Mercy continues her story for Winston.
Author note: this was a fun section to write.
"After that night, things had changed between us. I'd obviously respected and trusted Jack before, and I always depended on him. But he began to show me a part of himself that he did not show others. We both knew the friendship between us was growing into something deeper."
"I never could find the words to say what it was we were. Part of me thinks he was afraid to."
She looked up at Winston with a beaming smile.
"Until Casablanca. Do you remember Casablanca, Winston? That was the happiest moment of my life. The stars that night – "
"- are beautiful, Jack. How did you find this place?"
Jack smiled to himself. He knew Angela had spent most of her life in the city, where the chance to see the stars through a clear night sky were rare. An old friend had told him about an oasis-turned-garden outside the city, had given him the access code for after it had closed, saying it made quite the romantic view.
The team's visit to Casablanca had been something of a whirlwind tour through the ancient port city, leading up to a banquet in their honor. With the ceremonies complete, they'd been granted the next two days as well earned R&R. Angela and Jack had not taken long to slip away into the city, and they had spent the day soaking in Casablanca's history and culture. As the day drew to a close, the pair stood together, leaning onto a garden balcony in the desert night.
Mercy had spent the last 5 minutes in delight over the stars, face glowing with wonder as the heavens opened up above her like never before.
"Friend of a friend" he chuckled "who was never as good at cards as he thought he was. See that?" he gestured towards the brightest star.
"Polaris, the Northern star. Right next to it is Ursa Minor the-"
"The little bear?"
Jack smiled again.
"That's right. See those three stars in a row down there? That's Orion's belt. They call it Alnilam in Arabic, "string of pearls." We'd always look at those when we were kids, since they're so easy to find. We learned all this stuff as part of our training, too. No matter what happens you'll always have the stars."
"Jack…"
He turned to see her looking at him, and swore he could see heaven glittering in her striking blue eyes.
"… this is the happiest I've been in years."
Words failed him as his heart caught in his throat. He settled for wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close. With a soft sigh she melted into his side, and the two spent a long moment in the warmth of each other's presence. The garden's leaves whispered in the soft coastal breeze as the stars held lofty council overhead.
"Do you ever think about peace, Angela? What it'll be like when this is all over?"
She looked at him with curious eyes for a moment, then turned back to face the stars.
"I hope for it every day, Jack. Someday I'd like to return to Zurich, help it grow again. Since I was a little girl I'd dreamed of raising a family of my own there, visiting Lake Zurich with my children."
Jack's only response was something of a wistful smile as he stared into the distance.
"What about you, then?" she asked, something serious to her voice.
"I.. I don't know. I've been fighting for so long I.. I don't know what peace would be like." The uncertainty in his voice caught her off guard.
"I'm a Soldier, Angela. Fighting is what I do. I know it works towards a better world, but I never thought about what that world would be like. I… I never thought I'd be there for that world."
Jack could tell she was trying not to worry over what he'd said, but he knew her too well for her to hide it. He could see it in her eyes. He knew she wanted peace more than anyone else, wanted it for herself, for her friends and for the world.
"How can you be happy, then? If all you know is fighting, is dying, if you never have peace?"
He realized now she wanted peace for him as well, him more than anyone else.
Jack looked into the empty desert for a long while, before seeming to steel himself for a decision.
"Angela… I don't know what peace means for me. I don't know what that world has in store for me."
Blue eyes met hers in the night as she hung on his every word.
"So long as I have you, my Angel, I will be happy, come what may."
Something seemed to shift in her eyes, struck by what she had heard. She replied with tender smile.
"Then so long as I have you, my Hero, so will I."
"I love you, Angela."
"I love you, Jack."
Beneath the peaceful stars, two lovers kissed at last.
