~O~

The Future

Angela was strolling down the corridors of the facility that morning, listening to the news broadcast on a holovideo from her watch attached to her wrist. It was a broadcast she barely listened to as her mind was on Moira and their evening they had planned on spending together. She had slept in a little later than she'd have liked, but her staff had deemed it necessary for her to catch up on her rest.

The werewolves had gone after the incident and disappeared from public eye. She had understood why they did, but in a way, she would miss them when they were gone. They had been good to them, but Angela had understood why they had to go.

"Angela!" Winston called.

She snapped out of her thoughts, shut off the video feed and turned to him; he had been walking down a flight of stairs, carrying a clipboard in his large hands. Angela walked up to meet him and he held it out to her.

"The release form from the patient in 2B," he said, "I thought I'd bring this to you for your signature."

Angela tilted her head. "I could have gone down there, Winston." she told him, signing the form with a small chuckle. "There was no need to come and find me..."

She trailed off, noticing the odd look on his face. Immediately, she knew something wasn't quite right.

"Winston, what's wrong?"

He sighed, shaking his head before raising two hands. "Angela, it's about Moira - "

"What?" Angela was immediately worried. "What's wrong with Moira? Is she alright?"

Winston nodded reassuringly. "Yes, she's fine. Well, she's in good health as much as a werewolf can be," he explained, "But there was a meeting early this morning. The board had gathered for a hearing to...decide Moira's place here at Overwatch. She wanted to call you, but you didn't answer."

Angela's features lit up with realization when she began to understand why her staff had allowed her to sleep late. Her eyes welled and she shook her head slowly. They WANTED her to miss it. They had WANTED Moira to lose the hearing knowing that Angela could have possibly convinced them otherwise of their decision.

She would deal with that later. Now she had to find Moira.

Making her way deeper into the facility toward her lab, she spotted the two doctors on the way - they had been the ones who had told her to sleep late and when they had seen her coming, they immediately paled where they stood and froze. They started to talk - perhaps explain themselves in some way - but Angela pushed passed them and made her way further until she reached Moira's lab.

The door opened and she nearly stumbled over a box. Angela caught herself and noticed the label on the box read: "SMALL TOOLS". Looking around, she saw that the lab was nearly empty, everything boxed up and labeled and larger equipment covered with white sheets.

"Moira?" she called.

She walked into Moira's office and found the woman at her desk, quietly gathering a few folders and stacking them into a box. When she saw Angela, she paused, smiled sadly and resumed her task.

"Moira, what happened?" Angela demanded, her voice cracking. She knew the answer, but wanted to hear it from her.

"I assume it is obvious, Angela," Moira's tone was hollow. She sighed, waving a dismissing hand in the air. "It appears that my...condition has raised some concerns. They have all decided that I am too great a risk to continue having here. I am to leave effective immediately."

Angela blinked in horror. "What?"

"It was inevitable. I know it's what they wanted." Moira shrugged it off nonchalantly. "They are using my condition as a cover for what they truly fear, perhaps."

"B-But Amari-"

"SHE spoke on my behalf," Moira interrupted, her actions harsher now as she stuffed a folder in the box. "I suppose someone had to."

Angela wavered, shaking her head. "Moira, I had no idea there was a hearing! They- My staff volunteered to cover for me and I..." She groaned angrily, her voice tight as she made an effort to calm herself from crying. "They wanted this! That's all it was!"

Moira nodded, sighing. She relaxed her shoulders and her features smoothed out. "Yes..."

Angela refused to allow it to happen. She scowled now, shaking her head once more before turning.

"Where are you going, Angela?" Moira asked. She sounded tired, entirely too defeated for someone like her.

"To talk to them!" Angela insisted, firm, "I won't let this happen! I REFUSE to sit idly by and allow everything you've done for this organization to go up in shambles for - for this!"

She gestured to Moira as she said it, but the older woman didn't seem willing to offer much fight. Instead, she seemed determined to focus on her task of getting everything boxed away.

"It's already finished, Angela. I will have to take my research elsewhere."

"But..." Angela's heart sank and she felt heat tighten in her throat. "What about us? You can't just..." She swallowed a small hiccup of despair. "You're just going to leave like that?"

Moira's eyes misted. "It's far from what I want, Angela. But they've decided on what must be done. It will not be in your best interest to follow me."

Angela felt as if her heart had been stomped upon. She lowered her head and was stunned when she felt Moira put her arm around her. She felt the older woman sigh loudly, perhaps to stifle her own tears.

"Oh, it isn't fair, is it?" Moira said, quietly. "I know. I know."

Angela was shaking her head in Moira's chest, tears falling. "No, you can't leave, Moira..."

Moira swallowed thickly, shutting her eyes.

O

Watching her depart the Overwatch facility was the hardest thing Angela had ever witnessed.

The older woman had driven away without a look back at her. It was hard, she knew how much it was. Moira had to handle it in the way she understood, but it hurt Angela just as much. She couldn't look at those who watched beside her and she had to shut her eyes tight to keep the tears from falling. Genji placed a hand on her shoulder to offer some form of comfort.

"Angela, I'm sorry." he told her.

Ana hadn't spoken since and simply shut her eyes.

Angela turned to the two doctors who had passed her earlier. She walked up to them, shook her head with anguished disappointment before she walked away. Moira had seen her go from her car and she shut her eyes, clasping a hand over her mouth to stifle her own pained sounds.

Meanwhile, as she disappeared over the horizon, Angela was making her way back to her office and the two doctors followed behind her, urging her to listen to their explanations. She stopped and her voice was struggling to maintain a semblance of calm as she addressed them.

"You will come with me to my office," she said it firmly, despite not shouting, "You will both fill out release forms and your positions hereby terminated effective immediately."

They looked horrified and spoke at once. Even Jesse was stunned.

"Hey, doc, hold on a second - "

Angela pointed a finger at him now, her voice filled with hurt and anger. "No!" she snapped. "They conspired against me to be rid of Moira knowing exactly what they were doing! I will hear no further excuses! We are meant to function as a team! A family! We live and function with trust and understanding! These two betrayed that trust! Betrayed ME and EVERYTHING Moira and I worked hard for!"

Her voice was shaking, tears streaming down her cheeks. Ignoring the voices of those attempting to soothe her, she whirled and left them.

"She... She needs a little time," Ana said, gently. She set a hand on Genji's shoulder before the ninja could follow her. "Genji, I'll speak with her."

Genji looked at her briefly before nodding. "Very well."

Ana followed Angela to her office and found the younger woman moving to her desk to begin filling out the release forms she had promised to make.

"Angela." she said.

"I must get started on these, Ana," Angela said, rigidly.

"Angela, wait a moment."

Angela reached for a pen, but Ana closed a hand over hers and Angela huffed out impatiently, struggling weakly against her for a few moments before she finally lost the will to continue the rigid facade. She started to cry and Ana put her arms around her, pulling her into a comforting embrace. It was so strange, really to have done something like that, but Angela felt that she wanted the comfort more than anything else right now.

"I'm so sorry, Angela..." Ana whispered, soothingly, "I did what I could. Their ultimatum wasn't fair, but this was the best course of action."

"Ultimatum?" Angela pulled from her, frowning. She sniffled a little and wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.

Ana pursed her lips. "If Moira was to remain at Overwatch, they would shut us down. Hundreds of people would be without jobs. It was made clear that she was dangerous to keep around. I did what I could to assure them otherwise, but you know how it is with bureaucracy." She sighed, rolling her eyes with a huff of frustration. "As if they know the true sacrifices we make every day."

Angela knew that well.

Dismiss Moira and hundreds of people would be allowed to keep their positions with the organization. Dismiss one werewolf Geneticist for the sake of them all.

"I don't even know if I'll see her again..." Angela's anguished sobs were back.

"You will." Ana promised. "Perhaps when this has all been forgotten - "

"It won't be forgotten Ana. You know as well as I."

It was true.

She could only hope that it wasn't, but it was true.

O

Five Months Later

It was a good morning.

Moira worked in her lab that day in the small town that had welcomed her. They offered her opportunities for study and research. She could work without judgement or issues from the people and she had been given a place in the mountains where it was quiet. Moira appreciated the silence and the peace so that she would not be disturbed from her tasks. It was routine and she spent all day and sometimes night working.

Her mind wandered occasionally to Angela, whom she had not spoken to since leaving Overwatch.

"Hmm..." she distracted herself with a holographic readout of data. "Subtle changes to the neural pathways after exposure to the..."

Moira paused now, sniffing the air with her nose high. She could smell another werewolf nearby. How very curious to know that one was approaching her.

She stepped outside onto the front porch, sniffing around a few more times. A female werewolf. She was young, too. Moira had learned how to understand these smells much better in her time alone. She could also smell fear mixed with the scent of the werewolf. Why would it approach her if it was afraid?

"Come out," Moira warned her eyes scanning the trees. "You know I can smell you. The perimeter is protected with traps. It wouldn't do to have you attempt to sneak up on me." Her voice trilled fiendishly. "I could always use a new experiment if you're going to be so bold."

She saw a shift in the trees and a flash of blonde-colored fur and sharp ocean-blue eyes. How very curious. She had never seen a blonde werewolf before. But it made her smirk and advance. She could transform and teach the impudent thing some manners, perhaps? Well, that would get a little messy, surely, but she would certainly not allow herself to be taken for surprise.

There was a sound of bone snapping, shifting of skin and Moira's confident smile drained into one of shock as the figure stepped out of the brush, naked and shivering.

Angela.

The younger woman smiled weakly at her. "Hello, Moira."

O

Angela was covered in a blanket and Moira provided her with a glass of water. She thanked her quietly and stared down at the floor, watching as Moira took a seat in front of her. The older woman had been silent and quite calm for a long time and when she did speak, it wasn't accusing, but firm. As much as she was relieved to see her again after all this time, she wanted answers and wanted them now.

"Well, I have an open mind, Angela. Would you care to explain?" Moira asked.

"It happened a month after you left." Angela shuddered as she drank from her glass. "The werewolves from Julian's pack had infected a few people in the fight and we were called to collect them. I tried to help one of them but..." She winced and set the glass down, pulling the sheet away just a little so that Moira could see four long claw marks across the surface of her skin, just above her ribs. Her lips thinned as she studied the scars, thinking of Angela hurt by one of them.

Angela sighed heavily. "We didn't think a scratch would be enough. But in a week, I began to experience the same things you did. Strong sense of smell, hearing. I even performed tests myself to be certain that it was the same thing."

"And?" Moira wanted to know every detail. Her face was grim and cold.

Angela refused to look at her. "I put myself in that room that you'd made and I changed during the full moon."

"Did you have anyone there to help you?"

"No. I was alone, but I made that choice to stay alone. Until my first transformation, I tracked down Rosita and she helped me learn to control it. It took a great deal of effort, as expected. But she never lost faith in me. They are good people, Moira." She sighed, disappointed. "I am sorry to see them vanish into hiding after everything they'd done for us."

Moira was content with that answer, but it didn't explain why Angela was here.

"What about Overwatch?" she questioned, rubbing a hand across her knee; it was a distracted gesture that she couldn't help. "Did they cast you out as they had me?"

Angela hesitated for a moment. It almost seemed as if she didn't want to answer, but she did anyway. "No. But it was Genji who wanted me to stay. They all did. But I didn't feel...like I should be there under the circumstances. It was a difficult decision, but one that had to be made for the good of myself and everyone else. I traveled around in an effort to provide my help to small Omnic Crisis Relief camps. But that failed when they learned what I was."

"They threw you away." Moira's fingers clenched tightly.

"Yes..."

Moira knew what it meant. Perhaps she had earned it to some degree, but not Angela; with her ridiculous sense of altruism and determination in the face of madness. She deserved to be treated better than what they had done to her, but she hadn't been. After the good work she had done, they simply tossed her aside when they saw the true nature of the younger woman - a nature she couldn't even help.

Cowards.

Moira walked to her side, sat down and Angela put her arms around her. Moira kissed the top of her head, reacquainting herself with Angela's scent. It warmed her senses and reminded her of the brief days they shared together at Overwatch. Perhaps she missed it more than she admitted.

Angela sighed and leaned into Moira's neck, a hand slipping over her shoulder. The naked form pressed up against her certainly was enough to reawaken old heat beneath her and Moira pulled her up into her lap. That cooler hand up against her naked backside thrilled Angela and she nuzzled Moira's cheek to coax her lips against her for a long, warm, chaste kiss.

But it didn't last as Angela's lips found their way to Moira's ear. "I've missed you." she husked out.

"I know, I can tell." Moira breathed out, just as heavy.

What an odd concept to bring up, but it still made Moira smile a little. She leaned back, barely listening as she stroked the soft flesh of Angela's breast with one hand. She was determined to distracted her and maintain an upper hand and it seemed to work to a small extent as Angela's voice hitched only for a moment before she leaned back to smile at Moira heatedly.

"You know, Rosita had told me that I'm the fastest werewolf she had seen," Angela told her, voice filled with a hint of mischief, "Hm, would you feel up to the task of challenging that?"

"Really?" Moira raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. Her voice carried a trill of amusement. "Honestly, Angela. We're not real wolves, why would I ever...?"

Angela gave her a playful grin and leaned back, studying Moira with direct challenge in her expression now. "Are you saying that you can't?"

"Don't be silly, of course I can."

"Mmm, then prove it."

She wriggled from Moira's grasp and for a moment, the older woman just assumed that it was a game. She wouldn't TRULY run away like that. But Angela certainly looked serious enough and simply sauntered to the front door, as naked as the day she was born. It would seem that being a werewolf now meant she had little in the ways of prudishness. Moira found it difficult to deny her when she was gifted a sight such as that one.

Angela shifted form, rushing into the woods on all fours. The sight spurred on an instinct in Moira that she had never felt before and it brought on her own change. She gave chase behind Angela.

The smell of life and nature around her was deeply alluring in this state, she had to admit that. The thrill of having Angela back with her, wanting her to perform this silly ritual was a certain brand of arousing that she had never known when she was human. Moira was refined, classy as a human. But as a werewolf she followed her animal instincts as needed. Here, oh, they certainly were.

Ah, Angela. She was fast in her werewolf form. Moira could still smell her in the air. She was close, waiting for her to catch her. Oh, what Moira intended to do when she did... The thought made her thighs ache with heat.

She sniffed the air around her, paused and hissed softly, spotting Angela only a few feet away. She growled lowly, gave chase as she rushed off, but the run had seemed to tire Angela as Moira was able to catch and pin her with her larger form, drawing a yelp from Angela's throat.

Both of them shifted back into human form and Moira stared down at that grinning, flushed face. Angela laughed happily, wrapping her arms around Moira's shoulders to pull her in for a kiss. It was a slow, yet deep kiss that carried many delightful promises.

Moira pulled away just a fraction, their lips barely touching. Her breath was thick, hot and hungry. "And what do I do with you now, Dr. Ziegler?"

"Mmm, I don't know, Dr. O'Deorain," Angela played the game. She teased her fingers through Moira's hair, agitating her to new levels of sensitivity. "Perhaps I will simply leave myself in..." She whispered huskily in her ear. "...your capable hands."

Moira smiled down at her, eyes dark and hungry. "I'll not keep you waiting then."

"Good. I've been kept waiting for five months."

A soft laugh from Moira. She then raised her eyebrows and looked up around them. "Do you really want to...?"

"No. Back to the house, please."

"I thought so."

O

Moira awoke to an empty bed.

She blinked, rubbed her eyes and noticed that Angela wasn't there, which was unusual as she was typically the one who woke first and early. It was a small concern and she rose to make her way into her kitchen to find Angela had written her a small note left on the counter.

Moira walked up to it, picked it up and read it:

I went into town to see if there were those in need of my help. I noticed they were short on doctors. I made breakfast for you and left it in the fridge. Please eat before you begin your work. Doctor's orders.

She had even drawn a small smiley face that made Moira chuckle, shake her head and roll her eyes. Perhaps she could indulge for a moment before she started her work.

Once she had the food in her stomach, she ventured into town to retrieve some supplies, dressing herself in a gray oxford shirt, vest and trousers with her long, black trench-coat.

She found Angela in the streets, sitting on the curb and talking with a few parents and their children. She had found some proper clothes to wear, it seemed; a thin denim jacket, some slacks and shoes; not quite what she often wore, but Moira suspected that they must have been given to her.

She was smiling broadly, making gestures with her hands and it told Moira she must have been telling quite the tale. It was delightful to see her attach herself so quickly to the townspeople.

Angela sensed her stare and looked over, smiling and waving one hand before she bid her farewell to the group and walked over to join Moira.

"They have offered me a place at their infirmary," she told her, "I would surely love to spend time helping them as much as I can."

Moira nodded her agreement. "I agree."

Angela thought about something for a moment and she took Moira's hands in hers. The older woman glanced down at them briefly, smiling just a fraction before she spoke.

"When I woke up, I thought last night had been a dream," she said.

Angela's look was clouded in thought. She seemed to agree with that. "Yes. I was afraid you'd drift away at any moment..."

Her tone was softer, but her eyes were sad. It made Moira look away, unsure of whether or not she wanted to see that look. She had to understand what had happened and why it happened the way it did. Perhaps it hadn't spared them of their emotional pain, but they were here now.

"Well, I understand it has been difficult," Moira agreed, "But we are here now."

Angela smiled and slipped her arms around Moira's waist. "That we are."

She leaned up on her tiptoes for a kiss, to which Moira obliged. It took only a few moments before they heard a chorus of giggles and sounds from the watching children behind them. Moira opened one eye, raised an eyebrow and parted, staring at Angela with mild embarrassment. The younger woman simply laughed and shook her head, not quite as put off by the laughter. She gently placed two hands against Moira's shoulders and leaned into her.

"Would you like to continue your shopping?" Angela asked.

Moira nodded her head, rolling her eyes at the scattered, lingering laughter. "And afterwards?"

"I'd like to go home with you."

Moira certainly wanted that.

They walked away and Angela glanced down, taking Moira's hand in hers. She smiled when she realized that they held the same body temperature. She could smell emotions in Moira - relief, adoration and happiness. She could dare say that her change benefited her in this way.

There was no way to tell what the future would bring for both of them. But now they were happy.