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So relieved Fitz had survived, Jemma tried hard to not be upset that he couldn't remember anything about their time underwater. She had a lot of time to think about what he told her in the pod and to come to terms with it. She hadn't known how she felt about him then but realized it two weeks after the incident. She was in love with Leopold Fitz and needed him to know but she didn't want to scare him off. What if he didn't remember his feelings for her? So Jemma chose to stay quiet about it even though her heart repeatedly broke every minute she spent with him. It felt like she was lying.

Oddly enough, it was Ward who noticed her distress first. They had talked – and she and Fitz had forgiven him because they knew that he had only been trying to save them from Garrett (they all knew the pod was supposed to float) – a few times since he rejoined the team on heavy probation but things still weren't completely back to normal. They'd get there though. She and Skye had cried for hours once they learned of Ward's abusive life – first because of his family and then at Garrett's hands. He deserved a second chance like everyone else. But she shook her head to clear her thoughts once she realized Ward was talking. "What's going on with you and Fitz? You've been acting strange and weird around him for a long time. Is it because he can't remember what happened after the pod fell?" He looked pained and guilty (again).

Jemma hesitated. "Sort of," she finally admitted.

He sat down on the couch and patted it to urge her to talk to him. She dropped down and sighed. "What is it?"

She stared at the floor for a few seconds before she finally worked up the courage to say the words out loud, the thing that she hadn't even admitted to Skye. "When we were down there Fitz admitted that he has feelings for me."

Ward's eyes widened. "But he can't remember your time down there."

"That's correct." It felt really good to admit that to someone – Jemma had felt ready to burst for months. She felt a little bit at ease but she was still stressed about this entire situation. How could she talk about this with Fitz?

"You should just tell him, Simmons. I know that he still feels that way, and I can tell he's worried about you."

Jemma smiled at her friend. "You're very good at comforting people when no one's done this for you, Ward." And then she burst into tears.

Ward looked alarmed and panicked a little (okay, a lot) but he awkwardly put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down when she burrowed into him and started crying. "I'm sorry!" he cried.

She laughed despite herself. "You don't have anything to apologize for. I have to tell him how I feel don't I? I can't keep avoiding and stalling."

"Yes. I'm not very good at this."

"Oh really? I couldn't tell." She was relieved when he (reluctantly) laughed at her sarcasm.

He sat there uncomfortably with her for a few minutes before she pulled away. "Thank you for all your help, Ward."

"You're welcome. Good luck," he told her once Jemma stood up to go find Fitz.

"I'm definitely going to need it. Am most likely about to change my life forever."

"You're not moving," an amused Ward pointed out thirty seconds later.

"I'm aware of that. I'm working my way up to it." She just needed the courage Fitz had that day in the pod. And that's what spurred her to walk back down to the lab.

Fitz looked up when she walked in and his face lit up. "Hi!"

"Hi. How are you feeling?" And yes, Jemma was still stalling as much as possible. She was terrified of rejection even though she logically knew he felt the same way. This wasn't exactly easy.

"Good. You look pale," he observed. Fitz didn't want to talk about himself or his health. He was so sick and tired of people doting on him. He just wanted everything to go back to normal – was that too much to ask for? He desperately hoped not.

"Am I? I'm fine," she lied. Fuck, Jemma knew she needed to tell him the truth but the words seemed stuck in her throat.

He eyed her worriedly. "Jemma, talk to me. Please tell me what's wrong so I can fix it. It looks like you've been crying."

She took a step forward. "You still don't remember our time in the pod?" She bit her lip to hold back the tears. Jemma couldn't afford to start crying again or she'd never get through this.

"Of course I don't remember. Nothing's changed since the last time you asked me. And why do you want to know? You haven't said." Jemma was really starting to worry him. He couldn't understand why she kept bringing up the pod to begin with, especially since they had forgiven Ward (not that it stopped him from repeatedly apologizing, however). Jemma spun around to try and bolt but he stepped out and touched her shoulder to stop her in her tracks. "Talk to me, Jemma."

Tears pooled in her eyes. "When we were down there in the pod, you told me something. Fitz, you told me that you had feelings for me. And you can't remember and I'm so fucking worried you don't feel like that anymore. I'm terrified all the time that you're going to be taken away from me. I don't want you to die because I am in love with you, Leopold Fitz."

The shock and delight on Fitz's face warmed her heart. "You love me?"

Jemma nodded. "Yes."

He pulled her closer and kissed her. "I'm in love with you too, Jemma Simmons. I'm just so happy you feel the same way."

She giggled when they pulled away. "I worried all that time for nothing, didn't I?"

"Yes you did." He eyed the lab table and she stared at him.

"Our first time is not going to be on our table so you can just forget about it." She'd probably give in eventually but he didn't need to know that yet.

"Oh come on!" But Fitz couldn't stop smiling and grabbed her hand to pull her out of the lab to take her back to one of their bunks. They passed Ward on the way there and he instantly noticed their linked hands.

"You did it?" he asked Jemma.

"Yes, but we don't have time to talk right now. Thank you again, Ward!" She waved at him but let out an oomph when Fitz suddenly turned around and clapped Ward on the shoulder. He flinched like he usually did but didn't look all that upset about it.

Fitz and Jemma made up for a lot of lost time that night and made their debut as a couple the next morning (no one was surprised). Fitz never regained his memories of the time he and Jemma spent in the pod, but that didn't matter to them. They were both so happy they were finally together that they stopped worrying about it.

Fitz and Jemma only made it two weeks before they fucked on the lab table (Skye's forever traumatized from accidentally catching them in the act).