A/N- This takes place during season five episode five and episode seven of AoS. I haven't watched passed episode eight so I'll be making things and people up that don't stick to canon. I do not own the characters, storyline, or anything else. Fitz/Simmons
Fitz filled two plates with eggs, glancing at the little girl as he did so. She had only spoken once so far and that was to warn them about the military party that was coming for them. Since then she hadn't made a sound, not even during the hours long car ride they had taken. The only thing that seemed to hold her interest was her pencils and paper. She hadn't looked at him even once though she had made eye contact with Hunter and her mother.
Fitz felt like there was a fire in his chest, scorching his heart and making the tissues within tight like a rubber ball that had shrunk in the heat. He tried not to stare too intently at Robin for fear of upsetting her or her mother. He just wanted to know why he had been left behind to suffer without Jemma. When Robin's mother mentioned his friends he couldn't help but ask the question that was driving him mad, driving him back towards the monster he had just escaped in the Framework.
"Did Robin ever say why I wasn't supposed to go with them?"
"Robin doesn't say much at all," replied Polly gently. She continued to speak but Fitz only half listened. He needed to know. His entire universe depended on finding out why he had been left behind, and how he could get back to Jemma. He couldn't spend the rest of his life alone, not knowing what had happened to her. Distantly, he could hear himself speaking with Polly offering her the sentimental platitudes that he knew she needed to hear. Perhaps if he could show Robin his ability to be kind then she would tell him. Assuming she was even listening to the conversation happening right in front of her. "She mostly lives inside her head now, but I can try."
"Please," thought Fitz, "Please let her speak," the fervent prayer flowing forth before he could even consider who he was praying to.
"Robin sweetie, Mr. Fitz has brought you some breakfast. He has a question for you. He'd like to know why he's not with his friends. Can you tell Fitz? He'd really like to know why he's not with them." Robin tossed her pencil to the side and looked at him for the first time. Her gaze was intense, frightening on such a small child. At any other time Fitz may have pulled back from such a gaze, recognizing that it held nothing good for him. But not today, not when he was so close to understanding why he had suffered so greatly in the last six months.
"Because you have to save them," said Robin flatly, as if it should have been obvious. She handed him the picture she had been working so diligently on. Fitz stared at the picture, noticing only the red splashed at the bottom of the page. Fitz could feel himself shaking as he slowly got to his feet and wandered away from the little girl so that she couldn't see the tears that were burning his eyes. He had to get to Jemma before she became the cause of the little girl picking up the red pencil.
He stared at the cryochamber feeling grim yet satisfied. Anything could happen to him while he was frozen. For all he knew that when he woke decades from now he wouldn't even be in the right place. His only comfort was that Robin wouldn't be sending him into the future unless she knew that he would at least partially succeed. He also understood though that her definition of success could be a lot different that his. He still didn't understand even why she had set these events into motion.
Fitz felt hollow, the fire in his chest quiet for now as he methodically worked to prepare for his journey. Barely there, too small and delicate to be acknowledged he felt hope that finally something would go right. He hid weapons for his team knowing that they would likely need them. He explained what the plan was to Hunter and ignored his friend's fear for him. His hand didn't even shake when he wrote a brief message to Jemma on the back of a postcard. He quietly took the postcard to sleeping Robin knowing that she was the only one who would know what to do with it so that Jemma would find it. As he set the card next to the little girl's head her eyes snapped open.
"Hey, hey, its ok. I didn't mean to scare you," whispered Fitz quickly. "I just wanted to give you something to send to Jemma." Robin stared at him for just a second before her hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. Fitz tried to pull away but suddenly he wasn't looking at the little girl.
He was in some type of man made place watching as himself, Jemma, and Daisy stared something set in the wall. The Fitz that was part of this scene turned to say something to Jemma who was slightly behind him. As he did so his eyes widened in horror. Seeing the fear in his double's eyes Fitz also turned to see the blue creature in the doorway. The Kree warrior smiled when Jemma and Daisy sensed the danger and turned to see him. Almost faster than the eye could see the Kree drew his arm back and threw. Both Fitz' screamed when they saw the flicker of silver flying through the air at Jemma.
Fitz felt nauseous when he heard the meaty thunk that told him the dagger had found its mark. But it wasn't in Jemma. Her eyes were wide with horror as she caught her lover who's knees buckled with weakness.
As suddenly as it had come, the vision was gone, leaving Fitz staring in horror at Robin. She released his wrist and settled back, looking at him with knowing eyes.
"Hey, mate are you ok?" asked Hunter moving towards them. Fitz stood shakily brushing off his pants with his hands because he didn't know what else to do. "Fitz?" asked Hunter.
"Right, I'm fine," replied Fitz quickly, proud that his voice didn't shake. "She just surprised me is all." Hunter didn't look convinced but Fitz didn't care. He was still seeing that knife sunk deeply into his back. He glanced at the cryochamber again but this time he didn't feel satisfied or hopeful. He felt dread. Horrible, cold, sucking dread that made his knees weak and his head too warm.
"You sure about this, mate?" Hunter looked even more worried than he had before. "You're pale as a ghost."
"I'm sure." said Fitz quietly. "I have to save Jemma. No matter the cost."
When he saw her all the pain that he had been feeling since her disappearance vanished. There was so much joy in his heart he couldn't hardly contain it. He quickly looked down, lest someone noticed the lovestruck look on the face of a ruthless marauder. The paint on her face did nothing to conceal the natural beauty that emanated from Jemma no matter what she was wearing or how much battle filth had accumulated on her. Suddenly Fitz knew without a doubt that he needed to ask for her hand in marriage. Robin's vision didn't matter. He had travelled through decades of time and space, survived an alien world, and nearly perished at the bottom of the sea, all to be with her. The Kree warrior was nothing compared to those tribulations. All he had to do was notice him a little faster and he could push Jemma away rather than shield her. He wanted to marry her. He had never wanted anything more in either of his lives. So, when he had the chance he asked; only for the proposal to fall on deaf ears.
When they fled Fitz was amazed at how comfortable he felt, running for his life once again. It had almost become his default setting. He took every possible opportunity to put his hands on Jemma and savored the happiness he felt when she smiled at him. Robin's vision floated on the outskirts of his mind and he studied each room they went into but he simply didn't remember enough about the location of the vision to know when it was about to happen. So he watched the doors as much as he could and trusted in love when he couldn't. They were going to be together. He knew it.
It was only when he discovered the gravitonium that he felt the first flickers of dread. When he realized that in their shock the door had been left unobserved for too long. He looked at Jemma the thought he had been about to say fleeing his mind when he caught the flicker of movement at the door. The Kree warrior smiled again, his eyes on Jemma as he drew back his arm. He was too fast and Fitz was too slow. The cry that left his lips was not born of fear for Jemma but grief at what they were about to lose. Before Jemma even understood that her life was in danger Fitz stepped in front of her. He looked only at her face as he waited for the impact. He heard more than felt the knife plunge into his back. It rocked him forward a step and Jemma's hands came up to steady his shoulder's then he felt the ice of the knife and the fire of the pain. His knees buckled and he was so glad that the last thing he would ever see would be Jemma's beautiful face. He only wished that she was smiling instead of screaming.
He heard more than saw Daisy rushing forward and engaging in a short battle with the Kree warrior. Jemma had him on his side and was talking to him as she frantically examined the wound but he couldn't really understand her over the pulsing of the blood in his ears. Suddenly, Daisy was beside him and together the two women pulled him to his feet. Fitz moaned quietly as the movement jostled the wound. He tried to help them carry him away but he could barely lift his feet let alone walk.
"Jemma," he whispered when they stopped at an intersection, unsure of where to go. "Jemma," he tried again when she didn't answer. "You have to go. You have to leave me here." She didn't look at him.
"We're not leaving you, Fitz. I have to get you somewhere where I can pull that knife out and stop the bleeding." He didn't even know that the knife was still there. It made sense though when he considered that he hadn't bled out yet. Then they were moving again and the pain whited out his vision and it was hard to stay conscious.
He must have blacked out because when he managed to open his eyes again Coulson was in front of his face asking him if he could hear. "Its good to see you, sir," mumbled Fitz tasting blood in his mouth.
"I need bandages," shouted Jemma's voice. "I've got the knife out but he's bleeding badly." There was blackness at the edges of his vision and the cold from the knife had started to spread through his body. He felt himself loosing consciousness again and he prayed that he got to see her face just one more time.
When he woke again Jemma was there. Her face was tearstained and he was on his side again as she asked for more bandages. "Jemma?" asked Fitz. She looked at him suddenly and he could see on her face that she didn't think she would ever hear him speak again.
"Oh Fitz!" she gasped. "Its going to be ok. We're on our way to surface now. There are people there who can help you." Fitz smiled slightly because he knew better. He was in a lot of pain but it was distant to him. There was ice in his veins and he could feel the pressure of internal bleeding in his chest. Breathing was difficult and only becoming harder.
"Can you hold my hand?" the question was soft and full of pain.
"I have to change your bandages, Fitz. If we don't get the bleeding stopped then," Jemma paused her expression faltering. "We just have to get the bleeding stopped."
"Jemma, please? It would make me feel better." Jemma looked at him, tears shimmering in her eyes. A voice, a male he didn't know, told her that he would repack the wound for her. Jemma slowly took his hand in both of hers and kissed his knuckles. Her hand was warm against the ice that had settled in his limbs. "Don't let go," he requested. The tears in her eyes started to fall as she frantically nodded her head.
"You know that I won't." His heart flickered with fondness. How had he spent all those years with her and never realized how much he loved her until it was too late?
"I'm sorry," it hurt to speak but there were things he needed to say. "I had hoped that this wouldn't happen. That the universe would finally let us have a little happiness. But I was wrong and for that I'm so sorry. There are many things that I regret, Jemma, but this decision isn't one of them."
"Fitz, please don't talk like that. We just have to get to the surface. Then you'll be ok." Fitz laughed a little and Jemma could see the blood in his mouth.
"I love you," was all that he replied. He wanted to tell her to move on after he was gone and find someone else to build a life with but he couldn't. His selfish heart flinched at the thought of her being with someone else but he still wanted her to be happy. He didn't have to torture himself with the words for her to know that.
His mind wandered with thoughts of death and what, if anything, awaited him. He had done so many terrible things in his life and didn't have much hope of anything good happening to him. With that thought in mind he focused on Jemma's hands around his and allowed the darkness at the edges of his vision to roll forward and consume him.
Jemma knew the second he lost consciousness. He had been quiet for a few minutes just looking at their hands and then his eyes had fluttered shut. She tried not to scream with grief because she knew that this time he had fallen into a coma that would precede his death. She couldn't contain the sobs that came from deep within her soul.
"Simmons?" asked Daisy coming from the front of the ship. "Is he...?"
"He's alive," gasped Jemma. "But only for a little while longer. A few hours at most." Jemma carded a hand through Fitz' hair trying to ignore the gray tones that had crept into his previously healthy complexion in the last few hours. "Why did he do that?" asked Jemma when Daisy put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You know why," replied Daisy. "Just don't lose faith. We'll be on Earth in an hour. You said it yourself. The people there can help."
"How?" snapped Jemma. "They're living on a deserted fragment of a planet with no education, no technology, and no medicine." Jemma looked at her dying lover. "I just couldn't tell him the truth." Daisy glanced at Fitz, remembering the sound of the knife sliding into his back and couldn't disagree with Simmons. They were taking Fitz home to bury him and that was all. Daisy swallowed back her tears and moved to the front of the ship.
Fitz survived the trip to Earth and even the trek to the camp where the survivors lived. Coulson and Deke carried him on an improvised stretcher with Jemma walking beside them. She hadn't let go of Fitz' hand since he asked her to hold it. She was proud of him for fighting so hard but she knew he was deteriorating. His heart rate had started to slow and they had been listening to his death rattle for the last half hour.
When they arrived in the camp Jemma was impressed and slightly unsurprised to see that the camp was in fact their old S.H.I.E.L.D. base. It seemed fitting that Fitz would die here instead of someplace he had never seen in life.
"Can we please take him to our old room?" asked Jemma when Coulson started to look for a place that they could set him down. "Assuming that it survived the cataclysm."
"Why would you want to do that?" asked a female's voice. Jemma turned to see an old woman making her way towards them with a smile on her face.
"I want him to be comfortable," said Jemma, feeling the words catch in her throat.
"I would think that you'd like to take him to the medical bay. If you wanted to save his life of course." Jemma felt her heart start to awaken from the mournful purgatory it had been in since Fitz fell unconscious.
"You have a medical bay?" The old woman nodded. "Is it stocked?"
"We even have a surgeon whose trained for years just for this day. Granted he's done most of his learning through books but I think with your help he'll do just fine." Jemma glanced at poor Fitz' dying face.
"Take him to the medical bay. I have to prep for surgery." Jemma kissed Fitz' knuckles. "I'm not letting you go without a fight."
Three hours and several miracle pints of blood later Fitz was resting comfortably. His survival was still in flux but Jemma had done everything she could for him. Now it was just a matter of whether Fitz' body could fight back from the brink of death or if he would lapse into shock. Jemma was physically and emotionally exhausted but she still refused to leave his side for fear that he would pass while she was sleeping. She barely noticed as the old woman from before sat down beside her.
"He's a very brave man," said the old woman, watching as Jemma stroked his limp hand.
"He's the bravest I've ever met," replied Jemma. The old woman nodded.
"I couldn't believe it when he crawled into that cryochamber after what I showed him." The old woman glanced slyly at Jemma when she turned to look, confusion on her face. "My name is Robin. You may remember my father?" Jemma nodded slowly.
"He could see the future. He could see death in the future." Robin nodded.
"I can see a great deal more than my father ever could. It is because of me that you all are here now." Jemma frowned as she processed the information.
"What do mean by "what I showed him?"
"Fitz came to me after your disappearance. He was desperate to know why he had been left behind. He was even more desperate to get to you. I told him that it was his job to save the rest of you. He then went and secured a cryotube and was all set to sleep away the decades in the hope that he would see you again. I knew that if the world was to be saved he would have to save you. But I wandered if the world was even worth saving. I also knew what would happen to him if he went for you. I just let him in on the secret. I let him watch himself be so dreadfully wounded and then I waited to see what he would do. If he went to save you despite knowing that only death awaited him then the world was worth saving. If he didn't go then nothing you and your friends did could save anyone. He didn't know that of course. He just knew that if he went to the future he would die. He went anyway."
"That's cruel!" gasped Jemma. Robin nodded slowly.
"It was. But after seeing so much bad at such a young age I had to know if there was good to equal the bad. Fitz' love though powerful, is not unique. It exists in many human hearts. Therefore the world will be saved."
"How?" asked Jemma. She was angry at Robin for what she did to Fitz and angry at Fitz for what he did. Now his last words made better sense to her. He was apologizing for asking her to marry him, giving her hope for the future, when he knew there was none.
"That much you will have to figure out. I came only to ease your worry for Fitz. He will survive this wound. You've done your work well." With that the old woman stood and walked away before Jemma could articulate how wrong and horrible she was. Then Jemma looked at Fitz and saw how his color was slowly improving and he wasn't making that horrible noise anymore. A small glad smile crossed her face before she curled up in her chair and slept.
Fitz came around slowly. Where his vision had been dark before now it was too bright. There was pain but it wasn't too much and it didn't have that terrible cold edge it had had before. He managed to focus on a brown blur close to his hand and slowly realized that it was Jemma's head. She had fallen asleep with her face close to his hand.
Fitz wiggled his toes experimentally and was relieved to see the blanket at the bottom of the bed move. There appeared to be no nerve damage which was more than he could have hoped for. Honestly, just waking up was more than he hoped for. Jemma stirred when she felt his leg move. She watched his foot for a second before looking at his face.
"Hello," said Fitz quietly, unable to think of anything else in the face of the intensity in her gaze. She slowly put her hand to her mouth and when she removed it she was smiling.
"You're alive," was all she said and he smiled back. Then she was kissing him and he felt happier than he had ever felt in his life. Perhaps their love was stronger than the universe after all.
A/N- I felt like it was a wasted opportunity when Fitz was shot in the gravitonium room and they just glossed over it like he hadn't just been shot by a rifle in the chest. I decided though to change it to a knife because I felt like it was more personal and knives are easier to extract than bullets. If you enjoyed it please leave a review.