Disclaimer: See chapter 1.
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Chapter 5
Nobody should say Fitz had never tried being more than just a scientist. They should say he had failed marvelously at being anything more than a scientist. That is why he was currently looking at Simmons on the other side of the glass door, who apparently had some sort of an alien virus.
He couldn't shake the blame that had plagued him from the moment he came to the conclusion on what it was they were dealing with. That is why he was witnessing her trying to find a cure all the while he was helpless to do anything from this side. It angered him to no end. Things weren't looking up.
"Well, it looks like I'll have to take a rain check on getting to know you Fitz."
She was somber and defeated, and that would not help her find any solutions. He couldn't understand what made him do it if you ask him, he will deny it all the way. In that moment he knew one thing - he would do whatever it takes to keep her alive. The next moment he was typing the access code to get inside the lab.
Her bewildered face told him how stupid his action was, but he couldn't bring himself to care at this particular moment.
"No, no no you can't be in here Fitz."
He only looked at her, resolute in his stance.
"It's done. I will not let you face this alone and I know for a fact that as team we can beat this."
She was franticly looking around, trying to distance herself as much from him as she could so he wouldn't develop the symptoms too soon for him to get out of her. It didn't matter because he wouldn't be leaving.
"Fitz there isn't anything we can do, you have to get out, maybe there is still a chance that you haven't been infected."
She was making a shooing motion with her hands and it just made him smile despite the situation.
"Do you really think I would leave? Let's think about this, the problem at hand." he suggested.
She turned to anger instead.
"What is there to think about? It is an alien virus, killing everyone in contact. Those men didn't survive only an alien organism can withstand it."
He was stunned by her outburst for a second before it came to him.
"The chitari."
She looked at him dumb folded before the slow realization crept in.
"I could create an antiserum if I take the cells from the inside of the helmet. There is still time."
He didn't bother to look at her as he was already working to retrieve it. It was a small chance but it had to work.
His footsteps were eating up the distance and in the next moment he was carrying the helmet with him, but when he returned Jemma was nowhere to be seen in the lab. The speed in which he administrated the antidote may have been a rash thing but he did it all the while calling Ward to meet him down here and find Jemma in the meantime.
He heard the cargo door open but didn't pay any attention to it, until out of the corner of his eyes he saw Jemma standing on the edge. The moment stood frozen for him, before she turned and gave him a small smile and let her body lean to the outer side.
In that moment Ward came crashing through and only looked at Fitz for conformation.
"She jumped Ward. I made the serum but she jumped."
The hollow word left him. He saw Ward quickly taking the parachute and reaching for the serum from him.
"Give it here!"
He locked eyes with him and understood what he wanted to do. He quickly gave him the serum and while he put on his parachute he took the other injector and injected Ward.
"I don't know if it will work but just to be safe."
In the next second Ward was diving out of the plane and after Jemma. He didn't think he was going to make it, but if he had learned one thing about Ward was that he did make the impossible possible. His feet crumpled beneath him and he was left leaning on his table just counting seconds.
He shouldn't be so attached to this all, to her. Still, his heart and mind couldn't seem to agree and he felt like his lungs were on fire. It didn't matter what she would think of him later when she ultimately found out but he needed her here. He needed her safe, above everything else.
Soon he heard footsteps from afar and saw Skye as she neared.
"He made it."
She went to her knees to help him up, but his body just wouldn't listen.
"She's going to be fine, the antiserum worked Fitz. You saved her.""
No he didn't do anything of sort. He was frozen while Ward managed to do what needed to be done. Like he always did.
"No I didn't, but thanks for saying it."
Skye was confused for a second but not before he asked for her comms.
"I want to talk to Ward."
She gave him the small radio that was intervened on Wards frequency.
"Hey Ward?"
The words were not lauder than a whisper but he knew he heard him.
"Fitz?"
He wanted to say many things. How it was wrong what they were doing, that they found family here and it was the right thing to tell them what is going to happen down the line, but only one thing he managed.
"Thanks."
He knew Ward would understand what he meant and how much it meant to him what he just did, because looking at Skye in that moment if anyone understood it was Ward. After a moment of radio silence he heard him respond.
"Don't mention it."
-oo-
Fitz was waiting in the lab, cleaning and making sure everything was in order until Ward and Jemma return. He heard the lab doors and saw to his surprise that it was Ward who came to see him.
Slowly and surely he walked in and stopped on the other side of the workbench. He watched for a few seconds what Fitz was doing before he spoke.
"It worked."
Fitz only managed to inspect his work before facing him.
"Yes, well didn't think it would work a 100% but-"
He knew that what Ward has done was highly dangerous and maybe not well thought out but he was grateful.
"I trusted you did it right. Good job Fitz."
He still couldn't understand what made Ward do such a thing in a blink of an eye even though he knew that Fitz might have gotten it wrong and they both would've ended infected and dead.
"Why'd you do it Ward?"
He was silent, obviously contemplating his answer before looking at him and he knew that Ward knew everything he was trying to hide.
"Because she is important to you…"
He was surprised by his statement but before he could say anything more, Ward just shook his head and turned to leave.
"…and that makes her important to me."
The door of the lab opened and Jemma and Skye walked in. Skye looked at Ward with a critical look, quickly examining if he was hurt before he passed her and she quickly followed him out.
That left Jemma and him alone.
"Hey Fitz."
It was the attentiveness and care in which she said his name that had his attention but he felt the surge of anger at her for being so careless.
"You had no right to do that Jemma. I told you we would handle it together and you do something as reckless as jumping off a plane. Don't expect me to jump after you the next time you decide to take flight."
He turned to his experiment, trying to hold the growing panic inside, before he felt to hands wrap themselves around him from behind and a warm body aligned to his.
"I'm so sorry."
She whispered and he could feel how her tears dampened his shirt and he put his hand over hers in comfort.
"Yeah well, just don't let it happen again."
She shook her head against his back and he felt a weight slowly being lifted, replaced with relief. He was in big trouble and he wasn't sure he minded. Somehow her being here was worth everything.
-oo-
He was returning to his bunk when he heard Skye's voice.
"You know you were sort of like James Bond today, Ward. One might find your actions heroic."
He heard Ward snort at her obvious praise.
"Yeah, don't kid yourself Skye. If you knew me you wouldn't be claiming that."
She only laughed at his crossness and Fitz saw her nudge him as they played battleships in the front of the plane. She guessed another one of his placements and Ward showed a clear anger at his loss.
"Well let's get to know you, mister super-agent Ward. What does a man like yourself like to do in your down time, save kitten and helpless children?"
"I don't."
He immediately knew that Ward would close up, so before he managed to do so he sat next to him in one of the seats.
"He likes to polish his Magnum .45 as he waits for his next big kill."
Then he did a poor imitation of Clint Eastwood.
"You got to ask yourself, do you feel lucky? Well do you, punk?"
Skye laughed at his antics and Ward gave him the good old stink eye. He decided these two needed pushing in the right direction and after what Ward did for him he needed to return the favor in a more abstract manner.
Either way Skye was enjoying their little banter.
"Aw come on Ward don't be like that. There are more bad guys out there just waiting for you to punch their lights out, no gun needed."
He only shook his head at the two of them.
"You know you two need to find better things to do then to gang up on me. Act like agents for Christ sake."
He felt a slight shoulder tap and he looked up to see Jemma standing there.
"Yes, because we all need to be like agent 'I could destroy you with my pinky' Ward."
He laughed the moment she tried to say it sternly but it looked more like she was scolding a child.
"What, now its three against one."
Before he could jump in, Skye retaliated.
"Don't worry Ward, I'll take your side."
Then they locked their gaze and he felt as if some unknown communication was happening that him and Jemma should be privy to, so he said so.
"Yeah we know when we are not wanted, so we'll mind our own business."
Before he could stand up, Ward pulled him back.
"No, you guys are joining us on a game of Battleships. I am tired of being destroyed by Skye so now we can team up."
No negotiation was needed as he moved to sit where Skye did and she went to sit next to Ward, while Jemma sat next to him. He pushed the map between them as did Skye and Ward with theirs. Shuffling closer they made it seem like they were planning a huge strategy, all the while Ward and Skye did the same.
"Ready to get blown of the map FitzSimmons?"
He and Jemma just smiled confidently.
"You do know that the British are masterful at sea combat. Skye, Ward ready to spend some time at the bottom of the ocean?"
The game soon began and soon the laughter began as they tried to outwit and beat each other.
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AN: I always thought that one of the main strengths of Shield was its characters and the dynamics between them so I love writing the interactions between them as a group, as you can probably tell. Hope you liked this too, let me know!