Jemma was waiting for the Chitauri in one of its traps. Well, the trap wasn't exactly the Chitauri's anymore since she and Leo had tinkered with it. It was on their side now, hopefully.

She was scared, really scared and the pictures of Leo's wide, worried eyes as she'd left which still flashed in her mind every now and then didn't help that. His presence not so far away, watching her from where he was hidden did however.

They were in this together, even if she couldn't see him he was there and she wasn't going to face the Chitauri alone. If something went wrong he'd come running like an army of backup agents. Which was both comforting and distressing because, though he was her hero, he was no army of backup agents and he could easily get himself killed trying to protect her.

That didn't mean they didn't have a few tricks up their sleeves though. She'd be fine, they'd both be fine.

She had to pretend that she wasn't though. She had to pretend that Leo had been caught and killed in the trap he now watched her beside, still as he could be so the trackers would be inert on the Chitauri's radar. She had to convince it he was dead and she was trapped and waiting for it.

It wasn't hard to look frightened but her words needed work.

"Oh no, this is the... worst. So awful. I am so sad and... doomed," she wailed. Maybe it was better if she stayed silent so she buried her face into her knees and pretended to cry hopelessly.

/-/-/

Leo watched her anxiously from his position. The trap was ready, the wire leading to the cage hidden beneath piles of leaves was connected properly to the box which would send the charge down it at the flip of a switch. A switch which he was very careful of with Jemma still in the cage.

So many things could go wrong but he tried not to think about them as he watched her pretending to cry.

She was only about a dozen meters away and he could be there in a few heartbeats if she needed him. If that ugly, scaly grey monster tried to hurt her he'd descend upon it like an angry wolverine.

And it wasn't as if she was helpless. Its traps had given them weapons to use against it and she had a few including the knife. It was going to be fine. They were a team and a damn good one at that.

The thought, however, didn't stop his chest from tightening and his breath from catching as it approached precious, wonderful Jemma with that murderously long blade.

/-/-/

It was coming and the squeak of fear she let out was not a bluff. She scrambled away from it and the long sharp knife it held and pressed her back against the hidden trick door at the back of the cage.

'Not yet,' she reminded herself, fighting the urge to run. 'Wait until it's in the cage.'

"I expected more from you two," it taunted as it opened the door and the sound of its voice made her skin crawl, her breaths come in short, rapid gasps. "Must be hard for you, all alone now though. Poor lonely little rabbit. Don't worry, you'll see your friend soon."

'Yes, after we fry you like a mosquito on a lamp,' she thought hotly. It thought she was a rabbit? A rabbit with claws maybe.

It was in the cage now with her and the door snapped shut behind it. It turned in surprise and she used the distraction to set off one of the gas pods, holding her breath as she slipped out the trap door which locked behind her with a thunk.

"Leo now!" she shouted and the caged crackled with electricity, causing the Chitauri to convulse and scream.

Despite the pain it had caused them it was a disturbing sight and she found she couldn't watch so she turned away. A near fatal mistake because the Chitauri whipped a metal wire at her and it coiled around her arm, sending a painful shock through her body.

She screamed before blacking out.

/-/-/

Leo turned off the power the instant he heard her awful, painful screams. She quickly fell silent and both her and the Chitauri lay very still.

This was a bad plan, a very very bad plan and he should never have let her do it. His vision blurred and he shook as he rose up. She had to be alive, she had to be OK.

He rushed to her side, crashing to his knees next to her in a panic, looking her over as he touched her arm lightly, not wanting to hurt her.

"Jemma!?" He exclaimed, reaching to check for a pulse but her eyes flickered open slightly and she groaned.

"Oww," she complained and he let out a sigh of relief. "Is it dead?" She asked weakly, eyes wide and struggling to get up.

"Hey, no, no, no," he protested, pushing her gently back down. "It's dead." He glanced over at its unmoving form to be sure. "Just relax, take your time. Can I take this off?" His hands hovered above the wires coiled around her arm.

She nodded and he kissed her forehead and stroked her cheek comfortingly.

The wires were warm, almost hot still, and he carefully bent them apart before lifting her arm very gently and sliding it off. She winced as he did it and he frowned sympathetically. Poor Jemma, he really hoped she wasn't hurt too badly.

"You're OK," he assured her softly, taking her good hand for a moment before retrieving the knife to cut away her sleeve. "This shirt is ruined though," he joked and she smiled, eyes closed.

"I think I'm feeling better," she told him, her voice stronger now as she opened them again. "Nice try you evil lunatic alien monster." She spat at it, almost smug and lifting her head slightly. "My arm really hurts though." She added, laying back down.

As he moved the fabric away he could see why. The skin was badly burned where the coil had touched it, all red and yellow and blistering. He'd seen a burn like this once at the academy, a student who hadn't paid enough attention to safety measures while working on an engine.

"I think it's a second degree burn," he guessed.

"A superficial one," she added, struggling again to sit up.

This time he helped her and let her lean on him as she examined it.

"We should get you to the river," he suggested.

"Yeah," she agreed dazedly, wincing again. "Some cool water would feel really nice." However she seemed daunted by the idea of hiking there through the woods.

"You can rest for a bit if you'd like," he offered but she shook her head and rose shakily to her feet.

"I want to get out of here," she insisted and he really couldn't argue with that so he assisted her as they walked back to the river.

It wasn't too far and she made it OK through the woods. She was walking normally, if maybe a little slow. He kept asking her how she felt, always watching her out of the corner of his eye and she seemed fine except for the burn. But what did he know? He wasn't a doctor she could have something wrong he didn't notice. The thought made him worried all over again and he continued to fuss over her even after she began to seem slightly annoyed at his constant questions.

"And you don't have a headache?" He made sure, nearly tripping over a branch as he stared at her.

"Not yet," she warned, only half joking. "And watch where you're stepping, the last thing we need is for you to break something."

He would have grumbled something back except that her eyes were glazed over and weary and she was struggling to keep up.

"You're doing really well, we're almost there," he murmured instead and she gave him a brave smile before trooping on.

/-/-/

Getting to the plane was slow and incredibly difficult. Leo helped her as best he could but between the shock and her hunger and exhaustion Jemma was really struggling. It didn't help that he was hungry and tired too and it was hard for him to let her lean on him.

But they made it to the river and she cooled the burn in the water and it felt so nice.

Leo dug a hole while she let the water run over her arm and made her drink first. He kept looking at her like she was going to burst into flames or have a heart attack or something and she did her best to assure him she was fine because she didn't want him to worry and, honestly, he was driving her a little crazy with his constant questions.

They got halfway up the mountain, about ten meters from the plane, when she couldn't do it anymore. It was too steep and she stumbled as her legs shook and turned to paper.

Leo tried to catch her but he was at the end of his endurance as well and they collapsed together to the ground.

"Jemma?" He inquired anxiously, lifting her chin.

"I'm alright," she assured him. "Just go, it's not far. Get help."

He continued to stare at her, round eyes filled with concern.

"Leo," she sighed. "Can you... Just... I'll be fine. I can't keep climbing though, it's too steep."

He made sure the knife was in her hands before he kissed her and rose to his feet.

"If you need me, if you think a bear or something is coming, you call me," he insisted. What was he thinking? Of course she'd call for help if she saw a dangerous animal. "I don't care if it turns out to be a particularly noisy fluffy squirrel I'll come running every time." He added and she smiled at her brave squirrel chaser.

"I know," she told him, touching his leg. "Go, I'll wait here for you."

He returned after around twenty minutes with the radio in hand. Coulson's voice crackled out of it.

"Simmons?" He asked and she laughed in relief.

"I'm here," she let him know happily.

She and Leo made a fire so the helicopter Coulson had sent could see the smoke. Then they huddled together and waited.

Jemma leaned her head on his chest like a pillow and drifted in and out of sleep, despite the pain in her arm.

Relief and the warmth of the fire had made her sleepy and Leo promised to stay awake to wave down the helicopter.

When it finally arrived the loud, windy chopping sound woke her up and they grinned at each other.

They had made it, together they had survived what seemed impossible to escape and now they were going home.

/-/-/

They lay together in Jemma's bunk which felt like a cloud. They were both clean and fed and Jemma had been checked out by a doctor and was fine.

They'd received a bear hug from Skye who'd, managed to get both of them into her arms at the same time, and eaten a whole cheese ball just the two of them. With animal crackers because that was all Trip could find in the cupboard. It was delicious.

They really had been rats in a maze. The traps had been an experiment, a test by the Chitauri to discover the limits of human abilities and to search for weaknesses. Their team had found its notes in the woods. It had done this before, drawing small planes into the side of the mountain like metal to magnets with a special device and then terrorizing the survivors. It moved around, to different parts of the world so not to attract attention. Their team was looking into if there were others like it but had insisted the two of them get some sleep.

He was fine with that, he was so tired and Jemma really needed a long rest.

"Can our wedding have candles?" She murmured after he had thought she'd fallen asleep.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" He asked, surprised.

"Just for candles," she told him. "Jasmine scented. It symbolizes love and happiness." She yawned.

"We can have candles," he agreed, pulling the blanket up and tucking it around her. "All of them jasmine scented except one. One will be cinnamon."

She chuckled at him, eyes closed. "Why?"

"Then we can have a contest to see who can sniff it out," he kidded and she chuckled again.

"Alright, deal." She agreed. "Anything you want other than one cinnamon candle?"

"You," he told her and she opened her eyes, which were filled with affection as she smiled at him. "And mini-cupcakes." He went on. "And-"

"No," she told him. "We aren't having a trained monkey hand out anything."

"But-" he protested.

"No, could you image what my grandmother would say?" She countered.

"What an adorable little monkey?" He guessed.

"I forgot you haven't spent much time with my grandmother," she giggled, shuffling over to kiss him before closing her eyes again.

"Sleep well," she wished him.

"Sweet dreams," he answered warmly before turning out the light.

He'd sway her towards the monkey eventually, he had plenty of time and he was charming. He was charming right?

It didn't matter if he couldn't though he'd be happy just for her to be there. What a great candle choice, jasmine. Jemma was a lot if things to him but happiness and love were at the core of all of them.

He could almost smell the candles as he let himself fall asleep beside her. Almost, except he didn't know what jasmine smelled like. He decided it smelled like Jemma, like happiness and love.


Thanks for all the likes, follows, reviews and reads! You all get an I survived an evil alien t-shirt!

The Fringe reference is the candles. They are from the Bishop Revival. There is a wedding where are all jasmine scented candles but the bad guy puts a cinnamon scented one in the mix which has a toxin which can target people with specific genes and kills most of the grooms side.