Author's Note: Apologies for the wait! My job has me quite busy, and I write when I can but it's been slow going. Hope everyone's enjoying all the twists, turns, and oddities of this story!

-

Hana spent quite a lot of time thinking to herself that day. There wasn't necessarily anything wrong, but she had a lot to think about. She'd be turning seventeen soon, and needed to think of what she wanted to do. Come her senior year of high school, she'd really need to focus on what she wanted to do after high school. College seemed like a good idea. It's not like she couldn't get a scholarship or a grant to pay for it, not to mention her mom had been saving money since before her and Jack even decided to adopt.

She was a damn good student, without a doubt. She had straight A's most of the time, and had been taking Spanish the past 3 years and she was getting pretty good at it. She could hold conversation with fluent speakers, only having to ask for clarification occasionally. Maybe she could go to Mexico, or Spain someday for a vacation.

Hana wouldn't go to college for Spanish studies, though. Maybe she could go for something to do with computers, since she had built hers mostly from scratch, and knew how to take it apart and rebuild it without hesitation. She did really enjoy gaming, seeing as she ran a very active RTS stream online. But how long would that sustain her? It was the same dilemma Lucio had; how long would her passions sustain her for a living? Unless she became professional and got sponsors, she'd rely solely on her fans. Paid promotions too. She'd already done a few of those on her streams, playing in-development games. Usually they weren't too bad.

But there were other things she was interested in too. One that she was particularly thinking very hard on was joining the military. She'd seen pictures of her dad in the service, seen him don his old uniform for ceremonies, heard him talk about his deployments and combat. Of course, he avoided talking about the more graphic details, but Hana understood.

She wasn't necessarily a patriotic person, but she wanted to help people. Wanted to be the best person she could be. At least in the military, a lot of training could carry over into civilian life. Not every military job has to do with combat. Anything one could do in civilian life, one could do in the military, with the added bonus of being a step above your average citizen. But, with the downside of not getting paid half as much. Jack always remarked on how little he'd been paid for how much he'd given up, but he figured things balanced out somehow. Hana figured, at the very least she could talk with a recruiter and see what she could do.

"Hana?"

The girl's mother snapped her attention away from her thoughts, and Hana realized that she'd been staring at an ended Youtube video for what must've been at least ten minutes. She turned her head to the door, blinking a bit. Lucio had left a little while ago, having been picked up by an excessively hungover Satya.

"Yeah mom? What's up?"

Angela stood leaned against the doorframe, a concerned look on her face. "I've been standing here for five minutes and you didn't look away from that screen once. Hardly blinked. Your father and I were going to go to dinner tonight, perhaps you and Lucio could hang out again. But... before we decide on that, why don't you tell me what's on your mind? You're usually not so spaced out."

Hana looked down a little, then returned her gaze to her mother. "Can you shut the door behind you?"

Angela nodded, walking into the room and shutting the door. She then went over to the bed and sat down, turning towards her daughter. "So, what's got you bothered?"

"It's not even that I'm bothered." Hana sighed. "I've just got so many things on my mind. I have so much that I like to do, and so much that I want to do, I'm just trying to think of what to do with my near future. Once high school is over, I need to make some big decisions. Hell, I may need to make them during my senior year."

"You're talking about careers, right?"

"Yup. And I just can't decide what to focus on, you know? How did you do it? How did you decide to be a doctor?"

Angela paused for a moment, before smiling sadly. "Both my parents died when I was young. I wanted to learn how to prevent deaths. To save lives from tragedy. It only takes one mistake to end a life. But it can also take one set of skilled hands to save a life too." The blonde woman looked down at her hands, wiggling her fingers then smiling more brightly at her child.

"I started off working in a nursing home when I got an STNA certification. Then I became a Registered Nurse. I worked in an ER for a few years, and I enjoyed that but I didn't feel like it was enough. So, I continued my education. When I first became a doctor, I worked in the same hospital I work in now, but on the floor, doing critical care. After a while, my body just couldn't keep up. I was having more aches and pains than Jack was, and I wasn't even a soldier. So, I settled down into my office and now I do routine checkups and diagnostics, doing more... prevantative measures. It all depends on where you draw your inspiration from. For me, it was my parents. What about you? Where do you get your inspiration?"

Hana thought quietly for a moment, ruminating on her mom's words.

"Well... A lot of places. I'm inspired by the games I play to delve more into computer technology. I'm inspired by you to want to help people. I'm inspired by dad to serve. By Lucio to enjoy life and laugh a lot. By so many people around me. Even what Gabriel did to us, I find inspiration in that. I want to protect the ones I love."

Angela stood up and walked over, kneeling down in front of her daughter, gently grasping the teenager's hands in her own.

"You sound just like your father, you know that? I think you should look into the military... Jack always tells his war stories. But not every soldier goes to war, and not every soldier is meant for combat. You could enlist, learn the things you need to thrive, and enjoy your life. Plus, you don't have to serve more than 4 years if you do go into the service... Look into it, okay? But also know that there are many other things you could do, and that I will support you no matter what you choose. And I know your father will do the same."

Hana smiled and nodded her head, leaning forward and hugging the woman tightly. "Thanks mom. I love you."

"I love you too, Hana." Angela wrapped her arms around Hana gently, then kissed the girl's cheek. "Take all the time you need to mull things over. Making decisions as big as this is tough, I know. But you'll be relieved once you know you've made the choice."

-

That night, the prison was quiet. For once, Gabriel noticed it. He'd been here ten years. A whole part of his life spent wasting away behind metal bars, sleeping on an uncomfortable bed, listening to the talking of other prisoners, hearing the shouts of conflict echoing off the concrete walls. He'd made some friends in this cold place, and a part of him would miss the lack of responsibility he had. He didn't have to pay for anything, didn't have to worry how other people saw him.

Then again, it was responsibility for his actions that put him here. Outside of this prison, he'd be trying to survive with a target on his back. Not many companies hired criminals. Not many people would trust him, especially if they remembered his face plastered on the news. His looks hadn't changed; maybe a scar or two and some extra wrinkles in his face, but he still had the same hair, same goatee.

Standing up from his bed, Gabriel looked in the mirror on the wall in his dark cell, the dim light from the window barely illuminating his face.

He felt... regretful. He'd once been a proud man. In his younger days, he'd been a soldier, and a damn good one at that. That's how he'd known Jack Morrison. They'd very briefly served together, but Gabriel had left Morrison's unit for a different one shortly after they'd seen combat together.

And when he got out of the service, Gabe struggled with post-combat stress, keeping him out of a job, and out of his damn mind. He was poor, frail, and desperate. That's what led him to assault Jack. They were two sides of the same coin, only one was successful and happy, while the other suffered and lost everything. He'd been reluctant to get treatment, and it had only made things worse.

Gabriel couldn't even remember what his exact motive had been. He'd gone into the house with a knife in hand, and started rummaging around before Jack stopped him. Maybe it'd been to steal from him. Maybe not. The only thing that mattered was that he'd gotten caught in the end, and was sentenced behind these bars.

Now in two weeks he'd be getting out. It was so hard to believe. So much time spent behind bars felt like a lifetime, each day ticking away like an eternity, and it was coming to an end very soon. He hoped that Sombra would give him time to adjust while they were living together. It'd take time to find a job for a felon.

He found himself thinking of Amelie, and how their relationship had been. He regretted the way things went. Off and on, in and out of love, not knowing whether to care or not about each other. They had both been too screwed up in the head to function properly in an intimate relationship, but at the time, they'd depended on each other for emotional support. And he wasn't going to lie, sex had been a big part of why they had been together.

Gabriel wondered if he'd ever find a relationship beyond these walls. It wasn't a priority, but at the same time, he didn't want to be alone. He could barely remember the feeling of a warm body beside him, but he clung to memories like that. They helped him sleep at night on this old, uncomfortable prison cot.

Laying back down on his bed, he breathed a heavy sigh, staring up at the blank ceiling, hoping for a quick two weeks. As difficult as it would be, he wanted to be a free man again. He wanted to live as normal a life as he could, and leave his past mistakes behind him.

All in due time.

-

Angela had picked where her and Jack were going for their dinner date, because he didn't care where they went as long as there was steak, and she just wanted decent wine with her meal. So, they went to classy local restaurant called the Hot House. It was a rather large establishment, but tonight it wasn't super busy. Jack, dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, was ever the gentleman as they entered the building, holding the door for his wife.

The doctor smiled, high heels clacking on the tiled floor of the waiting area as they approached the host, who greeted them with a smile.

"For two?" She asked.

"Yep." Jack replied as simply as possible. The hostess gathered the menus and silverware, then led the way to an empty table by the windows. Not like there was much of a view aside from the parked cars outside, but it was still nice.

After ordering their drinks, Angela looked over the menu with a questioning hum while playing with a button on her blouse absentmindedly, indecisive on what food to pick. Jack already knew what he wanted, and slid his menu towards the end of the table for the waitress to pick up when she came back.

"You and Hana had a chat today, huh?" He asked out of the blue. Angela glanced up, blinking in surprise.

"Yes. I'm guessing you heard?"

Jack nodded his head. "I could hear you two talking but couldn't make out what you were saying. Anything concerning, or...?"

"Hana's just stressing about what she's going to do after high school." The blonde woman answered, crossing one leg over the other beneath the table. "She asked me how I figured out what I wanted to do. You know the story. I told her it, but I also assured her that she could do whatever she wants and you and I will always support her. Unsurprisingly, she's had some thoughts about joining the military."

Jack's eyebrows raised in response to those words. "Really now? I didn't take her as one to want to go through that kind of lifestyle change. She seems content with her computer games and whatnot."

"We didn't really talk too in-depth about it, but maybe you should talk to her tonight if you get the chance. She's having Lucio over again, so unless you want to interrupt them, I don't think that'll happen." Angela shrugged her shoulders. "And she doesn't have to go in active duty like you. She could join the National Guard and be a part-timer. That way she could enjoy civilian life while still being a soldier."

Jack brought a hand to his chin, rubbing it in contemplation. "I suppose you're right. I'll talk to her about it when I can. I wouldn't want to interrupt her and Lucio. Those two are two peas in a pod. Makes me wonder if they'll wind up dating. Or if they already are."

"We talked about this earlier today, Jack." Angela giggled lightly. "I don't care if they do or even if they currently are. Lucio is a good young man. He certainly values Hana's friendship and makes her happy."

Jack smiled, shrugging. "I admire the kid, even if he is a little to exciteable. I just want Hana to be happy with whatever she does, and whoever she does."

Angela couldn't help but laugh at the last bit. "Jack! That was a little inappropriate for dinner conversation, don't you think?"

The husband merely laughed and shook his head. "You act like you've never said worse, miss 'I'd ride-'"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, Jack." Angela tried to be serious, but she was smiling, face bright red. She [i]had[/i] said some... questionable things in the past when out to dinner. Mostly when she'd had too much wine.

-

The dinner went by all-too quickly, Jack and Angela having quite a good time together. It wasn't every day that they had time to spend with one another, especially quality time like this. Date nights were few and far between.

As Jack drove them home, Angela started nodding off in the passenger seat, tired from the day and from the alcohol in her system. The car's cushions were quite comfy, and it certainly wasn't the first time she'd fallen asleep on the way home.

Jack simply let the woman doze off, and when they arrived home, he got out and rounded the car to the passenger side. The tipsy woman was virtually deadweight in the seat, ad it'd just be easier to carry her than to wake her up and have her walk on her own, especially in a pair of heels.

Undoing the woman's seatbelt and pulling her into his arms, Jack made his way to the front door ad managed to open it with a combination of a hand turning the knob and a foot kicking the door open. Nudging it shut as he entered, the man could already hear Hana and Lucio upstairs talking. No matter. Angela was a heavy sleeper.

Bringing her upstairs, Jack peeked into the open door of Hana's room and smiled. Lucio and Hana were sitting at her desk, doing something on the computer, griing and chatting. Lucio waved to Jack.

"She fell asleep in the car again, huh? We'll be quieter, promise!"

Hana nodded in agreement. "How was the steak, dad?"

"It was great. You two have fun now. Can you shut your door?" Jack requested, before moving on to the master bedroom. He heard Hana's door shut a few seconds later.

Laying Angela on the bed, he reached down to her feet and tugged off the strappy heels she loved to wear. They made her legs look great, that was for sure. He sat there for a moment, admiring the beauty of his sleeping wife. He blonde hair was messy, her clothes were disheveled, but he didn't care one bit. This was the woman he loved.

Pulling a blanket over her body, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Angela's forehead before getting up, deciding to watch some TV downstairs to finish his night.

It had definitely been a good time, even if it had been just a simple dinner date. After all, he'd gotten a steak in him.