Fitz wrapped his arms tighter around his partner, frowning at how small she seemed under her hospital gown. Simmons hugged him tightly resting her forehead on his shoulder and burying her face in his shoulder. He could feel the tears soaking through his shirt as he pulled her tighter, her hands digging into his shoulders.
"I'm so sorry" he murmured into her ear.
Jemma lifted her head to look into his eyes and before resting her forehead against his chin, breathing in deeply. He kissed her forehead gently as Jemma moved her head again this time staring into his eyes.
"I'm sorry too" she said kissing his cheek and running her hand down the side of his face, gently toying with his curls. She looked into his bright blue eyes frowning at their dullness, the usual spark that made them uniquely Fitz was missing.
"It was all my fault" he murmured looking down at her
Jemma sighed and laced her hand through his curls. "It was never your fault Leo, it was mine" she turned her head away "I began to rely on you to be there, and then you weren't because I leaned on you to hard" she looked up at him with tears in her eyes.
"Jemma, you can never lean on me too hard, I will always be with you"
She grinned through her tears "Even when we're old and grey"
"Even when we're old and grey, I will always be by your side, forever" he whispered in her ear "I will never forget you, I will never leave you alone, I promise"
"No" she said pressing a finger to his lips "You can never promise that"
He looked at her confused, she looked him in the eye and continued "You can never promise that you will never leave me, you will eventually leave me, everyone does" She dropped her gaze staring at the
This time it was him that pressed his finger to her lips "I will be with you, even when I'm dead I promise that I will never leave you, I will always be with you, looking after you and protecting you" he cracked a small smile "Besides who else would look after you"
Jemma rested her head on his shoulder, burying her face. He sighed before making him look directly at him "I will always be with you Jemma, we've been next to each other the whole damn time, and if an Alien virus can't stop me from being at your side, then I don't think that anything can. I will always be with you I promise" He kissed her nose "I promise"
Jemma nodded slowly hugging him tightly "What did I do to deserve you as a friend?"
Leo smiled hugging her back "You deserve the best any day, and if the best is me being your friend, so be it"
Kissing his cheek Jemma, smiled "Thank you, for being my Monkey"
"I will always be your Monkey"
She sat back, patting the bed next to her. He smiled sitting down facing her as she looked around at all the flowers, cards and toys that had been sent to her. "I really screwed up didn't I?"
"Well, I wouldn't say screwed up, but you did make everyone very worried about you, and I think Ellie might try and kill you after she's finished with me" He held her hands in his "Please don't ever do something like this ever again" he leaned down so that he was half lying, half sitting on the bed, his hand propping him up.
Jemma smiled "I promise" echoing his previous words.
She looked down at the bear that was sharing her bed with her and taking her hands out of his, picked up the bear, playing with the ribbon around its neck and gently opening the locket. She opened it and smiled, running her hands over the engraving and the photo inside "Thank you"
Leo smiled 'How'd you know it was me?"
"Fitz, you're the only person I know who can remember any quotes from the Velveteen Rabbit, It was your favourite book when you were little" she reached around and gently clasped the locket around her neck smiling at him "Thank you"
He smiled before gently taking the bear from her, this bear was different of two identical ones sitting on her beside tables. Those two were old and worn, tuffs of fur falling out, dressed in graduation robes gifts from Grandma Simmons 4 years ago when they completed their first PhDs. Those ones had their names stitched into the robes, those ones represented their old relationship, that now lay in tatters between them, the old worn friendship. The new one he held in his hand, matched an identical one that rested on his bed on the BUS, the room that was still his after 2 months of being gone. He too had a matching photograph and quote, only this time it was on a silver watch, that you flipped the lid open to see time that now rested on his left arm.
These two bears represented their relationship now, that they needed to work through, the friendship with secrets, mutual wounds and scars that needed to healed. Some of which would disappear completely over time, others which will stay forever reminding them of the time long past and the mistakes they'd made.
The new friendship that would last many years.
He was pulled out of his thoughts as Jemma absentmindedly flipped and closed the lid to his watch, her eyes glazed over deep in thought. He could see that she was beginning to tire, 2 weeks of sleeping left her very little energy and the last few minutes of emotional talks had taken it out of her. But she stay awake, her left hand clutched around his wrist, making sure he didn't disappear again. But he promised himself that he would never leave her ever again for the petty thoughts that came across his mind.
He was needed here, he was loved and happy here. He wanted to stay here.
But getting back here was a hard task. Jemma didn't need to know about the 1 month of hell that they had to go through to get him back on their team. Coulson had been pulling favors left and right hoping to get him back, but Fury was displeased the first time that he had gotten both of them. Sighting his displeasure of taking both his leading experts away from SHIELD HQ. He had only caved when he realized that he could never separate them.
But when one of the pair willingly parted to work on another team.
SHIELD HQ needed Fitz, he was almost as good as Tony Stark at building weapons, and while just having Fitz wasn't as good as having FitzSimmons, to build weapons, they could figure it out. So when he willingly separated from Simmons to be placed somewhere they placed him there, expecting him to stay. Suddenly 2 months later he wanted back on his old team, to be with his partner. Yes, his partner had tried to kill herself and yes he wanted to be there with her but things didn't work like that. Fury had made it very clear that Coulson couldn't have BOTH his leading scientists, his leading marksman that wasn't already attached to a team and wasn't deaf and the Calvary. Not to mention taking his best right hand man away, he always had to specify that Maria Hill was his right hand women, to stop fights between the two.
He was not pleased that Coulson wanted Fitz back, even if it was for Simmons to get better. But with a little reminding about a pack of vintage cards and blood was all he needed to be pushed over.
That was all good and done.
But the team where still in the bad books. Fury hadn't really forgiven them for blowing up the plane, practically destroying the Lab by crashing through the doors and his best biologist currently in hospital. So at the moment the team were on mundane missions, which had practically everyone bored. Coulson was happy since it required very little paperwork and May was happy cause all she had to do was sit in the cockpit and look cool.
Fitz smiled as Jemma continued to flip the watch open and closed. He reached over and stopped her hand before gently kissing her wrist, squeezing her fingers. Jemma smiled at him as she leaned forward and rested her forehead against his. "What would I do with out you?" asked Fitz smiling
"Probably have no idea what tie to wear in the morning" said Jemma "Forget to eat, forget to sleep, forget to breath-" she stopped when he leaned over and captured her lips in his.
Jemma gasped against his mouth, grinning as she turned her head slightly to the side, running her hand up his face and twining them into his curls.
"Forget to live" he said breaking the kiss and staring into her eyes.
"Probably" she said before kissing him again.
A/N: Another chapter? or should I just write the epilogue and be done with it :) Please Read and Review!
