"Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Coulson asked Simmons who was pointing a gun at him. Several months ago the new director of SHIELD would have never dreamed of seeing the young scientist even holding a fire arm in her hands let alone poiting it at him.
"How did you find me?" Simmons asked, her voice even. Coulson had to admire her. She stood her ground never dropping either her gaze or her weapon.
"I'm the director of SHIELD. I have a few aces up my sleeve" he replied.
"SHIELD is gone and you know that" she said in a harsh tone. "Leave. I don't want anything to do with you" she demanded.
"Really? Is that so?" Coulson asked her mockingly. "We have checked your apartment. You are bug free" he stated matter-of-factly. Simmons scoffed. She didn't believe him. She was well aware who she worked for. They would never let her have her privacy. Nevertheless, she dropped her gun, looking away. Coulson saw his opportunity and closed the distance between them. Coming close to her ear he whispered "are they listening?" Simmons nodded. "Did they... are you like Amador?" Simmons turned in surprise to his question. She locked her eyes on his and shook her head. Coulson let out a sigh of relief. "We checked your apartment thoroughly. I promise, you are safe. Can we talk?" Simmons nodded and showed him to the couch. They both sat down next to each other, none of them wanting to break the silence.
It was awkward. They haven't spoken ever since Simmons left the Playground, which was a few months back. Coulson never believed her to be a traitor. If she were she would have given up the location of the Playground months ago. Them still staying at the secret base was testimony that the young woman was far from being loyal to their enemy.
"Wanna explain why you work for Hydra?" Coulson asked her directly.
"I had to. After Fitz woke up I knew I had to do something. And I couldn't do it there."
"What did you do?" Coulson asked, an eyebrow raised.
"I needed to help you all. And Fitz. He needed time to recover. I was in his way. I saw how much he struggled to be his old self again. And I figured I only reminded him of what he lost down there at the bottom of the ocean. He needed to be Fitz again before we could even attempt to be FitzSimmons" she said with a bitter tone.
"He is suffering. After you left he started talking to himself, he can hardly do anything on his own. Although, last week he helped us capture a very dangerous enemy. Carl Creel."
At that name Simmons looked up for the first time. She was so focused on Fitz and her former team that she was unable to even look at Coulson. But that name made her look up.
"Did you say Creel?" she asked, unsure she heard him right.
"Do you know him?" Coulson asked skeptically.
"No. I mean I've heard of him. They call him Absorbing Man" she said.
"We have him in custody. Well, the US army actually. Fitz helped us. A lot."
Simmons couldn't help a smile. Maybe he would be his old self again. Some day.
"We need you back, Jemma. All of us. Will you return to your home?" Coulson asked her. Simmons remaind quite. She didn't know what to do. She worked hard to get in and find out as much as she could. She was able to store some of the files on a secure USB drive, but the majority was still at the Hydra facility she was assigned to. But if Hydra found out that her former boss, now director of SHIELD, came to her apartment for a visit they would surely take care of her. At that thought she swallowed hard.
"Can you protect me?" she asked as quitely as possible.
"We will."
"You mean you'll try" she said, saddness creeping in her voice.
"No, we will. I have a hunch you did all this for a very good reason. Am I wrong?" Coulson asked her and Simmons shook her head. She stood up and went to the painting that was on the opposite wall of the couch. She turned it around and removed the drive handing it to Coulson.
"It contains everything I've worked on since joining them and a few other things I managed to copy. It's not much..." Simmons explained, but got interrupted by Coulson.
"It'll do. Go get your stuff. Extraction in five."
Simmons quickly gathered her things and followed Coulson to the rooftop. A quinjet appeared out of nowhere and both of them jumped on the ramp. Within seconds the ramp closed behind them and the quinjet, Simmons assumed, used it's cloaking to disappear and fly back to base.
