Bobbi Morse was so amazing. She had come out of the Science Academy with top grades in theoretical pseudo-chemistry. She began training as a field agent two years later, on recommendation from Commander Fury, after she single-handedly saved her team from a rampaging mutant plant beast. She had been undercover at HYDRA from the moment SHIELD fell, knowing full well that somebody would have to keep tabs on them for the remaining agents. She was everything Jemma wanted to be and more.
She was running at her with batons twirling in the air.
Jemma raised her own batons and blocked, only barely getting them up in time. Bobbi retaliated with a strike to her legs, which Jemma did not notice until she was flying tail over teakettle and landing with a *smack* onto the mat below. Jemma winced in pain and shock. Bobbi bent over for her. "This is why I wanted to take it easy on you."
She held her hand out but Jemma waved it off, slowly lifting herself up until she was back on her feet. "I can handle it, really," she protested. "I've been involved in field situations for years. I fell out of a plane, you know."
Bobbi chuckled. "Yeah, you told me about that one. But you didn't have to fight off twenty HYDRA goons while you were falling."
Jemma looked down. "I could have fought one off."
Bobbi's smile faded. "Hey, none of you guys knew about him. Everything that went down that day took us by surprise." Jemma still looked disappointed in her self, so Bobbi went on. "What's bugging you now? Is it because you couldn't take me out? Jemma, you don't need to become a combat expert overnight. Hell, you don't even need this. Why are you so adamant about getting field trained?" Jemma drew in a breath, then let it out slowly. "I...I need to protect my team. And, yes, I know we've already got you and May and Coulson and Lance and heck, now even Skye, but I never feel like it's enough. Fitz got traumatized and Skye's nearly died who knows many times and everybody else has lost stuff in our battles..." She sighed again and sat down on a nearby bench. "I need to be strong enough to protect them."
Bobbi went and sat down beside her. "You don't need to protect everyone Jemma. That probably got drilled into your head daily at SHIELD, and even more now that we're all that's left, but if you try and save everybody then your going to leave yourself open. You need balance in your life, otherwise you'll lean too far too one side and collapse." She took Jemma's hand and entwined their fingers to comfort her. They sat their in silence, gazing at each other for a long time. Finally Bobbi leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips, feeling all of the tension in Jemma's body go flowing out.
Jemma parted their faces. "How about...I just protect you. And then you can protect everybody else."
Bobbi smiled as she brushed a strand of hair out of Jemma's face. "That sounds like a good strategy."