Author's Note:
In case you skipped the last chapter, Fitz had a sexy dream about Jemma, but he still refuses to acknowledge that he actually likes her. That was all!
"Ooh, eggs! Are we eating breakfast?" Bobbi grinned, rubbing her hands together.
"It's two in the afternoon," Jemma chuckled.
"It's never a bad time for breakfast, Captain," Bobbi countered easily. "Most important meal of the day."
"Good point." Jemma turned to her audience with a smile. "Children, Bionic Bobbi is right. Your growing bodies need breakfast to recharge your batteries, so that you can pay attention in school, and have lots of energy to play!" She faced Bobbi once more. "But these aren't here to eat…" She beamed brightly. "Today, my intrepid super-friend, we're doing eggs-periments!"
Bobbi flashed a grin. "I hear… is that… hopping?"
"Why, yes! Because it's our Easter Eggs-travaganza!" The screen behind Jemma lit up, showing the title of the episode, and a lab-coat-clad Easter Bunny bent over a microscope. Amidst the title fanfare, and the children's applause, Jemma and Bobbi headed to the "closet" on the wall of their set, which held lab coats, goggles, and gloves. When the noise had died down, Jemma spoke again.
"Now, boys and girls, before we can start our show-"
Bobbi put a hand to the side of her mouth, adding in a stage whisper, "-and maybe get a visit from a special guest-"
"-what do we need to do first?"
"Safety check!" the kids screamed happily.
"That's right!" Bobbi said. "If you want to do science safely, you need to look the part!"
"And that means…?" Jemma added with a significant look.
The children answered, yelling, "No capes!"
-o-
"And once the calcium-rich shell has completely dissolved in the vinegar, we've got a bouncy egg! Ready, Bionic Bobbi?"
"I'm ready! Ready, Gordon?" Bobbi nodded to the day's Science Sidekick, a little boy wearing glasses under his goggles.
"Ready for science!" he agreed with a buoyant salute.
They each picked up their shell-less egg and proceeded to drop it a short distance onto a mat. Except for Gordon. He held his egg carefully, fidgeting.
"Gordon? What's the matter, sweetie?" Bobbi asked from where she was standing next to him.
He looked up at her with big, round eyes. "I don't want to break it," he admitted in a small voice. "What if it splatters me?"
"It's okay," Jemma murmured, walking around to crouch by him. "We'll show you the way. Take my hand," she told him calmly, as he placed his free hand in hers, "and we'll do it together."
They counted down - this time, Gordon dropped his egg, watching the way it jumped slightly. With his eager smile
"Boing! Boing!" the audience cheered, as Gordon gave Jemma and Bobbi a high-five.
"Did someone say boing boing? That's my line!" An enormous Easter Rabbit wearing polka-dot pajamas came hopping onstage from the side entrance. "Hi, kids!" she waved.
"It's the Easter Bunny!" Bobbi exclaimed, as Gordon ran over to give the new arrival a hug. "And what's your name?" Jemma asked, smiling.
"I'm Mrs. Carrot! And I always wear pajamas!" She let out a silly giggle.
Bobbi held out a pair of huge lab goggles to their visitor. "Hi, Mrs. Carrot in pajamas, we're so happy to see you! Aren't we, kids?" She waved her arms, prompting the children to clap wildly in support.
"And you're just in time to help us with the rest of our eggs-periments! We're going to learn how to make an egg shrink, and grow, and spray, and float!
"Oh, that sounds like an egg-shell-ent time! I can't wait!" The Easter Bunny's voice came through surprisingly well, considering the mask. Then again, Jemma mused, Kara's no stranger to masks. The kind-hearted woman was an acquaintance of Jemma's - she'd been burned in a freak accident and now took on jobs like this one, refusing to allow her disfigurement to stop her from bringing happiness and laughter to children. Jemma had nothing but the utmost respect for her.
"In that case..." Jemma marched over to the lab table and started gathering the different supplies they'd need. "Let's see what we can learn, shall we?"
-o-
"Should we add one more book? What do you think? Will it hold… ten books?"
The children shrieked their assent, and Jemma balanced one more of Dr. Seuss's best on the stack currently sitting atop four half-eggshells. As the Easter Bunny flipped their "book counter" to read 10, a burst of music exploded into the studio, indicating that the show was nearly over.
"So, Gordon, what have we seen?" Jemma asked the little boy.
"Ummm… that the shape of the egg-" he shot a quick look at Bobbi, who nodded her encouragement, "- the dome, is strong?"
"That's correct!" Jemma turned to the audience. "And what else have we learned? Yes, you there, can you give me an eggs-ample?" She pointed to a pre-teen girl.
"The membrane lets water through because of osmosis, and you can make an egg bigger or smaller depending on the solution you put it in," the girl declared confidently.
"Absolutely right. Anything else?" This time she called on a much younger girl.
"If you put an egg in salty water, it floats!"
"Because of density," Bobbi added. "But a rotten egg floats because of the stinky old air inside. Yuck!" The audience called out a chorus of ewwwwws, and from offstage, Jemma saw Skye giving them the "wrap it up" gesture.
"Well, gee, Captain Chemistry, this sure was fun!"
"We had fun too!" Jemma said, and the rest of the people onstage quickly added their agreement.
The Easter Bunny hopped in place. "But now… I've got to bounce!"
-o-
After they'd ended the show and Kara and Bobbi had taken their leave, Jemma looked over the stage again, and pulled out her phone.
[To Grumpy Dwarf: Don't forget, this weekend is Easter :-) Better make sure you've got enough rabbits!]
[From Grumpy Dwarf: To celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour? Not exactly a big demand for magicians, but thanks so much for your concern. I'll tell Ward to keep the bunnies under lock and key.]
Remembering how the children had loved Kara, Jemma couldn't help herself, and typed out a follow-up.
[To Grumpy Dwarf: Have you ever considered dressing as a rabbit yourself? Personally, I think it would be adorable. Let Mack pull you out of a hat. He looks more than strong enough. :-)]
Mack really is quite a lot of a man.
[From Grumpy Dwarf: Oh no, help. My sides have split from how funny you are.]
[From Grumpy Dwarf: In case you were wondering, this sort of thing is why we aren't friends.]
[From Grumpy Dwarf: Also Happy Easter.]
"Hey, Cap," Skye popped the p, "who're you texting?"
"Skye!" Jemma jumped, putting her hand up to her throat and quickly pocketing her phone. "Where did you come from?"
Skye gave her a dubious once-over. "Umm… I work here."
"Right, yes, of course, I meant- is that a new leather jacket? It looks lovely on you!"
Skye peered closely at Jemma's face. "You're dodging the question. Who were you texting that's got you all giggly?"
"No one!" At her friend's disbelieving expression, Jemma insisted, "And I was not giggly. If you must know, I was actually poking fun at someone."
"I don't buy it." Skye tapped her lip. "You're much too polite to make fun of anybody… except for… oh my god, Jemma, are you texting Fitz?" She made a swiping pass to try and snag Jemma's phone, unsuccessfully.
"Hey- hey!" Jemma dodged, then lowered her voice. "Look, yes, I've been texting him, but it's not- it isn't like that, all right?"
"Like what?" Skye's lips shrugged into a blameless pout and her hands came up placatingly. "I didn't say anything."
Jemma lifted her nose a bit. "We aren't even friends, he and I. We've agreed very firmly on that point."
"Uh, yeah," Skye commented wryly. "Pretty sure we are friends, and you've never once commented how you'd like to get your hands on my 'big impressive tech'..." She did the air quotes.
"Shhh! Skye!" To be fair, she wasn't sure what she was shushing Skye for, exactly, but there were a few kids straggling around the stage.
Skye grinned good-naturedly. "Okay, I'm dropping it. But whenever you do wanna talk guys, I've got some news of my own."
Blessedly grateful for the topic change, Jemma raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Who's the lucky man?"
"Umm," Skye's smile turned slightly shyer, less sure, but still happy. "Trip? You know, the singer…"
Jemma saw the brightness in Skye's eyes and felt a surge of vicarious pleasure. It had been weeks now, and any trace of regret she might have had over not securing Trip for herself had long since faded. "Of course! He seemed lovely."
"Oh, good." After a relieved pause, Skye coughed. "I mean… I kind of figured it out after talking to him for a while, that he was the one you'd been flirting with…" She squinted, earnest. "I really like him, Jemma."
"Skye." Jemma faced her fully, putting her hand on Skye's arm and squeezing. "I'm glad. You deserve to be with someone wonderful."
"He is pretty great. Did you know his grandfather was a famous musician? One of The Howling Commodores." Skye was quiet a moment. "Sorry I was teasing you about Fitz. You know I'm just on your side, right?" She offered an easygoing smile. "If you say there's nothing going on, then there's nothing going on."
"There is nothing going on," Jemma asserted. And she meant it. But for a second, though… Oh, poppycock. What did it say about her, that she wished she were lying?
A week or so later, Jemma was walking out of Principal Hand's office at the end of the May Play Day carnival when she heard a pained cry from the nurse's station two doors down. As she got closer, she recognized Fitz's telltale whinge. What's he gone and done to himself this time? Curious, she peeked in, being careful to stay out of sight, and saw Mack patiently pressing a wad of gauze to his palm from where he sat on the raised bench, and Fitz, pacing the floor a few feet away - cape thrown haphazardly over the back of a chair, bow tie undone and hanging down around his open collar. He ran his hands through his curls for what looked like the hundredth time, judging by the state of his hair, and gripped the ends of the bow tie, pulling against the back of his neck.
"Christ's sake, Mack, why were we even throwing knives at a children's carnival? They were supposed t' be blunt!"
Oh, he had not just maimed his friend in a dangerously unnecessary display. What is wrong with this man? The hubris, I swear. Her mouth quirked in amusement. This could be excellent fodder for a mickey-take. Before she could act on it, though, Mack cut in.
"Don't worry about it, Turbo. Look." Mack lifted his hand and started to tug up the gauze, before Fitz's dry heave stopped him. "I caught the thing before it could hit me. The cut's tiny. It's not a big deal."
"Tiny on you, maybe!" Fitz's distress kept ratcheting higher. "I just- I'm normally a crack shot. You know how good my aim is." He dropped his arms to the counter behind him, the rolled-up sleeves making the tendons in his forearms stand out. "Obviously not as good as your reflexes." He exhaled, all in a rush. "I swear, never again. No more knives. Hell, I'm never playing darts again."
Mack chuckled, "I bet Hunter'll love not getting humiliated in his own bar every week, but seriously- I'm good, man."
She could see the pulse jumping in Fitz's throat, his chest heaving in worried breaths despite Mack's reassurance. It made his waistcoat bunch up slightly, the way he was leaning back against the counter, and she found her fingers twitching to smooth it down. Ahem. She quashed that thought almost as soon as it blipped into her head. It was probably just her natural sense of order and neatness, wanting to correct his disheveled appearance. Yes. That's it. Jemma was merely uncomfortable with Fitz's sloppy appearance, that was all, and it would be a terrible shame if he ruined his tux or stretched it out. Considering how good he looks in it.
Her eyes closed briefly as her brain supplied that last thought. All right, so she found Fitz attractive. That's not so bad. Shame, really, that he was so good-looking, given that the day they met, he'd trespassed onto her set, ruined her show, and then let her pay for his coffee without a word. Probably had a good laugh about it with Mack afterwards. When it all boiled down, no matter how much she occasionally enjoyed their repartee, those weren't the markers of a trustworthy person. Jemma sighed and tipped her head back against the tile wall of the elementary school building. Why are the hot ones always such arseholes?
She suddenly felt very odd about standing in a hall, eavesdropping on her gorgeous sort-of-nemesis. Gorgeous? That seemed a bit excessive. Better check again. One quick glance back in the room had her blowing out her cheeks in frustrated confirmation. Not only was he still gorgeous, he was also still very much upset. I can't very well tease him for something he's already berating himself over. And the last thing she needed was for Principal Hand to catch her skulking about out here. Nodding at her decision to leave Fitz be - just this once - Jemma eased back from the door, tiptoed down the hallway and headed out to the parking lot.
Author's Notes:
The idea of bouncy eggs came from thelatenightstoryteller's fic Try This At Home. The other egg-related "eggsperiments" can be found at the Science Sparks website, 10 Egg Science Experiments.
Fun nod to The Incredibles here :-)
For a variety of Fitz-in-a-rumpled-tux photo manips, you should definitely check out memorizingthedigitsofpi's tumblr.