Note: I should probably put in spoiler warnings for some of these chapters, shouldn't I? Right, spoilers for S02E15 in the second half of this chapter.

"Need Better Words"

It had been a horrendous time, and Jemma was allowed to feel strung out after she finally returned to SHIELD. Shaken, but not much worse for wear. Things could have turned out much worse, after all, would have if it wasn't for Bobbi. But then, judging by the story, if there hadn't been someone at HYDRA to protect her then Skye might have been delivered to her father, who was apparently a monster. Poor Skye.

On the journey to SHIELD, Bobbi had told her some stories about her unreasonable ex-husband, who Jemma began to hate on principle.

"He's not a bad guy," Bobbi said. "I mean, he's a mercenary, but he was in the SAS."

"He's British?" Jemma said. Admittedly, that was interesting. Bobbi nodded. Well, he couldn't be all bad then. The only British accent that she heard in person anymore was Fitz's, and he… well, she'd see how he was soon enough.

"You could talk about the motherland, and how Americans just don't know how to make tea," Bobbi said teasingly. Jemma arched an eyebrow.

"I have a healthy appreciation for the tea here," she said. Bobbi tilted her head like a bird. "But… there are some things it would be lovely to discuss. Especially if Fitz decides not to talk to me." Her heart sank as she looked out the window.

"Don't worry about it," Bobbi said, patting her arm. "Just don't listen to any of the stories Hunter tells about me. I'm basically the she-devil to him."

"No love lost between you?"

"None."

"But… aren't you soulmates?"

She laughed hollowly. "No, we're not. I almost wish we were, but… it's better this way."

"Have you found your soulmate?"

"Not yet. But I hope I will, someday. You?"

Jemma shook her head. "I keep thinking that I do, but…"

"What's your mark?"

"Bad luck to tell."

"Damn, that's true."

"But it's terribly generic."

"More common than you'd think," Bobbi said.

"Yes, but if you don't notice it after awhile, how do you find your one?" Jemma said.

"Try to say something unique. Maybe give them your name?"

"I suppose so."

"Or maybe," she sat back, "you'll know who it is just by looking at them. I know that's been the case before with some people. There's been an instant attraction which could be mistaken for something physical, but once they've said their words," she snapped her fingers, "that's it, and they both know."

"It all sounds far too convenient to be real."

"Ah! Too young to be so cynical."

"I am twenty-seven," Jemma said indignantly.

"True."

"And I work for SHIELD. New SHIELD, that is. The one not tainted by HYDRA."

"Mmm-hmm."

"We'll rise above it, like the eagle."

"It should be a phoenix."

"And we'll never let ourselves be betrayed again," Jemma murmured, leaning her head against the glass of the window and looking out as they neared the Playground.

Great. Well, the pretty English girl was clearly going to be on Bob's side, Hunter realised as he heard the doctor exclaiming over how 'amazing' Bobbi was. Couldn't deny that; but oh, if the girl only knew what Bobbi was really like…

They nodded to each other when she introduced them, but Hunter could already tell that the girl didn't like him. What'd Bobbi been saying? Typical.

So it was no surprise when they bumped into each other one evening, and Simmons pursed her lips upon recognising him.

"Hi," Hunter said. She looked him up and down.

"Hello," she replied. Then she moved past him.

"What'd I do to you?" he asked over his shoulder. She paused, looked back at him.

"I'm Bobbi's friend," she said.

"So that means we can't—"

"I know you've said horrible things about her."

"Listen, sweetheart, you weren't married to Bobbi, you don't know her the way I do—"

"Don't call me 'sweetheart'!"

"And don't presume that she's never got a hidden agenda, Simmons. She lures you in, gets all the information she wants, and then leaves when she's finished with you. She keeps secrets from her secrets! That's what makes her the perfect undercover agent."

She shook her head fiercely and walked off. Unsettled, Hunter returned to his room.

"One day you'll learn," he said quietly, closing the door behind himself.

And maybe he'd learn that lesson, too.

Who did they think they were, 'Real SHIELD'? And Professor Weaver was with them?

It was lovely to know that she was alive, of course. Jemma knew that, and Fitz agreed with her. But… Coulson was their leader. Bobbi and Mack were supposed to be on their side, and never lie to them. What did this mean for her fellow Englishman?

Poking Mack harder than was strictly necessary, Jemma pursed her lips.

"Where is Hunter?" she asked. "Is he with you?"

"He got away," Mack said. "We took him there, but he refused to join New SHIELD. Too stupidly loyal to Coulson."

Jemma prodded an injury with precision, relishing Mack's pained grunt. "Thank you for saving Fitz."

"He's my man—"

"He is not your man! And if you think he's going to think well of you for this betrayal, you can think again. Fitz has had enough of that. From Ward, even from me when I left, and now you and Bobbi. He trusted you."

"Look, Jemma—"

"Don't call me that!" she snapped. "Was anyone else involved?"

"No, just me and Bobbi."

"And you don't know where Hunter is?"

"Personally?" Mack said. "No, I don't. All I know is he skipped out—"

"And you tried to make us believe that he abandoned us," she said, shaking her head. "I would almost prefer you to have been HYDRA. At least we know to kill or capture HYDRA; we don't know what to do with you."

"Doc, you're not the ones in charge here."

Jemma scowled at him, loaded up an antibiotic, and stuck the needle straight into his arm without preparation. He hissed, and she yanked the syringe back out and threw it into the sharps bin.

"Make sure you don't get that infected unless you want to risk your arm falling off," she said, and she flounced out of the room. One of the agents tried to stop her, but she backhanded the man. If he had whiplash, he'd better not come crying to her.

"Jemma," Weaver began. Jemma turned her head away and returned to Fitz's side.

"We need to get out of here," she whispered.

"We have to wait for May or Coulson to tell us what's happening."

"I hope Hunter's okay."

"I thought you hated him?"

She shook her head slowly. "I did at the start, but then I spoke to him a few times, played some games of Scrabble. We never had to consult a dictionary." Fitz smirked, well aware of her propensity to use unusual words to trip up their American friends. "I told him about life in Sheffield, he told me about his favourite places in London. I… I came to like him. And I hope he's still alive."

"I'm sure he is, Jemma."

"You must feel terrible. Mack is your friend."

"Was. He can't be anymore. I can't… do this anymore."

"I'm sorry, Leo."

He placed his hand over hers. "We've still got each other. And we'll have the others, when we…"

"Get out of here."

"Yeah. `Cause we will, Jemma. I promise."

"This time we'll do it together," she said. "No more solo heroics."

"At least we're not under the ocean this time."

"It does make a bit of a difference."

"Do you really think this is the best place to rendezvous?" Hunter asked, glancing around the smoky bar-room.

"Who'd think of looking for us here?" Coulson said. "Billy and Sam are still looking for Fury and Skye. May's bringing FitzSimmons. As long as we keep out of HYDRA's path for the next few days, we'll be safe."

"And out of the Avengers' path," Hunter said. Coulson flinched.

"SHIELD was supposed to be the last line of defence," he said. "I still believe that. But while there's still debate over who's really in charge of SHIELD, the Avengers are it."

"A bunch of superheroes with conflicting personalities?"

"That's them."

"Brilliant."

"I'm sorry about Bobbi. If I'd known…"

"Nah. I should've known better. Should've waited for my soulmate."

"You haven't met them yet?"

"My soulmark is probably the most generic soulmark known to man, Coulson."

He winced. "My sympathies."

"If I like the look of the person who says it to me, I say something unusual in return, hoping for the best, but… nothing."

"What if you don't like the look of the person?" he asked.

Hunter shrugged. "I haven't had someone tell me that I've said their soulmark, so I'm gonna assume I haven't met them yet," he replied.

"Hunter… oh, here they are."

Coulson waved the team over, at least what was left of it.

"Still no sign of Skye?" Simmons said, sliding into the booth next to Hunter. Fitz sat beside her, and May next to Coulson.

"Haven't heard from either Agent Koenig yet, and Skye hasn't called any of our usual numbers."

"And nothing from Fury?" Fitz asked. Coulson shook his head.

"We're stuck for the time being," he said. "I've been trying to find a new safe house. Hunter did suggest a plan."

"No more covert," Hunter said. "The people calling themselves the 'real SHIELD' said that they were tired of all the secrets, that they wanted to work out in the open."

"So, naturally, they sent in spies," Coulson muttered.

"Instead, we beat them to the punch," Hunter continued. "Website. Permanent, public address. Top security, yeah, but logo on the front. Leak any secrets we find out about the bad guys. Get General Talbot's stamp of approval. Make ourselves known to the world. It… may bring the Avengers onto our case, but we'll be saying that we're anti-HYDRA, that we're open for help from the public, and not keep any more secrets. Well, except for surprise birthday parties, but that'd be between us."

"You want us to go public," May said.

"We've started designing a website," Coulson said, folding out his handkerchief on the table. "Okay, it's a bit crude, but we haven't got Skye with us. I bought a book on webpage design, though. We can paint our own signs. I've already got my eye on a place, and Maria Hill's getting it for me. If we just want it as a new safe-house, that's okay; she's keeping the paperwork dark for us. But if you agree with going public…" He tapped the centre of the handkerchief, and Hunter waited for the others' reactions.

"It's just an idea," he said.

"It's a good one," Simmons said. "You're right, they won't be expecting it. This will take the wind right out of their sails."

"Teach them to mess with us," Fitz added. "I can help with setting up the website."

"Thank you, Fitz," Coulson said. "We're also going to join Youtube, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook… every social media outlet we can. We're gonna spread the word."

"And bring the Avengers down on us when they find out you're alive," May pointed out.

"Public support from them; all the better."

"Even if Stark kicks you out?"

"I'm relying on Pepper Potts if it comes to that."

"Does it mean I can tell my parents I'm alive?" Simmons said. "Fitz can tell his mum?"

"And I can tell Audrey," Coulson said. "Hell of a bonus, isn't it?"

"The pros outweigh the cons," May said. "For the time being."

"Once we're out there, we're out there, May," he said. "No going back. If Skye is free, if she can get back to us, then she'll know where to go."

"So will Ward and Skye's father."

"Assuming they're not holding her hostage already."

She nodded slowly. "It's the best plan we've got. I say let's do it."

They stayed at a motel the night before they moved into the new premises. It sounded quite business-like that way, and less like a military operation. After all, they hardly had the numbers of an army anymore.

Fitz, Hunter, and Coulson already had a website up and running, May was helping the Koenigs with the search, and Jemma was already fielding messages from people through the website between writing up videos to release on Youtube. Potted versions of their own stories, to humanise them. It kept her busy, kept her mind off the betrayal, and marvelled for the umpteenth time that she stuck around, instead of going home to England and working in a hospital pharmacy, or perhaps a clothing shop where no one would think to look for her.

"Wanna get a drink with me?"

She looked up from her script.

"That sounds lovely, Hunter, thank you," she said. "I need a break."

"Come on, love. Lemme tell you a bit more about the Barbara Morse you never met."

"The good things or the bad things?"

"I didn't see much of the good outside of the sex and the jokes. Not the best basis for a marriage between non-soulmates."

She sighed, and let him lead her downstairs to the bar. He bought their first round, and she nursed her drink for awhile before taking her first sip.

"I never should have left the lab," she said.

"Don't be like that, petal. We never would've met. The team wouldn't be the same without you. Hell, you might not've made it out of HYDRA-Gate."

"We nearly died anyway. And was it truly worth it?"

"You're asking the wrong man, Simmons. I can't stop making poor life choices."

"You joined us," she said, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. He chuckled.

"Probably the first good decision I've made since I divorced Bobbi all those years ago."

"I wish I hadn't let her influence how I saw you. I made a terrible first impression."

"No worse than me, love," he said.

"You warned me—"

"I was bitter. Accurate, especially in hindsight, but bitter."

"To growing older and wiser," Jemma said, holding up her glass. Hunter clinked his against it, and they drank.

And drank. Two drinks became five, which became more. Which became tumbling into Hunter's bed half-naked

"This is a bad idea," Hunter muttered, tossing Jemma's bra over his shoulder.

"Absolutely terrible."

"But damn it, you're gorgeous."

"Please kiss me?"

They did more than that, becoming entangled under the covers and lost in each other. Hunter moved over Jemma, filling her – the first time anyone had – and she curled one leg around his back and the other flush against the back of his leg. It was amazing, better than she'd ever expected, and—

"What the hell is that?" Hunter hissed, breaking the kiss. Jemma's stomach fell.

"Am I doing something wrong?" she asked. "It… it feels lovely."

"No, it's not… oh my God…"

"Lance, what is it?"

He pulled out and away, and she noticed light fading from the back of his leg. She swallowed, and then turned onto her stomach.

"Is… is this your writing?" she asked, and she held her breath.

"…Bloody hell, we're soulmates."

"It is?"

"Yeah, it's my writing. Not much to go on. Christ, you got 'Hi' as your soulmark."

"I think I was rather short with you." She examined the back of his thigh, and her writing was there: 'Hello'. "Aren't we both horrible?"

"We were doing really well, actually," Hunter said, and he pressed her back down. "I haven't heard of an accidental bond like that, where the soulmates didn't know they were… well, soulmates. We might be the first."

"Lance?"

"Yes, Jemma?"

"Could we please get back to what we were doing?"

"Whatever you like, sweetheart."

"And you won't object to a bond?"

"…No. I won't object at all."

May was the first to notice their appearance the next morning. Later to breakfast than they were supposed to be, but only by a couple of minutes.

"No headaches?" she said.

"Nope," Jemma said. Hunter held her hand under the table.

"Not a one," he said.

"Sex really must be good for avoiding hangovers. Burning off all that alcohol."

Fitz choked on his water.

Decided not to drag it on. Poor Fitz, though. Making characters choke on water is a reaction to all the times I've choked while trying to swallow soluble tablets. It's a cruel and unusual thing to happen to an innocent person.

Please review! This is one of a few chapters I've been working on, and become stuck partway through. Hopefully I'll be able to move on with the others soon.