old Swede, Torbjorn, who just refused to let his craft go to waste. Jack had met him before. Good guy, but a bit rough in conversation. Definitely a hard worker.

Jack parked in the driveway of the house, peering at the windows to see if any lights were on inside. It was daytime, however, so there was no guarantee that lights would be on even if someone was inside.

Getting out of his truck after shutting it off, Jack walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell, waiting patiently. Much to his surprise, the door opened to reveal Amelie, looking quite healthy. She looked to Jack with confusion.

"Bonjour, Morrison." She greeted, clasping her hands behind her back. "What brings you to my home?"

Jack sighed. "Can we go inside to talk?"

Amelie nodded her head. "Come in." She turned around and led him to her kitchen. She went about getting a coffee cup for herself from a cabinet. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Sure, thank you." The least Jack could do is be polite. He glance around the kitchen, noting the orange pill bottles lined up beside the kitchen sink. While Amelie went about preparing the French-pressed coffee, she spoke.

"This is about Gabriel, isn't it?" She asked without glancing at the older man at the table.

"Yes... He gets out in three months. He'll need a place to stay. The more quickly he finds a place to stay, the less likely he is to turn to crime to support himself." Jack explained, eyes still taking in the details of the room. It was clean, aside from the mail on one of the counters and a few dishes in the sink.

Amelie sighed. "I cut things off with him. Permanently. While he was a wonderful man when he wanted to be, I don't approve of what he did, and I don't feel he learned his lesson. I won't be taking him in again. I've got enough problems of my own to deal with, I don't need to deal with his." She prepared two cups of coffee, then turned and walked over to the table, setting one down in front of Jack. "Let it cool a few moments, it's quite hot." She warned.

Jack furrowed his brow in frustration, but he understood why she'd want Gabriel out of her life for good. "I don't think anyone wants Gabriel in their lives. He's dangerous. Volatile... You seem to be doing much better than you were ten years ago."

Amelie nodded her head. "I do what I can. I make clothes, and work in a department store. I sell the clothes online, and I manage to scrape by. Things have gotten better. My bipolarity is under control, as is the schizophrenia. I haven't had any episodes for... at least a year. It's hard sometimes. The pills are awful, they make me feel sick most days. But I'll take nausea over insanity."

Jack's expression softened and he took a sip of the coffee. It was dark and bitter, but he enjoyed it for what it was. Strong, good-quality brew.

"Do you think you'll ever have another lover?" He asked, making conversation with the woman. She was pleasant, though she hadn't always been that way. Her mental disorders used to make her very strange.

"Well, I've got quite the history with men. First with Gerard, then with Gabriel." Amelie laughed a little. "Maybe I should avoid people whose names start with the letter G. I actually have been talking to someone lately... A woman, by the name of Lena. She's the track and cross-country coach at the high school. She seems very sweet. Very positive. I think she's the kind of person I need in my life, and I've always been attracted to both sexes."

Jack sat up straight in surprise. "Lena Oxton? My daughter, Hana, is on the track team. One of the best. Lena is her coach."

Amelie smiled. "You must be proud of Hana. I remember seeing her when she was a young girl, back when I went with Gabriel to court for what happened. She must be growing up a lot."

"Yeah, it's kind of hard sometimes. Makes a man realize he's getting old when he's got a sixteen year old daughter. Her friend Lucio is staying the night at our place tonight... I like the kid, but he's a boy. Him and Hana are close. You understand what I'm getting at, it's what every father fears."

Amelie chuckled softly. "The day his daughter starts dating?"

"Exactly." Jack smiled amusedly. "Hana is a good girl though. I trust her to make good decisions."

"It's good that you trust your daughter. I know my parents never trusted me because of my conditions. My marriage to Gerard was against their will, but it was pleasant until he died. And then came the fling with Gabriel, and we know how that went. I really should have listened to them about him." Amelie shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well. C'est la vie."

"So how did you get in contact with Lena?" Jack was genuinely curious, and pleasantly surprised to see how well things were for Amelie.

"We actually met here. I was plucking weeds from my garden out front, and she was running. I was having a hard time because my medications had made me very fatigued. It was a hot day, so I was very exhausted... She noticed me struggling as she was running and came over. She offered to help with the weeds, and did that while I went inside to cool off. I came back out with a glass of water for her, and we talked while she finished pulling the weeds for me. She was very sweet and very nice... I think we both caught on to each other being available to date women." Amelie drifted off into thought for a moment. "I should call her and set up a date."

"You should. From what I know, she's a good woman." Jack encouraged, finishing his coffee then standing up. "I should get going. I wish you the best... if you need anything, let me know. I don't do much. I work part time security at the hospital. Just quick overnight shifts on the weekends. So during the week, I'm usually not busy."

"Thank you, Morrison. I'm sorry we couldn't figure out what to do about Gabriel. Will you be telling him that I'm not going to be his babysitter anymore?" Amelie inquired, looking up at the older man.

"I will. I don't think he'll like to hear it... and just in case he decides to show up in three months, I'd buy a gun, if you're allowed to." Jack advised. Amelie smiled.

"My father is a hunter. You think I don't own a gun, Morrison?" She looked back to her coffee, chuckling. "I will be fine."

"Alright, if you say so." Jack headed to the door. "Have a good day, Amelie." He exited and took a glance to his left at the garden. There were healthy vegetables growing in neatly arranged rows, devoid of weeds. Admirable.

The old soldier got back in his truck and sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his cell phone. He dialed the number for the prison, and was rerouted to the number for contacting prisoners. After confirming his identity to the officer who answered, he was allowed to talk to Gabriel.

"Jack, what news do you have for me?"

So much for polite greetings.

"Nothing you want to hear, Gabriel. Amelie has moved on. She doesn't want anything to do with you anymore. In the past ten years she's really gotten better. Probably worried you'll compromise the situation. So you're on your own. I'm not gonna go hunting anyone down for you to find you a place to live. It's not my job to take care of you, and it never was."

The other side was silent for a few moments. "Alright, Jack. Have it your way."

There was a click on the end, then dial tone. Jack sighed and hung up his phone, shoving it back in his pocket. "Can't help everyone." He said to himself, shrugging his shoulders. Finally turning on his truck and heading back home.

-

Gabriel returned to his cell after the phone call with Jack, escorted by a guard as typical. He was a behaved prisoner, never threatened anyone unless they came at him first. Never started fights, never disobeyed. As far as the guards were concerned, he was just a guy who got desperate and made mistakes.

Other inmates hadn't really ever warmed up to Gabriel, even after ten years of him being incarcerated. He'd watched some guys come and go, and seen murderers get put in for life. That wasn't what he wanted. He'd spent enough time in this shithole.

He wanted out, no matter where he had to go. They'd give him a bus token on his way out the door in three months, and give him back the clothes he'd been incarcerated in. He'd never had any sentimental belongings, so he wasn't worried about getting anything back that he'd lost over the past ten years. He'd always been the kind of guy to let go of things before he got attached, but when someone did him wrong he'd never forget.

He wasn't going to hold a grudge against Jack though. He had every reason to hate Gabriel for what he did. Maybe there was someone else who could help him.

The hispanic man sat down on his bed and sighed, clasping his hands in front of his face, perching his elbows on his knees. It'd been a long ten years, and these last few months couldn't be dragging along any slower. 24 hours felt like an eternity. He wasn't allowed to have much in his lone cell. He had books, mostly, but rereading the same few hundred pages got very, very boring.

That evening, Gabriel lay down in his bed a bit early. Other inmates were still up and about, and one approached Gabriel's cell to chat.

"Hey Gabriel, sleepin' already?" The voice belonged to that of one Jesse McCree, a thief and resident cowboy of the jail.

"Yep. I'm losing my mind, I swear. The days keep getting longer the closer I get to getting out of here." Gabriel sat up and looked at the brunet man outside the steel bars.

"Three months, right?" Jesse leaned up against the bars.

Gabriel nodded. "Yeah. I won't have anywhere to go, but I'll figure something out. How'd your court date for your sentence reduction go?"

"Pretty good. I'll actually be gettin' out in five months now, instead of nine. I ain't complainin'. I talked to my boyfriend the other day. Gotta admit, I didn't expect him to want to stay with me through this shit." Jesse shrugged his shoulders. "Guess he just likes me that much."

"Hanzo's his name right? Lucky you. Amelie apparently doesn't want me to be around her anymore. Jack called and said that she moved on. I wonder to who, but it's not really my business. Not anymore at least." Gabriel sighed heavily and lay back down.

"Hey now, all hope's not lost. You get your act together on the outside, and you'll have yourself a woman in no time." The cowboy smirked. Admittedly, Gabriel was getting sick of hearing his accent.

"Alright, get out of here, McCree. Let me sleep." Gabriel raised a hand, waving off the other man. Jesse chuckled and continued walking to wherever he'd intended on going.

Staring at the ceiling, Gabriel's thoughts returned to the place they always did. What was he going to do to fix his life when he got out? What job would hire him? What living could he make? Who would he associate with? Half the city knew him as the guy who tried to kill Jack Morrison.

He'd figure it out eventually. He had another three months to come up with something.