Note: This is keeping with how we see Simmons presented in the beginning of Season 2. So, since the only way we see her is as Fitz's hallucinations, she appears here as an hallucination. So anytime you see "Simmons" know that I mean the hallucination. Real Simmons will appear in the chapters that reflect when we see her for real in the show. Make sense? Yay! Enjoy.

Simmons' voice came from behind Fitz as he stood near the back of one of the rooms on the base, arms crossed as he watched their - his - teammates share a meal together and joke around.

"Fitz, I know they seem different, but they're still your friends. They're just trying to do what's best for you and they're not sure what that entails quite yet. Go, be with them." Her encouraging words took on a soothing tone in his head, "It's important you socialize with people so that you can improve your speech, you know that."

Fitz snorted at her words.

"Oh yeah? Well, maybe I should go visit my Mum. You seem to be enjoying your family time, right? Tell me, how are your parents," Fitz spit out cruelly.

"Fitz," Jemma said softly, "You know that's not fair. I told you I went to see them -"

"Yeah, and it's pretty bloody obvious you're not there, now isn't it!" Fitz whisper-shouted, quickly spinning around and stalking out of the room before anyone could see the scientist talking to himself.

"We talked about this," Jemma's voice rang in his head as he quickly headed to his room at the base and slammed the door behind him.

"No we didn't!" Fitz exclaimed, allowing himself to be louder now that they - he - was alone. "We didn't talk about anything. I could barely talk at all when you up and deserted me - "

"I didn't desert anyone - "

"I miss you, Jemma." Fitz said abruptly, his tone calm and honest. "I miss you. I need you. I don't even care why you left. I just want to know where you are. Are you okay?"

Jemma just shrugged, "I know as much as you do."

Fitz nodded, collapsing on his bed, subconsciously rubbing his left hand to alleviate the dull ache that seemed to permanently reside there.

"You should do your - "

"Physical therapy, I know," Fitz cut her off, reaching over to grab one of the small stress balls Jemma had supplied him with before her departure and began to exercise his hand the way she had painstakingly showed him.

"I just… Coulson wouldn't send you somewhere, would he? Did you leave or were you sent somewhere? Did you want to leave me?"

"I wouldn't do that to you, Fitz, you know that."

"Well, obviously, I'm unsure as to that point, considering you're my subconscious and we're taking different sides in this argument."

Simmons sighed and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, Fitz!" She sighed, frustrated.

"Don't!" Fitz said suddenly. "You don't get to say that. Only she gets to say that."

He looked at Jemma's sad eyes and dropped his gaze to his hand. "If she ever comes back, that is," he mumbled.

Jemma was silent and momentarily he felt her hand rest on his shoulder, where she had last hugged him in the pod.

"Think about it logically, Fitz," she said.

"You know I have. I called her mum and dad two weeks after she left, and they said she hadn't been home to visit them in months. So she's not home - she never went home. So that was just a flat-out lie."

"Why would I lie to you?"

"I don't know! You never used to! We didn't lie about anything!"

"So why would I start now?"

"Because…" Fitz said, haltingly. "Because…" He shrugged, eyes downcast as he forced himself to face the only logical conclusion. "Either you were ordered to - because you were sent off on a mission in which case you're probably in danger - or you wanted to. Because I messed everything up. Because of what I said."

Simmons sighed, "Or maybe she left because she thought it would somehow help you, Fitz. Help you recover. Maybe she's researching a new recovery method and doesn't want to get your hopes up, or maybe she's - "

"The only thing that can help me get better is her being here."