Chapter Two.

"So he's doing better?" Skye whispered. She gazed at Fitz as he lay sleeping.

"Yes. He is awake for a bit longer each time now; it's still quite tiring for him though. I have to keep pinching myself that he's really here and... awake." Jemma smiled weakly.

"Does he remember anything? You know... about what happened?" It was a question Skye had put off asking until now. Fitz had barely been able to talk in those first few days and was only just beginning to be able to form short sentences. No one had wanted to push him into talking about what had happened, but Skye knew he had been assessed by the doctor today.

"His memories seem to stop a few hours before... well, before." Jemma still had difficulty putting what had happened to them into words. "He remembered being on the Bus with Ward and Garrett. He said the last thing he remembered was taking the EMP out of his pocket." The biochemist smiled apologetically when Skye flinched at the mention of Ward's name.

"So he doesn't remember the pod? Or how you got there?"

"No," Jemma shook her head. "We'll tell him when he's recovered some more."

The two young women sat in thoughtful silence. Skye noticed the way Jemma absently stroked invisible patterns onto Fitz's arm, delicately as though he was something precious. She sensed something had changed between the scientists but she supposed that was bound to happen when you had been through a near death experience together.

Jemma noticed Skye looking at her hand and quickly moved it away, her face colouring slightly. "Sorry. I just... I need to keep telling myself he's ok. He was asleep for such a long time..."

Fitz had been in a coma for three weeks. During that time Jemma had barely left his bedside, spending her nights in the chair or curled into his side on the bed. Skye had brought down a blanket and some pillows to make her more comfortable. She had tried to make Jemma go to her room to sleep, but realised there was no way she could persuade the biochemist to move. She realised that Fitz was more than Jemma's best friend, there was something unspoken, undefined about their relationship that meant he was... more. Jemma had seemed lost without him, as though she didn't know how to function alone. Skye didn't know what that felt like, she had never seen another relationship like theirs let alone experienced one for herself, but she knew she didn't want to get in the way of it.

"Fitz is strong. Besides, he wouldn't want to leave you alone too long- think what you could bring into his 'pristine laboratory'," Skye attempted a Scottish accent on the last words, rousing a giggle from her friend. Jemma brought a finger to her lips as she tried to stifle her laughter, and beckoned for Skye to follow her outside into the corridor.

"Don't let him hear you do that," she whispered in a playful warning. "He's very defensive of his mother tongue."

"I know. That's why he wouldn't let me butcher it on the train when we were looking for Quinn," Skye laughed at the memory, despite what had happened afterwards. "Did you know his American accent is amazing? I couldn't believe it!"

Jemma nodded. "He's always been good at accents. Except mine. Which is weird because he can actually do a good English accent when he tries, but his Simmons voice is all high pitched and Scottish."

"And whiney," Skye added as they continued to walk down the hall.

"Hey!" Jemma playfully punched Skye on the arm.

"I meant his impression, not you!"

Jemma raised her eyebrows and pushed open the door to their small kitchen. She busied herself finding some mugs and teabags, and filled a kettle. After a few quiet minutes Skye shifted behind her and cleared her throat.

"Jemma, what... what happened down there?"

"You know what happened," Jemma responded quickly, handing Skye her tea. "He saved my life."

"I know, but... you must have talked about it. He thought he was going to die."

Jemma didn't raise her eyes; she seemed to be contemplating what to say. Skye suddenly felt guilty for asking, she could sense her friend felt uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked..."

"No, it's ok. We did talk about it. For a while we thought there was no way out. We thought we would both die. He was so calm, it sounds weird but it was actually really lovely- we made peace with it really... Then we realised we could blow the window out, and he was recalibrating the oxygen cylinder...he, he didn't say anything even though he knew. It was only when we were ready, when we were about to blow out the window that he told me there was only enough for one breath... for one of us. He told me it was for me," Jemma had been speaking quickly and her eyes began to fill with tears. "He... he said he couldn't live if I didn't."

Skye nodded and moved to squeeze her friend's hand, feeling the sympathetic pricking of tears in her own eyes.

"I told him I wouldn't take it, that I couldn't live if he didn't because he's... he's my best friend. But he said... he said I was more than that. But he hadn't been able to tell me. He told me and then he... pushed the bloody button!" Jemma broke down into a sob and Skye wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace.

"Shh. Its ok, I'm sorry I asked. But he's ok now, he's here... you both are."

"But I didn't get to tell him..." Jemma sniffed and looked at Skye meaningfully. "And now he doesn't remember. He doesn't know what happened in the pod."