Note: I never would've thought of this pairing. I threw in time travel, which obviously changes things from S02E05 onwards. Google Translate was used. Also, in this AU, everyone is born with their soulmark, regardless of whether or not their soulmate is alive. A lovely little guessing game, no? And no mind-reading or empathic connections. As is often the case, some dialogue taken from an episode.

"Requires Experimentation"

Jemma was supposed to be training in undercover operations with May, not examining another 0-8-4. A small box, missed by HYDRA when they cleared out most of the Fridge. It could distract her from Fitz for awhile, and May was busy talking to Coulson anyway, so she had time to poke around, see whether she could carry out an examination of the cube. Just to kill time.

Time… funny thing. If it wasn't for time – and that bloody 0-8-4! – Jemma wouldn't been squatting behind a cluster of bins and trying to see whether the cube could be recharged. The green-yellow light had barely flickered in the past hour, and her knees were aching. She shoved the cube into the pocket of her lab coat, and absent-mindedly shoved her glasses in with it. Then she double-checked the date on the discarded newspaper, and regretted ever joining SHIELD, since it left her in nineteen-forty-four. A year before World War Two finished, before the Red Skull died, before Steve Rogers went down in the ocean…

If only she could change the past, but the time paradox… who knows what could happen? The variety of theories regarding time travel and trying to change the past and the future… And to think that she was experiencing time travel for herself! It was enough to make her mind spin with the possibilities, the dangers, the opportunities…

Assuming she wasn't killed, and the cube fell into the wrong hands.

Pursing her lips, Jemma waited for it to get dark enough, then thanked her habit of wearing more old-fashioned clothes, because it would be easier to blend in once she dispensed with the white coat.

Oh dear. If only she knew more about… wherever and whenever she was. The paper was in German, but that could've meant anything. She could've been in Poland, in France, in Austria… worst of all, Germany. Her language and accent classes extended to an American accent, schoolgirl French and Italian, and Latin of course.

"Lupae filius!" she hissed. She searched the rubbish for a bag and thrust her few personal possessions into it, then bundled and placed her lab coat on top. After that she took to the streets, looking for any signs, names, hints of where she might be. It was cold, certainly, and she shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself. The lamplight was sufficient, more than sufficient with the moon, but there were no recognisable landmarks.

"Wer sind Sie, Fraulein?"

Jemma swallowed, and turned around. Please, please, please don't let them be Nazis…

The men weren't in uniform, and there were no Swastikas, but they were armed. She cleared her throat.

"Um… hello. C-could you tell me where I am, please?"

And apparently they didn't trust anyone with an English accent, because they immediately drew their weapons and aimed at her.

"Auf die Knie!" one of them shouted. She didn't need to know German to understand what they were asking. She dropped to the ground. "Hände hinter den Kopf!" Didn't 'Kopf' mean head? She put her hands behind her head, just in case. The men approached, and she shuffled on her knees, uncomfortably aware of the uneven path digging into her knees.

"Bringt sie zu Reinhardt," one man said to another. No clues this time. The second man nodded, and soon she was being 'helped' into the back of a car, fortunately still clutching her bag. She was taken somewhere, and still couldn't work out where she was. The Germans were everywhere around Europe. Well, not everywhere, but widespread enough. How she travelled through both time and space without the TARDIS…

Eventually, she was taken to what looked like a big, white castle. Definitely Europe, a mountainous region, and her heart was pounding at an alarming rate as she was taken out of the car again.

It's alright, she told herself. I'll get home. I haven't met my soulmate yet. My soulmark is in English. All I need is to keep the cube with me. Just… need to think of a plausible explanation for it. Were lava lamps around in World War Two? No, it could still be mistaken for the Tesseract. Perhaps. Certainly might be connected. Enough for HYDRA to be interested, and surely I'll end up in their hands? Oh, I hope not.

Her internal monologue came to a halt as she was brought before a tall man with brown hair, glasses, and a hard look about him. He was definitely in uniform. German uniform, surely? The hat looked right. She was pushed to her knees again in front of him, and bowed her head, tears springing to her eyes. What if her soulmark didn't matter? What if she'd somehow met him, and they'd lost each other?

"Wer ist das?" he said. She noticed his knees as he squatted in front of her, and tipped her head up, one way and then the other. His hands were encased in (probably leather) gloves. "Spricht sie Deutsch?" he asked one of the men who'd brought her.

Brilliant. He didn't think she was worth speaking to. Likely for the best. She lowered her eyes, blinking rapidly. She knew that 'Sprechen sie Deutsch' meant 'Do you speak German', so perhaps he was asking whether she spoke German? In case, she shook her head.

"Nein, Herr Reinhardt!" the man barked. Jemma winced, and met Reinhardt's eyes again. He smiled, though there was no warmth to it. Pity; she was sure that if he smiled properly, nicely, he'd look very handsome. Then immediately dismissed the thought as foolish; he was most likely a Nazi. She had no business thinking him attractive in any way.

"Why have they brought you to me, little mouse?" he asked.

First thought: he speaks English, thank God!

Second thought: he just said my soul words. Oh no.

"Thank God someone around here speaks English," she said, choosing to go with her first thought. Much less to panic about.

Then his eyes widened. Not too much, but noticeable from up close. The edges of his eyes crinkled in something resembling a genuine smile.

"It seemed… a useful skill to have," he said.

"You said my soulmark," she said, finally mentioning her second thought. At least it might keep her safe a little while longer. And the cube eventually ended up in SHIELD custody, even stayed there after HYDRA-Gate. She knew there were raids after the Red Skull died, led by Peggy Carter and the SSR.

But these particular thoughts left her mind as Reinhardt stood up, took both her hands in his, and helped her rise.

"I will not ask you to show me your mark in public," he said.

"Thank goodness for that," she muttered.

"Come with me," he said, linking their arms together and leading her to a room off the main hall. "Wartet hier!"

"Jawohl!" the others chorused. It was unnerving, and Jemma struggled to hide her trembling knees. Once alone with Reinhardt, he led her to a chaise lounge and sat beside her.

"Show me your soulmark?" he said. At least it sounded like a question. "Come now, little mouse. A man in my position must be careful."

With a nod, Jemma shuffled to the edge, then slowly raised the skirt of her dress until her knickers were showing. Were they too fancy for this era? Too late to go back now. She paused when she saw the way his entire focus was on her hands, an almost hungry look in his eyes. It was flattering, and she flushed. Finally, she lowered her underwear just enough to show the line of writing that had reassured her it would never be a platonic relationship with her soulmate. Not where it was positioned. She swallowed, and glanced at his face again. He reached out a finger and ran it along the words. She gasped loudly and squirmed away, dropping her dress back into place.

"My apologies," he said.

"Is it your handwriting?"

"Yes."

"Is my mark… the reason you learnt English?" He nodded.

"Would you like to see it?"

"Should I… should I ask where it is?"

"I am sure you can guess," he said, smirking as he unbuckled his belt. With the HYDRA logo on the buckle. She tensed, and he paused.

"Sorry, go on," she said quickly. He took it for nerves, thankfully, and swiftly unbuttoned and lowered his trousers. She saw his corresponding mark, definitely in her writing. "Yes, that's mine. I mean, my writing." She touched her burning cheeks with cold hands as he chuckled, righting his clothes.

"What is your name, little mouse?" he asked.

"Jemma Simmons." Honesty was the best policy, and anything which happened was going to happen. She wouldn't have said it unless she was meant to. She had to believe that, or else she'd go mad second-guessing herself. "They called you Reinhardt, didn't they?"

"My surname," he said. "My first name is Werner."

"What… what would you like me to call you?"

"I hope you will call me Werner… my Jemma."

Then he was kissing her. In retrospect, she should have anticipated that, judging by the appreciative looks he'd been giving her. And if she had any hope of staying alive and somehow getting the cube to the SSR, she had to play along. So she kissed back, keeping it mild and appropriate for a girl of this era, although perhaps they both got carried away when she realised that he'd pushed her back until he was nearly lying on top of her, his hands getting very familiar with her upper legs. She whined into his mouth, her body getting over-stimulated. It felt like he was touching her everywhere, like their soulmarks were too close.

"Nein!" he said, sitting up. She was panting, and had some difficulty righting herself.

"That… was intense," she remarked.

"And too fast," he said, eyeing her. She gulped.

"I heard that it's… it can be like that between soulmates," she said. "When they first meet. And we are alone, sitting on a comfortable seat. We've seen the position we must be in to bond…"

"I will make an honest woman of you first," he said. She bit her lower lip, and nodded.

"Thank you," she said. "I waited… of course I waited, why wouldn't I? But things are so rushed in war, I wasn't even sure I'd find you, and… I'm glad I did."

"So am I, little mouse," he said. He stroked her arm, bringing up goosebumps all over her skin. "I am curious, though. Why Fate would give me an Englishwoman as my soulmate."

"She works in mysterious ways, her wonders to perform."

"A line of poetry?"

"I'm not sure. It's something my grandmother used to say."

"Your family?"

"It's… it's only me now."

His eyes narrowed. "What happened to them?"

"We were… we were holidaying in Europe, trying to help the economy. Wrong place, wrong time. The Allies attacked…" She lowered her head. In the future, her family thought her dead, and she may as well be to them. Would she ever see them again? The thought of losing them forever brought tears to her eyes, and she allowed them to fall. As long as Reinhardt bought her story, she was safe. Had to be safe.

"You lost your family to your own people," he said, rubbing her back. She nodded, and then shook her head.

"We were pacifists," she said. "Scientists."

"Scientists?" he said, his spine straightening.

"All I have left is this," she said, indicating the bag. "My coat, my goggles… not much at all."

"What kind of science?" he asked.

"I… I've studied biology." Not a lie. He grinned.

"My area of interest," he said. "A fellow scientist. That is why you were chosen for me."

"You like science?" That confirmed he was HYDRA.

"Very much." He ran his other hand lightly over her stomach. "And I look forward to studying your biology."

Her cheeks must have looked like traffic lights by now. Jemma smiled bashfully and lowered her head again. Once more, he bought it, raising her head.

"Beautiful," he murmured. "Come. I must announce this."

"Oh… very well."

"Is there anyone I can ask for permission to marry you?" She shook her head. "You will marry me?"

"Of course." She was torn between feeling sick and feeling glad that he was at least attractive. That would help. If she was going to play along…

"Come, Jemma." He held out his hand. She stood shakily, and then allowed him to clasp his hand around hers and pull her to the door. Everyone was exactly where they had been before, which was unsettling. And impressive, she reluctantly admitted to herself. "Sie ist meine Seelenverwandte!"

There was applause, and Jemma decided that she really must learn German.

"Where are we?" she asked Reinhardt. "I… I don't even know what country I'm in." He gave her a strange look. "I only lost my family a few days ago! I've been in a bit of a daze."

"You are at HYDRA's base in Austria," he replied.

"HYDRA?"

"Later, mein Liebling. For now, we must arrange a wedding. As soon as possible, do you think?"

She nodded, and he smiled. Genuinely smiled, the widest of all so far, and her heart skipped an unwilling beat.

Jemma was unsure of what to do. She was isolated at the castle, only able to go out for dress fittings and so forth, and she had no idea how to contact the SSR. The best she could hope for would to be kidnapped, and that never happened. She was too well-protected.

The day of the wedding dawned, and they married at a small church an hour's drive from the castle. It was almost torturous, sitting next to Reinhardt, 'happily' married and knowing what was to come that night.

He reached out his hand, and she took it, rested them together on the middle seat. They were both wearing gloves, the material of her white gown – and she really was perfectly entitled to wear it – was thick due to the cold weather, and he was in uniform. She wore no veil, instead wearing a warm cap with embroidered flowers. Edelweiss, which made her think of The Sound of Music, and glad she didn't really know any of the tunes.

"You are thinking," Reinhardt… no, she had to call him Werner, said to her.

"I'm nervous," she said.

"Why?"

"You know I've never…" She glanced at him, and then down in embarrassment. "What if I'm… no good?"

"Practise makes perfect, as you English say," he said. "We will discover these things together. And discovery requires experimentation."

"You do love that word."

He kissed her hand, skin visible through the lace, without taking his eyes off her. "We are both scientists, Jemma."

"I know that, Werner." And how she hated helping him with any of his 'experiments', for all that she was supposed to do that for HYDRA in the future.

She'd shown him the cube, explained that her father had given it to her for safe-keeping, that he'd found it somewhere in Europe but wouldn't say where, and that it was what sent her to Austria. Judging by the rate of the yellow-green light inside of the cube, it would take at least a year to charge fully. Would she make it that far? Would it return her to the future, or fall into the SSR's hands before that could happen?

"My little mouse, stop worrying. I will take care of you." He kissed the palm of her hand, and shivers ran up her spine. "Always."

"I love you," she said breathlessly. She'd practised saying it often enough. He smiled.

"So soon?" he said.

"I agreed to marry you."

"Because we are soulmates."

She shook her head. "Not just that."

"Jemma." He squeezed her hand. "More talk like that and your virtue will be gone sooner than you think."

"…Perhaps I am willing to take that risk?"

Any confidence she had disappeared the moment they were undressed and he was pressing her into the mattress. She whimpered, and he lifted his head from where he'd been nuzzling her breasts.

"We can wait," he said. The offer nearly choked her emotionally, and she shook her head.

"Waiting won't make me feel any calmer," she said. "Please, Werner. You're all I have now."

"We will create our own family," he said, and he nipped at her neck. It was true; he didn't expect to be forced to wear a condom, and any use of birth control might be construed as suspicious. Her cover story as a pacifist kept her safe in the lab and away from joining HYDRA. Truthfully? The excuse not to help further their 'cause' and their 'experiments' would ease her conscience.

"Yes," she said.

"The Red Skull would approve."

"Excuse me, but I do not factor anyone outside of us into the decision to have a child!" she said crossly. He chuckled into her skin, moving further down her body.

"The chance will be stronger when we bond," he said. "But you must relax, Jemma."

"I'm trying to. But you're doing terribly distracting things to me-ee!"

"Shh." He had one finger inside her, and her mind was spinning again. "So wet. My little jewel. Mein Liebling. Du bist so schön…"

Jemma almost couldn't take it. When he started laving her breasts again, she tightened around his three (?) fingers, definitely boneless and relaxed when she flopped back onto the sheets and didn't move. He was chuckling, and she noticed him licking his fingers clean.

"Isn't that terribly unhygienic?" she said, trying to catch her breath.

"Köstlich," he replied.

"Delicious…? Oh." She blushed, and found she didn't have the energy to tense as he moved to hover over her. She bit her lip, watching him nervously, and her stomach fluttered as he positioned himself and began to sink in. There was a brief, painful pinch which made her breath hitch. But then he was sliding in with a groan and a curse. (She'd come to learn several German swear words, as well as the endearments. An interesting education so far.) She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, wincing at the unfamiliar stretch, until he was settled against her. Their soulmarks were close, and she knew they had to bond. But she was nervous nonetheless, and this must have showed, because he stroked her side until she met his gaze.

"It will feel right," he said. "This is meant to be."

"Werner…"

"Trust me, mein Perle. Mein kleine Maus." He kissed up one side of her neck. "Feel so good." He pulled out part of the way, and then thrust back in smoothly. Pleasure spasmed through Jemma's bones, and her hips jerked against his. Their soulmarks almost brushed together, but not quite, and she whined softly. He sank in harder the next time, grinding against her, and her nails dug into his back.

"Wunderbar," she murmured.

"Jemma!"

She looked up when she heard her name being shouted. German came as naturally to her as English by now, so much so that she didn't notice which one she was speaking.

"What is it, Werner?" she asked, hurrying to the door of her inner sanctum.

There was blood over her husband's uniform, a far too frequent occurrence for her liking, and he knew better than to get too close in case it triggered her nausea.

"You must get a mask," he said.

"Why?"

"A man. His arm has been amputated. HYDRA needs him, but he is in bad health."

"Where?" she said, grabbing a thick coat.

"Medical unit."

She followed him to the operating theatre, and spread cream under her nose to block any other scents. Reinhardt helped her on with the mask and her gloves, and then stood back while she took in her patient.

Tall. Caucasian. Short, dark brown hair matted with blood. Blood over quite a bit of him. And, horror of horrors, his left arm had been cut off at the shoulder and some kind of metal limb was in its place.

"What happened?" she asked sharply, peeling away the cursory bandages.

"He fell off a cliff," an unfamiliar man said. Jemma eyed him sharply. "He was lucky we were able to salvage the rest of him."

"Ask him whether he's lucky when he wakes up part-robot!" she snapped.

"Jemma," Reinhardt said. "Stay calm. Think about the baby."

She was always thinking about their baby. If he was a boy, she wanted to call him Daniel. When Reinhardt asked why, she'd told him that she felt like Daniel going into the lion's den when she'd been brought before him. But he would most likely receive a Germanic name. She was an Austrian citizen now, and tried to behave like it without losing herself. She couldn't afford that. It was why she kept sneaking whatever information she could to the SSR, leaving them little clues, most of which they acted upon. Like hell was she going to work strictly for HYDRA while she was waiting for her cube to charge.

It was getting there. She was seven months pregnant, and it seemed that her estimation of a year had been quite pessimistic. Either that or, what with it being an 0-8-4, it was simply unpredictable.

"If he gets out of this alive," she began.

"He will," the stranger said. "We had him once, and injected him with a formula similar to that given to Captain America."

She bit her tongue before she could say 'super soldier serum', in case it was supposed to be top secret.

"So he should heal well?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Well, not emotionally. Amputees have it much harder than people born disabled."

"There is only so much we can do," Reinhardt said, touching her shoulder.

"Nonsense," she said, already stitching up some of the worse injuries. "I have far too much time on my hands. We will keep him in an observation room, and I shall help him myself. Physical therapy, adjusting mentally. If you want him to work for HYDRA, you want him to be in possession of his mind, don't you?"

"We want him capable of all he was before," the stranger replied.

"Jemma, this is Arnim Zola," Reinhardt said.

"Mr. Zola," Jemma said. She'd heard that name before, she was sure of it.

"Doctor," he said. "I have heard about you, Mrs. Reinhardt."

"Dr. Reinhardt," she said. "I am operating on this man, after all."

"His mind needs to be in working order, but he will be ours," Zola said. "He does not need memories."

"What's his name?"

"Bucky Barnes."

She froze momentarily, and then continued to disinfect around the robotic arm. "What kind of name is Bucky?"

"He's an American."

"Ah." She nodded. "An American. That explains it, then."

BUCKY BARNES. HYDRA HAD BUCKY BARNES, CAPTAIN AMERICA'S BEST FRIEND.

Would they still have him in her time? She hoped not. Did they brainwash him, or did he never regain his memory? Poor Bucky.

"Stay still," she said when the man on the table twitched. His eyes dragged open and met hers. "My name is Jemma." She made sure to speak in English. "I'm going to help you get better, but I need you to lie still. Can you do that for me?" He nodded slowly. "Good."

"You will make an excellent mother," Reinhardt said, and he kissed the back of her neck.

"Werner, if you want to be helpful, make sure there'll be a chair for me when I'm finished here. It shouldn't take too long, but… a comfortable bed for him in the observation room would aid his recovery."

"Whatever you wish, little mouse."

All too soon, Bucky was taken away, and Jemma wasn't told his new location. It would likely change several times before HYDRA-Gate. She'd at least had time to help him adjust to having a prosthetic arm, emotionally as well, but now he was gone and she was curled up in her soulmate's lap, wishing she could have done more.

"Such a soft heart," Reinhardt murmured. "In such dangerous times, nothing has crushed your spirit. Soft heart but an iron will."

"I don't mind some things being hard…"

"I believe the other men are jealous that you are one of those wives whose sexual drive increases during pregnancy."

"Hormones!"

"Of course," he said, moving his hand beneath her skirt and running his finger along the line of her knickers. "Nothing to do with this." He brushed over her soulmark, and she shivered.

"Nothing at all," she murmured.

"You are a terrible liar."

"I know."

The day Jemma gave birth, Reinhardt wisely kept away. He thought he knew about torture? Ha! Let her at him and she'd show him the meaning of pain…

"Here you are, Mrs. Reinhardt," the nurse said, passing the baby into Jemma's arms. "Just the afterbirth to deliver."

"Thank you," Jemma said drowsily.

"Has your husband decided on a name yet?"

She pursed her lips. "We have not decided, no. Please send him in."

"Soon."

The baby – a boy – was nursing by the time Reinhardt slunk into the room.

"A son," Jemma said.

His face lit up, and he hurried to her side.

"Our little bear," he said, stroking the baby's light brown hair.

"We are not calling him Adolf or Johann," she said firmly. "I put my foot down on that."

"Of course," he said, although it was slightly condescending, curse him.

"Daniel."

"No."

"But—"

"Not an English name."

She huffed. "Very well. What about… let's see. Uh, Mozart was Austrian. What about Wolfgang?"

"Little wolf." He rested his hip against the side of the bed and held the baby while Jemma buttoned up her hospital gown. "Or his father, Leopold. My father's name, too."

"Really?"

"Do not sound so surprised," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… well, you never tell me about your parents."

"They are dead. There is not much to say."

"So are mine." Jemma blinked back tears, although post-natal tears were to be expected.

"Little mouse." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "We will fill our home with children until we have more than we lost."

"How sweet," she said dryly. "Perhaps you can give birth the next time?"

"Wolfgang Leopold?" he said. Jemma looked down at their son, and nodded.

"That sounds lovely," she said.

They received the news about Red Skull's defeat at the hospital that night. When Jemma was allowed back to the castle – she could still never think of it as home – with baby Wolfgang in her arms and Reinhardt carrying her bag, she was shocked to hear screams.

"Is someone else giving birth, or is it one of your experiments?" she asked.

"A prisoner. She can touch the obelisk."

"Obelisk?"

"I would not allow you to handle it, Jemma. It sucks the life from people. But she… she survived touching it. I want to know why."

"Werner, is this dangerous?" She held Wolfgang tighter.

"I would not endanger my soulmate or our son," he said. "Come. I will tell you all about this intriguing object."

"Isn't an obelisk a large pointed statue from Egypt?"

"Not this one."

Reinhardt had been busy while she was in hospital, and before that. He'd 'imported' villagers from an Asian country, most of them now dead, and the rest imprisoned. Under the guise of showing Wolfgang around his new home, Jemma wandered until she was able to find the captives, and hoped one of them spoke English. Or German. Or French, Italian, or Latin, although she doubted it.

"Hello," she whispered to the woman isolated from the others. "Are you the one who can touch the strange object?" The woman nodded nervously. "What is your name?"

"J… Jiaying."

"That's a pretty name," Jemma said, and she smiled. "I hope I'll see you again, Jiaying. Stay safe."

She crept away, already planning how to let the SSR know.

Then the castle base was raided, Jemma hid Wolfgang out of the way, grabbed the keys she knew about, and took advantage of the chaos to sneak to the dungeons and release the prisoners.

"Go, Jiaying," she said. "Take them with you. There are people out there who'll help you."

"You come with us?" Jiaying said, tugging on Jemma's wrist. She shook her head.

"No. I can't. Even if it kills me, I'll stay here. Just make sure you get to safety. Make it clear you're prisoners."

"Your name?"

"Jemma."

Wolfgang in her arms again, Jemma hurried out into the white hall, where she'd met her soulmate. In her first weeks at the castle, she'd come to associate halls with different colours, and would use those to ask for directions. The white hall led to the family quarters, which she left now, cube tucked into her old bag, with her glasses, her lab coat, everything she'd brought with her. She also had Wolfgang's baby supplies in a bag over her other shoulder.

"Frau Reinhardt!" It was Hans, one of the technicians. "You must escape."

"I'm not leaving Werner," she said. Not if the SSR was taking him in.

"Frau Reinhardt, please—"

"I'm not leaving him, and don't you dare try to stop me."

"He is being arrested—"

"Then I will be arrested as well. Now move out of my way."

She strode past him, and got outside just as Reinhardt was being shoved into a car. As soon as he noticed her, he froze.

"Frau Reinhardt," a woman said, walking forward. "You have a child."

Jemma blinked. Peggy Carter. Oh my God. Stay calm.

"Come with us, sweetie-pie," a man in a bowler hat said. "You can join your hubby in jail."

"She has a baby," Peggy Carter (!) said.

"I'll go with you," Jemma said, speaking in English. "I'm not leaving my soulmate."

"You'll travel with me, then," Peggy Carter (!) said. "Come along, Frau Reinhardt."

Jemma nodded, and half-smiled at Reinhardt before he was forced into the car, and she was helped into another one. She hated not having a seatbelt, and held Wolfgang tightly in her arms, heart pounding. The female agent Jemma had a mild (ish) fangirl crush on slid into the other side of the car.

"Let's go," she said, and they started off. Jemma sighed, all the tension leaving her shoulders.

"Have you heard of Union Jill?" she asked casually.

Peggy Carter (!) stared at her. "Union… Jill?"

"The British woman who's been dropping hints about where you could find HYDRA agents and artefacts," Jemma said. "Such as the ones you confiscated from this base. How are the prisoners? Did they all escape? Did Jiaying get out?"

"Y-yes, they all did. Are you saying that you, Werner Reinhardt's soulmate, wife, mother of his child… you are Union Jill?"

"I didn't choose my soulmate. Fate obviously dislikes HYDRA, and trusted me to help you. I'm… sorry about Steve Rogers. If it's any consolation, I'm sure he'll be found one day."

"Of course he will," Agent Carter – was she an agent yet? – said crisply.

Jemma fidgeted for a moment. Then…

"You're my idol!" she blurted out. Agent Carted looked startled. "I'm sorry, but… but you are! One of the founders of SH… of, uh, the organisation I work for."

"I'm sorry, I'm confused. What do you mean…?"

"This." Jemma pulled out the cube, almost fully charged. "It brought me back in time. I don't belong here… I belong seventy years from now. I must get home. When I do… please put this away. Somewhere. Hide it. I was careful, and I hate what I had to do to maintain my cover. At least falling pregnant restricted the HYDRA activities I was forced to participate in to maintain my cover. It… it makes me feel dirty."

Agent Carter handed the cube back, and Jemma hid it again. "So you are from the future?"

"That's one way of putting it. Yes, I'm from the future. I can't tell you anything about it; I could only send you information I knew to be currently true."

"Tell me everything you can later, when I can make notes."

It was delightfully familiar walking around the Playground, or the SSR base which would later become the Playground. Agent Carter seemed almost amused.

"Where is Werner?" Jemma asked. She winced. "Sorry. It's habit. Where is Reinhardt?"

"He's at the Rat," Agent Carter said, settling opposite Jemma in what would become the entertainment area. "It's an SSR prison facility."

"The Rat?" Jemma began to laugh hysterically. "Oh my God!"

"What is it?"

"H-his nickname for me is… Little Mouse."

Agent Carter's eyes widened, and her lips quirked up at the edges. "How ironic."

"You wanted to know more?" Jemma said.

"Whatever you can tell us."

"Well, I was there less than a year." Agent Carter glanced at Wolfgang.

"Much shorter than a year?" she asked.

"Wolfgang was born on time. It's just that Werner… that Reinhardt insisted on a swift marriage, and we bonded after we married. It's likely that Wolfgang was conceived on our wedding night, or soon after."

"You took a great risk letting us know what you could," Agent Carter said.

"I'm loyal to… the organisation you will co-found with Howard Stark."

"Please tell me I don't marry him."

Jemma laughed. "No, you don't."

"…May I see the cube again?"

She nodded, and placed it on the table. She kept Wolfgang in her lap. "If you decide to keep W… my soulmate alive, could you tell him that I escaped custody with Wolfgang, and will do everything I can to get back to him? I… I know he's an evil man, but he's still my husband and soulmate, my child's father. Please don't let any of them find out about Union Jill."

"We know better than that," Agent Carter said. "Will you work for us as long as you're here?"

"Of course. Oh! I know about one of HYDRA's prisoners. I don't know where he's being kept, but his name is B—"

Light sprang from the cube, swallowing her, and she was flung through time to the future. Her bags were still around her shoulders, and she was still holding Wolfgang. He hadn't aged and was still breathing.

"Simmons!"

She looked up, and blinked in recognition. "Agent May."

"Where have you been?"

"Oh my God, how long have I been missing?"

"Two hours."

"Not… not ten months?"

May looked at the baby. "You have a tale to tell."

"Uh… yes."

"Coulson will want to see you."

She told him everything she could remember, May a silent presence in the background. Wolfgang fussed a bit, and Coulson cleared his throat and looked away while she breast-fed her son.

"So you're saying that Bucky Barnes was taken into HYDRA custody after he fell from the train," he confirmed.

"And he has a metal prosthetic. It was… horrible."

"But you met him," Coulson muttered. "And Peggy Carter, when she was young. You were there when Schmidt died, when The Valkyrie went down…"

"Wolfgang was born that day," Jemma said.

"You named him Wolfgang," May said.

"Better than Adolf. His… his middle name is Leopold."

"Simmons…"

"I can go undercover at HYDRA. Really. If nothing else, I've just had ten months of the best training I could get outside of this room."

"Are you sure?" Coulson said.

"This isn't really the best place to raise a baby…"

"And you think HYDRA will have a day care centre at work?" May said.

"He needs me. I can… I can delay until I've weaned him off my milk, and then leave him here. Or find someone to look after him while I'm at work. Someone of my skill will be too good for them to resist. I'm sure…" She sighed. "Just let me try. Please?"

Reluctantly, they allowed her to leave. Somehow they managed to keep Wolfgang secret from the rest of the team. The move into her temporary lodgings was fairly painless, conducted in the dead of night while Wolfgang was sleeping. Jemma felt a little guilty for all the additional supplies they had to buy, mostly second-hand furniture. But her application to HYDRA had been approved, and they assured her that someone would be able to take care of her son while she was working, although it would involve cutting some of her salary. She was there for information, not money, so it didn't matter. Just as long as someone could watch Wolfgang.

As soon as she looked up when Turgeon pointed out the man he was getting excited about, her heart literally stopped beating for about three seconds, before speeding up as the blood drained from her cheeks.

No. It couldn't possibly be.

Could it?

"Good day," Whitehall said in a distinctly American accent. "I've brought you here because I need your he—" He paused when he met Jemma's eyes, before pushing on. "Help."

Trying to remember to breathe, she instead concentrated on flipping through the paperwork and taking in its contents. Whitehall spoke up.

"Dr. Simmons, is it?" he said. Like it was a coincidence, even though he knew it couldn't be. Not if it was him.

"Y-yes," she said.

"Bakshi tells me you have a passion for these things yourself. In your opinion, where did Dr. Lingenfelter go wrong?"

"I-I'm not entirely sure that she did." It was worth seeing the look of relief on the woman's face.

"That's one among us," Whitehall said. His eyes burned into hers. "Please, clarify."

"Well, it's just that we're dealing with alien technology." She patted the file. "Alien metal interacts with biology on a cellular level in a way that's impossible to replicate without a sample." She smiled weakly. Whitehall's gaze never left hers.

"But if we were to acquire the Obelisk itself, would it then be possible to weaponise its effects?" So that's what he'd been trying to do. She swallowed.

"I would think so. Yes."

"Excellent." He glanced around the room. "I want everyone prepared when we do."

Taking it as a dismissal, they all began to shuffle their papers together.

"He knows your name," Turgeon grumped.

"Do you have any idea what this means?" she said. "We could kill millions of people, perhaps even billions."

"Pretty awesome, huh?" he said.

A shadow fell over them, and Turgeon's eyes widened. Jemma didn't need to look up to know that her soulmate was standing there.

"Dr. Simmons, could I have a word with you in private?" he asked. She nodded, and stood up, thanking him when he pushed in her chair. He led her towards the glass doors, with nary a glance back at Turgeon. Jemma's phone rang, and she answered it as soon as she saw the number.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this," she murmured. Whitehall nodded. "Has something happened to Wolfgang? Is he alright?" She noticed Whitehall stiffen, his eyes narrow, and steadfastly didn't make eye contact with him. "He's crying? Have you…? It's not time for his feed yet, but… alright. I'll be down there as soon as possible."

"I'll go with you," Whitehall said. "We can talk on the way. You wouldn't want Wolfgang to wait too long for his mother, would you?"

She shook her head, and followed him to a private lift. He requested the time alone with her, and was immediately granted it.

As soon as the doors closed, he turned to her.

"Jemma?" he said.

"…Werner?" He nodded, and she felt a wave of… of some emotion she couldn't possible identify. Then she threw her arms around his shoulders. He pulled her close, kissed her, and the instant they touched it became apparent that she wasn't mistaken. He was really Werner Reinhardt, her soulmate and husband, the man she thought had to be dead by now. Yet he wasn't. Only when the lift arrived on their level with a ding did they manage to separate.

"We will talk later," he said, some of his original accent appearing.

"Come and see our son," she said.

"Is the room where you feed him private?"

"Yes."

"Then we will talk there."

Reverting to German was easy. He watched as she breast-fed their infant son.

"How?" he said.

"The cube. It must have fully charged itself, because only a few days ago – for me – it swallowed us whole and… and next thing I knew I was in the middle of nowhere, no identification, a baby to support, seventy years into the future. All I had to rely on was science."

"Where did you appear?"

"America. It seems the cube sent me… to you. Perhaps it's connected to soulmateship? After all, the first time I was… zapped by it, I was sent straight to Austria. And your men brought me to you."

"Discovery requires experimentation," he said. "Do you still have it?"

"No… I don't know where the cube is. I was holding Wolfgang this time, not the cube, so…"

"Never mind," he said, shaking his head. "What is important is the Obelisk."

She cleared her throat. "Just the Obelisk?"

He stood up, and walked over to her. "I thought the other went without saying."

"Say all you like," she said. "However you want to say it. I just… I've missed your voice. I didn't even get the chance to look for you."

"Oh, my little mouse." He knelt beside her and stroked Wolfgang's hair, like he had after the boy had been born. "And little wolf. We'll never be apart again."

Jemma blinked back tears of helplessness. Going undercover was one thing. Finding that her HYDRA husband was here added a whole other level of danger and safety. He was going to think that she was on his side. He would protect her, and Wolfgang, but being Daniel Whitehall's soulmate… well, if it got out, she'd be in greater danger from his enemies, and what if her friends no longer trusted her? What if Coulson and May didn't trust her anymore? No. She had to tell them.

But… would Whitehall let her out of his sight?

"What is it, mein Liebling?" he asked, touching her cheek. "Jemma?"

"W-what do we do now?" she said. "We can't tell anyone… they can't know about the cube… I don't even know where it is!" Probably stuck in a time loop, which should mean that it was safe. "Time travel worries people."

"I know," he said. "We will work something out, Jemma."

Coulson stared at her.

"It's one thing to be Reinhardt's soulmate," he said. "But you're Whitehall's as well?"

"He's one and the same," Jemma replied.

"How?"

"I don't know! I'll… I'll ask him, obviously. He said that he wanted to find me, and Wolfgang, no matter how old we were. He must have been furious when we seemingly dropped off the radar."

"So what're you going to do?"

She shrugged. "If you kidnap me at the appropriate moment, it should distract him. But perhaps save that as a last resort?"

"Are you going to move out?"

"I don't know, sir. We only just met again today, and there… there hasn't been time to discuss it."

"Let me know your decision as soon as possible," he said, and he began to turn away. She cleared her throat.

"You know I'm loyal to SHIELD," she said. "Don't ever doubt that. I never thought I'd see him again, but nothing will change. I hated what he was then, and I still do. The fact that he's somehow lived all this time, and plans to kill millions of people, makes me hate him even more."

"I always wondered what kind of soulmates evil people get," Coulson said. "I always thought they got their matches."

"Perhaps it's a case of opposites attract?" she said. "So to speak. But I think… I think it's to give them a chance to turn good. If I'd gotten to him early enough—"

"It's impossible to change the past."

"And I don't think he can be redeemed. Which means that I must use this to our advantage."

"Where does your son play into all this?" he asked.

Jemma looked at Wolfgang. "Poor Wolfie. He didn't ask to be born. He was a product of a time and place where I was expected to carry my soulmate's child."

"I'm sorry you had to go through it, Jemma."

She sank onto a chair. "Soulmates are physically compatible, sir. It wasn't a hardship in… in that respect." He coughed and looked away, cheeks turning pink. "He has that kind of charisma that inspires followers, which explains a great deal. And we could talk science together. But whenever he'd say 'Hail'… you know. Every time he said something that reminded me of what he was, it took so much energy to hide my revulsion from him, and from everyone else. I didn't want my son growing up in that atmosphere. He needs a father who'll lead him along the right path." She shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. "I don't see Wer… Reinhardt as that man."

"I can't ask you to go that deeply undercover, but…"

"But I don't have a choice."

"Fate decided this a long time ago."

"I know." She twisted her thumbs together. "If I don't make contact as often as I'd like, it's because I'm being watched, or just too busy…"

"I understand, Simmons."

"Dr. Whitehall," Cal said, shaking her hand. He was so outwardly cheerful that it was mildly alarming. "I heard you've had a run-in with SHIELD."

"People calling themselves SHIELD," she said. The cover story she had worked out with… with Whitehall involved SHIELD, simply because it gave her additional reason to hate them, at least to those outside of the relationship. "I'm… I'm Daniel's soulmate. We'd bonded, and I was pregnant, when SHIELD found out and kidnapped me. Their defences were down after the birth, and I was able to escape. I knew that if I found HYDRA I would find him. Our mutual interest in science led me in the right direction."

He nodded, and dropped her hand. "Was it… Phil Coulson?"

"I-I've heard the name. Why?"

"Was there a girl there, a girl named… oh, she wouldn't know her real name."

Jemma blinked. Oh hell. It couldn't be Skye's father.

"How old?" she asked.

"Twenty-five. Dark hair, dark eyes. Orphan. Close to… Coulson."

"Yes." It couldn't possibly do any more harm. "Her name was Skye. Just Skye."

"Skye. Did you talk to her?"

"N-not really. She brought me things sometimes, but I was supervised, you understand."

"Absolutely. I'm a doctor, too. If you ever want to talk about your time with SHIELD, just let me know."

"Thank you."

He trotted off again, and Jemma drifted back to her husband's side.

"Who is he?" she asked.

"A man with a grudge against SHIELD."

"Yes, I gathered that. Is it personal?"

"Judging by his emotional behaviour, I would think so."

She was able to establish a phone link to Skye, who filled her in on everything. They'd come up with a baby-related code in case they were overheard, and Jemma told Whitehall that she wanted to be tested rigorously and thoroughly to make sure that time-travelling hadn't affected her ability to have children, in case he wanted to try for a daughter or another son. She insisted on birth control until she was certain, but that didn't stop him from initiating plenty of 'practise'.

He was in such a relaxed state of mind afterwards that he was quite willing to tell her anything interesting that was classified to other people on her level. She tensed when he mentioned that he'd been contacted by a man named Grant Ward.

"What is wrong, Jemma?" he asked.

"Did you mention me?"

"No. Why would I?" She didn't speak. "Tell me, little mouse."

"He…" Oh God, what could she say? If she was introduced to Ward, if he found out who she was, her whole cover was blown!

"Jemma? Mein Liebling? What is it?"

"I've met him. I… I think. The name is familiar. Remember when I told you that I was approached by SHIELD agents after they detected the energy surge where I appeared?"

"Mmm-hmm." He was tracing circles on her stomach, but all of his attention was on her.

"W-well, I'm certain there was a Grant Ward with them. I'm not saying that he's a spy for SHIELD… but we don't want them to find out that I'm your soulmate, do we?" He shook his head. "So please don't tell him my name. Don't let anyone tell him. I don't want anyone to take me away from you and Wolfie." She buried her face in his chest, and only relaxed entirely when he stroked her back and murmured reassurances to her.

One bullet dodged. She hoped.

And then she found out about Raina, who'd alerted them to the location of the alien city SHIELD was searching for.

"There will be no danger towards you, Jemma," Whitehall said. "You provided such valuable insight into the Obelisk that it would be unfair not to allow you to witness its powers when we finally discover how to harness them."

"I have a terrible feeling about this," she said.

"Wolfgang is safe with the security team. Agent Morse has looked after him well in the past, and she could protect him without backup, let alone all the other men there."

Jemma glanced around. She and Whitehall spoke in English around others so that he wouldn't lapse back into German in public.

"Please… just forget about the Obelisk," she said. "What if something bad happens?"

"I will protect you. Always."

She sneaked an arm around his back, knowing that he wasn't fond of public displays of affection, but it was part of her act. Pretending to miss his touch.

"Ich liebe dich, Werner," she whispered, so that only he could hear.

"Ich liebe dich, Jemma," he whispered back.

She was becoming quite good at this lying business. The understatement brought a smile to her lips, which her husband returned.

"Let's get this business over with," she said, and they walked into the building above the temple side-by-side. Then she heard familiar voices – Ward and Raina – and her blood ran deathly cold. She froze in place, and of course Whitehall noticed.

"Jemma?" he said.

"I can't face him," she said. "I'll wait out here."

"Jemma—"

"And I wish you wouldn't deal with people like him."

"Jemma—"

"I won't be far away. If anything happens, I promise, I'll go straight to your side. But until then…"

His shoulders slumped minutely in a clear sign of resignation.

"Very well," he said. He bent over and pecked her on the lips, a rare concession to their relationship in front of other people. They sensibly didn't comment. "It will not be long."

"Stay safe."

"I will, little mouse."

She heard some of the conversation, including Skye's voice, and that the plane had apparently been shot down. It made her feel sick to her stomach, and it took everything in her not to cry at the thought that her friends were all dead, when she should have been able to protect them. Somehow! But then Cal – really Skye's father, as Jemma suspected – raced out of the room, grabbed Jemma, and pulled her back with a gun to her head.

"How would you like me to take what you took from me?" he hissed. Jemma realised what this was about, and met Whitehall's eyes. She'd never seen terror on his face, but she could see it now. "And after I kill your soulmate, how about I go after your baby?"

"Soulmate?" Damn it, Ward was still there. And Raina. And Skye, who looked as terrified as Whitehall; she just hid it better. Jemma swallowed.

"Cal," she said quietly. "Would your soulmate want you to do this?"

"It's out of her hands now!"

"What was her name?"

"Jemma, stop talking to him," Whitehall said. She narrowed her eyes at him, and ignored his order.

"Cal, tell me about her," she said. "Was she beautiful?"

"You're not talking me down from this," he said. "Sorry, Mrs. Whitehall, I like you, but your soulmate stole my family from me!"

"Skye's here," she said, gesturing. "I heard you all talking while I was out there. You've searched for so long. Don't do this. Not now. Tell me about your soulmate. I'm sure she wouldn't want this."

"He tore her apart to make himself younger!"

Jemma met Whitehall's eyes again. "Is it true, Daniel?"

"He killed Jiaying, and it's only right that I do the same to him!"

That name.

"…She never aged, did she?" She was fairly sure Cal shook his head. "I met her. In nineteen forty-five. She was beautiful."

"You met her? That's… that's impossible."

"It isn't. And I'm sure she wouldn't want this, so just let me go."

"No!" But he was a smart man, and his eyes darted between Jemma and Skye. She saw the truth dawning, and knew she was about a minute away from dying. "But… if that story you told me about SHIELD kidnapping you… if that wasn't true… how did you know about my daughter? How did you know the name she uses?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Raina said. "Jemma Simmons is with SHIELD. She works for Coulson."

Jemma looked at Skye, saw that her friend knew their time was drawing to an end. Then she looked at her husband, her soulmate. She couldn't read his expressions fast enough.

"Werner," she said, shaking her head. "You know me. I'm your wife, the mother of your child. I'm your soulmate. We're bonded."

"Either you've been working for HYDRA all this time, or you're really SHIELD," Raina drawled. Cal let go of Jemma, chuckling.

"Oh, this is beautiful," he said. "This is a better revenge than I could've imagined. The perfect prelude."

"Werner," Jemma said. She stepped towards him. "I've been there for you. I've helped you, for goodness sakes! Are you really going to believe her over me?"

"How would you know about Agent Skye?" Whitehall asked.

Jemma laughed. "Research? How else could I know? You know the cube brought me through time to you. You know my history. I… I shouldn't even have to be defending myself against these accusations, not to you. I'm your soulmate, and that counts for something. It should count for something."

"You are right, mein kleine Maus," he said, drawing a gun and pointing it at her. "It should count for something. But what?"

"Werner, please!"

There was a shot. Jemma squeezed her eyes tight for a second, sure he'd pulled the trigger. But when she didn't keel over she opened them again, and saw the red blooming on Whitehall's shirt, the shock on his face. She ran forward to support him as he collapsed, futilely covering the wound with her hand. It was an instinctive reaction, the bond forcing her to cradle his body. She couldn't cry for him, but she could leave him with a pleasant memory, for something which might have been had she intervened before he started on his path of destruction. If only…

"Ich liebe dich," she whispered into his ear. "You should have trusted me, Werner."

She felt the itch where her soulmark was as it disappeared upon his death. There was running and shouting around her, fighting and gunfire, but she stayed down. She wasn't a field agent, and hopefully her days as an undercover agent were over. When the room was fairly well cleared, she wiped her hands on his jacket, and remembered her son.

"Oh God, Wolfie," she said. Then she bolted outside, running into Agent Morse, who handed him over. "Sweetheart, I'm here now. Mummy's here. Shh. Don't cry."

"Agent Simmons, I have to get you to safety," Agent Morse said.

"Oh…"

"Here's someone to help you. I have to head in and help the others. But go with Agent May. She'll take you to cover."

Jemma blinked as Agent Morse ran off, and May rounded a car and began to drag Jemma along.

"Good work, Simmons," she said. "But we're blowing this place up soon. Consider your mission over."

"Was… was Agent Morse on our side all this time?"

"Yes."

"…Thank goodness she was the one looking after the baby."

Later on, Jemma went to shower when she noticed words on her left hip: 'I remember you, doll. You helped me once.'

"A new soulmate," she murmured, stroking it. "I hope this one turns out better than the last."

This piece of insanity (i.e. Jemma/Whitehall pairing) was suggested by DarkBirdy. I was going to shrug it off, but then inspiration struck: TIME TRAVEL! Oh, the possibilities! Which led to the story you see above.

Translations, corrections thanks to readers:

Lupae filius (Latin) – Son of a bitch

Wer sind Sie, Fraulein? – Who are you, miss?

Auf die Knie – On your knees

Hände hinter den Kopf – Hands behind your head

Bringt sie zu Reinhardt – Take her to Reinhardt

Wer ist das? – Who is this?

Spricht sie Deutsch? – Does she speak German?

Nein – No

Wartet hier – Wait here

Jawohl – Yes, sir

Sie ist meine Seelenverwandte – She is my soulmate

Mein Liebling – My Darling

Du bist so schön – You are so beautiful

Mein Perle – my pearl

Meine kleine Maus – My little mouse

Wunderbar – Wonderful

Ich liebe dich – I love you

So… if anyone knows German and can correct my translations? PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE get in touch with me so I can make the corrections as soon as possible.

Please review! And don't shoot the messenger. I just write the wildly inappropriate pairings and hope it sparks more stories from other people. ;) The implication at the end there, by the way, is that Bucky is Jemma's new soulmate.