Chapter Nine

*Epilogue 1*

It was very early in the morning when Fitz finally made it back to the house. He turned the key in the lock, stopping for a second when it squeaked and silent prayed that Shiloh didn't bark. Luck was on his side as he opened the door and stepped inside, catching the golden retriever slinking down the corridor towards him. Shiloh padded quietly down the hall and sat down at his feet. Grinning as he greeted the dog he moved down the corridor towards the open living lounge room. At first all he saw was a massive pillow fort made out of most of the pillows and blankets in the house. Even the master bedroom hadn't been spared as he spotted the blue and white pillows that usually adorned the bed used as doors. But after looking closer he spotted the dark hair of their resident hacker peaking out from under a blanket on the couch.

"Skye" said Fitz gently shaking the woman, leaning over her.

The hacker mumbled and opened an eye. She shot up as soon as she recognized his face nearly hitting him as he moved away. "How is she?" he asked

"She's fine," says Fitz grinning

Skye grinned, "How's the new monkey?"

"She's beautiful" Fitz said "Speaking of monkeys. Where's the other one?"

Skye pointed down at the pillow fort "You can try and find them in there"

"Them? How many are there in there?"

"Grant, Teddy, Chloe and Elmo, took us hours"

"You've raided the whole house haven't you?"

"We left some of the pillows on your bed. You had 6 pillows on the bed, why did you need them all?" asked Skye as she stood up stretching.

"Jemma had trouble with her back in the last couple of months" said Fitz helping her step over the blankets.

Together they took apart the fort, Fitz marveling at how structural sound the kids had managed to make it. They finally found the missing members fast asleep on a pile of pillows. 18 month Leo Garrett Ward, nicknamed Elmo, was fast asleep on the specialist's chest with Teddy sprawled across his legs. Chloe was curled into his side, her had clasped around his shirt. Skye grinned and leaned over her husband poking him in the chest before shoving him. Ward grunted before waking, as Skye picked up Elmo and woke Teddy up.

Fitz kneeled next to his daughter picking her up in his arms and gently nudging her to wake up. "Chlo-bird" he said gently waking her

"Daddy?"

The 5 year old yawned and rubbed her eyes, "Mummy back yet?"

"Nope, Monkey she's staying for a little while longer"

The little girl's eyes snapped open as she finally woke up. "My baby sister here?" she exclaimed bouncing up at down. "When can we go see mummy?"

Fitz grinned at her "We can see mummy in a couple of hours, you have to have a bath and get changed first"

Chloe nodded as she hugged her father "Will I be able to cuddle with mummy now?"

Fitz's face fell and he hugged her back "Yeah, Chlo, you can cuddle with her"

The last couple of months of her pregnancy, Jemma had been in bed due to complications. She had spent the last month and a half in hospital as her body prepared for the birth. Chloe had been unable to cuddle and hug her while in the hospital as the nurses were worried that she would accidently hurt Jemma or pull out any wires. As Jemma had become more and more tired and nauseous, Fitz had stopped bringing Chloe to the hospital at her mother's request. It had been hard on the little girl who was so attached to her mother to not be able to see her and talk to her. Jemma hadn't wanted the little girl to see her all sickly but every day it broke Fitz's heart to have Chloe beg to go, beg to see her mother and he had to leave her behind.

Chloe detangled herself from her father's arms and waited for him to place her on the ground as she moved over and hugged Skye "Thank you for looking after me"

Skye knelt down and hugged the little girl "It was a pleasure" she wiped the tears off the child's cheeks "Now go get ready so you can go see your mummy"

Chloe nodded as she moved to say goodbye to Teddy, Ward and Elmo. Skye stood up and gently hugged Fitz "She'll be fine, she just needs to see her mother"

"I know," said Fitz "Thanks for looking after her"

Chloe said her final farewell to the Ward family before heading up the stairs to get ready. Fitz waved the Ward's off as they headed to the SUV, Skye promising to call and arrange a time for them to visit in the hospital.

"Chlo-bird you ready for your bath?" called Fitz as he closed the door and moved towards the stairs. "We've got a little while before we go back, so you can take the time you want"

2 hours later and a very wet bath for both of them, they were sitting Fitz's other baby, 2012 Aston Martin DBS heading down the road towards the hospital. Fitz out of the corner of his eye watched his daughter as she stared at the window.

"You alright Monkey?" he asked as he changed lanes.

"Yeah" said Chloe as she looked back at him.

"You sure? You don't seem very happy"

Chloe ducked her head down as she mumbled something. Fitz raised his eyebrow "Sorry I don't hear that"

"Do you think that Jemma will still love me?" mumbled Chloe

Fitz nearly stopped the car as he heard what she said. He pulled over on the side of the road and turned to his daughter "Of course, she will Chloe" he reached out and tucked a curl behind her ear "Why would you think that? What's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"Jemma's not my real mum, she has her own baby. She won't love me anymore, I'm not her daughter" said Chloe

"Christ Chloe, Jemma loves you and she always will. She is your mum, she may not have given birth to you but she will always be your mother. Yes she has her new baby, but she's your mother, she will always love you" he reached over and hugged her. "She would never stop loving you"

Chloe ducked her head lower "I guess"

Fitz frowned at her attitude, she stayed silent till they reached the hospital and kept quiet as Fitz greeted the nurses and doctors before heading to Jemma's room. Chloe shuffled her feet as he opened the door and stopped.

"Can I stay here?" asked Chloe

Fitz stopped and stared at his daughter. An hour ago she had been excited to see Jemma again, now she didn't want a thing to do with her. "All right, but just for a moment, then you are going in there"

Chloe nodded and moved to sit on the chair. Fitz shook his head opened the door and entered.

"Hey Jems"

The occupant on the bed sat up straighter and placed her book on the bedside table "Hello stranger" Fitz walked over to the bed and hugged her "Where's Chloe?"

"She's outside," said Fitz sitting down

Jemma frowned "Outside" she sat up more, "Is she alright?"

"She's a bit worried," said Fitz "She's in this mindset that you don't care for her anymore now that you have Lizzie" he stood up and began to pace "She thinks that you don't love her anymore"

Jemma frowned "Send her in"

Fitz stopped and looked at her "You sure" Jemma nodded and pointed at the door.

Fitz got up and opened the door "Chloe" he called

Jemma watched as the little girl walked in. She was shuffling her feet, looking down and her eyes darted across the floor. She had been visualizing this meeting for days but now watching her shuffle towards her, broke her heart slowly.

"Chloe do you want to jump up here with me?" said Jemma patting the bed next to her. Chloe mutely jumped up and sat next to her mother, Fitz sensing that they needed time motioned that he was going to go outside and get Lizzie.

Jemma watched him leave, looking at the little girl. "Chloe, I think we need to have a little chat. Is there is something you need to talk to me about?"

"No"

"Are you sure? Because your Dad said you wanted to ask me?"

Chloe looked her adopted mother in the eyes. "I didn't know if you'd still love me when the new baby arrived."

Jemma frowned and pulled the little girl into her lap "Chloe, I would never stop loving you" she wrapped her arm around the girl "You are my world and you always will be, your sister is just a new part of our world"

Chloe nodded as she hugged her mother "I was worried that you wouldn't need me anymore, because I wasn't your daughter"

"Being my daughter doesn't mean that you need to be blood related to me, being my daughter doesn't mean I needed to give birth to you" She kissed her forehead "I love you and you will always be my daughter"

"Even if you didn't give birth to me"

"Even if I didn't give birth to you" agreed Jemma "Now I am going to see that little Monkey who I haven't seen in weeks back again, or am I going to get this grumpy dwarf?"

"Little Monkey" said Chloe hugging her "I missed you"

"I missed you Monkey, I missed reading to you each night and I missed my cuddles"

"Your tummy got in the way," said Chloe

"Well now we can go back to cuddling," said Jemma.

A knock at the door made them both look up. Fitz poked his head in again this time with a pink bundle in his arms "Chlo, you ready to meet your sister"

Jemma grinned down at her daughter "She's not that annoying I promise" Chloe nodded meeting Jemma's eyes and turned to her father.

Fitz walked over and gently sat down on the bed. Chloe hesitated before leaving her mother's arms and crawling over to him. She peered over the pink blanket and took in the sleeping baby in her arms. This wasn't the first baby she had seen, she had been there when Elmo was born but this one actually was staying with them 24/7, this was her new sister. "She's tiny," said Chloe watching as the baby opened her eyes and yawned. Fitz passed the little girl to her mother and Chloe sat back watching as Jemma cradled her to her chest, talking slowly to her.

"Come here Chlo," said Jemma holding out one arm.

Chloe snuggled into her mother's side as she watched her little sister grip her mother's finger. Reaching out she gently touched the little girl's head giggling as the soft hair tickled her fingers, Elizabeth May grabbed her sister's finger as she moved.

"She's strong," said Chloe grinning up at her mother.

"She is" Jemma smiled back "Would you like to hold her?"

Chloe nodded, letting Fitz place her on his lap and Jemma gently handed the little bundle over. She grinned at her parents "I don't think she'll be that bad"

A/N: I lied, there is one more chapter after this. I just have to finish it first. This is the first Epilogue and then the second should come in a couple of days.