Season 2

Episode 1: Shadows

Sara sat in the garage with Mack, watching the television. It was an interesting interview between George Stephanopoulos and General Talbot.
"They're fugitives," said Talbot. "They deserve to be punished. We witnessed the single greatest intelligence collapse in recorded history, George. We have a duty to the American people to hunt down those responsible. So, no, I don't sleep most nights."
"General Talbot, you said you have S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel and weaponry locked in a secure facility, so is it fair to say that S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYRDA terrorists who poisoned its ranks have been defeated?"

From beside Sara, Mack let out a scoff.
"I hate politics," he told her.
"I agree."
"Where's the kid?"
"Napping." She nodded towards a small baby-monitor. Mack nodded, going back to his project as Sara turned back to the screen.
"The corrupt institution has been dismantled, yes," Talbot said. "We cut down the tree, we pulled up the roots, but let's just say I'll rest easier when we throw it all on the bonfire."
"So, you didn't get them all?"

The squealing of tires coming a stop made Sara looked away from the television. She watched as three agents followed Skye, May, and Trip into the room.
"Why'd you break silhouette protocol?" an agent asked. Sara recognized her as Isabelle Hartley.
"He ordered us too," May answered.
"We can't maintain solid cover with agents tailing us," an English man bit out. Her eyes lit up at the voice.
"And we can't be sure you won't run off with the money," Skye snapped back.
"Hunter!" Sara called.

The English man stopped and spun to see her. He grinned as she rushed towards him. He hugged her tightly.
"Princess!" he exclaimed. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"No one expects me," Sara shrugged.
"So," Mack cleared his throat. "Operation didn't go so well?"
"What gave you that idea?" Trip chuckled.
"That's a shame, man. I was hoping that agent you were scoping out would have some tech we could use."
"Sorry, Mack. No new toys."
"What did you get?" Sara asked.
"A new enemy," Trip answered.
"Nothing we can't handle," Hunter said.
"I'm sure. Better following after them, Hunter."
"As the Princess commands," he mocked.
"Shut up." He gave her a mock bow before scurrying after his group.
"Ever gonna share how you got that nickname?" Mack asked.
"Not on your life."

A few hours later, balancing her baby on her hip, Sara walked into the lab. She stopped before she reached Fitz' desk, sighing to herself when she noticed he was having a conversation with Simmons. Ever since he had been cleared to be let back in the lab, he had been having conversations with Simmons in his head.
"No, I haven't ben able to isolate the…" He snapped his fingers, as if trying to remember the world. "The, uh… the… yes, I was just about to say that, actually. And, no, I haven't because it keeps… What's the word again? Give me the word. Yes. Good. Fine." He grabbed a piece of paper. "Thanks. Go away."

Now, Sara stepped forward.
"Fitz?" she asked quietly. He startled, turning to look at her. His blinked several times as he registered, she was standing there.
"Is that safe?" he blurted out.
"Is what safe?"
"Have Jonathan in the lab?" Sara glanced down at her son, who was chewing lightly on a toy ring.
"I don't see any chemicals and it's not like I set him on the table."
"Yeah… I guess…" He picked up his pill bottle, shaking at Sara, though she knew he was shaking it at "Simmons" behind her. "Yes." He threw the pills down on the desk.
"How's the cloaking technology for the plane coming?" Sara asked.

With a frown, Fitz looked down at his pad of paper.
"Good. Slower than I'd like. I've had a few bumps, but it's—I'm close. And I don't need you mucking it up." Sara stepped back.
"Fitz, I'm just trying to help."
"I know. I know. But I also know how important cloaking is, okay? So, I just need everybody to be… I just need everybody to be, um…"
"Patient?" Sara offered.
"Yes!"

He slammed his hands down on the desk in frustration. Then his head shot up to look at the baby in worry.
"Did I scare him?"
"He can't hear, remember?"
"Oh, yeah." Sara shifted Jonathan softly on her hip, giving him a small smile at his disgruntled noises. She reached out, rubbing Fitz' shoulder.
"You need to be patient with yourself, Fitz. You're almost there."
"Yeah." He reached his hand up, put it in top of hers. "Yeah, I'm almost there."

The doors opened and they looked over to see May entering the lab.
"Any update on the metal we found?"
Fitz stood, "Yeah. Yep. Yep… Um, no. Actually, no. I'm just having a bit of trouble identifying the… Bit of trouble… I'm having a bit of trouble identifying the material. Can Sara have a look at it?"
"Of course," May nodded. "You can always ask for help, Fitz."
"Okay."

He picked up the piece of metal, holding it out between the three of them. Jonathan reached for it, but Sara pulled him back slightly.
"Yeah, so this is the same lead that we use in our bullets, but there's… There's something… Bleeding, uh…" He grimaced, moving his hand further away. "Uh, okay. That's—are you—can you see that?"
"Yeah, I see it," May nodded. "It's blood."

Fitz let out a deep breath and Sara realized he thought he had been hallucinating.
"Okay. Good. I mean, that's—what? That's weird."
"Can you figure out whose blood?" May asked.
"That shouldn't be too hard," Fitz shrugged.
"Good. I'll stay and help." May looked to Sara.
"Coulson's back. He's looking for you."
"Copy that. How about I take him the results when you finish?"
"Agreed."

Sara stepped out of the lab to leave the two alone and slid down to the floor, setting Jonathan in front of her. He sat across from her, just studying her. At only six months, he looked so much like Ward. But he had her eyes. Forest green. He was born two months early but didn't seem to have any delays. Other than being born deaf. It had scared Sara at first. She wasn't used to something not reacting to sudden sounds. But she was growing used to it. At least he wouldn't be able to hear gunshots or hear her cry late at night. He began babbling, loudly. That always surprised her. How loud he was because he couldn't hear himself.

Waving her hand in front of Jonathan, she smiled when he waved back. He laughed happily when she stuck her tongue out at him.
"He's such a happy kid," Trip said, walking up to them. He waved his fingers at Jonathan. Jonathan grinned back.
"He got lucky," Sara said.
"He sure did. I'm grabbing beers. You want one?"
"What's the occasion?"
"Decompression?"
"Good reason. Nah, I'm good. Thanks though."
"Any time."

As Trip walked away, May stepped outside the lab, handing a piece of paper to Sara.
"I'll take the kid while you run up to Coulson," May offered.
"Thanks." Sara leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the tip of Jonathan's nose to make him laugh. Then she stood, leaving May to scoop up the boy.

Entering Coulson's office, she nodded at the gathered group.
"DNA match," she said. She handed Coulson the paper from May.
"Carl Creel," Coulson said. "He was on The Index."
"He was crossed off The Index," Sara said. She glanced at Hunter and another man, who wore confused expressions.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol. Sometimes hostile gifted individuals are put down."
"Well, they didn't do a great job here," the stranger said. He held out his hand. "Idaho," he greeted. She shook it.
"Sara Reyes-Fitz. They didn't actually try to put him down. Agent John Garrett was the supervising agent."
"Must have faked Creel's termination, recruited him," Coulson said.
"John Garrett? Isn't that your mate who, you know… went to the dark side?" Hunter asked.
"Then he went nuts," Sara added.

The next day, Sara walked into a room where May, Skye, Fitz, and Koenig were watching a monitor.
"What are you doing?" She looked through the monitor and frowned when she saw General Talbot. "We kidnapped a General?"
"We saved The General," May corrected. She frowned, moving to stand beside Fitz. "
Look at Koenig," he muttered, "running analysis. Well, it looks like we've got our new golden boy."
"New? As opposed to the original?" she said.
"I've been sidelined."
"No, Fitz. You're just injured. And that's okay."
"I see the way they look at me," he grumbled. "Especially when they keep asking about the… yeah. I'm just having a hard time… I'm just having… Yeah. And that—that doesn't mean they have to treat me like…"
"Like what, Fitz?" Sara asked gently.
"Treat me like I'm gonna break."
"Ah."
"It's distracting. But talking to you and—and Simmons, is the only time I feel clear. And calm. Like I might actually get better."

Sara sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"You're getting better," she whispered. "Every day. I see it, they see it, and soon you'll see it yourself."
"Yeah." He kissed the top of her head. "You know, they really should be analyzing speech patterns and tracking voice biometrics."
"I think they are," Sara said. "I'm gonna go make lunch. Wanna come?"
"Sandwiches?"
"Sure."
"Can you make Simmons' sandwich?"
"Prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella?"
"Yeah."
"Okay." The two walked off, leaving the other agents.

A few days later, Sara sat beside Mack as he spoke with Coulson. A lot had happened. Hartley and Idaho had been killed by Creel in a mission to steal an 0-8-4, and The Quinjet.
"You risked all that for a Quinjet?" Mack asked.
"No. For what we can do with one. We can disappear. That's how we have to live now, after all, in the shadows."
"Fitz and I could have fixed the cloaking," Sara told him.
"I'm afraid Fitz can't do anything. And you're too focused with raising Jonathan."
"Fitz can do it."
"The damage to his temporal lobe was too extensive. He's not the same, and… since Simmons left, he's only getting worse."
"He's getting better," Sara argued.
"Sara, he's grown more isolated. Talking to himself more and more." Sara shook her head.
"You aren't around enough, Coulson, to make that judgement." She left the room, leaving them behind.

This chapter is much shorter than the others and the upcoming ones are also short. You'll see why eventually. Hope you all enjoyed it!
-Amy Thorton

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