Undisclosed Location

8 December 2015

A hush fell over the lab at Fitz and Simmons gingerly followed Bobbi into the lab. The lab technicians, eagerly spread word of their arrival throughout the small area in a matter of moments. More than one set of eyes focused on the clumsy, self-conscious dance between the pair. Word had traveled fast after their abduction, everyone left back at the base anxious to see if their bosses returned.

Despite fighting exhaustion and needing someone to lean on, Fitz stubbornly maintained a gentlemanly distance between them. Even though every fiber of his being simply wanted to hold her close, the Will of it all made it far too awkward.

Jemma, on the other hand, hovered closer than his own shadow, barely letting him out of arms reach for more than a few moments at most. Fitz briefly wondered what was going to happen when he requested a desperately needed shower once they were satisfied he wasn't gong to drop dead at any moment.

She settled him up onto the med bay and set to work. Jemma donned on a fresh lab coat and gloves, expertly preparing the dosages required for the scans. Every step executed with a remarkable clinical efficiency Fitz had long admired, when not directed at him. Her gloved fingers slipped under his jaw, Fitz allowing himself the briefest of moments to savor her touch. Her eyes locked with his, a light shining to confirm proper dilation responses.

Her fingers fretted around his head, palpating for any new raised areas since the last time she'd checked a few hours ago. Only this time, his thoughts forcefully jarred back to the kisses they had shared just a few feet away, only hours ago. His eyes locked with hers yet again, his heart quickening in his chest.

Jemma seemed to feel it too. "I—" she started, suddenly coming back to herself, although she could not quite mask the slightly higher pitch that seemed to be plaguing her voice. "Bobbi, could you monitor his vitals and get him set up in the chamber while I set up the scan controls?"

Bobbi had to suppress a loud sigh as she nodded. Simmons gave a half nod, turned on her heel and darted from the room. She knew the hell the two had just been through, and with how they both tended to bottle things up, they were in for a bit of a rough patch. For two people who were supposedly psychically linked they were horrible communicators. This was going to go to hell unless someone stepped in and that someone seemed to be her.

She looked at her charge, exhausted and miserable on the table, the curious eyes of the techs peering around corners and through shelves. "Alright guys!" She said her voice full of authority. "Take 15!" Bobbi heard a collective groan of disappointment. The shark-like look she shot around the room effectively silenced it before she pointedly glared towards the door. She might need to have to have a talk with Hunter about corrupting Fitzsimmons' techs to do his dirty work.

Once the last of them had left and closed the door, she turned back to Fitz. "Do you think you'll be alright."

Fitz blinked guilelessly, cupping his hand to the back of his head. "My head? Yeah, probably."

Bobbi surveyed him critically. "You know that's not what I'm asking about, Fitz," she admonished, tugging a chair over next to his bed. "Look, I can usually read people like a book, and I know whatever happened to you on that planet hurt you. I can see you being strong for her. I see your guilt about not bringing Will back. As much as I want to know what really happened I don't need too. But I will say I can see you two are at a crossroads".

Fitz fidgeted under her gaze, finding it only slightly less intimidating than his Mum when she started into a good scold. He was suddenly fascinated by the light on the ceiling.

Bobbi patted his knees, "You're going to need to talk to each other. It's going to hurt, but I promise you after it will get better."

"Is that how you and Hunter deal with each other?"

She smirked. "Don't ask that unless you are really sure you want to know."

Fitz gulped. Immediately contrite, he nodded. "Yeah. Alright."

Bobbi smiled, enjoying for a moment all the ways how simple it would have been to get Fitz to blush. Unfortunately, it was just a matter of time before Jemma composed herself and resumed her constant vigil for the foreseeable future.

"The romance side of the relationship was never a problem. It was tolerating each other in the morning. I'd have a time-sensitive mission to conduct and have to sneak off. Most of the time he ended up following, or there on his own, and muddled his way right on the middle of the mess. It was a persistent challenge to balance the mission, my own cover, and his safety. And he rarely ever appreciated it." She sighed, tucking a rogue lock of hair behind her ear. "I started pushing him away because it was the most effective way to keep us both safe. Hunter has always been just as stubborn and kept on following. Until the day he didn't."

Fitz grew quiet in reflection, eyebrows furrowed. "Why did he stop?"

"Sometimes this job can get to be too much. I was talented enough that they kept sending me on dangerous missions. I studied hard and trained harder. I found the job rewarding on its own merits. He thought I was placing more value on Shield than on him. So he left. And I threw myself that much harder into my work."

"But there is the difference. You two have spent a solid decade basically tolerating each other every day. And unless my skills are failing me from all that time stuck behind the lab bench, I don't suspect you'd have any issues in the romance department if you put your minds to it. Not with the way you both look at each other when you think the other is not looking."

She smiled inwardly at slight blush lighting up his cheeks. She was maybe 90% sure there was more there than he'd be willing to tell. Perhaps she could try and weasel more details from Jemma once she relaxed the monitoring.

"The ride, is it worth it?" Fitz asks softly, the question catching Bobbi off guard. He had unknowingly just asked her the same question Jemma had nearly a year ago.

Despite it all, all the issues, Hunter getting in the way and her need to protect him it had been worth it, in its own way. She wouldn't give up that ride for the world. For her own sake and sanity, she needed him: childish humor, reckless loyalty, and all. Not that she could really ever let him know. Then he'd just be unbearably cocky all the time.

"Unfortunately, Fitz, that's an answer you'll have to figure out for yourself. And you'll never know unless you get on."

They slipped into silence at the hiss of the decompression lock disengaging. Jemma slipped in with an anxious smile, the only crack in the Dr. Simmons mask. "It's all ready to go. Come along, Fitz."

Fitz returned her smile, just as anxious to have this whole ordeal over.

Jemma spun on her heel, not trusting her still shaky composure and blazed a trail back towards the scanning bay.

Bobbi helped him rise up out of bed and walked next to him for support on the 50 foot trek down the hall. She stopped and opened the door of the tiny changing room, which contained little more than an L-shaped bench and a railing for support. A pair of blue scrubs was placed neatly on the bench.

Bobbi gestured to the box to meant to hold all metallic personal effects during the scan. "I'll be outside if you need anyth—"

"Bobbi! Could you verify my settings before we begin?" Jemma's voice echoed down the hall.

"Go ahead." He slumped down onto the bench, his fingers already working at the clasp of his watch.. "I can handle this much by myself at least. I forgot how pushy she can be in 'Dr. Simmons'-mode."

"At least she did bend a bit of the protocol." Her smirk returned with a vengeance. "You might have had to deal with all of this with her wearing only a standard hospital gown."

Fitz could only gape as she shut the door.

Mrs. Fitz grasped his cell phone anxiously, wearing her carpet a bit then as she paced back and forth. The light had already stopped filtering in through the sheer curtains. It had been a long ten days since she had last heard from Leo, the longest he had ever gone between contacting her.

Even after Shield fell and his team had gone into hiding he had cleverly managed to get messages to her every few days, assuring her he was alright. Then when he wasn't already, when she had nearly lost him, it was his darling Jemma that took care of her. Giving her updates almost daily until he was able to speak with her himself again. Those first weeks of his recovery had been agony for her. Unable to go to her baby's side due to security concerns for her and him.

But now, she hadn't received word from Jemma, her mother's intuition stoking her fears that something was wrong. She went to her desk pulling out the card she had been given so many years ago, nearly forgotten beneath a handful of other important documents. It was one of her many requirements when she had permitted Leo to go to the Shield academy. An emergency contact she could call at any time. And until today she had never used it before.

She glanced around the room, her eyes falling on a picture of Leo from when he was younger. The first time he'd taken their toaster apart to figure it out. A proud smile beamed on his face, those eyes she loved so much glittering back at her. Without another moment of hesitation, she dialed the number.

It rang only twice before a stern voice picked up. "Hello, Ma'am. What can I do for you today?"

"Hello. My name is Mary Fitz, and I am Leopold Fitz's mother-"

"I know, ma'am. This is your dedicated direct line. How can I assist you today?"

She tugged a loose lock of hair behind her ear, trying to contain the shake of her voice. "I haven't heard from Leo in ten days now. He's never done that before. Ever sent he started school abroad he's always managed at least one call. And when he couldn't his partner, Jemma, sorry Agent Simmons, has done so. I've tried both of them...and their superior officer and nothing."

The voice on the other end of the line remained silence, though the clacking assured Mary they were still there. "I can be in their location in about 4 hours to check on the situation personally. Please keep this line on you at all times."

"Yes." She nodded, feeling the small wave of relief wash over her. Sleep would elude her anyways until she did manage to get some word. "Yes, of course. I look forward to your call."

Mack stalked the hallways of the playground, anxious to put as much distance between him and the Director's office as he could. He happily retired that particular mantel. The entire situation left him drained. First, there was Coulson thrusting the unexpected promotion upon him. Fitz and Simmons were kidnapped mere hours later. Coulson's refusal to give any sort of input on the situation before heading off with Bobbi and Hunter done little to help with the search, but Agent Banks had been an unexpected if short lived boon. Finally, the biggest challenge of keeping the somewhat inexperienced team confident and focused on mission as they navigated the obstacles Hydra kept throwing at them. All while herding a pile of unruly cats with super powers and sass. He shook his head. This whole team had entirely too much sass.

Frankly, they had been lucky. Had Hydra been more focused on them and not the portal it could have been a very different outcome. Then there was the fact that what had happened on the other side was shrouded in mystery. Neither Fitz nor Coulson was terribly forthcoming with details, which was a shame because it was pretty damn impressive that Turbo had managed to outsmart and evade a troop of Hydra's 'best' men, including Grant Ward. Though from what he understood, Coulson actually took them out where as Fitz had managed to get away from them.

Bobbi came around the corner, coming from the dormitory wing with a somewhat exasperated look on her face that was usually reserved for Hunter. Mack inwardly groaned as to what the man could have done to warrant such at look and how that was going to make Mack's life miserable for the next few days.

"Bobbi. Just the person I wanted to see," Mack smiled, trying to pull her out of her funk. "Did Turbo and Simmons get settled in?" He was fishing, needing an update on the pair and hoped it wasn't too obvious.

"Yes," she said rubbing her temples. She paused and checked the hallways to confirm no one was around to overhear. "In Simmons's room."

Mack's smiled dimmed slightly. "Oh." That did not necessarily bode well for Fitz. Simmons was nice enough, definitely cared for him. Mack was fairly certain she loved him. But she did have a pretty solid track record of leaving Turbo heartbroken, even if she didn't intend to. Besides, based upon the way he had watched Simmons monitor her patients, the poor kid was going to be watched closer than a high security prisoner.

"I thought Fitz got the all clear after his work up on the plane, he didn't look that bad after all." Mack said.

"Due to his previous injury Simmons had us run an MRI. Fitz's scans turned up a "rather suspect shadow." Simmons was less than pleased, refusing to leave anything to chance. I'm still pretty certain that it is nothing to be concerned about, but "Dr Simmons", lovely lady pray you never meet her, pressed the issue to monitor him for at least a few days." Bobbi sighed as she fought the lingering frustration. "I even offered to have Fitz sleep and be monitored in the med bay by a rotation of the med team. But she was having none of that. She kept insisting he needed to be in a more secluded space and she would monitor him."

Bobbi had finally relented, a combination of Jemma's determination and Fitz's pleading eyes. She suspected Fitz just wanted to go to sleep and at that point didn't care if it was in the middle of Coulson's office, just as long as it happened. She gave them both a panic button, linked only to her personal phone to call for aid if there were any outward signs of concern. Thanks to her unintended eavesdropping a few hours before, Bobbi completely understood why Jemma had sidestepped Coulson altogether. Going to instead to May to ensure Fitz had the next few days off and could be monitored "in bunk" under her care.

Mack let out a long sigh. Something more had clearly happened, as Bobbi expressions revealed much without necessarily intending too. "Anything I might be able to do to help?" he asked. He was hoping she would give him something, a reason to visit the pair himself. Because if he didn't have a good reason, one acceptable to Turbo's self appointed protector, Dr. Simmons, he would probably never make it past the door.

Bobbi folded her arms and leaned back against the nondescript brick wall. "The only help that Jemma would accept was in getting a second set of bedding into the room. And that is only because they are both too sore and injured to lift anything heavier than their pajamas right now. I need to update the Director on their status, so if you could take it over to them. Fitz and Simmons both need to know that others have their backs right now." Bobbi looked pensive, the injuries the pair bore forcing themselves into the forefront of her mind again. "They should have never gone through that. No one should."

Mack still wanted to pry, she clearly had more information than he did and his stomach twisted in knots. He should have gone to the facility with them. Had he really done enough when the baton was thrown in his direction? Had he acted fast enough when it came to their rescue? "No problem. I take it discretion would also be appreciated?"

The exasperated look on Bobbi's face returned. "Very."

By the time Bobbi had found her way into Director Coulson's office, she was truly incensed. She paused a few moments before opening the door to calm herself. She would not be able to get a good read on him unless she herself was focused.

Coulson sat behind his desk trying to make busy headway into a pile of requisition forms that he had piled up due to the situation with Hydra. He did not even look up when she entered. "You have an update, Agent Morse?"

"Yes, Sir. Fitz and Simmons are settled in for the night. However, they need to be on medical leave and will not be reporting for normal duties for at least 3 days." As she spoke she watched him closely. Looking for any telltale signs of emotional struggle she'd seen in him so many times before. "Both are pretty badly bruised, and Fitz took a pretty bad knock to the head. We are taking extra precautions due to his previous injuries."

Coulson finally looked up, keeping his features carefully impassive. "May told me she already approved that leave request."

Bobbi advanced towards his desk. "Did she tell you that it is because Simmons fears a delayed onset of bleeding in his brain? Or did she mention that Simmons herself presents some pretty strong signs of torture?"

Coulson set his pen down, regarding her cautiously. "She did not mention those."

"I'm not sure that a few days of leave will really suffice here, Sir. They both went through some serious trauma while in Hydra's custody. Not to mention whatever happened on the planet." Bobbi's eyes locked with Coulson's at the mention on the planet. "They were not trained to withstand torture, and I'm not even sure that Simmons ever effectively dealt with the months she spent away from here."

"In my professional opinion, a few days of leave will suffice for either of them, Sir" Bobbi's eyes locked with Coulson's, agitation now bleeding into her voice. "No one on base is currently qualified to handle them, especially with Dr. Garner gone."

Coulson leaned back in his seat, tapping his fingers on the desk with his good hand. "Yes, a few days leave will not suffice."

Bobbi crossed her arms. "You need another solution. Preferably one that doesn't also turn into an Inhuman rage monster."

She'd left Coulson without so much as another word. Not trusting herself to speak anymore. There was really only more thing she could do to help the pair. Bobbi quickly slipped into the security room, only to find it already occupied.

Daisy smirked back at her. "You've been busy. Shouldn't you be resting too? Don't think yo've slept since you took off with Coulson."

Bobbi nodded to the bowl of popcorn and a contraband soda from the lab fridge sat largely empty on the table beside her. "You've been busy, too."

Daisy shrugged. "It's a guilty pleasure. Plus, it is the only real way to do some homework on the team. Watching how people decompress after the battle. I've not seen Lincoln in a battle scenario for very long before and it was entirely new to Joey."

Settling down in the chair beside her, Bobbi nodded. "And Dr. Garner's notes are a bit questionable at this point."

"We were lucky tonight," Bobbi said grimly and Daisy raised an eyebrow. "Hydra made it easy, segregating themselves into smaller groups so we could pick them off. I hear Joey even had some pretty good field improvising with his powers." As she spoke Bobbi's fingers tapped through the computer menus. "But they could all use some defensive training. Ways to boost their confidence. They also need to be able to defend themselves should their powers fail or be ineffective."

"And I need to know if everyone is getting along. It was easy enough when there were just the six of us on the Bus. One of which was May who hardly spoke...two more psychically linked. Now with the larger number of such different personalities" Daisy sighed. "Never thought I'd go all Big Brother, but it beats potentially losing team members."

Bobbi pulled the history, scanning over what Daisy had been reviewed. The lab feed on there and none of her Inhuman team had been anywhere near the lab since getting back. She confirmed her suspicions by checking the time stamps. Something flared in her again as she purged the files. "Not to mention that it doesn't hurt your chances in the pool."

Daisy took a dainty sip of the soda. "I don't know what you're talking about…" she said innocently, even batting her eyes.

"Please tell me Hunter doesn't buy this act. I taught him better." Bobbi said as she finished deleting the last of the footage.

"Probably not," Daisy admitted. "Did you just delete anything interesting?"

Bobbi definitely needed to talk with Hunter about corrupting pretty much everyone on the base. "No, just a question Fitz asked that no one else has a right to know...or that I want getting back to Hunter."

Bobbi wasn't the only one whose night was far from over. The mechanical pop signaled the plane hatch was opening, while the heavy machinery controlling the vertical hanger doors above whirred to a close. Mack signed off on the inspection log, and handed it back to the technician to see the ramp dropping to the concrete floor.

The clacking of high heels preceded the arrival of Agent Weaver. She was, as ever, dressed in all clean lines, a starched and pressed jacket and skirt, and hair sleeked back into a bun. In an agency where the veneer of suits and ties had been retired in favor of the more practical business casual and tactical gear mix, she was the sole remaining visage of professional gloss. She extended a business-like handshake. "Good to see you again, Agent Mackenzie."

Mack smiled widely-returning the handshake. "You as well, ma'am. How was the flight?"

"Aside from unexpected? Long, as usual. But I'm spending most of my days on this plane now days. I saw the report that you stood as acting Director on the latest Hydra raid." Weaver cocked her head, carefully meeting Mack's eyes. "A successful recovery mission, I might add."

"Yes. It was a very near thing. We almost didn't get people Fitz and Coulson through the portal in time."

Agent Weaver raised a dark brow and then frowned. This would not do at all. Perhaps someone else, aside from the Director, would need to be apprised.

"We had a group debrief after. Too many missions running simultaneously and not enough intel flowing between while everything was going down. Way too messy for my tastes." Mack already had plans to bring to Coulson to improve that.

Mack didn't notice the narrowing of Weaver's eyes or her knuckles tightening.

"You must be tired," Mack said. "I have some quarters prepared, and you can meet with everyone in the morning."

Weaver's mind worked quickly, as she'd promised one last confirmation before she could go to bed. "Where are Agents Fitz and Simmons?" she asked as they passed the empty, darkened lab.

It was Mack's turn to tense up, and Weaver picked up that tension in a second. "They are settled for the night. Of course, I'm sure they would love to see you. But please realize they had quite the ordeal."

Weaver plastered on a smile that did not quite mask the thread of steel in her voice. "I will make it a point to see them first thing in the morning."

Mack nodded, "They are actually both in Simmons quarters," he said awkwardly. "Three doors down."

Weaver nodded her thanks and closed the door. Only once she was alone did she let the mask slip. Wearily, she pulled out her phone. She had promised a return call to a very concerned mother. Now, she dreaded it with every fiber of her being. The mother's intuition had been dead on.