A/N: I regret nothing
~Hold on to me when your world's turning cold
and it feels like your life's spinning out of control
you're hopin', prayin', tryin' so hard to believe
Hold on to me when there's no middle ground
and every emotion is comin' unwound
and you don't know if you can hold on to your dreams
Baby, you can hold on to me~
When the shots rang out, she knew she was too late.
"NO!"
Her scream was terrible, the sound of someone who has just lost everything in their life, and then been told that they have to live on. Jemma's feet slapped on the silver staircase as she ran down to the lab. She hadn't even registered the gun in her hand until she was raising it, pointing it at the man who was standing in the doorway of the lab.
"Don't move." The strength in her voice surprised her and the col, icy tone wasn't one that was heard from her very often. The man simply chuckled and turned around.
"You never could shoot Jemma, I don't think you're about to start now." Jemma glared at the man that she had once trusted, had even counted as a friend.
"Then you don't know me very well," she said, her voice as hard as steel. She didn't even flinch as she pulled the trigger twice, sending two rounds into the man's chest. A surprised look colored his face as he fell to the ground. Tears were already pooling in her eyes as she came to stand over him.
"He was the only one who still believed in you, the only reason that any of us gave you a second thought. You threw away whatever chance we might have given you when you threw him away."
Jemma turned away, not bothering to watch the light fade from his eyes. Her legs shook as she walked over to the other side of the lab table, already knowing what she would find. Even knowing, the sight sent a painful shock through her and her entire body went numb. The gun clattered to the floor and a single word escaped her in a painful gasp.
"Fitz."
She ran to him then, abandoning all pretense and wrapped her arms around him, ignoring the blood that stained her jacket. It was then that the tears came, falling fast and heavy as Jemma stared down at her best friend's blank, lifeless eyes. The eyes that had always believed I her, no matter what she had said or done.
He's gone.
She lay her head down on his chest for just a moment, knowing that she only had minutes to make her next decision. She gently pressed her lips to Fitz's forehead, and then pushed away from him.
He's not here anymore.
Jemma knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt, she had to be wherever Fitz was, at least, that's what she told herself as she wrapped her hand around the cool metal handle of the gun. Her hands shook as she raised the barrel to her head, her finger hovering over the trigger. The tears were blurring her vision so when she heard footsteps all she could see was a shapeless figure, standing frozen at the bottom of the stairs.
"Jemma, no! Don't you dare!" Skye's paralysis lasted only a minute longer and she was rushing to Jemma's side, tugging the gun from her hands.
"I have lost too much today, dammit, I will not lose you too!"
Jenna had no energy to resist and Skye took the gun from her with ease, latching the safety and setting it on the counter out of reach. It was then that Skye saw Fitz, lying on the floor a few feet away. Looking away from the pool of blood Skye swallowed with difficulty, realizing what had brought her friend to this point.
"Oh Jemma." Skye pulled Jemma close, doing her best to control her own pain, focusing instead on the rage that was rapidly spreading inside if her. Jemma sobbed, shaking uncontrollably in Skye's arms.
They took Fitz. They broke Jemma.
Skye's eyes had narrowed and her face melted into an expression of absolute determination. That was how Coulson and May found the two of them seconds later, both girls clinging to each other for some hope that this was all a dream, that they were going to wake up any second now. The two team leaders looked around at the wreckage of the lab, at the bodies of Fitz and Ward and finally their eyes settled on Skye and Jemma.
Someone was going to pay.