Jemma's sleep was interrupted by Skye pounding on her door. That could only mean one thing…
Jemma raced to the medical bay as fast as she could, but when she arrived the look on Coulson's face outside Fitz's door froze her.
"Simmons," Coulson grimaced, "I should warn you; he's not the same."
Jemma nodded, clenching her jaw, preparing herself for a Fitz that was maybe paralyzed or maybe he couldn't speak. She was already thinking of ways she could potentially help him.
Nothing could have prepared her for the blank look in Fitz's eyes as he looked at her. He hasn't looked at her like that since their first day at the Academy.
"Hello," Fitz said, looking a bit uncomfortable.
Tears pooled in Jemma's eyes. He was awake, he was alive; this should be a time of celebration, but all Jemma felt like doing was crawling back into bed and hope it was a dream.
"Er...who are you?" Fitz asked, confirming Jemma's fear.
She could have started sobbing right there but she held it together and gave him a tight lipped smile. "Jemma. Jemma Simmons," and added as an afterthought, hoping it might jog something in his memory, "bio-chem." It was exactly how she introduced herself to him at the Academy orientation.
Fitz looked down at his hands, brow wrinkled as it usually did when he was concentrating.
Jemma felt hope grow in her chest, the tears in her eyes welling not with despair, but with happiness.
But that went away when he looked back at her, the blank look back in his eyes, and he asked "Oh, so are you the doctor?"
When the lab doors hissed open Jemma glanced up from the report she was writing. Her chest tightened as her eyes met Fitz's. He gave her a small smile, one that she politely reciprocated before she went back to writing her report. It's been three days since he woke up and she's barely had a conversation with him.
"The doctor said that it could help my memory if I surround myself in familiar things," Fitz said, walking slowly around the lab and tapping on the machines. "And from what everyone tells me, I was always in the lab." Jemma felt his gaze on her, "Or with you." He looked away, "Or both...usually both, I reckon."
Jemma glanced at him. He was staring into their chemical fridge with sunken eyes shadowed by lack of sleep. His hair was longer than she was used to seeing and scruff shaded his jaw. He was wearing a dark blue necktie that matched the sling his left arm was hanging in.
"Who tied it?" Jemma asked without thinking. "Your tie, I mean."
He raised his eyebrows, surprised by the question and probably that she even talked to him. He wiggled the knot of the necktie and it came off. "Clip-on," he said, albeit a little embarrassed. "I tried making my own knot, but, you know." He wiggled the fingers in his broken arm and gave her a tight smile.
Jemma nodded understandably and went back to writing her report.
"So…Skye told me they used to call us 'FitzSimmons.'" He was looking at her again. "She said that people would think we were one person. That's kind of funny, isn't it?"
It was getting harder to breathe. He being here, but at the same time, not being here, was suffocating.
"I'm sorry," Fitz said.
Jemma set her pencil down, giving him her full attention, about to tell him he had nothing to be sorry for, but he continued.
"I'm sorry I don't remember. I'm trying. I want to. I just-" He let out a sigh of frustration, and suddenly Jemma felt horrible. She was being so selfish. She was ignoring and avoiding him just because she couldn't stand how he looked at her like she was a stranger, but now she realized whenever he looked in a mirror that look stared back at him as well. Fitz prided himself on his genius and his memory and his wit; as hard as this was for her, it must be a thousand times more frustrating for him.
"Look, Simmons," He was now right in front of her desk, "I don't remember a single bloody thing about you." Hearing him admit that made her eyes well up with tears again, but she met his gaze and she realized his were brimming with tears as well. "But from what everyone tells me, we were the best damn dynamic duo there ever was. I want to remember. So please," He grabbed her hand, "Can you help me?"
This wasn't her Fitz. He was much too bold and outspoken with his feelings. His unwavering gaze made her feel too vulnerable. But even though he wasn't hers, and maybe would never be again, she nodded as tears leaked out of her eyes.
"Let's start by getting you a proper tie."
One month later…
"Skye, Fitz, Simmons," Director Coulson announced. "This is Barbara Morse. Also known as Mockingbird."
"Or Agent 19, as everyone and their mother knows now thanks to Romanoff." She rolled her eyes but then smiled, "But I digress, I still can't get over this whole HYDRA thing, y'know? But please, call me Bobbi." She started shaking everyone's hand in a round. When she got to Fitz, she winked at him and said "Nice tie."
The tips of Fitz's ears turned pink and he pulled on the bottom on his tie awkwardly "Uh, thanks."
Jemma felt her face growing warmer as well. She gave Fitz that tie for his birthday during their first year at Sci Ops. It was gold and white chevron patterned that contrasted nicely with the black button up he was wearing today.
Once the formalities were done with, Coulson took her to get a tour of the Playground and presumably to get her lanyard.
Jemma immediately headed back to her room. She pulled out her laptop and started searching for information on this "Mockingbird."
When Coulson announced that he was going to pick up a former SHIELD agent, Jemma didn't expect her to be so...young. Granted, Bobbi was probably only a couple years older than herself, but from the stories May and Triplett told about her, it seemed like she lived a lot more life than most girls her age.
But maybe that's just how the cookie crumbles when you look like a super model and had combat skills that rivaled Agent Romanoff's.
Let's see, Jemma thought as she started clicking on different links. Was a rogue operative; recruited by Agent Barton in 2008;
Wow, that's a lot of missions, She thought as she kept scrolling down. Disabled a bomb in Los Angeles; took out a drug cartel leader in Guatemala; Oh this is interesting, got pulled out of a mission in Budapest. Hasn't worked with Strike Team Delta since then.
Jemma kept scrolling; looked like a bunch of solo missions and deep covers after that.
Oh, education, Jemma clicked the link. Went to Georgia Institute of Technology. That's a good school. Was a baton twirled in the band's color guard. ..Explains her odd weapon of choice. Was also on the collegiate debate team. Jemma kept scrolling down, looking at pictures of her in her twirler uniform, another one of her speaking at a conference, and then there was one of her in a lab coat and goggles. Jemma read the caption underneath: Graduated with a Doctorate degree in Bio-Chemistry.
"Hey, Simmons, knock, knock. Are you busy?"
Jemma snapped her lap top closed, "Um, no, come in."
She smiled at Fitz as he opened the door. His memory has improved over the weeks. He seemed to remember most of their Academy and Sci Ops days, which allowed them to share many of the same inside jokes they used to. When Fitz asked Jemma one day why they didn't still have their weekly Doctor Who marathons, she immediately started that tradition back up.
His memories of their days on the Bus were still hazy. For example, he seemed to remember that she was infected with a Chitari virus and they found the cure together, but didn't remember that she jumped out of the airplane before the anti-serum was administered to her. He could also remember visiting the Academy with the team and helping Donnie Gill fix his machine, but not how that machine caused the death of Donnie's friend.
It's like all the traumatizing events were still locked away.
And if Jemma was honest with herself, she sometimes wished she could forget about all the bad stuff as well.
"Coulson just told me that Bobbi has some experience in bio-chem. That's pretty interesting, eh?"
"Fascinating." Jemma said, trying to sound cheerful.
Fitz saw right through it, "Hey, with my hand like this, it'll be good to have some extra help."
Jemma opened her laptop again, trying to appear nonchalant, "I don't know, I think the lab will be a bit crowded."
"Can't be any worse than the time we seemed to be the host of the whole Hub."
"Well, we don't know if we can trust her."
"Oh, come on, Simmons, you welcomed Triplett with open arms when he came along."
She glared at him, "That was a time of crisis. This is a time of-"
"Still crisis." He cut in. "And Triplett's S.O. was a raging maniac and you still let him come along! Agent Morse's S.O. was an Avenger. Come on, if you didn't have doubts about Trip, you honestly can't have doubts about Morse."
"That's beside the point," she snapped her laptop closed again and got up from her bed, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go ask Skye something. I'll meet you in the lab later."
Fitz didn't respond and Jemma tried not to look at him as she brushed passed him getting through the doorway.
When did I become the jealous one? Jemma couldn't help but think to herself as she walked away.
Jemma sighed as she finished spreading mayonnaise on a sandwich she was making for Agent Koenig, like she did every day at the end of her lunch break.
She had to admit it, Mockingbird wasn't that bad.
Bobbi brought a certain type of energy to the team that they've been lacking for a while. Laughter could be heard in the hallway more often than naught, and the positivity of the team made her forget that the world viewed them as a terrorist organization and were being hunted.
And even when Bobbi was in the lab, she wasn't completely unbearable, Jemma thought as she finished assembling the sandwich and made her way over to the security room. Some of her ideas were actually quite good.
Jemma peaked into the security room. She wasn't surprised to see that the room was empty, Koenig often took breaks from staring at the many security screens. As Jemma walked into the room to set the sandwich on his desk she looked around at the monitors.
There was Skye in the common room, typing away at her computer.
There was May in the gym, practicing some sort of martial art Jemma couldn't even pronounce.
Jemma smiled as she spotted Fitz in the lab. Despite his left arm in a cast, he still managed to make modern marvels. Right now he was tweaking Bobbi's steel batons; electric shocks when she pressed this button, burning heat when she pressed that button, and much more. It was quite impressive.
Speaking of the devil; Bobbi Morse just walked into the lab, probably to check up on her weapon. Fitz gave her a little wave and set down the baton. Jemma couldn't hear what they were saying, but Fitz laughed at whatever Morse just said.
It was nice to see him smile like that, he hasn't-
Whoa, what is she doing?!
Jemma's heart started beating faster as she watched the monitor. Bobbi grabbed Fitz's tie and tugged him closer. Close enough so now her lips were on his.
Jemma's eyes widened and she looked away. She threw Koenig's plate on his desk, the chips she neatly arranged around it now scattered. She kept her head down, not wanting to see that scene again, and she rushed out of the room.
A/N: Another plot bunny that would not leave my head ever since I found out the show was adding Mockingbird and she had a PhD in bio-chem.
Thanks for reading! Reviews are appreciated.
Disclaimer: I do not own AoS.