Previously: Simmons was knocked out while the Skrulls tried to replace her. Fitz hasn't seen her since the bottom of the ocean, so he eagerly waits for her to get up.

Chapter Thirty Nine

Fitz was watching Simmons sleep, and she'd been out for hours.

Fitz had been knocked unconscious along with her, and hours had passed since even he'd woken up. Since Skye had as well! It wasn't long enough to get too worried, as sedatives could definitely last more than two or three hours, but he couldn't help himself.

Maybe this was what Simmons had felt when he'd been in a coma.

He only even knew about the coma because Skye had tried to catch him up on everything that had happened while he'd been unconscious, between getting dropped in the ocean and waking up in the Skrull lair.

Yes, it was a lot to take in. Skye had been captured, tested on and tricked. Garrett was killed. They'd gone to Disney World - and even given the situation he felt a slight pang of jealousy -, Graviton had come onto the BUS, Coulson basically phoned an Asgardian, Skye'd found out who her father was, and then found out it wasn't really her father… honestly, quite a lot to happen in just two weeks. It was even worse to think that it had transpired while his team thought he was standing there along with them.

But the most jarring revelation for Fitz was had been Ward.

Skye had skirted the subject when she'd been telling him about everything else back on the spaceship. But after she obviously trusted the Skrull posing as Ward when she thought he was Ward, there really was no getting around it anymore. So Fitz got her talking about her old SO.

Apparently the man had killed Garrett and had become a useful asset to the team since. With Skye kidnapped they had needed resources, but because of Hydra they didn't' have any.

So they'd turned to a Hydra soldier? It just didn't make sense.

Fitz had almost died because of Ward, and he did end up in the hands of psychopaths because of him. Because of Ward, Simmons had been in the same position he was in right now, watching her best friend sick in an induced sleep, unknowing of when they'd wake up.

Only when Fitz was in her position, apparently the situation had been much more dire. He didn't wake up. He'd gone in the other direction.

Thank god she wasn't going that way.

Simmons' eyelids fluttered, and he could tell that her eyes were moving beneath them. He rushed to her side, happiness flooding him as he waited to see her again. And she would see him.

She took in a sharp breath of air at near the same time her eyes opened completely; Fitz's face being so close to hers giving her a start. Her open mouth crept up into a smile as her gaze lingered on him.

Until it quite suddenly became a frown.

Followed by a scream.

"Help! Someone help!" she shouted, eyes scanning about the room. She grabbed the pillow from behind her head and began to repeatedly pelt him with it. A rather measly weapon if you asked Fitz, but he supposed she was still groggy. Or he hoped she was.

"Jemma!" he protested as the attack continued.

"Hunter!" she exclaimed. "Where are you? There's a Skrull!"

"Jem- Je- Jemma!" he tried through the pillow assault. "I'm not a Skrull!"

She ignored his words, but suddenly stopped using the pillow, as her mind seemed to register it wasn't doing much. She picked up a tray that happened to be sitting next to the bed.

"Look around! You're on the BU-"

Wham!

Fitz felt a blinding pain to his temple, and soon enough he'd gone backwards and onto the floor.

"Oh…" he moaned, pressing his hand up to his head. He heard Simmons' breathing, deep and fast, just before it started to slow and become shallower, as though in realization.

"The BUS…" she muttered, followed by a gasp. "Fitz!"

He heard her get off the bed, and soon felt her hand in his. He wasn't willing to open his eyes just yet, as the light he could sense beyond his eyelids seemed particularly harsh for the pounding currently going on in his head.

"Oh, please don't tell me you've been knocked out again…"

"I haven't Jemma," he mumbled, trying to force open his eyes, one by one. "And I promise, it really is me."

A shuddering breath escaped her gaping mouth, but she covered it with her hand quickly enough. Not quick enough that he missed her cheeks turn up in a smile, though. Just after, she was near choking back tears as she tried to say something, to convey words out of her mouth, but shock and happiness weren't letting anything escape her throat.

Even with her difficulties, Fitz had to admit he was rather pleased with the reaction.

She flung her arms around him then, and despite being hit with a metal tray mere moments earlier, his headache all but disappeared.

"Oh god… oh god… I can't b-believe it!" she told him through her tight hug. "I thought you were dead. I thought you were dead twice. And then I thought you were lost for good-"

"I'm right here," he assured her, stopping the ramble that he knew would have just kept building up. He felt his own tears of relief come loose of his eyes then.

She pulled out of the embrace as her mouth gaped again, slightly shaking. As though she couldn't get any words out. Perhaps she couldn't decide what to say.

"Wh-what happened?" she asked as she glanced around herself. She must have been awfully confused. "I was just with Agent Hunter, when we saw this blue light and went to investigate. And then…"

"The Skrulls got to you. They erm… they tried to replace you too," Fitz explained cautiously. "But the team found you, and they found Skye and me, and we're all back! We're all fine."

A smile so bright it could rival Christmas lights illuminated her face. "Skye as well?" she asked, near breathless. He nodded eagerly.

Simmons began short gasping noises, as though trying to contain her tears he knew were of joy and relief. And control her breathing. "I… I just don't know where to start! There's so much I want to say to y-you… Fitz..."

The sentences seemed so hard for her to get out of her sputtering mouth that Fitz decided to give her a temporary reprieve, even as she was obviously trying to say more.

"I really missed you, Jemma," he told her earnestly.

She bit her lip, suddenly looking upset at the comment.

"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry I didn't know it was you. I'm sorry we weren't looking for you. It was… that's horrible. I don't even know what you've been through! But you were there for so long…"

"Hey, hey, it's alright! I was, um… I was asleep before Skye showed up."

"And then you were alright?" Simmons asked hopefully. Fitz hesitated, and Jemma plastered a fake smile onto her face quickly. "That's fine, you don't have to talk about it."

"No, it's ok… we just-"

"No, Fitz," she said firmly. "You know you can always talk to me. But… when you're ready."

He smiled in a thin line. She knew him so well. Better than anyone, really. Simmons glanced away from him momentarily, and the room suddenly became very quiet, the air stagnant.

"Fitz, what you said at the bottom of the ocean…"

He could feel his cheeks heat up. "Ah yeah… we don't have to discuss that yet-"

"I've had a long time to think about it," she spoke over him, her gasping and relieved tears all but vanished. She was obviously determined to say what she needed to. "When you were dying, Fitz, I thought so much about it. And then suddenly you were dead, and I didn't have a chance to tell you how I felt! It was… devastating to say the least and like a miracle you came back."

She sighed sadly before continuing, something like regret in her facial features. Like thinking of bad memories. Maybe… memories of a not real him?

It made him feel sick that there were memories of Fitz tainted by some alien.

"But then you were so different!" she went on. "I didn't know what to think anymore… I didn't realize it wasn't really you, but I knew something was wrong and I still thought about it. I couldn't stop thinking about it Fitz! Because the truth is… it's…"

She was speaking so fast and with so much vigor Fitz couldn't get a word in, but she was fumbling now. He wasn't even sure if she was talking about reciprocating his feelings or turning him down.

He opened his mouth to say something, but she seemed to notice he was going to try to speak and cut her off. The next words out of her mouth rambled out quicker than her whole spiel, if it was possible.

"Oh, I know I shouldn't be doing this after being on the receiving end of it… but hell with it!" Her head lunged forwards.

And she was kissing him.

Jemma Simmons was kissing him. On the lips!

His best friend, his rival, his partner, his everything just turned into even more.

It took him a moment to react but he did, returning the kiss with zeal. He cupped her face in his hands almost forcefully, wanting to make sure it was real. He'd surely dreamt of this before.

Honestly, though it was a bit of a blur, he thought that after the ocean she didn't really feel the same way. All accounts pointed to him being on his deathbed, and the way she avoided kissing his lips was quite notable.

But in typical Jemma Simmons fashion, apparently all she needed was more than a few moments to assess the situation.

They broke off, both smiling like fools and soon Simmons was giggling like one too. Fitz was overjoyed. This was all he'd wanted, just to prove to her that maybe there was a spark and they could try to go with it. He wanted her to know how he felt, and that she could possibly feel that way back.

Which was why the next words out of his mouth were somewhat surprising.

"I forgot to mention that the Skrulls are a wee bit annoyed that Skye and I escaped so they're currently having Graviton destroy Rome and we're probably not as safe and alright as might have I led on before."

Simmons just blinked, her mouth open in shock yet again. He couldn't blame her for being surprised as well.

She shook her head. "Oh. Oh! Alright. I suppose we should… continue this later?" she asked uncertainly.

She looked a bit put out. He didn't want that. He didn't want Simmons to be put out after she'd kissed him. Why did he say that! He could have said anything, anything at all, and he decided to inform her about a mad scientist attacking. Yeah, like that's not going to douse the mood. Way to go Leo.

He was just about to try and make up for lost ground when there was another presence in the room.

"Agent Simmons, nice to have you among the living again," said Hunter as he strolled in. "I came to check on you because… well, Skye basically told me she didn't want me around. I don't think that girl likes me very much to be honest, which is incredibly strange given the effect I have on women most of the time…" he trailed off, a wry smile growing on his face. He seemed to become aware of the two's position on the ground. "And I can see I'm probably not welcome here either. Sorry to interrupt; I'll just be going then."

"No we're not-" Simmons started, and with a wary glance at Fitz stopped herself. "Well, the reason we're actually on the ground is because I hit Fitz with a tray and nearly knocked him out," Jemma told the mercenary awkwardly, as Fitzsimmons began to rise to their feet.

Hunter nodded slowly. "Yeah, alright. Ok, that makes perfect sense," he said. "One question though: why was it that you hit him with a tray?"

"She thought I was a Skrull," said Fitz.

"Ah. That is something to be wary of nowadays…" Hunter mused.

There was a moment of silence, and then Lance popped up on his heels.

"Well, I better be getting back upstairs and see where I can help or am at least semi-wanted. We'll be leaving in not too long anyhow, so make sure to get yourselves ready."

"Ready?" asked Simmons. "For what?"

"We're going to use the machine Mack and Skye's dad built to try and take down Graviton," explained Fitz.

"Wolfe?" asked Simmons incredulously. "He's here? Right now?"

"You didn't explain?" asked Hunter curiously.

"I just didn't have a chance yet, thanks very much," Fitz told him with an air of defense. "I will though."

"Alright, let's not get defensive," said Hunter. "I'm heading back to the lab."

"Yes, us too," Jemma agreed with a smile. She was right; they could talk over their emotions later.

But Fitz couldn't help but feel elated with butterflies and lightheadedness and all the other fresh feelings of excitement the kiss had left him with. They were all only accentuated when she took his hand as they left the medical bay, following just behind Hunter.

Fitz tried to hold back the smile like a schoolboy with a crush, his face bright red. But he didn't mind. Even if he felt foolish or if nothing was actually going to come of it, right now his confidence had increased tenfold.

The situations in actuality had nothing to do with each other, but he felt as though there was no way they were going to not take down the Skrulls.

A/n: Ah romance, we meet again. I'm sorry if you don't ship them. I ship them. But there won't be much more mushy stuff in this story, or at least focusing on it.

Also! Sorry if the animosity between Fitz and Skye towards Hunter seems unprecedented. They are just feeling slightly replaced, as they were gone when he and Mack came about. Especially Skye, because she's like, hey I provide the sarcasm around here! They know they're not replaced but... just a little defensive.

Sorry if this chapter has errors... didn't really proofread. Haven't been on my computer in a few days and am rush-posting!