"Chicago!" Skye insisted, "It's got to be Chicago, I mean, think about it! It's only a couple of hours from where they disappeared, there's a known Hydra lab just outside of city limits and even Cybertech had. Coulson, this is where Fitz-Simmons is for sure."

Coulson looked at the data Skye had collected and shook his head slowly.

"It just works out too well, Skye. Everything wraps up too nicely." he said apprehensively.

Skye shrugged.

"So, getting there is easy, there's no grantee that getting in and getting them out will be." she reasoned.

She looked at Coulson seriously.

"If what Ward said is true…if Hydra really does have a device that can brainwash people, we may already be too late. We could show up to find perfectly content Fitz-Simmons or hyper-Hydra Nazi versions of them. No matter how hard or easy it is, we owe it to them to try." she pleaded desperately.

Coulson looked at the fear and determination in Skye's eyes. She had been very single minded the past few days. She refused to go on any missions that didn't involve looking for Fitz-Simmons. She had been pouring over all the information she could gather: news reports, business transactions, real-estate ventures, recent scientific discoveries. Anything that could point to their missing scientists. He sighed tiredly but gave her a small smile.

"Alright. Assemble a team and get over there but tread carefully. If you go in, guns blazing, to the wrong facility you may find yourself in over your head. In fact, take May with you. She'll be a great help in the mission and in keeping you under control."

Skye smiled and nodded. That was fair. She was going to ask May anyway. The girl could kick ass.

"Thank you, A.C." she said before turning to leave.

"Hey, Skye." Coulson called.

She turned at the door and looked back at him. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Bring them home." he said softly.

Skye smiled and nodded.

"Yes sir, Mr. Director." she said with a fake salute.

~*#*~

Jemma came into the apartment and sighed happily. She tossed her purse and coat down on the kitchen counter and went into the living room to plop down on the couch. She'd had a wonderful day. So many new people all with unique and original ideas and all with the same intense curiosity as she had. She had just spent the day bouncing ideas around and experimenting with different compounds. Productive goofing off, she called it. Fitz opened the door and Jemma looked up and smiled at him.

"Evening, Fitz!" she said cheerfully.

She got up off the couch and hop-skipped over to greet him. Fitz smiled as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him happily. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close for a long, glorious minute before she broke the kiss and smiled at him giddily.

"Did you have a fantastic first day?" she asked.

Fitz smiled and shrugged.

"Eh, it was alright. No new projects so far, just improving old ones." he reported.

Jemma pouted playfully.

"Oh, you're not getting bored already, are you?" she asked.

Fitz chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"I'm happy." he replied.

Simmons smiled and kissed his cheek before disentangling herself from his grasp.

"I heard of a nice pub down the street. Want to get all gussied up and check it out?" she offered as she grabbed her purse and coat off the counter and hung them up in the hall closet.

Fitz thought about tit for a moment. It wouldn't hurt to unwind a little bit.

"Sure, sounds like fun." he said with a shrug.

Jemma smiled brightly and clapped her hands together in delight.

"Excellent! It's a date!" she said as she skipped off to her room.

Fitz swallowed nervously. Date. Well, what else would you call two people who were attracted to one another going out together? But the word made him nervous. This could be the end of the way things were and the beginning of something new. Fitz didn't often like change but…maybe this could be a good one. There was no protocol in place with Hydra that said the two of them couldn't have a relationship. Hell, they could get married and Hydra wouldn't care. But that was getting a little carried away. This "date" would be the proving ground for that. His chance to get out of the friend-zone one and for all. Fitz sucked in a deep breath and smiled confidently.

"A date it is." he murmured to himself.

~*#*~

"Here! A brand-new apartment was just sold after only two days on the market. The buyer paid the full asking price, in cash. And it's only ten minutes from the Hydra lab." Skye said excitedly.

May looked over the younger girl's shoulder at the real-estate documents she had pulled up on the screen. She shrugged and shook her head.

"Skye, we don't know if they even put Fitz-Simmons up in an apartment. For all we know, they're in a metal box in the basement of the facility." May pointed out calmly.

Skye cringed at the thought and shook her head.

"I don't want to believe that. These people want Fitz-Simmons to work for them; they're never going to get that with force. Their best bets are brainwashing and bribery and neither option would work if they treated Fitz-Simmons like prisoners." she insisted.

May thought about it for a moment and then looked at Skye seriously.

"I'll go in and do some recon. If I find anything promising, I'll call you in." she agreed.

Skye smirked.

"Just admit that you miss them." she goaded.

May ignored her and left to prepare. Skye looked at the real estate listening again, a frown forming on her face as she remembered Ward's words.

They might not be Fitz-Simmons anymore by the time you reach them.

Skye felt a knot forming in her stomach. She prayed that it wasn't the case. If Fitz-Simmons had been brainwashed, there might not be much hope of bringing them back.

"Hang in there guys." she prayed quietly.

~*#*~

Fitz and Simmons hit the town, dressed to-the-nines. She wore a spaghetti-strap, knee-length dress with a simple black-and-white flower pattern; black flats; and a simple string of pearls with earrings to match. She wore her hair down and had curled it a bit which Fitz found very alluring. He had on a blue dress shirt, which he kept untucked with the first three buttons undone and black slacks. He had combed his hair but it was already starting to curl again. They made quite the dashing pair, walking down the street with their arms linked. Jemma smiled up at Fitz.

"When was the last time we spent a night out? Can you even think of a time?" she asked.

Fitz thought for a minute then snapped his fingers.

"At the Academy, the day we graduated I took you out to dinner to celebrate." he remembered.

Simmons seemed a bit uncomfortable at the mention of S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy. Fitz grabbed her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's been far too long, is my point." he said softly.

Jemma smiled and entwined her fingers with his.

"Far too long." she agreed.

The coupled walked into the pub and sat down at a small table in the corner. Fitz pulled Jemma's chair out for her and pushing it back after she sat down.

"Any requests?" he asked.

Jemma shrugged.

"Something locally brewed, perhaps?" she suggested.

Fitz nodded and went up to the bar. He came back with two glasses and set one in front of Jemma before he sat down and took a sip of his own. He nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad." he complimented.

Simmons took a drink from her glass and hummed in appreciation.

"Not bad at all." she agreed.

They talked and laughed for hours. It felt nice. I felt like they could almost be just a normal couple. As if they might date for a year or so then Fitz would get his courage up and ask Jemma to marry him. Then she would say yes and they'd have a nice little wedding with their friends and family. Maybe they would even have kids someday. The thought made Fitz sad. Because he knew that could never happen for them. They weren't just your average, everyday couple. They were Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D who had been coerced into working for the enemy organization of Hydra. Who was not just an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D but also an enemy of the free world. Simmons didn't remember that anymore though. She'd been reprogrammed. All of the evil she had seen from Hydra had been wiped clean out of her brain and replaced with lies. Fitz needed to correct that. He knew it would be painful and unpleasant. It might not even work. But he had to try.

Jemma seemed to notice that Fitz's mind was somewhere else because she frowned and looked at him questioningly.

"Fitz, is something wrong?" she asked.

Fitz smiled across the table at her. God, she was gorgeous. The most beautiful woman he'd ever known. Inside and out. He put his hand on the table, reaching out for hers. When she put her hand in his, he closed his fingers around hers gently. He looked at her earnestly. Maybe staying in Hydra was the easiest thing for them but Fitz knew better. This organization was evil. They were trying to take over the world. And Fitz wasn't going to just sit back while the woman he loved unashamedly put forth her best effort to help them accomplish that. He would never forgive himself. So, he took a deep breath and went for it.

"Jemma, these past few days have been…God, incredible. Working for Hydra has been so much better than I ever could have imagined.."

He paused and looked down at the table for a moment. This part was going to be rough. He looked back up at Jemma pleadingly.

"But we have to leave, Jemma. These people are murderers and thieves and liars. Countless thousands of people have suffered because of them." he said, tears starting to burn his eyes.

"Deep down you know that too, Jemma, I know you do but they made you forget." he insisted.

Jemma went to draw her hand away but Fitz grasped it tightly. He stared hard into her eyes, begging her silently.

"You may not believe me but it's true. Please, Jemma, you have to remember." he begged.

Jemma's lip quivered and tears rimmed her eyes.

"Fitz, you're scaring me. I don't know what you're talking about." she said, her voice breaking.

Fitz shook his head fiercely.

"You do know, love. You do. You just have to dig deep, I know you can. If anyone's strong enough to beat them, it's you Jemma. You fought your way out of a nine day coma, for God's sake!" he urged.

Something clicked in Jemma's mind, Fitz could see it. Her mouth hung open a bit and she furrowed her brow in thought. Fitz went on, encouraged.

"You beat that Chitauri virus too. Only two hours to come up with an antiserum and you pulled it off at the last possible moment."

Jemma blinked.

"Antiserum." she mumbled.

She looked at Fitz as if asking him to continue, so he did.

"And you saved Skye's life, Jemma. When Ian Quinn shot her. You were the one who had us put her in the hyperbolic camber that bought us enough time to get her to the hospital. And you stayed by her side and kept her going while we searched for the GH-325."

Fitz could see her sorting through things in her head. He couldn't imagine how hard this was for her. What it was like to be told things about yourself that you didn't remember and come to realize that they're true.

"Victoria Hand pretended to be Hydra once. You told me that. You said she tested you and Tripp by saying that she was Hydra. She gave you an ultimatum to join Hydra or die and you chose death. You became one of only seven people that she trusted on that day, that's how strong you are, Jemma. That's how I know you can beat this."

Jemma looked at Fitz, clearly distressed. Tears rolled down her cheeks now.

"What happened to me, Fitz?" she whispered.

Fitz cupped her tearstained cheek and looked into her eyes, happy tears forming in his own.

"I'm not sure, love. But you're beating it." he encouraged.

Fitz stood up and tossed a few bills on the table.

"Come on. Let's go back to the apartment and sort this out." he said, offering her is hand.

Jemma took it and allowed Fitz to pull her close and put his arm around her. She was scared and confused but being with Fitz comforted her. He was the most steadfast thing in her life. The thing held her together. If everything she ever knew turned out to be a lie, she knew she could trust him to tell her the truth.

Silently, the two scientists made their way back to the apartment. Fitz unlocked the door, turned on the lights and guided Jemma inside, sitting her down on the couch.

"I'll make you some tea." he said as he went off to the kitchen.

But he saw something, leaning against the counter, which stopped him in his tracks. Something completely unexpected but comforting and familiar.

"May?"

~*#*~

Cliffhanger: Troll Level 5 ^_^ I decided to surprise you (and myself) by completing this chapter in one day! Please review, follow and favorite! I would like to finish this before 2015 but we will see how it goes: P Thank you again for your continued support!