Jemma twiddled with her hair in the lab as she listened to the comms and Coulson's updates about the mission.
"We haven't caught Lash,he's escaped,"he explained,"However everyone is fine and safe. Joey's a bit shaken up and Fitz has a few minor injuries,other than that we're fine and heading back to base."
Jemma took out her ear piece and let out a shaky breath. She couldn't tell if it was a sigh of relief or worry. But she knew who it was for.It was for Fitz. Bobbi and Hunter who'd also been in the lab decided to leave at that time and go welcome the team back. Bobbi sent Jemma a reassuring smile before leaving whilst Hunter winked. Jemma flashed a small smile back before prepping the med bay.
About an hour later the quintet arrived back on base. Coulson and Mack immediately took Joey for a debrief. The taller of the men holding an arm around his shoulder as he shivered with fear. May walked out emotionless but with a pained expression in her eyes. Her and Bobbi went off to do sparring and Hunter followed with a bottle of beer. Daisy and Lincoln were there and then they were gone into Daisy's room-no one particularly wanted to ask why.
Jemma stood in the lab and waited for Fitz for what felt like ever when she saw him shuffle past the door. He seemed in immense pain. Whining with every step. Limping. Holding his side. Jemma slowly crept over to the door and stared at him as he walked away.
"Where are you going?" She asked quietly and he turned around and glared at her right in the eyes.This is my fault,she thought, I let lash out.
"Goin' to ma bunk," he responded gruffly.
"No you're not," she explained,"You need medical treatment." She was acting like a stern parent and pointed into the lab. Fitz let out a low groan and reluctantly walked towards where she was stood. Jemma rolled her eyes and they both ambled to the med bay.
" 'M telling you,I'm fine Jemma," Fitz moaned avoiding eye contact with the brunette. She could tell he was lying and she glanced at him.He turned to look at her and she could see the pain in his beautiful blue eyes. She let out another shaky breath.
"Take off your shirt," she said,still looking at him.
He pulled a confused expression and raised his eye brows.
"Just do it!" She exclaimed," You're in pain and I just want to help!"
Fitz muttered something under his breath before doing what Jemma had said. He carefully lifted up his shirt and incessantly winced in pain. There on his torso and in many other places where cuts,bruises and scratches. Jemma let out another worried sigh. And that was when she noticed the bullet lodged in his skin just above his shoulder.
"Oh Fitz," she mumbled,"Were you not going to tell anyone?"
He looked at her with a blank expression in his face and she groaned.
"Don't tell me you were going to hide it and take it out in your room,with your engineering tools."
He looked at her again this time the answer written all over his face.He slowly nodded in defeat.
Jemma looked down at her feet. It was all her fault, she told herself again, and he's hurting himself because of her. She looked down at his torso. She'd never seen him shirtless before in all the 10 years they'd know each other. He was a lot more symmetrical than she'd put him down to be and as she'd said on her recording handsome. Fitz blushed noticing she was looking which caused Jemma's ears to turn bright red,as she put a strand of hair behind her ear.
"You ok Jemma? I'd just kinda like this bullet out,ya know?" He let out a sharp chuckled which brought Jemma out of her trance.
"Yes sorry you're just very Ho...it's very hot in here that all," she responded awkwardly and flustered. Fitz noticed and grinned a bit.
"OK Dr. Fizty his might hurt a tad..." Jemma explained grabbing a pair of tweezers.
"I trust you Dr. Simmons." She smiled at his remark and carefully pulled out the bullet. It took several minutes and many yells from Fitz which broke Jemma's heart as it was her fault.
When she'd finished she carefully cleaned the wound and exhaled before turning away. She had tears in her eyes and she was trying her very best to hide them.
"Thanks Jem, you were right I couldn't have done it myself," he chucked a bit as waited for a response. He got none as Jemma fiddle with a piece of paperwork whilst fighting the glassy tears back.
"Jemma?" Fitz curiously asked placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.mShe turned around him as the tears began to tumble down her face and he pulled her into a tight embrace.
"What the matter Jemma?" Fitz whispered into her hair. Jemma briskly pulled away and avoided eye contact.
"It's all my fault," she replied," Everything is my fault," she sobbed even more.
Fitz pulled a puzzled expression, he knew Jemma blamed herself for a lot of stuff but this... What could she be blaming herself for now?
"Everything is linked and everything is my fault," she breathed raspy," Will died Fitz, because of me. Those InHumans died because I was selfish and wanted protection. Rosalind is dead ans well as Bobbi and us getting tortured because I couldn't kill ward. Banks got killed infront of us cause of what happened to me."The silence that followed in the lab was ear piercing and it felt like the lab with shrouded in an eerie shadow.
Fitz was surprised to see her blaming herself for all of this-all this stuff that wasn't her fault.
"Non of that's your fault Jemma, plus Wards dead so no need to worry ok?" He reassured her.
"But I do need to worry! Feel guilty!" She retorted.
"Why?" Fitz inquired in a broad Scottish accent.
"Because of everything I've done to you!" She screeched and Fitz was taken aback.
"I was on another planet for 6 months and you save me to find I've consoled with another man. You risked your life going there for me twice! You could've contracted an alien virus from me,back on the B.U.S because I wasn't safe and I nearly died. You gave me..." Her voice became shaky and her breathing faltered."You gave me that last breath...that you could've taken...And I blame myself for what happened... I made you...damaged." She uttered the last words so quietly as a waterfall of tears trickled down her face.
Without hesitation Fitz brought her into another hug.
"No..no..it's not your fault,ok?" He explained,"Nothing is your fault..."
Jemma began to speak again,"But I left you when you needed me,we weren't friends and yet when I needed you,you were a better friend than I've ever been!" She stepped away from the hug but she was still so close to Fitz that she could feel his breath on her face. He carefully placed a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Yeah you left me...but we are friends again now,it wasn't your fault you didn't feel the same way," he said,but at the exact same time Jemma exclaimed,
"I only left you because I loved you...and I was hurting you!"
Jemma paused and realised what she'd said. She looked up and was staring into Fitz's bright blue eyes.
"We're not cursed, Fitz." She whispered," I am.But I still love you."
"I love You too Jemma." He whispered and she could see tears forming in his eyes too. That's when she grabbed the collar of his shirt(which he'd put back on)and pulled his head down to place her lips against his.
Their third kiss was nothing like their first two.It wasn't angry nor was it calm. It was wet and slobbery but it was of reassurance that they both still cared and dearly loved each other.
Fitz grabbed Jemma's waist and pulled her closer to him. Jemma had one hand against Fitz's face caressing his stubble with her fingers. Cupping his cheek with her hand-savouring the moment.Whilst her other hand tangled itself in Fitz's short curls.
When they finally pulled back they rested the foreheads against eachother and both smiled.
"Third times a charm," Fitz chuckled.
Jemma giggled and wiped her eyes before stepping back.
"You should go get debriefed,Coulson will wonder where you are."
Fitz nodded and began to walk out. Jemma immediately grabbed his hand.
"But come back yeah?" She asked,entwining their fingers.
He nodded before slowly letting go and walking off smiling to himself.
Jemma herself had a large crescent grin plastered on her face and she walked over to the bed in the med bay before flopping back on it. She let out a sigh of relief as thoughts raced through her mind,all about one thing. Fitz.
