Sooo I've loved Fitzsimmons ever since episode one (they are so cute) and have wanted to develop my own story about how they met and came to be friends, and maybe even a little bit more than that. I also wanted to give them a deeper, different back-story that will be important later on, which is why this first chapter is just setting the scene etc. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

They had been driving for hours. The sun had long since set, taking the luscious green landscape with it, and leaving nothing but a dark canvas. In the distance, there were lights scattered across the blackness. It was the first sign of civilisation that Jemma had seen for several hours, save for the few cars that passed by now and then. She didn't understand why her parents had to drag her all this way just for a family trip. Even though she loved spending time with them, Jemma was missing out on some important time to study for her upcoming exams. To her, education was almost as important as family, though she would never admit this to anyone, especially her parents. It wasn't that she didn't love her parents, she loved them very much, but she had never felt understood by them. They just couldn't seem to get why she spent most of her time learning, researching, and reading books. Of course, they told her that they would support her in any decision she made, just as she hoped that they would, but Jemma couldn't help but feel different. Some would say that that was just part of being a teenager. Jemma wasn't so sure.

"Mum, how long till we get there?" she asked, sighing as she leaned her head against the cool window pane, wishing that her dad would drive just a little bit faster.

"Shouldn't be long now, we're nearly-", but Jemma never got to find out how long the journey was.

The car veered violently off to the right and smashed through a metal barrier, causing Jemma's dad to lose his grip on the steering wheel, the car swerving out of control. Jemma clung to the passenger seat in front of her, her nails digging into the fabric as the full force of her weight pressed against the car door. She squeezed her eyes shut as the car began to tumble down a steep slope, flinging her body from side to side. The slope seemed to be never-ending, and Jemma silently prayed that everything was going to be alright. She didn't believe it, but she clung onto the little bit of hope that there was. The car kept flipping over and over, but Jemma refused to open her eyes. She couldn't bear to see what was happening.

It was a while before the slope evened off, allowing the tumbling to finally come to an end at the foot of the hill, stopping just before a ghostly silent road. The windows were severely cracked, some of them smashed with the glass completely gone, letting the warmth of the car escape into the cool air outside. The temperature inside the car dropped rapidly, and Jemma could feel the rush of icy cold air move over her body, shivering as the air temperature continued to decrease. Throughout the ordeal, Jemma was not able to sense the pain that was being inflicted upon her by the plummet, but since the car had stopped, the pain had begun to blossom. It stabbed her again and again, a thousand sharp needles. She was almost certain that she was bleeding heavily, but from where she could not see. Her body was sprawled across the roof of the car, and opening her eyes, Jemma could just about make out that the door nearest to her had been flung open. She shifted onto her front and began to slowly edge herself out of the car.

The darkness was broken by a flickering streetlamp, highlighting the droplets of rain that had just begun to fall. It was just a drizzle at first, but it was not long before the rain grew heavier and heavier. Jemma crawled onto the road, the coolness of the air, and the cleansing of the rain numbing her senses. Lifting herself, she managed to stumble along; unaware of the pain it was causing her. Reaching a crossroad, she desperately searched the dark night for a sign that somewhere there was someone who could help.

The minutes ticked by, and soon enough they were no longer minutes, but hours. The rain continued to hammer down, but no longer numbed the pain as Jemma stood in the middle of the crossroad, feeling drained and desperate, and her whole body aching. The tears threatened to come, but she wouldn't allow it. She wanted to be stronger than that. Even if she knew she wasn't.

"Please. Please. Someone…help," Jemma cried out faintly.

And then she saw it. A figure in the shadows. She had not quite believed that someone would find her in time. Staggering towards it, her head spinning, Jemma cried out again.

"Please. Help me," her voice slightly stronger this time, as the figure became clearer. It started running towards her, but its face was obscured by the night. The little bit of hope resurfaced, and Jemma soon felt strong arms surround her body. Perhaps everything was going to be alright after all, she thought, raising her head to see who was holding her. Her eyes settled upon a young man who could not have been much older than she was, his hair a mass of curls, and his face not quite absent of the roundness of childhood. He looked down at her with a mixture of fear and concern, his eyes growing wider as she lost consciousness and collapsed.

"She's lost a lot of blood. I don't know how she managed to walk all that way."

"I agree. The extent of her injuries-"

"Doctor, I think she's waking up."

Jemma stirred, her eyes fluttering open slightly, a bright white light making them ache. A sharp scent of lemon and bleach hung in the air, and she wrinkled her nose at the smell. She sensed people bustle around her, muttering things she could not hear. Several pairs of hands helped lift her up and rest her against a soft pillow. Eyes opening fully, she saw where she was and who was there. Their faces were masked with sympathy as they stared at her, their eyes sorrowful, and that was when Jemma finally realised what had happened. She could not stop the tears, and this time, she didn't want to. And in that painful moment, Jemma promised to never forget the boy who helped her, and promised to never put anything before family ever again.

Nine years later

The sun shone unusually brightly for an early autumn morning, the sunlight peeking through the thin white curtains and spilling onto the wooden floorboards. Jemma sat on a bed beside the windowsill, gazing at a picture of a smiling family before placing it on a neatly folded pile of clothes. She picked the heap up and positioned it carefully in a suitcase, tearing her gaze away from the happy picture. It was the last time she would be in that house, the little one deep in the English countryside. Though she would miss it, Jemma was glad she was finally able to move on. The years of studying and hard work had paid off, but maybe not quite in the way she thought it would, Jemma thought as she remembered the moment when things started to change. When they had found her.

"Miss Simmons?"

Jemma suddenly stopped in the middle of the alleyway, her heart pounding against her chest. Her breathing hitched as she felt them moving closer. Jemma knew she should never have gone down that route. It was a stupid thing to do, the most stupid thing you've ever done, she thought to herself, and now you're going to pay for it. She turned around slowly, ready to face whoever was there, and frowned when she saw two men, who would have looked completely ordinary if not for the dark suits and sunglasses. Did they not realise it was night time?

"Are you Jemma Simmons?" The taller of the two asked, his voice rough. After several quiet moments, she nodded.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" Her English accent a contrast to his American one.

"People usually ask who we are first, but as a matter of fact, yes you can help us," the shorter man replied, a smile playing on his lips.

"We hear you're the top of your class," the taller one said, to which Jemma did not answer. She did not like to be pretentious about those sorts of things, scarcely believing them herself. "And we need your help, if you'll agree to it."

"Don't worry," the smiling man reassured, seeing the sceptical look upon Jemma's face, "We work for a secret government agency in America, and we've discovered something that might interest you. Something that we need you to look at."

"But why me? I'm no one. I'm just a scientist, and there are plenty of others out there."

"But there's no scientist like you."

Jemma placed the last piece of clothing into her suitcase and finally closed it.

"Here's to a new beginning."