A/N: Since these are stories that accompany each episode, I suppose you could just pick and choose to read the ones that correspond to your favorite episodes. But I would keep in mind that some of these stories may draw from previous stories within this series. So, for example, if F.Z.Z.T is one of your favorite episodes (as it should be!) and you just skip straight ahead to reading that story, yay! I hope you enjoy it! But there may be something in there that references something in the Fitzsimmons relationship that was never mentioned on the show but was established back in my story for "0-8-4." It shouldn't hinder your enjoyment of the story, but it may add to it. :) Okay, I think that's all my notes! Hope you enjoy! Please review/comment/leave your suggestions for future stories!
"Hey, Fitzsimmons, I have a question for you," Skye said, running after the duo as they left the lab. They had spent the last several hours running tests of every sample they had collected from the Extremis adventure and were on their way to the kitchen to enjoy a much-deserved beer and celebrate their first mission on the Bus.
The pair halted and turned in unison.
"Yes?" Asked Simmons, smiling politely.
"Oh! Um…" Skye stalled, taking a moment to catch her breath and collect her thoughts. She really hadn't though this far ahead. "I…. Well…"
Simmons arched an eyebrow, encouraging her.
"Istheresuchathingastruthserum?" Skye muttered under her breath, smashing the words together in embarassment. "I'm sorry?" Simmons politely asked as Fitz broke out a broad smile, rocking back on his heels.
"Yeah, um, when Coulson first brought me in here, he gave Ward truth serum to get me to trust them, or some sort of reverse psychology… Thing…" Skye trailed off, still looking slightly ashamed. "I just… I mean, I know I'm new to this SHIELD stuff, and truth serum sounds pretty far out there, but I just witnessed a whole lot of stuff today that was what I would have previously classified as 'really, really far out there,' so I'm just wondering if this is just one of those things I need to learn to accept as my new reality," she finished. "I mean, since it seems like I'll be sticking around here for a while."
"Definitely real." Fitz said clearly, crossing his arms and smirking.
Simmons turned to her partner, a look of surprise flickering across her face before locking eyes with Fitz. The pair stared at each other a moment before Simmons smiled broadly, her expression matching Fitz's.
"Yessss," she said slowly, turning back to face their friend. "In fact-"
"Simmons designed it," Fitz said, cutting her off.
The biochemist's forced smile grew a little more forced as she glanced back at him in confusion, but she agreed. "Yes, yes I did."
"Oh, okay, well, wow!" Skye said, clearly impressed. She smiled, and leaned forward toward Simmons, lowering her voice, "It really works, you know."
"Well of course it does," Fitz said, his voice hardening in defense of his partner, "She invented it."
"Of course," Skye agreed, smiling and looking somewhat relieved. "Anyway, I'm off to eat," she said, starting to walk away, "but thanks for letting me know I'm not totally crazy!" She waved and turned, heading down the hall.
Fitzsimmons exchanged a look and quickly turned in unison to continue the other direction down the hall.
"Why did you tell her that?" Simmons whispered harshly at Fitz. "We've never handled any truth serums before. We heard rumors about one at the Academy, of course, but we've never seen proof that it works!"
Fitz smiled, leaning forward ahead of her and opening the door as they entered the lab. "Skye is new here. Remember our first few months in SHIELD when we were so gullible and willing to suspend all our disbelief and understanding of even basic laws of physics?"
"Ahh, yes," Simmons agreed, her eyes looking faraway as she remembered, smiling. "I believe at one point you tried to convince me that the Earth had been carved out of a huge rock by Asgardians."
Fitz turned slightly pink, scratching behind his ear, "Yeah, well, at least I didn't come up to you, excited because I had just found out about a monkey that had the ability to speak fluent English!"
Simmons whirled on him, eyes wide and dancing. "Hey!" She hit him lightly on the chest, "I really did think it was true! And I of course had to tell you!" She walked over to her lab station, shrugging on her lab coat, "It's not my fault we were the youngest students the academy had ever seen. Everyone targeted us!"
Fitz agreed, heading over to his station at the lab.
"Hey, why did you say I invented it?" Simmons' voice called him back.
"Huh?" Fitz asked, returning to her side.
"The truth serum. Why did you say I invited it?"
"Oh," Fitz said, sinking into a high chair next to her station that she had pulled over the moment they moved into this lab, specifically for his use. "Well, remember how they taught us that every good lie has to have at least some element of truth? That's it."
Simmons set down the liquid she had been measuring into a beaker and turned to Fitz, confused. "What? But I haven't invented it."
"Well, no, not yet," Fitz said. "But you could, if you wanted to. Even if it does exist, your formula would undoubtedly be significantly more effective. I imagine you could do it in a day, if you wanted," he said casually, leaning forward and propping his elbows on top of the table as he smiled at Simmons, waiting.
He saw the wheels in her head start to turn and his smile grew larger.
"Why," she started, then paused, still thinking, "Yes, I think I could!" She said, grabbing a notepad and starting to scribble away. "I think the biggest challenge would be finding a willing test subject," she reflected, pausing to stare blankly at the page as her brain continued working a mile a minute.
"Oh, that's not a problem. You've got me," Fitz shrugged, pulling out his own notepad and starting to sketch out the best delivery mechanism for the serum. "I think I could modify the current vaccine injection gun we have to create a concise dose that would go straight into the veins," he said.
He scribbled for another moment, then paused and looked up as he sensed Simmons' eyes on him.
"What?"
"You'd willingly allow me to use truth serum on you?" she asked.
"Yeah, why not," Fitz said, returning to his work. "You know everything anyway. Actually, I may be a poor test subject, because I'd never try to lie to you. I don't know if I physically can."
A small smile broke out onto Simmons' face, but she quickly reigned it in. "No, I suppose I couldn't either," she agreed. "Lie to you, I mean."
The pair worked in companionable silence for another few minutes before Fitz said, "You know, if we had a monkey, we could teach him sign language, and then see if he was capable of lying via signs-"
"Oh, Fitz!"