Author's Notes: Thank you to every one who has followed, favorited and reviewed the first chapter of "Murphy's Law." It has been a fun little fic to write. This chapter is chaulked up with plenty of FitzSimmons feels.
I want to give a special shout out to my sister Nayari who gave me this idea, I wouldn't be who I am today without her!
I hope everyone enjoys the next installment of "Murphy's Law." Please review, I would love to hear your thoughts.
Chapter Two
SIX HOURS BEFORE
"Fitz! Come on!"
Leopold Fitz ignored the pleas of his best friend and partner and continued inspecting his work. He took a soldering torch and added one last finishing touch, smiling at his achievement. Finally he put the torch down and looked up at Jemma. "What is this all about Simmons? Usually I am the one having to pull you out of the lab."
"We have been stuck on this plane for days. Our mission is done and we are leaving Germany in five hours. Coulson gave us the green light to go explore," Jemma replied eagerly.
"Didn't you already see enough of Germany?" He asked incredulously. "We have spent the last week chasing down..."
"That doesn't count," she said back, cutting him off. "We signed up for this job so we could see the world."
"Correction, I believe you signed us up for this."
"And you followed me, so come on!" She gave him an excited look that Fitz couldn't help but smile at.
"All right, let me get my stuff," he said, admitting defeat. He placed his latest project on the shelf and walked towards the exit of the lab. Jemma gave him a bright smile as she moved next to him, linking her arm in his. Fitz felt a tingle go up his arm as he felt the heat of her body against his as she moved in close to him. He could smell the light scent from her shampoo, floral and soft, just like Jemma. He felt the tips of his ears go pink out of embarrassment for the thoughts rolling around in his head, but Jemma didn't notice – she was already off, talking about all of the things that they could see in their few hours of freedom.
The Bus was parked close to a small German town. It was a quaint village, dappled with cottages that looked right out a tourist pamphlet. However, the town was still filled with the twenty first century sights and sounds of blinking signs and advertisements and busy car traffic. Most of the foot traffic was tourists enjoying their day off like Fitz and Simmons were.
Fitz smiled as he watched the joy and amusement light up Jemma's face. He had never really wanted to see the world, he was just as happy sitting in the lab, but he wouldn't trade anything for the chance to watch Jemma see the world.
"What?" She said, looking at him with a quizzical look on her face when she noticed him staring at her.
"Nothing," he replied, shaking himself out of his reverie and pasting the smile on his face that he had perfected over the years. Years of telling everyone – his friends, his family, his teammates and even himself – that there was nothing going on between he and Jemma, that they were best-friends and partners and nothing more. Years of watching Jemma return her own friendly smile, which was full of support and friendship, but not knowing if she would ever feel the same things he did.
"Good, what do you want to do first?"
Fitz let Jemma sent all over the little town. He had to pull her out of a small toyshop, where she bought a handmade Käthe Kruse doll to send home to her mother. She in turn had to drag him out of a wooden clock shop, where he was marveling over the engineering and design that went into the Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks. They seemed so simple, yet the design was flawless and elegant. Even after years of complex engineering work, Fitz was impressed with the craftsmanship that went into the ornate clocks.
As usual when they were out together, they had a great time exploring the culture and sights of the town. They laughed and joked around, always finding things to quarrel and obsess over. Fitz never saw the man that had been following them as they meandered through the streets, not until someone else stopped them.
"Jemma Simmons and Leopold Fitz?"
Fitz looked between Jemma and the unknown man. "I'm sorry, we need to be going," he began, but as he turned he saw the other man, the one who had been following them. The men had cornered them, pushing them down a short alleyway that was obscured from the street. Fitz noticed a small delivery truck parked down at the end of the alley.
"I'm sorry, we can't let you do that."
Fitz tried to run, but a short scream at his side turned him around just in time to see Jemma crumple to the floor. Fitz turned to fight, but he felt a something impact the front of his head. He had just enough time to feel blood begin rolling down his face from the cut on his head, before he fell down in a heap next to Jemma.
NOW
"Last Chance."
"No, stop!" Fitz yelled from his spot on the floor. "Don't touch her."
"Then tell me what I want to know," the man replied lazily, almost like the sight of the two screaming scientists bored him.
Fitz stammered, his mouth was open but no words came out. He looked up at Jemma, his eyes meeting hers. She was shaking her head no, almost incoherently, but her eyes were bloodshot and tears had already begun to stain her cheeks. Fitz couldn't let her be hurt; he couldn't sit and watch as they tortured her. It was different when it was him that they were hurting, he could handle the pain, but he couldn't handle this. The night night gun - that had stabilized Mike Peterson. He could make one for them. But that was just as unthinkable as watching Jemma be hurt. He couldn't give away SHIELD secrets. He could never forgive himself. Jemma would never forgive him.
"Too late."
The man holding Jemma pushed her to the floor, pressing the electric rod into her side. She convulsed uncontrollably, her face twisted in pain. "Jemma!" Fitz screamed, trying to move closer to the bars, but the pain radiating through his own body was still too intense to allow him to move easily. "Stop! Jemma!"
But Fitz still had not given them the information they wanted to hear. The man with the rod swung it back again, hitting Jemma in the shoulder and sending electricity pounding through her body. There was nothing that Fitz could do to stop it – not without handing SHIELD secrets over to the enemy. They had come from SciTech, not Operations, but they still were taught how to hold up in torture. For moments like this.
"Who are you?" Fitz demanded, his voice filled with venom. He turned his head to look at the man behind him. "Are you with Centipede?"
"Centipede?" The man repeated, his voice filled with amusement. "My dear boy, don't be naïve. You don't really think they are the only ones that have realized the potential of Extremis. Centipede may have the most backing, but they are not the only ones out there."
The man walked closer to Fitz, crouching down and putting his hand on his shoulder. Fitz tried to move away from him, but he was so close to the bars that there was nowhere he could go. The pressure from the man's hand only helped intensify the pain that had wracked Fitz's nervous system. He managed a small glance at Jemma who was on the floor shaking, but at least the man with the rod had not hit her again. "SHIELD will find you, our team will come find us," he spit back at the man, wanting to believe his own words.
"We have done a good job staying off of SHIELD's radar until now," the man replied as he stood back up. But when you came so close, we knew we needed your help to fix our last little problem. When we are done here, we will fade back into the shadows. The only question is, will you have survived?"
"We won't help!" Jemma cried, her voice completely broken.
"I wouldn't be so sure," the man said back, his voice filled with confidence. He looked straight at Fitz as he spoke, an evil smile on his face. "This one looks like he is about to break."
With a curt head nod, Jemma was once again hit with the electric rod, causing her to scream and writhe in agony. And all Fitz could do was watch.
