Written as a gift over on A03, this is the sequel to It's Better To Burn Than To Fade Away. Hope you guys enjoy! Title is from Sun by Sleeping At Last.
May finished pinning her hair up, making sure that every last strand was in the correct place. Jemma was smiling to herself in the mirror. Once she was done, Jemma spun to face her. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice soft and close to breaking. May could hear the tears beginning to form in her voice, tears she was trying to hide so that she didn't ruin her makeup.
May nodded. She had offered to do Jemma's hair for the wedding. There was no need to thank her, May would have done it anyway.
But Jemma shook her head. "Thank you. For… for everything."
May looked at Jemma, taking the younger woman in, knowing just what she was saying, just what she was thanking her for.
For allowing her to be her.
To have her day.
Because not so long ago, there were many people who did not think that this day could even happen.
At points, even Jemma didn't think that this was going to happen, in the early stages of her recovery. One that had been long and hard, one that had had almost as many downs as it did ups. One full of blood, sweat and tears.
But her team, her family, they had been beside her the whole time. Even during the darkest hours when she took her anger out on them, they were there, knowing that it was just her body withdrawing, knowing that she didn't mean any of those words.
And Fitz…
Fitz had never left her side once.
Not since he had left Claire at the altar had he left her side.
From that moment that they had kissed, they had been together.
Never leaving one another.
Because that's where they belonged.
At each other's side.
May smiled and looked as though as was about to say something when there was a knock on the door.
"Jemma?" a voice asked. It was Hunter. May looked at Jemma who nodded.
May walked over to the door, and opened it to a grinning Hunter who was standing in his tux at the door. "Can I come in?"
May nodded, and Hunter entered, closing the door behind him.
"Brought you a present." He held up a chain, on it at the end was a simple chemical structure for serotonin. "From Fitz." He smiled, stepping up behind Jemma and placing it around her neck, allowing the delicate silver to rest on her dress.
She turned and smiled at the man who had saved her life. "Thank you."
Hunter nodded. It didn't any further elaboration. So they left it at that.
"You ready?" May asked. Unlike many other brides, Jemma was not running late. In fact, she was ahead of schedule.
Jemma nodded. "Yeah, yeah." Nerves were starting to set in. But not because she was scared. But because of what had happened the last time she had walked down at aisle.
Jemma Simmons had only walked down the aisle twice in her life.
The first time she had been five, a flower girl at her elder sister's wedding.
The second was over two years ago now. When she (along with Hunter) had gate-crashed Fitz's wedding, told him that she loved him at his wedding. When she was coming down from a high.
And he had left his fiancée at the time. For her.
And Jemma knew that she should feel guilty (and she once had) but with the help of her team, her family and May's ex, she had learn to get over that. She had learnt that Fitz did it because he also loved her. Because he wanted to do it.
And now they were getting their happy ending.
Before the doors to the hall opened, Jemma felt her father give her hand a reassuring squeeze off the hand.
She looked at her father, and smiled.
"Thank you," she told him. "Dad…"
But her father interrupted her. "Jemma, I'm so happy for you, you know that?"
She nodded and her father continued. "I always knew, I always knew that Fitz was the one for you."
"You did?" she asked, her voice was soft. Had it really been that obvious? Had everyone else known that she was in love with Fitz, and Fitz in love with her except either of them?
He laughed. "Jemma, every time you phoned, you wouldn't stop talking about him. It was always Fitz this and Fitz that. Me and your mum both knew that it was always him."
Jemma smiled at this, because her father and everyone else had been right.
Because it was always Fitz.
It would always be Fitz.
Then the large doors swung open, and standing there, smiling and trying so hard not to cry was Fitz.
Her Fitz.
Standing there.
Waiting for her to walk down the aisle towards him.
She looked at her father again, who smiled at her, and gave another reassuring squeeze before they stepped into the room together, Jemma making her footsteps towards the man that she loved.
The man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
The wedding went well.
In fact it went exceptionally.
There was not a dry eye in the house when the two young scientist read out their vows to each other.
They had reduced everyone to tears, just how full of love they were for each other.
Just how much they cared for each other.
After the pictures had been taken, and the reception began, Jemma felt her stomach turned when she was offered a champagne flume. Despite the fact that it was a non-alcoholic wedding, the drinks were still offered in a champagne flume more for the aesthetic than anything else.
It was a sparkling citrus drink.
When they had been planning the wedding, it had been her favourite, and now, now she couldn't even handle the smell.
She set it down on table, turning her face up at the stench, and went walking towards her Fitz. Her husband.
When she was intercepted by Skye.
"Jemma," she whispered, her voice low and hidden. She pulled the new bride to a side, and reached into her bag, pulling out a box, a pregnancy test.
"Skye?" Jemma asked, wondering what her friend was showing her.
"Jemma, me, May and Bobbi, we've been watching you…"
"You think I'm pregnant?" Jemma interrupted, trying to keep her voice low so as no one could hear and get the wrong idea.
Skye bit her lip, then nodded slowly. "You've been throwing up all week."
"Because of nerves!"
"You don't like the juice you chose. You struggled to get into your dress."
Jemma frowned, wondering if her friend was trying to imply something.
"Jemma, you could be…"
But before Skye could continue, Jemma had started to realise that there might be a possibility that she could be pregnant, and took the pregnancy test of Skye.
And headed to the bathroom.
There was barely enough room in the cubicle for the newly-weds.
But Fitz had his arms wrapped around his wife, watching, waiting for the test to complete.
Well, tests.
As it turned out Bobbi and May had both also provided some tests.
And they were all positive.
"Fitz," she turned, facing her husband with tears glistening in her eyes. "We're going to be parents."
He nodded, bringing his head down, and gently cupping her cheek before pulling away, and gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. "We're going to be parents."
She laughed, tears making her way down her face. "We're going to be parents."
Her husband smiled and Jemma felt butterflies flutter in her stomach.
After all that she had suffered she was finally here, finally getting her happy ending.
Her head was resting on his shoulder, and one arm was draped around his neck while both of his were wrapped around her waist as they shared their first dance as husband and wife.
"You okay?" his whispered into her ear, low and soft so that no one else could hear.
She nodded, and replied. "Yeah, yeah, I'm okay."
He smiled at his wife. "I love you."
"I love you too," she raised her head for its position on his shoulder and allowed herself to kiss her husband.
Long, slow, tender and full of so much love.
The song had ended, without either of them knowing, and Jemma allowed her forehead to rest against his.
They were so lost in each other, in the moment that they didn't notice everyone else start to fill onto the dance floor.
"Mind if I steal her?" a voice asked. Hunter.
Fitz turned, and nodded, and before she knew it, Jemma was being swept into a dance with Hunter.
"Bobbi told me your news."
"That I'm expecting?"
Hunter nodded, spinning her around.
"Congratulations."
She smiled, blushing. "Thank you."
He shook his head. "It's nothing."
"No, for everything. Lance, I'm here because of you. You… you saved my life Lance."
He shrugged as though it was nothing. "No big deal. You're family aren't you, and isn't that what family do? Look out for one another?"
Trip, Bobbi and Hunter were sitting with May and Skye, watching the new couple from out the window, watching them curl up against each other on the porch swing, gently swinging back and forth.
"I've never seen them so happy," Skye whispered, taking a drink. "They deserve it, after all they've been through."
Bobbi nodded her agreement. "They really do."
"It's all thanks to you," Trip cut in, elbowing Hunter in the ribs. "You found her, after we all gave up on her."
Hunter looked at them, his friends, and realised that yes, it had been true, that nearly everyone had given up on Jemma, after everything that Hydra had done to her, and everything that she had done to herself.
But Fitz hadn't.
And neither had he.
And now they were here.
At their wedding.
The happiest day of their lives.
Thanks so much for checking out and all your support. Hope you enjoyed this one!