A/N: I know, Christmas is over. But I don't want to give up on this story, so here you are. Enjoy some holiday spirit beyond the actual holidays. My goal is to have this finished by the end of January, so please hold me accountable for that. Happy New Year!
"Fitz, I hate to do this to you." Coulson said, folding his hands on his desk. "I know that you and Simmons have been decorating and planning for this Christmas for weeks, but there's a mission that just came up. I've gone through every scenario in my head, who else I could send, if I could postpone it. But the tech involved is too sensitive for anybody but you. And the timeframe can't be changed, or much worse things will happen."
"You mean I'll be on a mission over Christmas." Fitz said, sitting down across from Coulson. "I'm not going to be here, with Jemma, for Christmas."
"I really wish there was another way for this to happen." Coulson sighed. "But at the very earliest, late Christmas Eve. I know this isn't fair to you, Fitz."
"And there's nobody else who can do the mission? Somebody who hasn't been planning their first Christmas with their wife?" Fitz asked, an edge creeping into his voice.
"There are other people who could do the mission, but it would jeopardize the success of it. You're the only person that I know can pull it all the way through with your tech. I guess you could say no, and absolutely refuse to go." Coulson mused. "But I need you on this mission, Fitz."
Fitz put his head in his hands. "I don't want to do this to Jemma. She doesn't deserve this."
"I'm sorry, Fitz, I really am. But I don't see any other way." Coulson said, passing him the mission details. "I'm sending Bobbi with you. She'll make sure that you get out safely."
"Fine. I'll go." Fitz said, taking the file. "I'm a SHIELD agent. This is what I do."
"I'm sorry about your Christmas, Fitz. Thank you for taking the mission." Coulson said, shaking his hand.
"I didn't have a choice, sir." Fitz said coolly, turning and leaving the room.
"What's going on with Fitz and Simmons?" Hunter asked as he came into the lounge. "They're in the lab, and they're both crying."
"Maybe something that's none of our business and that we shouldn't be spying on?" Mack asked, barely paying attention to him.
"They put Fitz on a mission." Bobbi said, entering the room right behind Hunter. "And Coulson doesn't think he'll be back for Christmas."
There was a heavy, stunned silence in the room. "How could Coulson do that?" Daisy asked the room in general.
"It's not Coulson's fault. There's a time limit, sensitive technology. Fitz is the only one who can handle it, and he knows that. He's a SHIELD agent." Bobbi reminded them.
"How risky is it?" Daisy asked. "If he's going, we have to make sure he comes back."
"It's a mission, Daisy. They're always risky. But I'm going. He'll come back, don't worry." Bobbi reassured them, looking back towards the hallway door, as if trying to see into the lab and check on the heartbroken scientists.
Hunter swallowed hard. "Good for you, Bob."
There was an awkward pause around the room. Bobbi's fingers paused over the truffle she was about to take from one of the santa shaped containers that Jemma had filled and placed around their lounge. "I'm sorry, Hunter. I didn't think you'd mind, I mean, you hate Christmas so much."
"Ouch." Mack snorted. He was about to continue, but Fitz came into the room. Everybody froze, not exactly sure what to do. "Hey, Turbo." Mack finally said, not wanting to offend Fitz.
Fitz was at the hot drinks station, filling up the electric kettle with water. "I'm making some tea for Jemma." He explained. "And could you stop staring at me like I'm some kind of exotic creature? It's not like none of us have ever been put on a mission before."
"We're just trying to make sure you're okay, Fitz." Daisy said carefully. Fitz was already acting uncharacteristically snappy and angry.
"If I'm okay? Of course I'm not okay. Jemma's in there crying her eyes out, I'm going to miss our first chance to make memories after years of it being taken from us, no, I'm not okay." Fitz suddenly shouted, his voice cracking as he broke down at the end. "I'm not okay." Fitz had his back to them, leaning on the counter, his shoulders quivering as he cried.
