So…. Yeah I am so sorry! I make too many promises I cannot keep. Too much stuff got in the way so yeah I couldn't get out the chapters in the orderly fashion that I wanted. But here is the next chapter! Thank you so much for all the readers who commented/critiqued! You guys helped me pull through and get off my lazy ass to actually start writing again! HAHAHA! Anyway, here is the new chapter!

XXXX

"What do you mean you have to leave?" Jack asked, stern eyes piercing Angela's firm gaze.

Angela stared back, unmoved by Jack's interrogative tone. She was the second person who never backed down in Jack's presence. The only other individual to do so was Director Petras, now President Petras of the United States. Angela took in a breath, the fresh oxygen running through her calmed the nerves.

"I need to complete some unfinished business. I can't do that here." she stated.

Frustration began to well up in Jack like a geyser. He knew exactly what Angela was talking about and she knew exactly how ridiculous he thought it was.

"Angela, we've talked about this," Jack said, pressing his palm over his eyes.

"Yes, I know but Jack, times have changed. Technology has changed. I know that, with the proper tools, I can complete Resurrection!"

Angela wouldn't admit it, but she felt like a high school girl talking to her disapproving father. She was completely capable of leaving without his permission but she couldn't help but ask for it anyway. It was instinctual for all of them to go to Jack when he was around, like second nature, regardless of the circumstance. Everyone felt ashamed if he did not support the idea. Not this time, though. She'd get his approval this time. Jack said, "Why the sudden interest? You could have done this before the Recall. Why now?"

She couldn't tell Jack the truth, or rather, didn't want to. She still wasn't sure who she could tell. All Angela knew was Jack was not ready to find out.

"I was needed elsewhere. You know how I am, Jack,"

Jack let out a long sigh, gripping the opposite ends of his forehead between finger and thumb. Yes, he knew her. She was probably out there saving lives, mending wounds, healing scars, all across the globe. He supposed it made sense why she only now thought of the old project. Still, he knew something else had triggered her to continue the work. The question was: why not tell him?

Jack took a quick glance at Angela before speaking his mind. Angela's stomach churned with a hot anticipation, the feeling spreading to the back of her throat and tongue.

"I don't know what it is you're hiding from me," Jack said, "but you don't need my permission to leave, Ange,"

The doctor let out a sly chuckle, "Well, I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye,"

Jack smiled and shook his head, still not believing Angela's secrecy, but knew that she'd open up in due time. He trusted her to do what was best for the world. "Where are you going, anyway?" he asked.

A slight tension gripped the air before Angela spoke, "Oasis," she said, locking eyes with Jack.

The commander couldn't say he was surprised. Oasis was the spearhead for scientific advancement, free from any legal or moral boundaries. However, the facility was located in Pakistan of all places. Tensions were still high between the Pakistani and Omnic civilians. Dozens on both sides were shot up every day. He was already formulating a plan to keep her safe, whether she liked it or not. With another sigh and a scratch of his neck, Jack asked, "What do you need?"

Angela beamed from ear to ear. She had her commander's support.

"Well," she started, "I'll need a ride to the airport,"

Jack nodded and noticed Brigitte out of the corner of his eye, helping Alejandra move a crate of supplies. "Brigitte!" he barked.

The young mechanic dropped the supply crate she and Alejandra were carrying. The large box hit the stone floor with a thud, almost crushing Alejandra's toes. She growled under her breath while Brigitte awkwardly stood at attention.

"Yessir!" she boomed.

"When the good doctor is ready," Jack started, "please escort her to the nearest airport,"

Brigitte quick glanced Angela, who maintained her usual charming smile, and nodded, "You got it, boss!"

The pair then resumed their task of moving the heavy crate, while Jack and Angela resumed their discussion. "Anything else?" he asked, hoping that was all.

Angela gripped her chin between her finger and thumb, knitting her brows together, thinking. After a brief pause, she brought her gaze back up to Jack, "I need to make a call,"

XXXX

Late night shifts sucked ass. That was all Samuel Traynor could think about as he dozed off in the driver seat of his Acura TS1000, with the auto pilot activated of course. The car cruised down the quiet street of Sam's neighborhood, the street lights lazily illuminating the dull, abrasive surface of the asphalt; the stars seemed brighter by comparison. He could not wait to revel in the comfort of his own home and relax in the warm embrace of his wife. The surgery he had preformed tonight was long and arduous. He guessed that was just part of the job by this point. He had almost completely entered the realm of subconsciousness when the invasive noise of a bluetooth ringer went off, ripping Sam from his premature slumber. Sitting up, he checked the caller ID on the dashboard monitor and had to double check to make sure he read the name correctly.

"Angela?" he said to himself, out loud.

He tapped the accept icon, letting the call go through.

"Angela, hey!" he said, both awkwardly and joyfully, "Long time, no talk,"

The soothing voice of Dr. Ziegler hummed through the speakers, "Greetings, Sam. It is good to hear your voice, again,"

Sam let a smile escape his dry lips. It was always a pleasure to listen to the good doctor. Was it the gentle Swiss accent? The nurturing tone of her voice? He couldn't say, but he was indeed grateful he was listening to her now.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Angela?" he asked as his car kept driving down the slumbering neighborhood street.

There was a brief pause on the other end, a pause that gives the impression that a bomb was about to drop on him.

"We have some unfinished business to take care of,"

His blood ran cold. His dry eyes blinked once, then twice. Please don't tell me she means what I think she means, he thought to himself.

"Angela..." he began, his voice soaked in apprehension.

"Please, Sam. You believed in the project. With your help, we could complete it twice as fast,"

"Angela, I can't risk this. Just talking about this could end up with the CIA, or FBI, or whoever the hell, right on my doorstep,"

A soft yet annoyed sigh was audible through the speakers, "Winston set up a secure channel for us. No one can listen in but us,"

Apprehension still gripped Sam like a vice. Resurrection was dead. He had no interest in continuing the project. All he wanted was to provide for his wife.

"I'm sorry," he began, "But I can't help you. I have a wife, we're trying to start a family. I...I can't take that risk,"

"I… understand," Angela replied, disappointment unmistakably laced in her words, "But if you change your mind, I'll be working at Oasis for the time being,"

Sam huffed through his nostrils like an agitated bull. Oasis. He heard rumors of that place, rumors he would rather do without. Unethical experimentation, immoral and unchecked test on unwilling subjects. Of course these were only rumors but Sam was not keen on delving into the truth of it all.

Sam opened his mouth to say his peace, ready to end this conversation, until everything went violet. Every light, every monitor, every LED in Sam's car flared a deep bright violet, flooding the interior of the vehicle with light. As Sam bolted upright he could feel the car accelerate and swerve, left, right, left right, as if the auto pilot downed one too many shots of tequila.

He grabbed the steering wheel, desperately attempting to regain control of his rogue vehicle, but it was no use. No matter which way he turned, the car relentlessly resumed its frantic serpentine pattern. The soothing voice of Angela Ziegler was gone, replaced by the droning hums of the hover car as it repeatedly served side to side.

Sam's car finally veered hard to the left, colliding into the garage of his own house, the metal door folding but still standing. The front of the car was crushed like an accordion, dark smoke rising from the deformed hood. Sam lifted his head from the steering wheel. His brain felt as if it was put through a blender, and then that blender was put into another blender which got caught in a tornado. How could this possibly get any worse, he thought.

As I on cue Sam's driver side door was ripped from its hinges like wet cardboard. Sam jolted back in his seat, turning to face the dark hooded figure before him. Sam struggled to find any words, his breathing too frantic to let out anything but exasperated gasps for air. The hooded man stepped forward, the flickering lights of the garage briefly revealing his ghoulish mask, with puttering bursts of dying light. The hooded ghoul drew a weapon resembling a shot gun of some kind, leveled it at the panicking Sam, and said, "Give your wife my regards,"

Sam had no time to process those words as he felt the collective force of a thousand pellets strike him like a wall of lead, traveling at one thousand feet per second.

After surveying his work, satisfied there was no way the man before him was still alive, the ghoul stepped out of the dilapidated garage and pressed his earpiece, "Did you trace it?"

"More like, 'how fast did you trace it?'", the voice from the earpiece replied, confidence resounding in every word, "Pack your bags, amigo. We're going to Germany,"

A spotlight shot down upon the ghoul as he stood in the vacant street. As Reaper looked up at the Talon aircraft hovering above him, he knew it was only a matter of time before he ran into Jack again. And he would ensure it was the last time.

XXXX

So like, I've been depressed for… a year lol. Hence the super long wait for this chapter. I'm sorry, but when you're in the feels, the feels hold onto ya. XD. But seeing that people still love this story helped motivate me to continue it. So thank you all for your support. I'm sure there are some people who have abandoned this fic but for the others who still held hope that it would continue, here is the next chapter. I hope to get the next one out sooooon because I have been anticipating it for so long. I hope it will meet everyone's expectations. Thank you all, again, for your support! I am doing what I can to recover and improve!