Simmons was pouring her morning tea when Mack came into the kitchen yelling something about Fitz. "Agent Simmons! You need to help Fitz, I don't know what's wrong with him he's really upset."

The biochemist set down her tea and followed Mack to Fitz's room. The moment she heard him crying through the door she remembered what day it was and she sighed, feeling terrible or not remembering earlier.

"It's alright Mack I'll handle this thank you for telling me." He gave her a little look like 'are you sure? You guys haven't spoken in weeks' but then hesitantly mumbled "He wouldn't let me in." before going back to the kitchen.

Simmons felt a little pride at knowing what was going on with Fitz better than his new best friend. After all they had been through they were still Fitzsimmons and no one could break the bond that had been so strong for so long. Not even Fitz. So straightening her sweater she knocked on the door.

"Fitz can I come in?"

She heard sniffing and the whimper "Simmons?" She took that as a yes and slid the door open enough to slip through before closing it again.

"Mack was quite worried about you. I suppose he doesn't know what day it is." The engineer shook his head from his place on his bed, a rumpled green tie in his hands. When he didn't say anything more she nodded and moved to sit beside him on the wrinkled bed covers.

Still looking at the tie he mumbled "I wanted to wear his tie like I always do today."

Simmons nodded again. She knew today was the anniversary of his father's death and she knew the things he did today every year. Like wearing his father's favorite tie, calling his mother and having scotch with dinner. Simmons was likely the only one in the playground or the bus that knew what today was for Fitz.

"I'm guessing you couldn't tie it?" Simmons had, as well as the other original team members, noticed that Fitz no longer wore a tie every day, or did all of his top buttons. He hadn't since the pod, but no one mentioned it. They all knew why.

He finally looked up at her and nodded. "I woke up ready to do what I usually do today but my hand wasn't working right and I didn't know why and when I started pani… p..yelling and you didn't come then Mack was there and I remembered my bad hand and that I don't wear ties anymore and your mad at me and I can't call my mum because she thinks I'm dead. Oh God Jemma she's all alone! She has no one now! And I can't tell her I'm alive." He broke down crying again utterly defeated and Simmons relieved at hearing him use her first name again, took him in her arms and smoothed her hands on his back feeling his breath shake his shoulders.

"Oh Fitz I'm so sorry." She let him cry for a good twenty minutes till he calmed down. She knew she couldn't fix him but she also knew him well enough to know that's not what he wanted anyway. He wanted someone there that understood him and his pain and would help to bear it. And Mack wasn't that person. He wanted her. And she took it as a gift.

"I'm so sorry that this has happened, I know how much you love both your parents. Leo you need to understand something though." She unwrapped her arms from around him and took his still trembling shoulders instead, to look him in the eye.

"I'm not angry with you. I'm frustrated because I miss working with you so much. I miss being Fitzsimmons but I know I make you worse. But you also have to know that I would do anything for you. If you wanted me to I would sit outside your door all night if you only wanted to know I'm there. Or I would get up early every morning to help you tie your tie or watch an entire season of Doctor Who in one night, or make your favorite sandwich for you every day if that's what you wanted. You are still the most important person in my life and I will always be here."

Simmons was crying now too. She missed him so much she wanted to hug him so tight that they melded together but she would take the pain of separation from him if that's what he wanted.

Fitz sniffed a little, looking at her like she had just given him the world, and smiled. "I have been missing the sandwiches, they are nothing without your homemade pesto aioli." The biochemist laughed and agreed to make him one for lunch and to ask Coulson for some Scotch at dinner because she was sure he had some.

"Now let's see bout this tie." Knowing he wouldn't like her putting it on him as though he were a child, she sat patiently while he tried it himself only guiding his hands and stiff fingers when needed till he had done it himself.

"Thanks Jem."

When they were done and he was smiling in pride they went out to the kitchen for breakfast. Everyone noticed the tie and the fact that they had walked out of Fitz bedroom together but no one said anything for which both scientists were grateful. May and Coulson exchanged a meaningful look, proud of the two and Skye barely contained her squeal of happiness at seeing the tie and Fitzsimmons being Fitzsimmons again. But Fitz was happy and so everything was okay.