Fitz was ready for the cold this time, slipping into the water in a dry suit that Radcliffe had provided. It was still chilly, but the sweater he was able to wear underneath was a welcome cushion of comfort.

He wore goggles but decided against taking a breathing apparatus. It had already taken a while to put on the wet suit and neither of them wanted to keep the mermaid waiting. An oxygen tank wouldn't allow him to talk anyway. Hopefully the mermaid would take pity on him and surface. Radcliffe at least would be happy about that.

"Ready?" Jemma breathed.

She bit nervously at her lip as she tread beside him. Her gaze raked over his legs and he wondered if she were worried this was her last chance to take them in. He wasn't sure if he was daunted by her concern for their failure or happy that she liked them enough to miss them. A bit of both he guessed.

He smiled, taking her hand to press her cold fingers to his lips. "Whenever you are."

She answered with a firm nod, eyes flashing with determination and, on a silent cue, he took a deep breath and they dove down together.

The mermaid appeared almost instantly, swimming up to circle around them, and as she examined him Fitz found himself staring right back. She wasn't what he'd expected, even Jemma's attention to detail had not prepared him for what floated before him.

Silver and sleek like a fish, she was beautiful but not the way a human was beautiful. He could tell, from the way her eyes darted over him, quick and bright, that she was intelligent, but she was wild too, sharp teeth and quick reflexes like a predator. With a prickle of unease, Fitz wondered exactly what she ate.

When she spoke, he was startled by how human her voice was.

"Why did you bring the finless flopper down here?" she asked, and Fitz frowned at her tone of amusement. "He wont be able to do anything if he keeps having to go up for air. Let's return to the surface before he swallows too much water."

Fitz didn't really think water swallowing was going to be a problem, but he happily complied with the request, allowing Jemma to take his hand and pull him back up with her. He thought that maybe her grip was a bit tighter than it normally was, but that might have been his imagination or a product of his own fingers curled tightly around hers.

Despite his feet giving him the disadvantage, the tug from Jemma was enough to allow him to keep up and the three of them broke the surface at roughly the same time, greeted by gasp from the boat.

"Look at her," Radcliffe cooed. Already he seemed enamoured by the scaled woman and, intrigued, she swam closer.

"I'm not very good with humans," she admitted, squinting in thought. "But… are you the dad human?"

Radcliffe laughed. "No I don't have any children."

"Me neither," she told him. "Mermaids have over a hundred children at he same time. Us women all lay our eggs together and then the men come and give them a good dose of fertilizer. No one knows which kid is whose, so we all share in raising the little nippers. But some people put a bit more effort in it than others if you know what I mean." She shook her head, eyes wide. "It's a mess. But with five moms, six dads and a hundred and sixteen siblings, at least family reunions are interesting."

"Fascinating," Radcliffe muttered.

She tilted her head. "Is it? I always thought human reproduction was a lot more interesting…"

"It's ovuliparity," Jemma marveled. "They're just like salmon."

"Hey, I eat salmon," she protested. "How would you like me comparing you to a chicken?"

"Chickens aren't-" Fitz began, but the mermaid held out her hand to shush him, talking over him.

"It doesn't matter," she said brusquely. "What have you decided on?"

Fitz and Jemma exchanged a quick glance, but if she had any doubt it didn't show. She raised her chin. "We'll accept the challenge."

The mermaid clapped her hands together and Fitz jumped at the sudden noise, instinctively swimming closer to Jemma.

"I thought you'd say that!" she cheered. "OK, hold onto your land-lover."

"Why do I have to-?" Jemma began, but as the mermaid sped forward she cut herself off to comply, gripping onto Fitz like a frightened cat.

The mermaid swum around them, faster and faster until they were spinning too and the water came up to surround them like a bubble. Fitz let out a yelp of surprise and Jemma gasped, pulling him closer as he braced for the sudden onset of cold water. But it didn't come. As quickly as it had begun, it was over and they were bobbing in the calm waves of the sea.

"What was that?" Fitz grumbled, catching sight of the mermaid floating a few feet away, laying on her back with a wide grin. "Oh, ha ha, very funny, scare the humans half to death with your special mermaid powers. You know for someone whose supposed to be helping people you really are a-"

"Fitz my legs!" He turned his head to find Jemma beaming down into the water. Kicking beneath her were her legs, white against the blue-green of the water. "Oh look at my toes! They're back!" She wiggled them in front of her, giggling as she did. She spun to face the mermaid. "Thank you!"

"Don't thank her, she's the one who got us into this mess!" Fitz protested, but Jemma ignored him, clamping a hug over his shoulders that nearly pulled them both under and he found his annoyance hard to hold onto while he was bombarded by her waves of joy.

He held her back, shoulders sagging in relief, and they stayed like that for a few more seconds before she was wiggling out of his arms.

"I think I'd like to get out of the water now, if it's all the same to everyone," she said cheerfully. "Oh but… first I'll need pants."

"Of course." Fitz smiled at her, giving her forehead a quick peck before backing away towards the boat. "I brought you a change of clothes, and I'll get you a towel too- Astrid gave us a few fluffy ones."

"Thank you Fitz," Jemma called after him fondly.

As he hauled himself out of the water, he gave Radcliffe a stern look, but the other scientist was already getting up to head inside, looking everywhere but at the water. He and Fitz walked in together.

"It all worked out then," Radcliffe said cheerfully.

"It did," Fitz agreed, unable to keep the smile off of his face. Jemma was happy again, and that made him happy too. "But… how?"

Radcliffe shrugged and the mystery lingered as ducked into the cabin.

/-/-/

Jemma couldn't seem to stop moving her legs, testing each toe at a time, feeling every muscle flex. The smile that spread across her face felt as if it would never go away, despite the quizzical looks she was getting the mermaid as she splashed happily around.

She wasn't sure if she wanted run or collapse into a soft warm, dry, bed. As excited as she was she was exhausted and she was glad when she spotted Fitz, alone, holding out what must have been the fluffiest towel she'd ever seen. She hauled herself out of the water, laughing in delight at standing for the first time in days, and wobbled into his arms. He wrapped the towel snuggly around her and she closed her eyes contently, leaning into him.

They were free, they were victorious. But… why?

Even her vibrant enthusiasm at being back to normal couldn't shout over her curiosity and glanced towards the water, pleased to find the mermaid still swimming close by.

"We never passed any test," she told her. She felt Fitz tense at the reminder but she didn't think the mermaid was going to double cross them, or that she'd forgotten.

She shrugged, leaning back lazily in the water. "You trusted each other," she said simply. "That's all you needed. All you had to do was trust that you could handle the decision together. It really didn't matter what you chose." She smiled. "But I am glad you chose the deal; I knew you would. I'm pretty good at reading people and I know that you two are pretty cocky."

Fitz huffed and she held up her hands defensively. "With good reason. The dolphins tell me you're clever and they should know, they're pretty smart themselves. My mothers always said, never try to outsmart a dolphin."

"The dolphins!" She turned to Fitz, eyes wide. "Fitz we never thanked them."

He was smiling at her like he had a secret and when she tilted her head, he nodded towards the sea, eyes sparkling.

She followed his gaze, grinning at the sight before her.

The dolphins making quite a show of themselves, splashing around, jumping out of the water. One of the younger once, one Jemma recognized which had imitated her nodding, jumped higher than he'd expected, thrashing his tail in surprise before belly flopping back into the water. His head popped out a few moments later and Jemma giggled, feeling a surprising bubble of affection. She'd grown fond of the pod during her short time with them and she'd always remember their kindness.

"Oh they know," the mermaid told her. "They're happy that you're happy."

"If only I could thank them properly," she lamented, wishing she could have her sensitivity to telepathy back, just for a few minutes.

"They don't really want anything," she assured her. She shrugged. "Maybe just try to protect the ocean. We live here you know."

"And it doesn't hurt that that benefits you too," Fitz pointed out.

Another shrug.

Fitz seemed about to say more but Jemma butted his cheek with hers, snuggling against his shoulder when he nuzzled back. "Will we see you again?" she asked her. As trying as the experience had been, Jemma still wanted to know more about this alien. And maybe the dolphins too. "We could learn so much from each other," she added when the mermaid hesitated.

"You're not planning to probe me are you?" she asked, and Jemma could tell by the way her mouth twitched at her words that she was only half joking. "I don't want to be abducted by aliens in the middle of the night."

"Well I would be happy if you'd let me take a few blood samples," she admitted. The mermaid's eyes widened and she hurried on. "But not if it makes you uncomfortable of course."

She crossed her arms, scanning the pair of them. "Well… I would like to know more about you humans," she conceded at last. "Do you know what the fascination is for making those pointy ended sticks?"

Jemma frowned. "We actually make quiet a few pointy things," she told her. "You'd have to be more specific."

"They have a rod and then a flat part with four, sometimes three points," she pressed, drawing out the shape with her finger.

"You're talking about a fork," Jemma realized. Of all the things to have questions about.

"Yes, OK, a fork." She fumbled over the new word. "Why do you make those? Are they for your hair?"

"Our- no!" Fitz burst. "They're for eating with."

"Are you sure?" she asked skeptically. "I can't imagine it'd be very helpful cutting the food."

"No it's not for… it's…" Jemma felt his arm move up to his face and imagined he was rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. "It's for holding the food."

"Hmm." The mermaid seemed disappointed.

"But we have all sorts of things, much more interesting than forks," Jemma pressed. "Have you ever seen a power plant? An aeroplane?"

"Flying above the sea," she answered, swimming closer. "But never up close. How do they stay up there?"

She and Fitz exchanged a glance. "Would you like to find out?" he asked.

"Well… it would be nice to know more about you," she admitted. She frowned, weighing her options. "Alright, I'll talk to the others," she agreed at last.

"And no tricks this time," Fitz added firmly. "Neither of us want to come out of the water with fish parts."

The mermaid looked as if she were trying to suppress a giggle as she nodded her agreement. "Fair enough," she mused.

They agreed to meet again in a few days and when Jemma's eyes started to droop she let Fitz bring her inside and show her to the, rather impressive, bedroom. It was glamorous for a boat, although still a little tight, but she didn't mind the lack of space. She fell asleep snuggled close to Fitz, both legs safely tucked under the blanket.

/-/-/

For all the travelling he'd done in his life, Fitz still found that an unfamiliar bed kept him up and, despite his exhaustion, he slept lightly that night. He'd just started to fade out when he was awoken by soft footsteps past the cabin door. He opened his eyes, finding himself in the dark, his surroundings mapped only by the lap of waves outside and Jemma's gentle breathing beside him. It was a lightless, but comforting place to find himself in, with his favourite person within arm's reach, safe and peaceful.

He could feel her warmth radiating beside him, the heel of her foot pushed up against his calf, and he found her shoulder, touching it lightly before giving it fond kiss. Happiness welled in his chest as her scent washed over him and he knew that, human or mermaid, he'd have had a life filled with joy at her side. Still he was glad they'd both kept their life on the land.

Sometime in the night he'd stolen the blanket away and he tucked it back around her now before pushing himself up, touching her shoulder one more time.

Sweet dreams Jemma, you deserve a good rest.

She was so deep in sleep that she didn't stir, not even when he wove around her to find his way off the bed. He slipped out the door, shutting it carefully behind him so as not wake her, and padded up onto the deck.

Radcliffe was standing at the edge of the boat, watching the moonlight ripple off the water.

"What time is it?" Fitz asked groggily.

"Just after midnight," he told him, giving him a welcoming smile when he came to stand beside him. "How's Jemma?"

"Exhausted," he answered. "But happy to be back to normal."

"And you made a deal with the mermaid?" he asked curiously.

Fitz shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure she wants to cooperate, but I hope we've convinced her that it'd be better to work together."

"I hope she does. Just think of all the things we could learn from her," Radcliffe marveled and, in his excitement, he reminded Fitz just a little of Jemma.

He wasn't entirely sure how he felt about that, or if he thought he could trust the other man, but he was grateful that he'd been so quick to offer his help.

"Thank you," he told him. "For helping us."

"I didn't really do much," Radcliffe admitted, although he smiled at the thanks.

"You came all the way out here with this boat," Fitz pointed out fairly, turning slightly to gesture at the monstrous vessel.

"Well the lure of discovery tempted me," he mused. "And the chance to work with you and Dr. Simmons again. You really are a remarkable team. I hope we get a chance to work together again in the future." He seemed about to say more, and Fitz nearly wondered if he were about to offer him a job. But instead he let out a wide yawn. "I think it's time we both followed Dr. Simmons' example and got some rest."

Fitz yawned too, nodding as he did and they headed back down into the cabin together, Fitz slipping back into the room where he'd left Jemma.

He opened the door carefully but she was awake when he entered, the light of her phone making her face glow white.

"Please don't tell me we have another mission," Fitz groaned. He'd need to give their leader a talk about time zones when they returned.

Jemma shook her head. "No, you can come back to bed," she mused, padding the space beside her. "I woke up and I was worried about Daisy. It's been nearly a week since we've heard from her."

"Did you reach her?" he asked.

She lay back against the pillow, keeping her phone lit on her stomach to guide him towards her. "No."

Fitz settled in, worried about their friend but unable to keep the thought of Radcliffe's offer from nagging the back of his mind. Daisy would be OK, she just needed space after what had happened with Lincoln. As much as he wanted to help her, he didn't think there was anything either of them could do if she wanted to be alone.

The thought crossed his mind too, that it could have been them. It could have been him saying goodbye in that quinjet, or… he suppressed a shudder… or even Jemma. If he'd lost her again…

"I'm tired Jemma," he admitted.

The light of Jemma's phone slid across the ceiling as she rolled over, the device falling between them. He tilted his head towards her, shutting his eyes when she grazed the edges of her fingers over his cheek.

"You've done so much," she murmured. "I think you might have had less sleep than I have."

He took her hand, pulling her fingers to his lips before clutching it to his chest. "That's not what I meant."

"Oh," he could hear in her voice that she'd understood and he wondered if she'd had the same thought he'd had. She sighed, taking a moment to think it over. "So am I," she admitted at last.

Fitz wasn't sure he wanted to ask his next question but he knew he had too, for both of them. "What do you think we should do about it?"

"I don't know," she whispered.

"I think Radcliffe wants us to work for him," he ventured, and he was surprised when he didn't hear her scoff.

"Nothing would need to be permanent," she said slowly.

"No," he answered quickly. "Not if we don't want it to be."

The thought hung between them, neither entirely certain what it meant or how to pursue it, until Fitz found himself letting out another wide yawn.

"We need to sleep," Jemma decided, taking her hand back to place her phone on the table. "We can talk about this more tomorrow."

"And we should try calling Daisy again," he added as she turned back around. She'd left the light on to fade on it's own and her shadowy face was the last thing he saw before he shut his eyes.

"We should," she agreed. He felt her hand on his cheek, her lips pressing against his forehead. "I love you, Fitz."

He smiled, his heart glowing gold at the now familiar words. "I love you too, Jemma," he answered softly.

He wasn't sure what was going to happen next, or what was happening with their friends across the ocean, but he knew that they'd be together for whatever it was and, in the end, that was all he needed.

/-/-/

When they were both asleep, Radcliffe crept back up onto the deck. Smiling, he peered over the rail out into the black night.

A head broke the surface of the water with a splash and looked down, smile widening.

"Enjoying the night?" he called down to her.

"Hmm," the mermaid eased onto her back, floating contently beneath the moon. "Are you? Did you get what you needed?"

"I think I've almost convinced them, yes," he answered. "Thank you."

She was carrying a device and she placed it onto her stomach, watching its tiny screen. Radcliffe couldn't see it, but it had a counter on it, written in her language, and the counter had just gone up by one.

"Only two hundred satisfied customers to go," she cheered. "Then it's back to our home world and bye bye to this place. I might miss some of the marine life though," she admitted.

"And the people?" Radcliffe wondered.

"Well you're a little shifty," she told him honestly. "But I guess that makes you like me." She laughed. "Yeah OK, I'm going to miss you weirdos. We probably still have another decade or two to enjoy you."

"Are you going to take up Fitzsimmons offer?" he asked. "I have to agree with Dr. Simmons, I think it would be mutually beneficial."

"The family is going to vote on it in a few hours," she told him. "But I'd better go- can't let them catch us talking or I might lose this point!"

Without another word, she'd vanished into the night sea, leaving behind another satisfied customer.

/-/-/


phewww sorry that took so long! I was really trying to get ahead on my thesis and things kept going wrong. But yesterday I twisted my ankle chasing after my silly cat and had to stay home and voila, a day to write.

A thanks to agl03 for helping with the end, and letting me bounce that idea for Radcliffe off of her :D

The fork is a reference to the little mermaid, and her confusion over the forks thanks to her seagull friend haha.