A/N: This somehow became a big chapter… I simply wanted to wrap up the initiation of Mercy within this one. Companion piece to chapter 3, "From The Lonely". Hope you enjoy it, please review!

Angela sat in a comfy chair. Or at least "comfortable" had been the word they had sold it to her with. She kept changing her position every few seconds, making concentrating on the medical article a nigh impossibility. It had been such a nice chair, too, at least in the store. A sigh escaped her lips. She would have to pick up that article again when she was back at the hospital.

The TV was on, constant babbling coming from the screen. She didn't really know what the program was as she wasn't actually facing the TV. Something about cooking and omnics.

There was a knock on the door. How odd, she thought. Maybe someone from the hospital was coming to see her. Nobody else really knew her. She opened the mahogany door, finding a snow-covered figure standing outside her apartment.

"Herr Morrison", she acknowledged him, raising one of her eyebrows in confusion.

"Doctor Angela Ziegler", he nodded, a few snowflakes falling off his cap. "There was no light coming from your apartment and I was wondering if maybe you had the night shift. It wouldn't have surprised me to find you at work even at such a late time."

Angela ignored his words and stepped out the apartment herself, leaving the door only slightly open in order to block his view. "Herr Morrison, since when do you know where I live?" Her voice bore a hint of accusation.

"I might have checked some databases and ran a background check on you", he said sheepishly, scratching his neck with his gloved fingers.

"And why are you here in the middle of the night?"

"Ah… Gabe's orders?" he suggested as an answer. "We've been away for quite a while and he thought it would be nice to come see you. We've been on a mission for a week which is the reason why we've been so absent.

"So, where is he then?" Angela asked, craning her neck to see behind the tall man in front of her. "I thought people like you two only came in pairs. Like shoes, really."

"Thanks. The thing is, he might have his foot packaged up right now, which is why he sent me as the messenger", Morrison explained.

"Ah so", Angela said with a nod of her head.

They stood there in the silence while snowflakes fell around them, covering the dull grey of the city in a white veil. At least for a while it would be pure before all the fumes colored the ground dirty again. Angela stared at the man in front of her. He had been smiling faintly throughout their conversation. Shouldn't he now be leaving? She did notice how his nose had a reddish tint to it, indicating that he was, indeed, cold. He should probably take a break to warm up before heading back to wherever he came from.

Where could he do that though? Most coffee houses and shops were closed that late. She squinted her eyes suspiciously at him. So he was waiting for permission to enter her home? "You're welcome to come inside", Angela reluctantly said. "I have to warn you, there have never been any guests here. It might not be the most heartwarming home there is."

Morrison grinned as best he could with his numbed mouth. A twinkle in his eyes told Angela that he was very pleased that she had caught on. "So you've been staying in here for four years and not once have you had guests over?" he asked incredulously while taking off his coat. The white snow fluttered on her door, leaving puddles behind.

"Four years? You really did do a background check on me", Angela said, disregarding his quip while staring at the dripping water. Hopefully it wouldn't damage the floor too much.

"Entered medical school when sixteen, graduated at the age of twenty, has worked at the nearest hospital for four years, earning the place of head of surgery, in addition to writing medical articles that have astonished the whole world", he listed. "Very impressive."

Angela shrugged as an answer to his compliment. "A lot of work can get anyone anywhere."

"Speaking of work, did you just come from the hospital?"

"I did not", Angela answered. "Why?"

"You still have your doctor coat on", Morrison noted. "Or do you never take it off?"

Angela immediately discarded the piece of clothing, folding it and throwing it on the sofa. "I do stuff other than work sometimes."

Again he just smiled lightly as an answer. "Why is it so dark in here?" he pressed some of the switches near the door and a few lights lit up. He started down the hallway leading away from the door and arrived in the living room. "Didn't know you were a fan of ice hockey", he said.

The program had switched from a cooking show to a match on ice. "I'm not", she said, hurrying to the remote and turning the TV off.

"I do the same with the radio", Morrison said with a smile.

"You do what?"

"Just leave it on when alone. It reminds me that there are still other people." Instead of looking at her face, he was now conquering her kitchen. She did not like this at all. Why was he behaving in such a relaxed manner in her house? She was on her way to stop him when he turned his head at her.

"Can I make some hot chocolate?" he said, pointing at the machine meant for it. It managed to disrupt Angela's train of thought. Warming him up faster would be the best way to get him out quickly so she agreed. "How does it work then?"

"I don't know", Angela said honestly. She had never used it.

Morrison took a long look at her, making her feel uncomfortable. His blue eyes looked dark underneath the heavy frown of his forehead. He soon turned back to the machine, looking around it until he seemed to figure something out. When some time had passed, he had actually managed to produce two cups of smoking hot chocolate with cream on top and all. He passed the other to Angela who accepted it politely. Now he even knew how to operate the hot chocolate machine better than her. She sighed in her mind.

What annoyed her even more was how he immediately afterwards went to sit in her comfortable chair, claiming her earlier spot for himself. He practically sunk in, a content smile on his face. How come he found it so comfortable? She took the sofa next to him.

He looked tired, the military uniform covering most of him, but seemed awfully cheery while sipping from his cup. "You have new scars", Angela said, noticing a few fresh red lines crossing over his face. "Are they from your last mission?" They made him look a bit rough. Without realizing she had leaned in and was now inspecting them. She withdrew her hand. He was definitely not one of her patients.

"They'll heal in no time", he said with a mock voice of bravery. "Thank you for your worry though. I could use a doctor like you. We all could."

She couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyes. He had to take it there. "Of course, that's what this is about."

"It's always about that", he said, looking straight at her with such piercing eyes. "Overwatch." He was now looking at her like a hawk, so very intensively.

"I'll never join", Angela said sternly. "I'm happy where I am now."

"A lot of work can get anyone anywhere. Even you into Overwatch." Morrison placed his empty mug on the table. He knew his remaining time was getting short, the colour on his nose already returning to normal. She would soon make him leave and they both knew it. He still had to try. "Why can't you accept us fighting for the greater good?"

"Fighting…" She couldn't hold back a sigh. "There are so many sicknesses in this world, weakening and killing us, making us into only shells of our former selves. War has the same effect - I can't understand why anyone would deliberately take part in something like that."

He seemed slightly desperate, struggling to find the right words. "But don't you have something worth actually fighting for?"

"I will apply for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required…" Angela quoted, leaving the sentence hanging in the air.

"That's from the Hippocratic Oath, isn't it", Morrison guessed, apparently vaguely recognizing it.

She nodded. "When I first took my vows, it struck me. I was going to devote my whole life to it, heal the whole world. And I have lived by it, affecting the people of my hospital positively. Why are you so keen on inviting me?"

"I feel like you truly could heal the whole world. You don't have to stop here if you come with us." Angela could see his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed the last of his drink. "I am so keen because I want to gather the good people together to make the world a better place. I feel like that's my purpose. It's what I live for."

"So you want to carry the whole world on your shoulders", Angela said.

"So do you", Morrison said, looking sharply at her, challenging her.

"I'm still not joining Overwatch."

"I was counting on that", Morrison said. He stood up and looked down at her with a mischievous grin. "You don't want me to stay the night, do you?" Before she had a chance to answer, he was already striding back to the hallway, making her hurry after him. "Two pairs of shoulders are still better than one pair", he said while putting on his winter clothing and opening the door. "Good night, Doctor Angela Ziegler!" The door slammed shut. He was gone before she had the chance to respond.

She turned the TV on again. A goal for Canada. The booming voice of the sportscaster echoed through her now fully lit apartment as she sank back into her chair - the "comfortable" one. There was still a lingering warmth remaining from its previous user.

What an irritating man. Such strong opinions and so adamant. And his dreams were so ridiculous. But still she couldn't help but listen to the tiny voice in her mind whispering to her - if there was somebody who would be able to do it, it would be him. Him and his Overwatch.

She sank deeper and sipped her mug of hot chocolate. Without realizing, her lips had curved up to a smile.

The next time she heard from them was in the middle of the night, three days after Morrison's surprise house visit. She was lying beneath the blanket and almost jumped out of her skin at the sudden sound coming from her table. Her phone was ringing.

She stared at it for a second before answering, bracing herself for an emergency call from the hospital. It was indeed one, an emergency call, but not from who or where she had expected it to be from.

"Angela!" the voice on the other side cried out in panic. "You need to come here", he said. It took her brains a few seconds to connect the rough voice with the face of Reyes.

"Reyes? What is the matter?" she asked in a collected manner. "And call me Doctor at least."

"Something's happened - with Jack."

"Jack? Do you mean Morrison? Please explain the matter more clearly", she requested. She had jumped out of her bed and was now wandering around the room, holding the phone to her ear. The panic was infecting her feet with restlessness.

"He- There's something wrong with him", Reyes said with a tremble in his voice. "You need to come here - you're the only one who can help us in this situation. Please."

Her feet came to a full stop. Angela then started for the nearest decent clothing and threw her doctor's coat on top of them. "How do I get there?"

"We've sent a helicopter to the hospital."

She shut down her phone and started running for the door, cursing herself that for once she hadn't been working overtime. It would take her too long to get to the hospital. The way itself was dangerous as well - icy patches covered by slow made her boots slip and slide as she strode through the dimly lit streets.

Finally she arrived at the rooftop and boarded a helicopter with the logos of the United Nations and Overwatch on it. The ride wasn't long - just over a mountain range and they were already there. The base was at least three times the size of the hospital and while most of it was under construction, the grandness of it all made her eyes widen slightly. So this was how much money they were willing to throw at a military organization.

Landing on the courtyard, she jumped off and frantically searched for Reyes. She did see him - a figure dressed in a black parka - waving at her from the entrance of a nearby building.

"What is it?" she asked once in hearing range, out of breath from running to him.

Reyes opened the door for her and she followed him over to a sofa - on top of which lied the star of the emergency, Jack Morrison.

Angela knelt before the sofa to inspect him, looking at any apparent damage on his body and then checking his heartbeat. Everything looked and sounded normal. He was soundly asleep, a relaxed snore escaping his mouth every once in awhile. Only at this point did she look at Reyes who sat next to her on the floor. His eyes were silently laughing at her along with his grinning mouth.

"There's nothing wrong with him", Angela noted in a dangerously calm voice. The adrenaline was still running through her veins, thrumming along her heart. "But you already knew that, didn't you." A slap sounded through the room.

"I really do deserve a prize for that acting! How about a kiss?" Reyes asked and rubbed his hurt cheek. "Oh, Angela, please help!" he imitated himself from before, clearly exaggerating. Now that she focused her attention on him, she noticed that he slightly reeked of booze.

"Why would you worry me with such a thing in the dead of the night?" Angela said and buried her face in her hands. She didn't know if she should be relieved or not that there had been no real emergency. Her heart was still beating far too quickly for her to calm down.

"Doctor Ziegler?"

She uncovered her face only to face the blue eyes of Jack Morrison. Very confused eyes. He was now aware of the two people by his temporary sleeping spot.

"You see, Jack wanted you to visit this place", Reyes started explaining with a grin, "It was his idea originally. He wanted to show you the "family spirit" of Overwatch, or some mumbo-jumbo like that. He just didn't know how to get you here, so I helped just a bit."

"I was getting around to asking her", Morrison told Reyes with an irritated growl.

"Well, I actually get things done. Just a quick phone call about golden boy here being hurt and she's on her way", Reyes said with a shrug. Angela wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face with another slap, but restrained herself.

"You didn't! You've been drinking, haven't you", Morrison noted and leaned backwards again in defeat, casting an apologetic look at Angela.

"Well, you started sleeping. It was boring", Reyes said, shrugging again. "What else could I do?"

"I'm afraid I might be partly at fault here", a new voice said. Angela turned around to see an Egyptian woman in her late thirties standing behind her, previously unnoticeable. She was beautiful, black hair cascading down her shoulders and framing her perfectly proportioned face. There was an odd tattoo around one of her dark eyes. She continued talking with a heavy accent, "I was very interested in seeing who exactly this famous Doctor Angela Ziegler was, especially after hearing Jack go so crazy about recruiting you."

"We could always use a good doctor", Morrison defended his efforts.

"Are you saying my first aid on the field isn't good enough?" the Egyptian woman asked with a frown, leading to a rigorous shaking of heads from both Morrison and Reyes. It seemed like they actually did respect her. Or maybe fear, Angela couldn't tell which. "Ana Amari, part of Overwatch", she introduced herself. "I first gave him some drinks and then encouraged him to get you here, even if it was by a prank call. For that, I apologize."

Angela nodded. She didn't really know how to feel about that. The apologizing was welcomed, but her heart was still rushing.

"Seriously Ana, I was going to invite her to see the equipment", Morrison mumbled with an annoyed glance targeted at the Egyptian. He had somehow already managed to shake off all the sleepiness and was now stealing glances at both the doctor and his usual companions.

"I'm sorry for ruining your date." The older woman flicked her wrist as if trying to dismiss the subject and turned to address Angela again. "Now that you're here, you must join us", Amari said and pulled her up with a surprising amount of strength. She led her to a big common room with some other people. She realized that they were the other agents of Overwatch. What felt odd to her was that even though they had space, everyone had packed themselves around a small table. They were playing cards with wild shouts and drinks.

With her slipping quietly into one of the corners, Angela's arrival wasn't noticed much. A quiet man next to her simply grunted as a greeting before turning back to his cards. She was free to stay back and observe what was happening.

Most of them were probably already near passing out judging by their reddish cheeks and loud laugh. They chatted and bantered amongst themselves like good friends. Angela realized that these people really trusted their backs to each other. Rationally, it was no wonder that people on the battlefield would be so close outside of it as well, since they risked their skins beside each other daily. She didn't really catch all of their jokes nor did she know what insane rules they used during their games, since it looked totally random to her. It didn't mean she had a bad time, though.

She had to wonder, was this what a family felt like? A cozy group of people so very comfortable with each other, even if they were from all around the world, from different backgrounds...

The night did end soon, people dispersing in different directions, carrying and supporting each other through the darkened hallways. In the end even Reyes and Amari left. In the most absurd style Amari flung the bigger man on her shoulder and then proceeded to carry him away like a ragdoll, wishing good night to the remaining two.

Morrison stood up, ready to lead her to the guest quarters which he had promised earlier in the evening since it was far too late for her to return to the town. They walked through countless doors, Angela following the slight bobbing of his blond head as she strode behind him. There were a lot of taped windows and empty rooms indicating just how incomplete the place was.

When they finally stopped in front of a white door, Morrison faced her again. He bore a very hopeless look in his eyes when he spoke. "I feel like I can't apologize enough for what happened. I tried, but now those fools did something like that, something so idiotic, and you'll never join us. We must all seem like stupid drunkards." He sighed heavily. "I'll arrange a transportation for you first thing tomorrow morning."

Utterly defeated, he turned around and was about to start walking away when Angela suddenly stopped him by grabbing his arm. "I'll come see the equipment tomorrow." She then left him standing in the hallway and entered her small room. She didn't know why she did it. Was it the look in his honest eyes? Or had the tiredness mixed up her brain? Did she just miss the warmth of company that she had felt?

After taking a quick look around the accommodations, she peeked her head out to see if he was still there. The blond was still staring at her, or where she used to stand, his mouth slightly open in surprise.

She smiled warmly at him. "I'm glad you're well", she said before disappearing again. In the end she was very happy that there had been no emergency, prank call or not. In fact, she was very happy at everything.

"Were you waiting for me here the whole night or did you just not sleep for even a bit?" Angela had opened her door and was instantly greeted by Morrison standing in the same spot he had been at the night before. She had vaguely noticed how he already bore dark circles under his eyes yesterday, but now he looked like he had been left for dead or something.

"I had to write a report", he explained while catching an escaping yawn with his hand.

"That's bad for your health."

Morrison muttered something inaudible and led her towards one of the partly completed buildings. He did a fine job of presenting all of the healthcare equipment or at least trying to. If he didn't know they were used for, he would just say "that round junk" or "odd bottle-box hybrid" to which Angela would answer "that one's used for quick magnetism scans" or "it's for gauging the levels of hybridization".

Looking at the fancy devices around her, she had to admit – she could accomplish a lot more here than in the hospital, especially if she put even more time into the research. She didn't admit that to Morrison though. She could feel his eyes on her, those two hopeful but tired orbs. After his fortieth yawn, she felt like forcing him to sleep on one of the unused patient beds.

Their tour ended back at the common room, where a late breakfast slash brunch was being offered. This time nearly all of the people were sober. However, that didn't flatten the atmosphere. Everyone was still laughing and discussing the food and last night.

This time Angela didn't manage to go as unnoticeably as before. In fact, when she entered the room, every mouth was shut and all eyes were on her.

She cleared throat. "Guten Tag. I am Doctor Angela Ziegler from the nearby Swiss hospital. You may have heard about me before, as I have done some valuable research on cellular level and nanobiology."

"Herzlich willkommen!" shouted a gigantic man sitting at the other head of the table. "Will you be joining us?"

"She's only here to take a look around", Morrison filled in.

"Woah, Morrison", a short man with a beard called out, "you didn't drink at all and you're still worse off than any one of us."

"I wouldn't say that - did you see Reyes?" someone remarked.

"He's still not here - and neither is Ana", the gigantic man answered.

"They must still be stuck to their beds. Someone should borrow a water bucket and give them a cold wake up. Maybe some permanent marker doodling?"

"Definitely up for it", said someone at the left side of the table - there were so many people that Angela had difficulties recognizing who said what. The suggestion did get a lot of support around the table all in all.

Angela was beckoned to sit next to the giant who also spoke German, although not in a Swiss accent. She discovered that the man in question, Reinhardt Wilhelm, was from Stuttgart, Germany, which explained his greeting. During the conversation she first tried keeping her professional attitude up as she was unaware of how to speak with the others now that they weren't all drunk to the boot. However, in just a few moments she had already unconsciously slipped into a more familiar mode since everyone talked to her as a person and not just as a doctor.

They weren't as interested in her work as in herself. She shared her brief life story, and in return got to hear some odd and wonderful stories about how to others had found themselves in the quirky group of Overwatch. There were people from all around the world and from different backgrounds as well - not just soldiers, either. She immediately recognized some of the leading scientist, most of which had just started working for the organization. There were numerous verifications that she would indeed get any equipment she asked for and her work would be valuable to all the lives the activity of Overwatch concerned - in other words, to everyone in the world.

At the end of the semi-breakfast, she didn't know what to think. The promises all felt so amazing and grand - such a change from her ordinary life. She felt a bit saddened when everyone left the table, scattering to do other things and possibly recover from their remaining hangover (such as in the case of Amari and Reyes who had arrived later while holding their heads in pain). It had been so nice to simply talk to people.

Her head was buzzing, so she walked outside in her parka, breathing in the cool fresh air. The snow was again falling from the sky, very slowly, soft flakes landing on the tip of her nose. It made her smile along with the fact that from the corner of her eye she saw that Reyes had started using a black knitted cap. Maybe he realized that he couldn't possibly afford losing any more brain cells to the cold.

Angela heard the door close and turned around. Morrison had stepped outside behind her, now wearing his thick military coat and a cap that framed his head with fur, reaching to cover his ears. He immediately directed his blue eyes at her. She had dreaded this moment.

He was quiet for a second. Another one. A third one. Finally he swallowed heavily before posing the question. "Will you join Overwatch?"

"I am a pacifist", Angela said, her voice almost taking a hopeless note. She really didn't know anymore. Should she join or not?

"You don't need to fight. We'll do it for you."

Angela fiddled with her fingers. "I mean… All the equipment you have here is life-saving, and it would really help my work. And maybe I could accomplish more than usually." By this point she was muttering into her woollen scarf. It was just part of the truth. She didn't want to return to her dark and empty apartment after such a cozy experience. Was this how home felt? She didn't want to give it up. And it was oh so easy to believe that she might change the world for better, especially while looking into Morrison's hopeful eyes, the striking blueness pleading her to join.

"Verdammt…I will join", she finally stammered out. "Because of the equipment", she added in a hurry. Definitely nothing else. But it would be nice to spend more time with the others...

A grin spanning from ear to ear took over Morrison's face. "Because of the equipment", he repeated, "And you can ask for anything you need, anything. I'm sure the higher ups of UN will grant everything you ever need. We all will."

The scary realization of how her life would change descended upon her, at least until she simply discarded all uncertainty. She had made her decision and would not wallow on it anymore. She would heal the world - even if it was with the help of a military group.

Starting with this person. While he appeared beyond happy, she did realize that he was struggling. She had noticed dark circles below Morrison's eyes the day before, but had been too distracted to actually think anything of it at the time. Now that her sharp eyes mapped his face and motions, she berated herself for not interfering with his state earlier. He certainly hadn't slept last night, his motions far too uncertain and heavy.

"Then as your doctor, my first prescription for you will be to sleep until you can't anymore", Angela said in her most professional voice. Nobody in her care should be in that condition.

"Thanks, Doc."

A/N: You could say that Morrison had his sights on her! Ha! No? Okay. What do you think about the chapter? Please review! Also, which one would you like to see Mercy paired up with? In addition to 76 and Reyes, I see a lot of Pharah and Genji pairings around as well! I might focus a bit on those characters… when their turn comes of course. Mainly on the friendship and general relationships between all the characters though. Because who doesn't like friendship and unicorns and killing your best friend?

It happened that Ana Amari was revealed/released just before I released this chapter which was written a long time ago. So far I haven't seen anything about her clashing with my version of her, so I didn't change anything!