Every Bit of Energy

Jemma Simmons loves her job but she hates these kinds of cases: the ones with little kids and formerly happy families, the ones that cause the normally mild mannered CSI Coulson to snap impatiently for evidence and leave even stoic CSI May to look stretched thin. These are the cases that simultaneously make her wish she was in the field, doing more to help, yet glad that she remains in the lab, processing trace and DNA and not dealing with grieving families. Neither wish will get her anywhere at the moment though, so she concentrates on what she does best.

She's in the middle of running an important trace sample through the mass spectrometer when, as it's want to do, all hell breaks loose. The machine makes a noise that sounds like scraping, Jemma makes a noise that sounds like defeat, and then the little warning beep fills her lab. Huffing a sigh, she sets down the previous results she'd been examining and taps on the windowed wall to the next lab over.

Leo Fitz, resident ballistics and explosives expert, and her very best friend since college, looks up at the unexpected rapping, face full of concentration. His brow lifts in question but the confusion clears immediately when Jemma nods to the blinking light on her favorite machine. Without hesitation he abandons the weapon he's been analyzing and makes his way over, grabbing a tool kit as he goes.

"Acting up again?"

"Yes, same sound as before." She really just needs the silly machine to hold on another day. The transit record on the replacement part tells her it's en route for drop off, but they don't have time to wait. "Can you get it working long enough for me to analyze that debris from the ransom note?"

"Of course," he gives her his usual half-smirking grin and gets to work, gingerly removing the sample inside and passing it off so he doesn't disturb whatever it is. (He feels a bit better knowing that its non-organic and thus comfortingly not body bits though he would never tell Jemma. She knows anyway, or she'd have taken it out before pestering him.)

Momentarily at a standstill on the case, Jemma allows herself a long moment to appreciate and admire him as he works, single-mindedly focused on the task. She enjoys the quick, easy way his fingers move through the internal workings of the machine, as naturally as they slip over bullet fragments, shrapnel or a bottle of beer after a hard case. It's not two minutes before he's popping panels back in place and pronouncing the machine 'fit enough to get through 'til tomorrow' before giving her another smile, a 'good luck' and then making his way back to pour over bullet striations and potential murder weapons.

An hour later, when one of her results provides Coulson with the link he needs to find the kidnapper and save the missing child, she pops over to his workstation, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek and startling him from his ballistics report.

"I take it you just helped save the day?" He asks, looking up as he finishes signing off on his own positive id to see her beaming smile.

"All thanks to you and your magic hands," she positively bubbles, before a slight flush settles against her cheekbones. But she's Jemma Simmons, she exudes joy even though they work often surrounded by its opposite, and she recovers quickly. "Thanks for the fix Fitz."

"Anytime Simmons," he responds, grinning mischievously. "These magic hands could use a bottle of beer between them. Up for a celebratory drink?"

Her laughter chases away the ghosts of death and sadness, heralds in the joy of victory and justice as it always does, and reminds him how he keeps doing this job (for the victims, for their families, for closure but mostly, for her). She doesn't even answer, just heads for the locker room to deposit her lab coat and grab her bag, knowing he'll follow.

Notes:

This is the first au I wrote for this pair but I've got several more than just need to be polished up a bit. I really enjoy imagining them in similar themed jobs, still working on some sort of team. Obviously I don't own AoS or CSI, but the ideas here.

Always glad to accept ideas for other au themes and very much appreciate all your support in the form of comments & suggestions. If you've got any feedback to make these better, that would also be wonderful.

Thanks for reading!

A.O.R.