The team returns, their mission successful, but at a price. Soldier: 76 survived his exposure, but will he be able to recover? (The answer is yes.)

Author note: Fluff ahoy!


"You're sure he will be alright, Doctor Ziegler?"

It was Winston this time, last in a long line of worried questions about their newest team member. Soldier: 76 lay between Overwatch's commander and Mercy on the med-bay bed, unmoving save his slow breathing.

"I am quite sure. The antidote worked, thankfully, and it was a minor exposure. I have confirmed his nervous system is working. His unconscious state is merely a side effect of the healing process. I'll take him out of it later tonight. He will be fine, I assure you of that fact."

For a moment, Mercy's blue eyes met with the Gorilla's, professional pride evident in her voice, as if she was offended by the thought that any harm could come to a patient in *her* care.

Winston was taken aback for a moment, before nodding his assent.

"I wouldn't doubt you for a moment, Mercy. If there's nothing else you need, I suppose I will turn in for the night." Turning his head over his massive shoulder to look at the silent base, he continued. "It certainly seems as if the others have done the same. With any luck, I shall see you both in the morning. Good luck and good night, Doctor."

With that, he turned away, leaving Mercy alone with her patient. As the hours passed, she busied herself with the instruments monitoring his health, as she prepared to bring him from his medically induced coma. Mercy had long since doffed her Valkyrie suit in favor of the more comfortable bodyglove alone. The med-bay's soft lights gave her blonde hair a radiant shine as she scrolled through the PDA containing Soldier: 76's medical data.

What little of it there was, she mused with a mental sigh.

I'd managed to get everyone, regrettably including Junkrat, to cooperate on this. In order to provide the best medical care that I can, I must have the opportunity to perform examinations and measurements. But no matter how many times I ask, no matter how well I argue my case, he refuses! It is as if he is hiding something.

She looked down at the stranger there before her. He still wore much of his combat equipment; the only concession to his injured state was his jacket lying in the corner, so that a simple IV could run to his arm. Much of his face was hidden behind the harsh metal of his tactical visor, and what little of it lay exposed was deeply weathered by scars and care. Mercy had toyed with the idea of removing the visor, but a feeling she couldn't place had stayed her hand. As it was, she took the chance to gather valuable information about the man. With information about his blood type, his physiology, his immune response, she could better tailor her technology to heal him.

Now if only this verdamnt blood data would sort itself out. The system keeps telling me it has already logged this data, but that's impossible. He's been dead for years."

Frowning in concentration, she picked out the signal she'd been looking for. Steady hands began the procedure to wake the stranger in her care. Caught for a moment in the pleasant concentration of her work, she did not notice him begin to move.

"A-angel…"

She froze.

Mercy's pulse quickened as her heart caught in her throat. Something between hope and fear welled up in her chest and rooted her to the spot. With all the courage she could muster, she turned, turned to see unsteady hands reaching for his visor, turned to see the grizzled face of the man she'd lost, turned to meet the eyes of the man she loved.

"J..jack?"

He couldn't think right. There was something in his head, turning his thoughts to mud. He knew there was something he couldn't tell her, but there she was. Angela. His Angela, his Angel, and something was wrong. She was crying, he was here for her now, he had to help her.

"Angela, you're.. you're crying? What's wrong? Is someth-"

The realization of what he'd done fell upon him with a sinking weight.

"Oh.. oh God.. I'm sorry, Angela, I didn't mean"

Words failed him completely as she embraced him. She drew herself into his chest, buried her tears of pain and loss in the safety of his touch. She was a little girl in Zurich again, clinging to her Hero, what felt like an eternity of relief. He wrapped his arms around her knowingly, she was safe. She was safe, she was home.

With tender care, he kissed her forehead, the way he always had, the way that sent a warm glow down her back. Blue, tear streaked eyes met his at last, a gentle hand brushing her cheek as her body wrapped around his.

"I'm sorry, Angela. Truly, I am... all these years, I failed you."

Mercy's smile caught him off guard, as joyful words poured out.

"Jack, you came back. You promised me I'd never lose you, and now you're here, you're here with me. That's all I could have ever asked for."

Tender lips met his as years of agony flowed away. His fear, his pain, his loss, burned like chaff in the flame of her embrace. A blissful moment, then they parted. A deep peace washed over them both, their eyes meeting yet again.

"I love you, Jack. I always have, I always will."

"I love you too, my Angel, and I always will."

Mercy breathed a contented sigh, a languid arm flicking the remote to dim the lights. The tension easing out of his body, Jack lay back against the pillows, Angela's head soft against his chest. Their hands met as they lay there, wrapped in each other's love, drifting blissfully to sleep.