"Jemma- help me" he begged silently in his mind.

Beep...Beep...Beep...

His heart hammered against his chest as he tried to get up on his feet. They were heavy and failing him, the looming figure approaching dangerously close again.

Beep... Beep beep... Beep... Beep beep.

"You listen to me you little bitch. No one's here to help you. Daddy's not coming to save you. You think you're so strong fighting me on this?"

He had never been so scared before. He couldn't hold out much longer. Burning. His body was burning with pain.

"Jemma – Jemma please. Come get me. I need you." he whispered to the floor.

Beep.. .beep...beep beep... .beep. .beep.

Garrett picked him up by his shirt, dragging him off the ground. "They . don't . need . you." he snarled. "You think SHIELD's so great? You think Coulson's going to get you? This-" Garrett punched him in the face, "is what" hitting him hard on the left side of his ribs, "they've done" before finally delivering a hard blow to his face once again causing Fitz to fall back onto the ground, "to you."

Beep. .beepbeepbeepbeep!

"He's crashing! His heart rate is increasing, he's going into tachycardia!"

A woman's voice rang with authority. "Get the paddles! NOW!" Someone dragged a mobile defibrillator over to the bed "Charging!"

Jemma quickly placed gel on his chest, "Come on, come on, Fitz stay with me" she begged.

"Ready!" the nurse shouted.

"Clear," Jemma yelled as she placed the charged paddles against his chest. With a loud thump, his body shook as the electrical impulses worked its way to his heart in an attempt to restore its normal rhythm.

Garrett picked up the wrench once more and slammed it down on Fitz's leg, sending the young engineer screaming as his body shook in agony. Garrett grabbed his chin and forced his face upwards. Groans and panting were all that escaped Fitz's throat.

"5 days." Garrett said. "5 days and they haven't come for you"

"Anything? ANTHING?" Jemma asked.

The nurse checked the heart monitor and the line still showed abnormally dangerous fluctuations. She replied, "No. He's still going at 200 beats per minute! Charging again."

"It's going to keep going on like this, Agent Fitz. They're not going to come and I don't get tired. Look at what they've made you endure." Fitz tried to look away but Garrett gripped the boy's chin tighter and tugged his face upwards. "All this suffering and for what?" Garrett lifted his leg over Fitz's arm on the ground before forcefully driving his foot down. "I'm not sure you'll be able to use that hand properly again son" Fitz screamed, black dots started to fill his vision. "Now how many more parts do you think Coulson will let me break?" Fitz went pale and began to hyperventilate, his eyes fixed on Garrett.

"One more time, CLEAR!" Jemma said as she placed the paddles onto his chest.

His body felt a large shock as his world began to rip apart at the seams. His vision was fading. Noises started seeping through.

"Do it again, CLEAR!"

Fitz jerked upright with a start, gasping for breath. His body broke out in sweats as his eyes fluttered open in bewilderment. Her face started to come into focus in front of him.

"Jemma?" he whispered weakly as he panted. His eyes spun around wildly, his vision distorted as he frantically looked for something to hold on to.

A man spoke up, "Guys, can you clear the room? Give them a minute." Whispers were exchanged and then there was a quiet shuffle of footsteps out the door.

"Fitz" Jemma grabbed a hold of his hand, taking it firmly in hers as she held his face up towards her. She drew closer and pulled him into a warm embrace, hugging him tightly. Jemma smiled but there were tears running freely down her cheeks. He noticed the lines that had formed between her eyebrows. She looked exhausted. "Hey" he managed to get out in a rasp.

She backed away suddenly and let out a sigh of relief. Jemma clapped her hand over her mouth trying to subdue the choking sounds coming out. "Thought I'd finally wake up to get that sandwich" he said, a weak grin on his face.

She laughed through stifled sobs. "You almost died!"

Kiss her. Comfort her. Jemma came dangerously close to him, her hands running through his messy brown hair as she kissed the top of his head, inhaling his familiar scent. Silently, she gazed up into his face. "Promise you won't leave my side again," she whispered. He held her gaze, his blue eyes clear and steady. Kiss her. Jemma Simmons wasn't just his best friend. She was more than that. She was his everything. "Stay with me. Don't go" he begged, pulling her towards his bed. Jemma hesitated before she lifted the sheets to slip inside beside him. She squeezed next to him as she intertwined her fingers with his.

"I'm not leaving you" she said as she shuffled her body to nuzzle her head in the hollow of his shoulder. He looked down at the girl in his arms and pulled her closer, leaning in until their faces were only inches apart. He needed Jemma Simmon's love. Suddenly, he closed the gap and pressed his lips against hers. He kissed her, a hesitant, questioning kiss.

Jemma's muscles tensed up, and her body became still. Her eyes were still shut close, as his lips pressed ever so lightly and warmly on hers. Was the need for this kind of contact, the reassurance of her body simply because of his near death experience? She loved him, but this, this didn't seem fair. Not when he was so vulnerable. "F-fitz. Fitz. Stop." Jemma pulled away, breaking the kiss, her breathing uneven as she looked into his puzzled eyes. Tension hummed between them. She held her breath, not knowing what he would say or how he would react. Fitz jerked away. But then breathed deeply and whispered, "Jemma, please." he leaned in again, "I..I-i have to forget. I need you. Make me forget." He was pleading with her. Before she could say anything, he captured her mouth in a kiss. She would have resisted him if she had the willpower but this time, the kiss was stronger, more passionate and desperate than before that it brought tears to her eyes. He didn't ask for permission this time as he deepened the kiss. He was hurting. He loved her and she loved him. She could help him. This was how she could help him. Tears streamed down her face as she let herself give in the comfort of his touch. Jemma kissed him back eagerly, her inhibitions gone. She had never seen him with so much need or desire before.

His hands rose to cup her face and he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. All Fitz could think about was how warm her presence was. He needed Jemma around him. This was what he wanted, right? Fitz ignored the pain surging through his bones and moved his body above hers. One thought echoed in his mind as he kissed her quick and hard. You need Jemma. You need Jemma Simmon's love.

Uhoh. Did I just ruin their first kiss? I hope this wasn't too big of a contrast (between the first half and second half the chapter) that it ended up weird but hey, people deal with trauma in different ways right? If you look close enough, you'll see some parallels instead. I've got a rough plan on where to take this so hang in there with me.

I also realize now that I'm not great at filling in the "in-betweens". I tend to drive my story forward with crazy scenes like this chapter that don't necessarily link 100% to its preceding or following chapter. I have a hard time writing moments where nothing really happens (not that it's not important), I guess I just don't have the patience to build it up! If anyone thinks this story will benefit from some serious "fillers" (for a lack of a better term), and you think you could help out, I'll be more than happy to talk about a collab of some sort!

PS. If you want a deeper (and darker, more adult themed) look into Fitz's troubled mind, have a read over my new story "Wrong Yet Right"! It takes place shortly after this chapter. It doesn't necessarily have to belong in this story, but I like to think of it as a possible way things could play out... Just food for thought ;p

Thanks for reading along anyways :) Let me know what you think in the review section!