AN: Hello everyone! As always, here we are again :) Also as always, many thanks to MegaDiary123 for helping out. I hope you all enjoy this one, I will see you again in a couple of weeks. Until then...

All rights go to Marvel

Skye's POV

"When did you…?"

"On the machine Raina put me on"

…

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"I didn't think you'd appreciate it, not when we wouldn't have much time to talk"

I was sitting opposite to his desk, while he moved his own chair to be next to me. The evaluation file long forgotten on his desk, as I could only look at him. His eyes were kind, patient. He was giving me the same look he used to every time I'd get frustrated when I was younger. Didn't have to say anything, his presence was enough. It used to be something I would seek.

I looked away, not being able to withstand the eye contact. My head fell onto my arms, a grunt escaping my throat. "I don't… I-I…", I stuttered and stopped. I tried getting a few staggering breaths to collect my thoughts. "I don't know how to react to this", I shuddered, more to myself than to him, but the office was engulfed in such absolute silence we'd be able to hear a pin drop.

He laughed gently. "I don't think there's a manual for anything like this. It's okay, take your time". He went to place his hand on my shoulder and I instinctually recoiled, as soon as his intentions were clear. He stopped the movement momentarily, but didn't hesitate to continue.

As soon as he touched me I stood up, breaking the connection and creating some distance between us, a safe distance. "Why are you not more upset? Why are you not simply upset? How are you so calm about this?"

The small smile never left his face. "Who told you I didn't freak out? I had been trying to fruitlessly reach Director Fury ever since I came back on the plane"

I shook my head. "You-you remember. What do you remember?", I redirected the conversation.

"Everything", he simply replied.

"Then how can you simply stand there?" I could feel myself get agitated, my heart rate rising and I had to actively try to calm down. We were in the middle of the sky for crying out loud. I didn't want to accidentally make us crash. "I killed you, Coulson"

He stood up at that, but I took an extra step back, bumping on the wall. There was no more space to create between us, but he halted and took a few steps away. "I told you and I will tell you for as long as you need to hear it, okay? I knew it was a dangerous situation going in there. I knew that we were fighting against something bigger than we had even faced before. And I knew that if there a chance, even a small one, to make sure that you came back to us, I would. No matter the price"

"You shouldn't have", I said. "The price was too high"

"That would not be up to you to decide. I can make my own choices, and I did"

"I get that, but when the price is your own life things change, Coulson", I countered.

"Says the woman that went into Ian Quinn's villa and almost died. The same one that when shit was going down on the Stark Expo you stayed to make sure Potts was safe"

My answer was fast. "That is different. The danger level was much lower"

"Was it?" He lifted his arm around and showed the room. "Look around you, this is the life we have chosen. You chose to risk your life, almost dying to save and protect. You don't go out trying actively to die, but it is a constant possibility in our line of work. You mean to tell me that if the roles were reversed, you wouldn't have done the exact same thing?"

The answer I had prepared got stuck in my throat. Because if I denied that we both knew I'd be lying.

He used that as a stepping stone to continue. "We don't choose how we go, Skye. We choose how we live, and I am okay with most decisions I have made in life. Some more than others. But this one?" He pointed to his own chest. "This I don't regret. Not now, not ever. I hate that Fury messed up with my memories, made me forget you, basically erased you from existence for all I knew, but that's different. Because I didn't get to choose that. It was a choice that was made for me, without my knowledge, without my input. And when the Director stops hiding I will tell him so, in person"

There was a small pause as we both took a breath. "I might have beaten you up to that", I ended up saying.

"I am sure you did" he said, and took another step towards me. I made the best that I could not to move away. "From what I recall you were pretty pissed at him and Maria when you first joined us, and now I can understand why"

"That might be the case—", I said and eyed him, standing far away, but not far enough. I knew that no matter what I did he would not give up, "—but the present doesn't change the past. How can you even stand to be in the same room as me, now that you know? How can you trust me, or that something similar won't happen again?"

"Because I know you", he simply replied. "I know you better than almost anyone, bar May, Nat and Clint", he took another step closed. "I raised you, I trained with you, I watched you grow. And the woman you are now, are still the same girl that we found, just a bit more ragged, a bit more scarred", and another.

"I am a moving weapon. I am a woman with secrets, secrets I don't know if I can tell you right now, secrets that you might not like them when you hear them. I am not the same girl you last saw before the Battle", I lifted my arms, watching as some purple bruising started to form, as I had been internalising my powers for their safety. "What if you don't like who I am now?"

His eyes were trained on my arms, and I could see his brows pinched together. And then he sighed, taking the last step closer to me, taking my hands in his. His touch gentle, making sure not to do any more damage than the one I had inflicted on myself. "Apart from the fact that we have been basically living together for the past few months? I got to know who you are, right now, without any past interactions clouding my judgment. And now that I do remember, I couldn't be prouder of who you have become. And I will do my darn best to protect you from getting stabbed in the back again"

He reached out and brushed a tear away from my cheek. When had I started crying?

"Can I hug you again? Please?", he asked, and I couldn't possibly say no to that.

Jemma's POV

Seeing Fitz after all this time was amazing. And getting to work with him again? Even better. As soon as we started going on missions again, apart from whatever we had to do on a daily basis for what was needed, we started working on making upgrades on the night-night guns.

As soon as I got back, Fitz came to me with an idea that he had. "I was thinking of increasing the stopping power, increasing range and changing the models" he showed me some of the schematics that he was working on. With his hand rubbing his neck, he continued explaining, "After the run in with Quinn, who somehow already had our designs, as well as the Centipede soldiers… I thought maybe an upgrade was in order. You know… to help protect our team"

I smiled at that, tears in the corners of my eyes at the thoughtfulness and went to give him a hug. "That sounds like a great idea, thank you".

He returned the gesture and went around the Lab to start gathering things that he was already working on. That was how this little side project of ours started. It was taking us a while, but losing some sleep was nothing if it meant we could keep people safer. Make sure no-one was hurt again.

I must have fallen asleep at some point, on my desk, because next thing I knew, I was waking up slowly, still hunched over. But there was a pillow under my head and a blanket draped on my back. I looked around confused, the lights were dimmed down. Why was I awake? When had I fallen asleep?

I spotted Skye, sitting on a nearby stool, back leaned against the wall and arms crossed over her chest, sleeping soundly. She looked almost like she was keeping watch.

I got up as quietly as I could, and went closer to her, noticing a small pinch on her eyebrows. I eased it away with my fingers, and kissed the top of her head as I dropped the blanket, that she probably placed on me, over her sleeping form. She stirred slightly, always a light sleeper. "Everything's okay, go bad to sleep", I whispered.

Content, she nestled back and resumed what I can only describe as purring. At the fleeting moments of proper sleep that she would get, her whole body vibrated slightly. I noticed it the first time I slept with her, and I always found it very endearing. It was almost like, when she didn't constantly hold back on her powers and control them tightly, as she did every day, they just manifested in the most curious ways.

I made my way to the kitchen upstairs, wanting to make some tea for myself to try and wake up. I zoned out, finding comfort in something that I did so many times in the past, when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I jumped back, heart in my throat, almost spilling the tea. My hand was on my chest trying to calm down as I turned round, to find Bobbi looking at me. "Bloody hell" slipped out, which seemed to amuse her.

"I'm sorry", she said but I could hear the silent laugh in her tone. "I called your name but you didn't seem to hear me. Everything okay?" She asked as she, herself, started making something to drink.

"Yes, sorry, you just scared me", I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "Agent May keeps saying I need better spatial awareness. What are you doing up so early, agent Morse?", I asked after I had made sure my tea was still good and I started slowly sipping at it.

She lifted a perfectly sculptured eyebrow at me, "How many times do I have to tell you to call me Bobbi?" I felt my cheeks heat up a bit at that and lifted my mug to hide it away. "As for your question, I couldn't sleep, so I thought I was going to train a bit downstairs but saw you and Skye dozing off and I didn't want to disturb you" her voice grew fond at that. "You two are very cute together"

I snickered. "I want to see you say that to her face. Anything that has to do with cute, she will deny, but is a softie deep down. Don't tell her I told you that", I whispered the last part.

"Scouts honour" she cackled, her expression oh so earnest. "You said something about agent May before. About you needing spatial awareness, would you like me to teach you some?"

I was… taken aback from that. "You mean train me?"

"Yeah, if you wanted to learn. It might make you feel safer. It mustn't have been easy going in Quinn's place and being taken hostage". While her body language remained casual, I could see that she was genuine in a somber way.

I sighed. It was not a day that I liked to remember. "It wasn't the hardest part either. The hardest part was being unable to do anything and being used as leverage for Skye to get hurt. I never want to feel that way again, never want to be used like that again", I admitted. "I managed to get some practise with agent May when we were away, but it's difficult keeping it up here, not without Skye seeing us"

Bobbi's head titled to the side. "Why would you not want her to see? I'm sure she would be very happy to help, even from the little that I know her for"

"She has enough on her plate as it is", I shook my head. "She's always running herself to the ground, trying to get things done. I don't want to add to that"

There was a small pause. "We will keep this between us then, no-one has to know", when I looked up, Bobbi was smiling, but was still serious. "I'll ask May about where you are at, and then I'll help you out"

"You sure you want to waste your time on this? I am sure you have more important things to do".

She pushed away from where she was leaning on the counter. "We spend way too many hours in this airplane, I don't have a lot of things to do. Plus, this will give me an excuse to spend more time with you in the Lab. Fitz sang your praises when you were gone and I would love to work with you on a project or two". She nodded and made to leave and head towards where the cockpit was.

Before she left, I called out to her and she turned round. "Thank you, Bobbi"

"Don't mention it" she said and winked, before disappearing down the corridor.

I had to stay there for a good few seconds, trying to understand what just happened, before a squick left my throat and felt the blood rush to my face.

AN.2: Jemma is a gay mess and I love her. Plus, with her initial interaction with Bobbi in the series you can't convince me she didn't have a crush.