Jemma Simmons recognised the trouble she was in as soon as the buzzing sound began. She sneaked a peek at Fitz who should have heard it but had given no reaction.
She had the virus, no doubt about it.
She doubled her pace to crack the virus. She knew she was currently the only one who could and there was no other way around it. They were still hours away from the Sandbox and the firefighters had died within 2 hours of infection. She calmed herself down, she was after all a brilliant scientist and used to being able to squeeze herself out of tight situations.
This would be no different. She had to, for herself, her parents and her team especially Coulson who had placed so much faith in her. He had become a respected father figure to her. He had handpicked her and there was no way in hell she was going to disappoint him.
But after 3 floating rats with Fitz's help, she decided to throw in the towel. One must know which battles to give up conserving energy for other battles. Except that there would be no more battles for her.
She gathered her resolve and requested for a moment with Fitz after leaving a message for her family with Coulson. It took all her resolve to not meet Ward's dark eyes; they might weaken her or guess her motives. She then proceeded to knock Fitz out, wishing she had time to say a proper goodbye. After all, she had once hoped that something more than friendship would transpire between them but complimenting him was the closest to a farewell she could get.
The cargo hold opened and she allowed the wind and gravity to possess her. She wished things had gone differently and she wished that she had more time to know Grant Ward. She briefly wonders if the one ounce would cost the team in near future.
She was falling through the sky, her arms outstretched towards the Bus she would never return to and for the salvation that would never come. But then she felt a strong tug, a sharp sting and heard Ward's husky voice,"I've got you, I've got you."
She gave a brief struggle but it only made him tighten his hold. She briefly registered that she must be cured when that sting happened. She was pressed against his strong chest and his pounding heart filled her eardrums, erratic but oddly comforting. They floated; it was as if time didn't matter anymore. She felt a strong rush of relief as she reveled in this current weightlessness, held against Grant Ward. Consequences be damned.
But she did cringe at Coulson's explosive lecture. She had wanted to cajole him into forgetting the nightmare with the Moroccans but he was faster with his lashing. She was briefly aware of Ward's sideway glances but chose to ignore them. The flutters would be attributed to her near-death experience no matter how illogical it sounded.
She was surprised by his attempt to strike conversation. She gathered her leftover bravery from her jump and confessed in a whoosh of breath about the Night-night gun. In all honesty, she had saved it instead of drawing upon it as fodder for conversation when they were out in the ocean. This was Agent Grant Ward they were talking about after all, she had seen his file...what if he decided to drown her and mask her death as an accident when he was the one who killed her over one extra ounce?
But she also understood his frustration; it was the same when Fitz couldn't differentiate between vaccine and anti-serum. What caught her unprepared was his calm acknowledgement and his admission that he had known all along. Why hadn't he said so and simply gave her a free pass? It confused her.
And then he proceeded to imitate them imitating him. Did an unknown being possess him? Jemma had largely blanked out what happened at the ocean due to stress and shock but this was a whole new side to him she had never expected.
She had no idea what had changed between them but it seemed like a small spark had been ignited.