Chapter Three: Third

Authors note: First, THANK YOU for the kind comments and the favs and follows! I've written tons of fanfic over the past 10 years, but this is the first story I've ever felt confident enough to post and I'm happy that you're enjoying it! I have several other Skimmons works (and a few Spashley - my newest obsession) and your encouragement makes me want to post more stories!

Second, this update here (on ff) brings this story equal in chapters posted from where I left off last year on Ao3. I've considered simply ending it here on the very word that I titled this story on, you know, as a nice little three-shot... BUT, I really want to continue this story for those of you that are interested, and I have enough notes planned out from its inception last year to at least write several more chapters.

Third, I have a-lot-o-fluff in a sort of rough-draft-brainstormy-form and if anyone is interested in being a beta reader, please PM me. If not, hey man, that's cool, I'd still really appreciate any feedback, thoughts on where you'd like to see this story go, or whether or not you think I should carry on because: one, you're a Skimmons fan which makes you incredibly awesome, and two, because you read it which means you're invested, therefore, I wanna know what you think!

Pretty please?

With Skimmons on top? ;)

xxxxx

Jemma Simmons was brilliant, bright, driven, inquisitive, and tenacious, but while she loved learning and research she had eventually grown tired of the predictability of laboratory facilities. Which is what led to her decision to talk Fitz into leaving the safety of the well-lit, sterile, controlled environment that the lab provided, for the unpredictability of being a field agent; the knowledge and experience that could be obtained was something exciting that she wanted for herself and Fitz to share together. She calculated that it would be challenging and risky, but this - where this single decision had taken her, Jemma would not have ever imagined.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had been totally destroyed from the inside, they were fugitives on the run, they had no identities, their entire lives to this point had been completely erased and all that that meant; like seeing her parents again and what it meant for the future, she couldn't even being to realize the gravity of yet. Their world had unraveled quickly and everything was falling apart around them. They were just trying to hold onto solid ground, trying to refocus, that's really all anyone had the capacity for while they figured out their next move.

That didn't mean that there weren't those moments when deep brown eyes would catch bright hazel ones, or one would stand a little closer to the other than was necessary during a group discussion, or when Jemma wasn't looking and Skye would let her eyes linger longer than was probably appropriate and vice versa.

xxxxxx

And then they had their unofficial marching orders.

And then FitzSimmons weren't answering their comms.

And then Garrett said they were dead.

And then May kicked Ward's ass and they took down the bad guys.

And then the cargo door opened and Jemma was standing there. Skye's heart leapt in her chest as she hurried to hug her; relieved she was very much alive and solid in her arms.

And then Jemma said Fitz was alive.

And then Billy Koenig welcomed them to The Playground.

xxxxx

Later, after they had went through the obligatory screening assessment for another lanyard and the team was as settled as they were going to be for the moment, Skye found herself walking the halls doing an assessment of her own. She found May by the bar, stoic as ever and a bit smug - no doubt pleased with the exceptional ass kicking she had delivered Ward. Skye sat down next to her and May poured some of the dark liquid into a clean glass which she slid sideways to Skye.

"Thanks."

May wordlessly raised her glass, just a hint to a smile gracing her lips and tipped it ever so slightly towards Skye in cheers. Though they drank in silence, Skye was glad for the company and this bit of bonding after the day they'd had. Eventually, May had finished two more drinks to Skye's one, quickly swallowing the last of it and then getting to her feet and moving to sit the bottle down next to Skye.

"Good work today, Skye." May said with a slight squeeze to Skye's shoulder as she left her alone at the bar feeling equal parts surprised and pleased at the compliment from May. Skye poured another drink and sat there swirling it around in the glass as her mind strayed, as it usually did during moments of contemplation, to Jemma.

"Crazy day, huh?" Trip's voice came from behind her.

"That's an understatement." She replied automatically. "Drink?" She offered.

"Na, think I'll see if there's anything to eat around here."

Probably a good idea, Skye thought, though she only nodded.

"Do you mind?" He asked pointing to the TV on the wall beside them.

"Nope," she answered as she turned back to her drink. Trip went to the refrigerator, grabbed something he deemed edible, and kicked back on the sofa turning on the screen to see what he could find. She took a sip wondering where Simmons had ended up this evening. Skye spun around in her seat so she could see the TV. "Anything good?"

"Looks like this place gets ESPN." Trip replied watching a channel that had a mix of six different sports related boxes playing at the same time.

"Even super secret S.H.I.E.L.D Agents need their sports channels."

"You know it, girl!"

They shared amused smiles and Skye watched the screen with him for a few minutes.

"Um, have you seen Simmons around?"

"She found a room to bunk in close to the lab."

Skye smirked. Of course she did.

Wanting to do something nice for Jemma, Skye looked through the cabinets until she found a kettle to boil water and set about making a cup of tea. She found a few varieties of tea, none of which was Jemma's favorite, so she picked one she thought the biochemist would like and added that to the hot water. She noticed a small bottle of whiskey on the counter and pocketed it for good measure.

"I think I'll go see how she is."

"She didn't seem like she wanted company."

"Well, I'm gonna try anyway." Skye said as she put the cup on a plate so she could walk around with it easier.

"You guys are friends, maybe that'll make the difference." Trip said encouragingly.

"Maybe." She set the bottle of alcohol that May had passed to her down on the table next to Trip. "In case you change your mind." She smiled and then said her goodbye, "See ya later, Trip."

"Good luck."

She gave him a little wave as she left the room and began her search for Jemma.

xxxxx

They had gotten a quick orientation of The Playground before Billy and Coulson had disappeared so Skye had some idea of where she was going, at the very least she knew she would find her way sooner or later and just hoped that the tea stayed warm until then. It didn't end up taking very long for her to find the room where a bag of Jemma's extra gear was sitting outside the closed door. Skye took a moment standing there, tea in hand, as she took a deep breath and then knocked.

She heard some movement, the knob turned, and the door opened. Jemma peered out from around the door a little bleary-eyed, "Skye?"

"Hey. Sorry, did I wake you?"

She shook her head, "No."

"I just wanted, I- uh, I… I brought you tea." Skye finally managed.

Jemma glanced down at the cup and dish in Skye's hands.

"Oh. Um, come in," Jemma said opening the door wider and stepping back allowing Skye adequate space to enter. She took the cup Skye offered her with a quiet "thank you" and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Skye moved to sit next to Jemma, her leg folded underneath her so she could easily face her.

"I couldn't find your favorite or any of the other ones that you like so," she shrugged one shoulder, "I gave it my best guess… I hope its okay."

Under normal circumstances Skye's nervous attempt would have amused Jemma, and the fact that Skye knew her favorite tea would have made her heart flutter in her chest. But at present, all Jemma could muster was small smile.

"This was very thoughtful of you. Thank you." Jemma said taking a sip and letting the aroma and heat seep into her system. "It's good."

"I also brought you this," Skye said digging into her front pocket and producing the little bottle of whiskey. "In case, you know, you wanted to make it Irish."

Jemma managed a slight laugh. "You came prepared."

Skye realized something. "I should have brought you something to eat, too. There's food, I can go-" Skye started to get up to go back to the kitchen, but Jemma's hand on her leg stopped her.

"No. I'm… this is good. Really."

Skye stayed put and Jemma removed her hand, taking another longer sip of tea and then sat the tea down on a box next to the bed.

"How are you?" Skye asked gently.

"Honestly?" She paused to take a breath. "I don't… I don't know."

Skye reached for her hand and gripped it firmly while letting her thumb trace softly over the back, but when Jemma looked up at her so hopelessly sad; Skye reached for her with both arms and drew her into a hug. They sat that way for a while, Jemma just letting Skye hold her. She thought she was far too exhausted to cry until she felt the tears trailing down her face and soaking a spot on Skye's shirt.

"I'm sorry," Jemma apologized and tried to pull away, but Skye held her firmly.

"It's okay." Skye soothed, pulling her a bit closer, embracing her tighter. After a little while Skye let out a shaky breath, moved a hand to wipe at her own face and Jemma realized that Skye was crying too.

"Skye?"

Skye sniffled again and this time resigned her hold and tried to turn away, but Jemma held her by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I'm- I thought you were dead. Garrett said you and Fitz… he said you were dead." The emotions of the past few days were finally cresting and washing over her.

Jemma took Skye's face in her hands and searched her eyes. She could tell her that they almost did die, that it was Ward who had caught them and brought them to Garrett, that it was Ward who released the Medpod and dropped them into the ocean, that she was truly terrified with all of her being that Fitz would never recover. But she didn't. She simply brushed her fingers along Skye's cheek catching the tear streaks.

Try as she might, any sensible words failed to make it passed her lips as she struggled with what she could say, what she wanted to say, what she needed to say. Then, suddenly it didn't matter. Suddenly, she didn't have to speak because her lips were occupied by Skye's, warm and soft and certain, pressed to hers. And just like that, all the noise in her brain, the worries in her heart, and the fear residing in her stomach had finally gone - at least for a few moments.

Thanks for reading!

*scampers away giggling*