A/N: Okay guys, this will be the last chapter in this fic. I never planned for it to be super long anyways, but I feel like it's been a good progression and that this is the right place to end it.
Enjoy and please leave a final review!
She remembers.
It was their conversation, this time, that triggered the memories, those formerly beautiful moments ruined by the truth.
"No one's making you come, Jemma," he told her. She could see the pain in her eyes reflected in his tense posture.
"I know," she whispered. She still hadn't figured out the reason why she kept coming back, day after day, to subject herself to this kind of anguish.
Antoine didn't mind - at least, he never told her that he did. She appreciated his understanding, but also saw how he sometimes looked at her, like he just couldn't figure out how she could still harbour feelings for a murderer.
"I'm glad you do, though," he continued, forcing a smile. It looked different through his beard, not really like the Grant she had known at all.
"Why did you make me love you?" The question rose, unbidden, out of Jemma's lips before she could stop it. It was the question that she had never been able to ask, the question that still tied her to him. "I mean," she tried to clarify, "was it all a big part of your plan? To find the pathetic, lonely scientist and play with her heart? Was any of it real?"
Ward sighed heavily and walked as close as he could to the barrier without actually touching it. "It wasn't part of the plan," he admitted softly, earnestly. "It was an accident - something that wasn't supposed to happen."
Looking into his eyes, she could almost believe him. But, then she remembered who he was, who he really was.
"But I'm glad it did," he continued, almost pleading with her. "Jemma, you know that I love-"
"Stop," she yelled, feeling tears start to stream down her face.
Before he could react, she hit the button that turned the barrier back to opaque and also cut off sound.
Then, she sank to the floor, her arms around her body, sobbing.
…
"It's just a couple drops," she scoffed, peering up at the dark sky and blinking as a warm droplet fell onto her face. "It's not even enough to be called 'rain'."
Grant put his arm around her shoulders. "And you said that Skye checked the weather report?"
"It'll clear up soon," she promised, looking up into his face and smiling, still thrilled that somehow, she had been lucky enough to end up with Grant.
"Good," he replied, kissing the top of her head. "I get the feeling that a downpour could ruin our picnic."
She just leaned against him, confident that the weather would cooperate with them. It had been Grant's idea to take a day off from SHIELD and head off for some time alone. She had decided to add a picnic lunch to their outing, and it was the first time in a long time that she had felt so relaxed in a long time.
They reached the park just a couple minutes later, the sky still showing no signs of lightening and the occasional raindrops becoming more frequent.
"You still sure that it's not going to rain?" Grant asked, looking at her fondly as she set up the blanket on the now-damp grass.
"It wouldn't dare," she responded wryly, feeling the light rainfall gradually increase. "How do soggy sandwiches sound?"
"My favourite," Grant laughed, sitting down on the blanket next to where she was kneeling.
Jemma abandoned her attempts to smooth out the blanket, instead sitting up against Grant and leaning into his strength. "This is nice," she said as she snuggled under his arm, ignoring the ominous rumble of thunder directly overhead.
Grant paused, then shifted so that he was looking directly at her. "I love you."
She stared at him, frozen for a second with surprise, no longer even noticing the pouring rain soaking her clothes. "What?" she finally forced out.
"Jemma, I love you," he repeated, his eyes soft.
Tears built up in her eyes as she smiled. Those words...she had wanted to hear them from him for a while now, and it seemed more like a fantasy than like reality.
"You could say something," he prompted her, a worried look forming across his face.
She leaned in and kissed him enthusiastically, pushing him off balance so that they fell and she landed on top of him, her wet hair dangling in his face.
"I love you too," she gasped, a little out of breath.
Grant laughed and pulled her closer so that he could kiss her again.
…
"I love you, Jemma."
Jemma, just barely through the door, ignored Ward's words, though there was a pang of pain in her heart.
"Are you listening to me?" he demanded, his voice sounding rough. She couldn't tell if he was acting or not. "I love you - please believe me."
"Don't say that," she finally replied, her voice sad and quiet.
"I want to."
Jemma sighed and rubbed her hands up her arms, trying to gather her courage. "This is the last time you're going to see me," she told him, unable to meet his intense gaze. "I'm done. I can't...I can't do this anymore. Not to me, not to Antoi-" she cut off before she finished Trip's first name.
"Jemma," he begged.
Hot tears welled up in her eyes, but she knew that she had to do this. "Goodbye, Ward."
"Call me Grant." His voice shook - the only time she had ever heard it do that. He never showed that much emotion. Was it real? How would she even know if he ever cared about her, or if it was all a trick?
"No," she shook her head, taking one last glimpse at him before she walked out of his life forever. He stood there, his fists clenched and every muscle in his body tight. His eyes...contained a deep grief, a sense of hopelessness. Real or fake, it broke Jemma's heart.
Taking a deep, calming breath, she left. The door slammed behind her with a sense of finality, like slamming a book shut. The part of her life that had contained Ward was now officially over, never to be reopened.
Besides, she had to find Antoine. There were three special words that she thought she would finally be able to say to him, now that she was done with Ward.
She found herself smiling, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
She remembered; she couldn't forget.
But now, for the first time, the memories had no more power over her.
Thanks for reading, and please leave a final review!
~Caitlin51
