It was a genius plan.

Really, it was. And Fitz didn't use that term often, since he actually was a genius and therefore knew how high the standard must be in order to call something "genius."

But he had to admit it. As much as he hated it, the plan he and Simmons had devised together to return to that godforsaken alien planet was really, truly genius.

And it tore him up that ultimately, the whole point of this plan, the thing he and Simmons should be the most proud of, the thing that could arguably be considered the most incredibly brilliant solution their two genius minds had ever come up with, something he and Simmons should rightfully be out on the town toasting and celebrating as their crowning achievement thus far in their long line of brilliant achievements, and hopefully just one of many, many more to come for years more down the road…

The whole point was to bring back Will.

No one was even pretending there was any other reason. No one was packing up any gear to study the planet once they returned to it, no one was prepping the lab for the study of soon-to-be-arriving samples of the lake worm Simmons had described, or the rock formations, or the fungi the scientist had dined on.

No, instead the team was busying themselves with their standard gear for any mission - guns and various weapons to protect themselves from the sandstorm monster - and generally doing an excellent job of altogether avoiding Fitz.

It felt like his injury all over again.

No one knew how to treat him or how to act around him. Bobbi, who hadn't known him before the injury, was sweet and somewhat seemed to pity him, but she was focused on the mission and keeping the team safe. Fitz couldn't fault her for that. Simmons was on the team.

Only Hunter treated him somewhat normally - but Fitz would have preferred silence from the Englishman. His default mode of sarcastic had taken an even more degrading tone, frequently suggesting he join him for a beer or taking potshots at Will. It just made Fitz feel like he had somehow already lost.

And Simmons was… Well, Fitz had never quite seen her like this, which was odd, considering their long history. Since the kiss he had expected her to distance herself for Will's sake, but she had remained just the same as always, except perhaps a bit more affectionate.

After their big reveal of the Hydra connection to the monolith, he had expected her to retreat to her favorite thinking spot, but she had seemed as clear-headed as ever. A well-worn lime green lounge chair that had been a thrift store find back in their Academy days, Simmons had taken to perching on its soft cushions with a hot cup of tea every time she had something to riddle out in her brain that took extra thought. Fitz had seen her there after several breakups and after one particularly intense drag-out fight with a SHIELD professor with whom Simmons had strongly disagreed regarding his method of cataloguing tissue samples.

When they graduated, Simmons had relocated her beloved chair to the Garage, unable to bring it with her on the Bus. After Ward's betrayal, Fitz had helplessly watched her wander the Bus with her tea, unable to find a place to settle. He had done the best he could by building up a pile of pillows in a small corner near their bunks, and though she had appreciated the effort, he knew she had remained restless. After his injury, as his recovery had just begun, Fitz had been wandering the base late at night, trying to force his brain to remember its surroundings, using his bad hand to guide him through the darkness. He had literally stumbled across Simmons, curled up in a ball in her chair, sobbing harder than he'd ever seen her. He squeezed into the chair and held her, letting her wrap herself around him and ball into his lap, sobbing into his shoulder until they both fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning, his neck aching from the odd angle, he was alone. She had left.

The chair currently remained unoccupied, angled in front of the window at the Garage that got the best eastern light. Fitz had dragged it there immediately after his realization that Simmons hadn't seen a sunrise in 6 months. They would occasionally share the chair, watching the sunrise together, Simmons once again perched in his lap, smiling softly and sipping tea as she watched the sun and he watched her.

They had done so that very morning. Fitz snuggled back into a corner of the seat, his legs extended and feet propped up on the windowsill, Jemma tucked into the other corner, her legs criss-crossing over his. She balanced a saucer on her legs, one hand holding the teacup, the other softly running a thumb over his knuckles as she peacefully stared outside. She had hummed in soft appreciation of the beautiful streaks of colors that gradually painted through the morning sky, and he had stared at her, trying to absorb every moment, terrified that this was the last time they would do this.

And now the plan was underway. Their team - Bobbi, Fitz, Jemma, Hunter, and Daisy - had landed the Quin Jet near what the scientists had determined was going to be their way in. By their calculations, they knew the next time a portal would naturally open on the mystery planet, and they had figured out a way to piggyback the remnant energy from an Asgardian bridge to access it.

Once there, Daisy would handle the Inhuman, Jemma would find Will, and Bobbi and Hunter would handle any problems that came their way. On paper, Fitz was supposed to monitor the portal to ensure their return and collect samples from the planet, but everyone knew he was just planning to watch Simmons like a hawk. A part of him appreciated the irony. A year ago, he would have probably traded a monkey for the opportunity to study an unknown, billion-year old planet. But now, he couldn't give a rat's ass about the hell hole. The planet almost killed Simmons. As far as he was concerned, it could fall in a black hole or spontaneously combust or getting destroyed by the Death Star.

The minute Will was located, Fitz was going to yank Simmons back to Earth so quickly it would make her head spin. There was no chance in hell he was letting her stay there for another second than was absolutely necessary.

With Coulson and May looking on a few feet away, the team gathered on top of the marking for the Asgardian bridge. Bobbi and Hunter checked their weapons one last time while Daisy closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath. Fitz stole a glance at Simmons, who was staring at the ground, nodding reassuringly to herself. He reached out to grasp her hand and she grabbed it, squeezing tight. Her watch beeped and she increased the pressure on her hand as she said out loud,

"3 - 2 - 1." Simmons squeezed her eyes shut as the sand starting to kick up around them and they felt a faint shaking under their feet. Seeing the portal open ahead of them, Fitz took a deep breath of his own and took a step closer to Simmons, squeezing his eyes shut himself.

He didn't want to do this. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to turn around, run, and take Simmons with him.

But that's not what Simmons wanted.

So he stepped forward into the portal and wrapped his arms around Jemma as the world around them shook violently, tucking her head under his chin. He started to feel sand whip around his face and the world started to grow significantly darker.

This would work, he told himself. Of course it would. It was a genius plan.