Jemma ran at him, screaming and snarling and very much not herself.
'She'd be so embarrassed if she could hear herself,' he thought. 'Or maybe horrified.' Probably horrified.
He banged along the rail as he ran, dodging her but keeping her close enough behind him she wouldn't stop chasing him. Not that that was really a problem.
Where was he going to go though? There was no trap, no May, Coulson, Skye or Trip waiting with an ICER yet.
He searched for an idea, any idea but all he could think to do was continue to stay out of her reach until they had time to set up again. She was so fast though, fueled by mad rage and whatever the hell else those psychos had made the parasite do to her.
He gazed behind him at the awful expression on her face and wondered once more if she was hurting, if she knew what was happening to her. The momentary distraction cost him and he reached the corner at the other end of the deck before he had time to turn, crashing into the railing and flailing to keep his balance before she came tearing into him, knocking them both overboard and into the water.
Breaking through the surface felt like a smack on his head and water rushed up his nose because they were upside-down.
Jemma grabbed onto him, not biting but kicking down hard so that they were propelled deeper into the water. He fought against her, shocked at her lack of any kind of self preservation.
She was too strong though and she was dragging him down despite his best attempts to save the both of them. He thought that maybe if he could push her away he'd be able to get up to the surface but then she'd persist to swim downwards and he'd have no chance of saving her so he continued to struggle, trying to turn her around until the freezing water coupled with the lack of fresh oxygen to his already sore body sapped the rest of his strength and he couldn't keep fighting against her anymore.
'I'm sorry Jemma,' he despaired, using the last of his energy to pull his head forward and kiss the place between her eyes. 'I love you,' he thought in case somehow she could hear him, in case some part of her understood what his gesture meant.
'You're still Jemma and whatever happens I'm still your Leo.'
Her skin was freezing, like the water which must have soaked away the heat from her fever. The world seemed to spin and he no longer felt as if they were upside down. It felt almost as if they were going upwards, that she was swimming towards the sunlight.
His lungs were burning and he was sure he was about to pass out when his head broke the surface of the water and he took in wonderful, quenching breath of air before choking and spitting up water.
Jemma was coughing and gasping for air the same way he was, still holding onto him so that his head stayed above the waves and as his strength came back to him he began swimming to help her, shivering violently in the cold water.
Her nose was bleeding from one side but her eyes were clear and when she looked at him she could tell she was seeing him, that she recognized who he was.
"What... the... hell..." she panted. "Why... are we... in the water? Why in the world weren't you swimming?!"
"Jemma?!" he exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face as he swam forward to embrace her, briefly because it was hard to swim to keep their heads above the water so close together.
A long, whitish-yellow worm surfaced beside them, covered in blood and they yelped as she dragged him away from it. It appeared dead, limp and unmoving.
"That was in my head wasn't it?" she realized with a horrified expression. "Oh... oh no what was I doing to you? Did I bite you? How on earth did you get it out?"
"I didn't," he told her staring, baffled, between her and the worm.
"So... what you were just going to drown?" she wondered, confused.
"Well it wasn't as if I was just going to simply let it happen," he shot back. What did she think he'd done? Given up? OK, whatever, let's just sink. As if he'd do that! "You were swimming downwards and that, whatever the hell that is," he pointed at the worm. "was giving you super strength or something or maybe you're just a better swimmer than me I don't know. But it's not as if I wasn't trying to get us back up."
She looked like she was going to be sick and he instantly regretted his tone. "I was swimming down." she whispered. "What and taking you with me?"
"Well... not you," he tried to assure her but she remained mortified.
"I'm so sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't... I don't remember..." she closed her eyes and placed her hand on her head like it was hurting her.
"It's OK," he soothed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's over, that thing is out of your head. You didn't hurt anyone- not that it would have been you anyway- and you pulled me back to the surface... again." he joked and she smiled at him.
"You're right... it's fine," she agreed, taking a breath before wincing. "Ow, my head really hurts though. I really didn't hurt anybody?"
"You really didn't," he informed her, touching her face and she placed her palm on his cheek.
"We should call for help," he suggested and she nodded in agreement.
They shouted up until May's head appeared, staring down at them and she threw a life-preserver to them.
He made Jemma go first, shaking his head stubbornly when she tried to protest.
"You've just gotten rid of a zombie parasite in your head, you're in no condition to be swimming around alone." he asserted.
"I'm fine-" she tried to say but he interrupted her
"We aren't arguing about this," he insisted. "Your nose is going to attract sharks so get onto that damn thing before you get me eaten."
The comment had simply been meant to sway her into listening to him however he noted with a slight pang of fear that he was probably right. It was better to get her bleeding nose out of the ocean as soon as possible.
She'd given him an exasperated glance but had done as he'd asked and climbed onto it, scooping up the damn worm to take up with her. Of course, Shield would want it and he was sure she'd be curiously dissecting it once they got back to the lab.
"I love you!" he called up to her, far warmer than his last comment had been. "In case I get eaten by a shark." he only half kidded.
"No getting eaten," May yelled down to him. "Wait for the life-preserver."
"You have a better chance getting hit by lightening," Jemma chuckled at him. "But I love you too!"
The life-preserver dropped down and May and Jemma pulled him up.
"Are you both alright?" May asked and they nodded before thanking her.
Jemma really was fine, somehow the parasite had been killed, or had been forced to make its way out of her head and die. Whatever the case she was fine and despite the fact that they still had 22 other people on the boat trying to kill them and that another three were still running rampant, he felt a bolt of joy that caused him to rush forward and embrace her.
"I'm so glad you're OK," he told her and he felt her arms wrap around him, bringing back all the parts of him that had been missing.
"You too," she said quietly and he could tell she was thinking of how zombie her had dragged both of them down under the waves.
"It's over now," he guaranteed her. "You're better and we're going to get everyone else better too."
They moved away from each other and she nodded determinedly. He gently wiped the blood off her face with his sleeve, this shirt was ruined anyway (another reason to hate people who made bio-weapons) and she took his hand, turning his arm to examine where he'd been bitten through the fabric.
"What have you been doing?" she breathed, taking in his worn down appearance.
He wasn't sure exactly how to explain to her what he'd been up to without it sounding really bad (I was human bait, it was the best day ever) and he was glad when May decided to speak.
"Is that what was in your head?" May asked, motioning to the worm still in her hand.
They all stared at its lifeless body. "It was," she frowned. "Until..." she struggled to remember. "I was... chasing Fitz...I wanted to... oh no it was awful," she glanced up at him miserably. "I... I was all messed up. I'm so so-"
"No apologies necessary," he cut her off resolutely. "Not from you."
He and May were patiently giving Jemma their full attention and she nodded, still seeming unhappy, before she continued.
"And then we were in the water," she went on, concentrating again. "I was trying to pull you down..." she buried her face in her hands and rubbed her forehead before continuing and he massaged her shoulder soothingly. "It was so cold and Fitz was struggling but... I... I didn't..." she took a shaky breath. "I didn't know he was Fitz I just wanted to...," she couldn't say it but they all knew she had wanted to kill him. No, not her, the parasite.
"I couldn't think and my head was incredibly painful- not that that's a reason I just," she lost her composure for a second but shook her head and continued bravely. "It felt like it was... burning..." she said slowly. "Until the water started to cool me down. And I felt you kiss my head," she glanced at him again, puzzled. "But I knew it was you when that happened... I don't know if... did it happen?"
"That happened," he let her know.
"Why?" she asked, remaining confused.
"Just in case," he replied, smiling warmly at her. "In case you knew."
She narrowed her eyes affectionately at him. "I knew." Her gaze left his face and she frowned again, her mind turning. "I knew who you were... I didn't a minute before so what changed?"
"We were in the ocean," he put out. "And it was cold, you were-"
"Cold." the finished together, eyes locking again ecstatically.
"That's it!" she exclaimed. "It was freezing down there,"
"And your fever went away," he grinned.
"And the parasite came out my nose!" she cheered.
"Yeah... that must have been pretty gross," he imagined. "Was it slimly?"
She shrugged. "It wasn't so bad, I was mostly worried about not being able to breathe."
"Oh yeah," he remembered.
"But that must be it!" she said, beaming at him.
"Can someone explain what's happening?" May interjected and they both turned to her and began rapidly talking all at once, finishing each other's sentences and overlapping each other's words.
"The cold from the ocean it-" she started.
"it got rid of her fever and it-" he added.
"and it must have killed the parasite, it probably can't-" "likely can't survive at lower temperatures," they said.
"So it left through her-," he explained.
"Made its way out my nose." she finished.
"I got cold and nose," May announced, perhaps a bit less patiently.
"The cold kills it!" they clarified excitedly together and Leo made a face as she waggled the worm in front of him.
"Oh stop that, it's dead," she chided and he couldn't help but grin at her. He'd probably have grinned if she told him she was giving LSD to a caterpillar at this point, he didn't care, he was delighted she was back to being herself again. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she wondered, raising her eyebrows.
"I'm just enjoying you," he said and then fumbled to explain because that sounded weird. "Not in a perverted way of course I don't- well I mean I do think of you like that but not in a weird- I think of other parts of you too- oh wait no, not the parts you're thinking. Well sometimes but... er..." he was turning pink, he knew it, but she laughed at him before giving him a quick kiss.
"If I ever need to know how to make something awkward," she giggled. "I'll ask you."
"Right..." May cut in as they beamed at each other. "I know you two went through a traumatic experience and I don't mean to rush you but we still have three infected people to capture."
"Oh yeah," he remembered, thinking of Max with jolt of worry.
"What do you mean three others?" Jemma demanded. "How many got out other than me."
"All of them," May informed her. "But we caught most of them. Fitz has been luring them to the bow where we-"
"He's been what?" she interrupted horror-struck. She widened her eyes at him, almost disapprovingly "Is that how you got bit again? And that bruise on your face? Who came up with that idea?"
"It's a good plan," he defended. "It's been working."
"We really need to get going," May insisted.
"Can we go check if Max made it to the dining room," he inquired, turning away from the distress in Jemma's eyes as she looked him up and down.
"We met him on the way up and Triplett escorted him," May let him know and he breathed out a sigh of relief. "We should be set up again soon." she added and he nodded, getting up wearily.
"Jemma I'll walk you to the dining hall on the way-" he began but her eyes flared as she cut him off.
"Why?" she shot at him. "I'm going to help you."
"Jemma you just got a worm out of your head, you're in no condition to-" he tried to say but she interrupted him again.
"And you're in tip top shape are you?" she challenged, nodding her head at the hand he was using to lean on the wall.
"It's not the same thing," he protested, pushing himself off and wobbling a bit before standing straight.
"You do seem pretty worn down," May concurred and Jemma crossed her arms before shooting him a smug look. "I think it would be good for you two to work together."
"Yeah, alright," he conceded grumpily because there was no way for him stop her.
Jemma took his hand, rubbing the back of his palm before tenderly kissing the bruise on the side of his head. Her lips were so gentle it didn't hurt it but it sent a soft warm rush through him which made everything hurt less and his body feel stronger.
"You don't have to do this alone anymore," she told him. "I'm here now, you're partner's back."
/-/-/
Jemma lay on the deck beside Leo, catching her breath. That had been terrifying, she couldn't believe he'd done it almost a dozen times. She'd done it twice, once with a single infected person and now with a group of two and she was already more than prepared for it to be over. When had he become so fearless?
She looked over at him, his eyes were closed but he still held her hand as their team scooped up the paralyzed people. He was so exhausted and beat up. It wasn't just the bite and the bruise. His other bite had started bleeding again and he had scratches on his neck and probably under his shirt too. He was red and sweaty and still wheezing for breath.
She hated the idea that he'd been using himself as human bait this whole time. Just because she understood why didn't mean her heart didn't squeeze painfully at the thought of him being chased over and over by people who wanted to kill him. And they did want to kill him.
She'd been one of them. She knew the burning, all consuming rage and the unavoidable desire to kill because, in her head, somehow that would stop it. It wouldn't though, of course it wouldn't but she'd believed it would. It was hazy and it made her sick to remember but she had wanted to kill him just to make the burning stop because that was all there had been; burning or no burning. No Jemma, no Leo, no anything else. It was like some kind of nightmare.
Until she'd woken up and the first thing she'd felt was him kissing her face. Because of course that was his first instinct upon realizing she was drowning him. Not that he'd believed she was doing it.
"It's wasn't you," he kept telling her but he'd gotten it wrong it had been her it just hadn't been him she was drowning before she'd woken up, it had been the fire in her head. She hadn't known what she was doing until it was almost too late.
But it hadn't been too late and thinking of the could haves and almosts and trying to piece through why she had done it was its own kind of burning and she had to stop before it consumed her.
"A bunch of the others are already awake," Skye told them happily, sitting down beside Jemma for a moment. "Thanks to you guys."
"It was really more of an accident," she admitted. An accident, that was funny. She'd accidentally pushed her boyfriend into the ocean and swam downwards with him like some insane dolphin.
"Well you knew it was the cold," she shrugged. "That was good thinking. We hauled up some ocean water and poured it on them until they stopped trying to bite us. Everyone is fine and one of the passengers knows how to dive and we have some equipment so they're going to break off the device once we stop the engine, then we can go home."
Home, that sounded nice. Where was home anyway the Bus? She did miss her bunk.
She turned to Leo who had that dopey, happy look on his face again as he stared at her. "Do you want to go home?" she asked.
"Yes please," he replied and the three of them laughed together.
"No Volcanoes National Park though," she sighed.
She was grateful just that no one had been killed or badly hurt but it would have been nice to have a vacation.
"We live on an airplane," Skye chuckled. "I'm sure we can take the time to fly there. And I don't know about you but I was promised two days off in Hawaii."
"I received the same promise," Leo agreed, still on his back but raising his hand.
"Yeah me too," she added.
"Well we'll just have to stage a protest," Skye joked and they laughed again.
/-/-/
Jemma and Leo were back on the Bus and the next day they were indeed departing for Hawaii. Even Shield agents could take a vacation sometimes and after what happened on the ship they all needed it.
They'd taken Leo to a hospital for both of the bites and he was fine, thankfully. Still she was keeping a close eye on him to be sure it healed properly.
They were snuggled together, after everyone else had gone to sleep, enjoying having the sitting room to themselves as they scanned through the scavenger hunt list she'd made and tried to guess which ones they were going to find.
"I hope we see a tree snail," she said cheerfully, pulling up a picture on their tablet of a few of the species.
"You get a special snail kiss for everyone," he chuckled kissing her face.
"What makes it special?" she wondered, raising her eyebrows at him.
"It'll be very slow," he kidded and she rolled her eyes at him.
"Did you pack everything you need?" she checked.
"All I need is you," replied softly and her heart turned to ice cream on a summer day.
"I guess neither of us need to pack anything," she smiled and he gave her a special, slow snail kiss.
"No, we're fine." he told her. "But I did bring an extra pair of headphones."
She rested her head onto his shoulder, warm and happy and safe. "So did I."
/-/-/
Thank you for all the likes, reads, follows and reviews! You guys are cool as zombie snails.
Tada! the end... sort of. Still one more chapter in Hawaii but I don't know when I will post it. I will be out of range for a while.
Sharks attacks really are rare and sharks are an important part of the ocean. long live the sharks.
There really is a parasite in snails that sorta turns them into zombies. It's called Leucochloridium paradoxum. It makes their eyes go all weird and them go towards the top of the foliage (towards the sun) so they get eaten by birds. Google snail zombie, its seriously freaky. And cool.
I dunno how realistic this parasite is or the fact that cold causes it to evacuate you but it science fiction right haha. Freezing parasites is a way to kill them apparently.
The Fringe reference is the giving LSD to a caterpillar. In the first season episode Bound Peter comes in to find Walter doing just that, because why not. Peter comments "guess what just happened? Finding out that my father gives drugs to bugs, somehow just became a typical moment in my life." to which Walter responds "Isn't it wonderful?"