Note: Much of the early dialogue taken from the script for 'A Hen in the Wolf House', found on the Springfield! Springfield! Website. I haven't written much of Hunter and Bobbi before – really only in 'A La Coulson' – so I hope it's okay. I came up with the idea in the morning, and couldn't get back to sleep because of it. It's all ozhawk's fault, but she insisted that I write this, so… yeah.

"The Bird, the Nerd, and the Merc"

The chief of security at HYDRA stalked between the workers. Jemma met her eyes briefly, and hoped that her blush wouldn't be misinterpreted as guilt. The woman looked away again almost immediately, and Jemma felt behind her for the table. She leaned against it, and glanced at Turgeon when he chuckled.

"Good-looking, isn't she?" he remarked. She smiled weakly.

"An understatement," she said. He turned back to his desk, and she began thanking every deity she could think of, including Thor, that no one suspected her yet.

For all that Skye thought Jemma couldn't lie to save her life, she'd been doing a bang-up job so far. Now if she could only keep her cool in front of Agent Morse, she would be fine. The fact that the woman made her feel tongue-tied, however, could prove to be a problem.

"Dr. Jemma Simmons," she said, scanning a file. "This is quite an impressive résumé." Jemma hummed, fighting the urge to look down at her hands, and Agent Morse half-smiled at her. "SHIELD Academy, top of your class, two PHDs in very advanced fields. It even says here you spent time in the field as a SHIELD agent. Is that correct?"

"Only a short time," Jemma said.

Agent Morse's eyes snapped up, and Jemma's breath caught. She swallowed.

"No," the agent murmured. Bakshi coughed, and she straightened. "You've only been in HYDRA a short time. But it seems that you've been affiliated with SHIELD in one capacity or another for most of your life."

"To be fair, aren't most HYDRA agents ex-SHIELD operatives, who were working from within SHIELD long before it fell?"

Agent Morse opened and closed her mouth, and then turned her head to Bakshi. "Can we have a moment?" He tilted his head. "If you could just wait outside, thanks."

He frowned minutely, but left them alone together. Agent Morse stood up, and Jemma's stomach dropped. She felt paralysed; her mouth was dry. And her eyes widened as Agent Morse opened her jacket and pulled up her shirt.

'Only a short time.' In Jemma's writing.

Finally. Jemma slowly stood, and pushed her blouse up. She turned to display 'Dr. Jemma Simmons. This is quite an impressive résumé. SHIELD Academy, top of your class, two PHDs in very advanced fields. It even says here you spent time in the field as a SHIELD agent. Is that correct?' on her lower back. She felt a finger trace the words, and shivered at the hint of a long nail.

"Huh," Agent Morse said.

"Indeed," Jemma replied.

"My name is Barbara, but no one calls me that, not even my ex-husband."

"Ex-husband?"

"Our soulmate. We were empty without our third, and split up because we fought too much. But now you… could bring us together again." She tugged Jemma's top back down, and arranged her own clothes back into place. "I have work to do, but I'll let you go for now. We need to talk again later."

Jemma turned, biting her lower lip, and looked up at her soulmate with shiny eyes. "If you like," she said.

"Oh, I like," Agent Morse said, and she smirked as she looked Jemma over. "I like very much, Dr. Simmons." She rubbed Jemma's arms, and pecked her on the lips. "Go back to work. See you sometime after lunch, okay?"

She nodded, speechless, and left the room. Her skin crawled as Bakshi eyed her.

Of course her soulmate had to be HYDRA. That was just Jemma's luck lately, wasn't it?

And… judging by the pictures on every HYDRA computer, Barbara Morse was about to find out. What were the odds that Jemma would leave the building alive? Slim to none, she realised, as security rounded the corner, led by Agent Morse.

Jemma took a step back. Damn it, she should've taken more self-defence lessons. There was no way she could take on even one field agent, let alone two or three.

…Then her soulmate took out the others, and dragged Jemma through the corridors. Her heart raced, and she stared at the woman.

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful," she said, "because I truly am grateful, but who are you?"

"Bobbi Morse. Coulson sent me in to infiltrate HYDRA and keep an eye on you."

Just the name 'Coulson' was enough to lift Jemma's spirits. "Well, you did a spot-on job, really. You were quite intimidating."

Bobbi – Jemma supposed she could use that name – smiled wryly. "Sorry about that, honey. If I'd known you were one of my soulmates, I would've gone about it differently from the start."

"Oh, no problem," Jemma said. She twisted her arm so that she could lace their fingers together. "Where are we going? I'm afraid there's no way I'm walking out that front door."

"Okay, don't worry," Bobbi said. "All we have to do is get to the roof. There's already an extraction team there waiting." She gave Jemma her instructions as they neared the stairwell.

"Be careful," Jemma said before they parted. She pulled Bobbi close, and gave her a much more thorough kiss than the one they'd shared in the interrogation room. Bobbi's cheeks were a bit pink by the time they pulled apart, and she tapped Jemma's backside as she sent her upstairs.

"Welcome home, Agent Simmons," Phil said as Jemma disembarked, followed closely by Bobbi.

"Director Coulson," Jemma said.

"I'm glad to have you back."

"I'm just glad to be alive," she admitted, and Bobbi stopped beside her, slipping an arm around her waist. "If it wasn't for Bobbi, I would never have made it out. Probably be brainwashed, happy to comply to who knows what." She beamed up at the woman. "She's amazing. I'm so lucky."

"Lucky?" Phil asked, looking from one to the other. Understanding seemed to hit him, judging by the way his eyebrows leapt up. "I see…" He laughed softly. "Well. That's even more incentive for her to join the team."

Jemma's smile faded as she noticed Fitz. Bobbi patted her back, and Jemma drifted over to her best friend.

"Hi, Fitz," she said.

"Simmons?" he said, and his expression changed. "Is that really you?"

"Of course it is! Who else would it be?" She hesitated. "How've you been?"

"I've, uh… been… okay. You?"

"Found one of my soulmates," Jemma burst out. Fitz's eyes widened, and she mentally berated herself. But it was best for him to find out from her. "The agent who saved me. She works for Coulson. That's her, there." She pointed, and Fitz pursed his lips. "I'm sorry, Fitz, but you knew it would happen. Have you…?"

"No," he said shortly. "Well done. I should… uh… say the thing to her. For saving you."

"The thing?"

"The thing!" He waved his hands, growing agitated. "Where you say… uh…"

"Thank you?" Mack piped up, brow furrowed a little. Fitz nodded.

"Thank you," he said. "I have to say thank you to her."

Jemma turned when her name was called. Bobbi held out a hand. Jemma held up her index finger to say 'one moment'.

"I'll talk to you later, all right?" she asked. Fitz nodded again, shortly. She paused, but then went to her soulmate's side.

"Jemma, this is Lance Hunter," Bobbi said, indicating the bearded man in front of her. Jemma smiled at him politely. "Hunter's my ex-husband." Her jaw dropped, and Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Hunter, this is the legendary Dr. Jemma Simmons."

"It's lovely to meet you, and apparently we're soulmates," Jemma blurted. She heard Bobbi snort in laughter, and ducked her head. She shook Hunter's hand when he offered it, and glanced up to see his warm, surprised smile.

"I really hope that's true, love," he said, "because you're the cutest doctor I've ever seen."

"Oh." Those were indeed her other set of words. Both had gotten her through the toughest times in her life, the days when others bullied her for studying too much, for not having a clear enough complexion, for not participating in sports. She would someday be a scientist, and one of her soulmates would call her the cutest doctor he or she had ever seen, reassuring her. And now it was finally happening.

"She's had a big day," Bobbi told Phil. "I think she needs a rest. We'll make sure she gets to her bedroom safely. Won't we, Hunter?"

"Absolutely," he said, looking Jemma up and down. "Gladly. Lead on."

Jemma waited for Phil to say something; he was her boss, after all. He shrugged.

"Debriefing can wait," he said. He narrowed his eyes. "All debriefing can wait."

"Whatever you say, Papa Wolf," Hunter muttered.

"Sir!" Jemma hissed at Phil. There was a wicked glint in his eyes.

"Your father's not here," he said. "Besides, I'm sure you'd prefer to get to know each other first, and your friends will want to catch up with you. You've got four hours, then I expect you and Agent Morse in my office. And Hunter, if he can't tear himself away from you."

"Can you blame me?" Hunter said. Phil rolled his eyes.

"Four. Hours," he said. "Simmons, I get the feeling you're going to have to be the one to keep them in line."

"I'll do my best, sir," she said cheekily. They took it as a dismissal, and she led Hunter and Bobbi to her room, such as it was. There certainly wouldn't be enough space for all three of them in bed, so that was something to think about. Even considering that made her flush brighter red. She'd only just met the both of them that very day, and they had a long history together which she couldn't hope to match.

Her heart pounded as she felt Hunter take her left hand, and Bobbi take her right. There was just enough room for the three of them to walk abreast.

"What the hell did you do to your hair, Bobbi?" Hunter asked. Jemma glanced at him, and then at Bobbi, who was scowling.

"It's called going undercover, Hunter," she said.

"I liked you better as a blonde."

"I think she looks lovely no matter the colour of her hair," Jemma said tentatively, squeezing their hands. "Don't you think so, Hunter?"

His face softened, and he nudged her shoulder with his. "Of course," he said. "And you can call me Lance. If I can call you Jemma?"

"Why, of course," she said, blinking rapidly. "We're soulmates."

"It was hard," Bobbi said quietly. Jemma looked up at her, and they stopped in the corridor when Bobbi chewed her lower lip and slowed down. "Being together, without you."

"It doesn't help that you changed after we married," Hunter muttered. "What's that old joke? A man marries a woman expecting her to stay the same, and she changes, whereas a woman marries a man expecting to change him, and he stays the same?"

"It was nothing to do with marriage," Bobbi said. Hunter frowned at her. "Okay, partly to do with that. You were old enough, and we thought it wouldn't be long before we found you." She laughed hollowly. "Guess we found out why soulmate triads don't marry until all three are together."

"I'm so sorry," Jemma murmured. "And my words on you weren't much to go by."

"I'd like to see your words," Hunter said. Jemma blushed at the look in his eyes, as his gaze slid down her body and up again.

"Not out in the open," she replied. "It's… not far to my room."

"Lead on, then."

It was, in fact, only another two doors down. She checked, and all her things were still in place. She'd have to raid her flat, assuming it hadn't been torn apart by HYDRA goons, and bring back the few sentimental objects she'd risked taking with her.

"Come in," she said, gesturing her soulmates – her soulmates! – into the room. She felt crowded almost immediately; they were virtually strangers to her, and she feared that she had nothing in common with them, aside from words on their skin.

"I haven't even had a kiss," Hunter said. Jemma wasn't facing him, and she nearly squeaked. "I mean, you don't have to…"

"No," she said, turning around. "I'd like to. You're very handsome." He smirked, and she twisted her hands. "It's been a very peculiar day. Terrifying, really. I believe… I could use the comfort."

He held his arms open, and Jemma stepped into his warmth. He enfolded her close, and rubbed their noses together until Jemma took the initiative and met his lips. It was different to Bobbi's kiss, of course, and the scratch of stubble along Jemma's chin and jawbone was… softer than she'd expected, actually. It didn't have the scratch of nails, but was harsh enough to make her shiver. She felt an extra set of hands rest on her hips, and Bobbi pressing up behind her.

"Where are your other words, Jemma?" she asked. Jemma managed to tear her mouth away from Hunter's, and she felt rather smug when he complained.

"Uh… on my inner thigh," she said.

"Right leg?"

"Yes."

"Huh."

"What?"

"What Bobbi's trying – and failing – to imply," Hunter said, "is that my words for you are on my left hip. I'm guessing that Bobbi's are on your lower back?" Jemma nodded, giddy with the implications. "Mine for her are on her back, and hers are on the inside of my right arm. It's an indication of—"

"The way we must be arranged when we bond," Jemma said, and she buried her face in his chest. He laughed. "I'd like to get to know both of you first, before… before we get to that. And introduce you to my parents."

"Go to England?" Bobbi asked. "I guess we could ask Coulson – nicely – if we can hitch a lift."

"No, no," Jemma said. "We can Skype them on a secure channel. They know what I do for a living."

"Really?" Hunter said. "That isn't safe… Why are you laughing, Bobbi?"

"Because," Bobbi replied, "she's Peggy Carter's granddaughter."

"My mother worked for SHIELD since she was a teenager," Jemma said. "She met my father through the services. Fitz knows none of this. I was raised on stories about Captain America and the Howling Commandoes, and it was clear from the beginning that I would end up working for SHIELD in some capacity. Even as a child, I was used as a decoy occasionally, and SHIELD funded my education. My codename was Mini Carter. Although my dad sometimes calls me Minnie Mouse."

"That's sweet," Bobbi said, stroking Jemma's hair. "We'd love to talk to your parents."

"What about your parents?" Jemma asked, looking up at her. Bobbi's hand paused.

"Orphan," she said.

"I'm so sorry."

"It happened a long time ago. Don't worry about it. I'm sure they would've loved you."

Jemma leaned back into her arms, and looked up at Hunter. "Do you have any family, Lance?"

He snorted. "No mother, an absent father, and two brothers. One brother has apparently just returned to the UK, but the other lives in New York."

"Can I meet him?"

"I'd… really prefer you not to."

"Wouldn't he like me?"

"He's… uh…"

"Sherlock's an acquired taste," Bobbi said, sounding amused.

"Yes, let's go with the understatement of the century."

"Because I only know normal people," Jemma deadpanned. Hunter looked at her, and then at Bobbi.

"Okay," he said. "I'll try to conference call with Mycroft as well."

The phone call to Jemma's parents had to be quick, in case HYDRA tried to tap the conversation. It would take them at least a minute to break through, and there'd be fifteen seconds of warning.

"You look after our Minnie Mouse for us, you hear?" Jemma's father said sternly, addressing both Bobbi and Hunter. "Don't think we won't call in a favour from Nick Fury."

"Did you hear that Sharon is working for the CIA now?" Jemma's mother said. "I'll send you her new number, in case you need help."

"Thanks, Mum. Talk to you both later."

"It was lovely meeting you, Barbara, Lance."

Hunter complained bitterly about his oldest brother having to fake his own death, and making it damn near impossible to get in touch with him. But they were able to get through to the middle brother, and an ordinary-looking room with brown floorboards and a chair in the middle showed up on the screen. Jemma could see a bit of family resemblance with the scruffy-looking man slouched in the seat. An Asian woman walked into the room with two mugs, and handed one to him.

"What is it?" Sherlock asked.

"You remember Bobbi, don't you?" Hunter said. Bobbi waved.

"We haven't met," the woman with Sherlock said. "I'm Joan Watson. I work with Sherlock."

"I'm Bobbi, Hunter's… Lance's soulmate and ex-wife," Bobbi said.

"This is Jemma, our third," Hunter said, gesturing to her. "She's a doctor."

"No kidding," Joan said, and she took a sip of her drink. "Me too. I'm an ex-surgeon."

"I'm a scientist," Jemma said. "Bio-science. Although I'm the team doctor as well, I suppose."

"And are you a trained killer, too?" Sherlock asked bluntly. Jemma cocked her head.

"I'm not a mercenary," she said. "I work in the lab."

"Huh."

"I didn't even know that Sherlock had a younger brother until today," Joan said, and she smacked Sherlock's shoulder. He glared up at her, although it seemed to be his default expression.

"Mycroft is in the government, and I'm a consulting detective," Sherlock said. "It's hardly going to crop up in conversation that I have a brother ten years younger than me who happens to be an assassin-for-hire."

"I guess not."

"Thank God he changed his name."

"Who'd hire a merc named Sherrinford Holmes?" Hunter said. "It was a professional necessity. And I'm on the side of the good guys now, you'll be pleased to hear."

"But still killing people, I presume?" Sherlock said.

"Sherrinford?" Jemma said.

"I got the worst out of the lot. No wonder I was bullied at school."

"And I suppose you're now going to complain that that was what set you on your career path?" Sherlock remarked.

Hunter scowled at him, but addressed Jemma. "I used the codename Lance Hunter a few times in the SAS, and decided that it would be a good one to continue using when I became a… a hired gun."

"Well, congratulations," Joan said. "When did you meet each other?"

"I only met them two days ago," Jemma said.

"We're pleased for you. Aren't we, Sherlock?" she added pointedly. He nodded.

"Try not to screw up your new relationship," he said. Then he ended the conversation, and Hunter swore into his hands.

"Don't judge me based on my family," he muttered.

"I'd never do that," Jemma said. "Sherlock is quite… interesting."

"That's one word for it," Bobbi said. "Hey, we're not likely to meet him in person. Consider yourself lucky that he didn't start deducing every little thing about you."

"Deducing?"

"I'll explain later."

"I think Mycroft and Sherlock are pissed that I haven't been using our genetic genius the same way they do," Hunter said. "But the world can only take so many Holmeses."

"One's enough for me," Jemma said, wrapping her arms around him. "Now, I must go. I promised to have tea with Skye and catch up, and since it's… awkward with Fitz at the moment, judging by our failed attempt at a conversation…"

"We understand," Bobbi said, and she kissed Jemma's hair. "Hunter and I need to catch up as well. Find out where we went wrong last time, so we can make sure it won't happen again."

"It won't," Jemma said, standing, and she smiled brightly at them. "It'll be the three of us together from now on."

Over the next few weeks, they spent the time together that they could between missions, while also trying to hang out with their friends. Fitz was still short with Jemma, and she could sort of understand it, especially now that she had found her soulmates. It worried her that he might still have some lingering romantic feelings, and there was nothing she could do about them. If only he'd found his soulmate…

"I never told you," Fitz said. He was tinkering, and it was just the two of them in the lab while Jemma studied blood samples under the microscope. She looked up, trying to hide her hopeful expression.

"Told me what?" she asked.

"I met him. My… my, uh…"

"Soulmate?"

"Yes," he said. "That."

"But…" She blinked, and straightened up. "But, Fitz, why didn't you say?"

"`Cause I don't know who it was," he said. "The, uh, the words… only spoken one… one time, you see?"

"You don't remember what he looks like?" she said.

"N-no," he said, shaking his head. "Uh, it was dark. A… a thing where the lights go out."

"A blackout?"

"Yeah. My eyes were getting used to it, and I ran into someone. He said the words, I said something back. But people… noise… and I had to get to the, uh… this place."

"The lab."

He nodded. "No clue who it was. And we were… were friends then."

"We can still be friends," Jemma said gently. "If we can find out the days there were blackouts at the academy—"

"No," Fitz said. "A base."

"All right. We'll look up any blackouts – there should be records – and find out who was on base that day, and narrow it down to people who don't have a soulmate listed."

"No… no one will…"

"No one will what, Fitz?"

"W-want me like this."

"Oh, Fitz." She touched his shoulder. He tensed, but didn't pull away.

"Didn't want anyone else, but now that you've got…" He gestured towards the door, and she smiled sadly.

"I don't know them half as well as I know you, but we're meant to be, and you're meant to be with someone else. We just have to find him. What did you say when you met him? They don't record the words on people who've found their soulmate or soulmates, but if he noted it down and thought you might have recorded yours…"

"Should've done it, I s'pose," Fitz muttered.

"Never mind," Jemma said, and she squeezed his hand. "We'll find him."

"Because you don't want me to be… just me."

She hesitated, and looked at the doorway. "You'll never be alone, Fitz. You've got us. Above all, you have me, and you have Mack as well."

"I don't have Mack! Why would he…?"

"Well, if I'd known you just didn't recognise my voice, maybe I would've told you sooner, Turbo," Mack said. Jemma felt slightly guilty for the way Fitz spun around to stare at the tall mechanic entering the room. Then his words registered.

"Are you Fitz's soulmate?" she asked.

"How many Scottish SHIELD agents do we have working in America?" Mack asked, never taking his eyes off Fitz. "When we met, I thought it was you, but I wasn't sure. It's not like I got to see a sample of your handwriting." He stopped right in front of Fitz, who was staring, bug-eyed, up at him. Jemma backed off. "I guess one America accent sounds like another, when it's mixed in with others."

"I thought your voice was far away because I nearly fell down," Fitz said. Slowly, he rested a hand on Mack's chest. "Damn, you're hard." Mack snorted, and Fitz turned red. "I thought I was gonna have bruises for days from just running into you."

"I'll, uh." Jemma cleared her throat, well aware that they were staring at each other. "I'll just leave you alone now, shall I? Yes. See you later."

She waited until she was out the door before she squealed, and ran off to find Skye.

I like hopeful endings, and I like Fitzmack. So there.

Please review!