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The paper folder lay closed on the stone counter. I knew what was inside it, knew what it said... but I couldn’t bring myself to open it. Not now.. not while our world was in such peril. Not when most of our friends- no- most of our FAMILY- were still stuck back at the temple. And I am stuck here. Doing what, exactly? I honestly don’t quite know.
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The familiar rustle of papers interrupted my thoughts, and I quickly slid the folder underneath the computer as I turned from where I’d been standing at my little work table. Fitz walked into the little room again, carrying piles of paper with writing on it, still reading one of the pages as he walked. I watched him carefully. “Fitz? What do you have there?” I nodded towards the files in his hand, pointing gently with my cold fingers. My husband looked up, softening his gaze as his eyes met mine. He set down the pages and crossed his arms, leaning against the table. “What if.. What if this doesn’t work. We’d be putting ourselves in danger only for it to fail and all of us to die. I still want..” He paused, looking up at the ceiling. Jemma looked down at her hands, uneasily. Fitz continued, “I still want us to have our life.” We both looked back up at each other at the same time, and both started to say something. He lifted his hand to run it through his curls. “You go first.”
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He sat down on one of the swivel chairs near his work bench. I walked over to him, knelt so that our eyes were equal to each other, and took his hands in mine. “Fitz.. When Enoch told us this was the only way we could possibly survive, I-I- I didn’t know how to feel. Leaving our friends there felt so wrong. And it still does; every single day. But I know that all the work we put into this has to make this plan work. It has to. I promise, I’ll make sure this works.” I raise the palm of my hand to his cheek, my other hand intertwining with Fitz’s own. Our gaze meets again, and he squeezes my hand lovingly, before his hazel eyes drift to my computer. He points at the file I’d hidden earlier, where the corner of it is poking out just slightly. “What’s that? Is that the bloodwork that you sent in?” Fitz says, curiosity filling his voice.
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I glance over, and I sigh. “I didn’t want to tell you yet. I did get the results back; this morning, actually. I haven’t been able to bring myself to read them, though.” I look back to Fitz, who’s still watching me, holding my hand. “Can I see them?” He says gently, reaching his other arm out. I suddenly have butterflies. “I-I.. Let’s read them together.” I suggest, and I reach over to pull the file out from underneath my computer again. Fitz takes my hand again, and pulls me onto his lap. I hand him the file, and he opens it, maybe with a little hesitation.. and he smiles. My stomach flutters, and I let my hand fall to rest upon it. “Look.. Jemma.” Fitz murmurs in a quiet, little voice, the smile still on his soft face. His hand moves to show me the papers, and I take the other side in my own shaking palm. “Oh Fitz..” I breathe, looking back at him. Fitz’s eyes meet mine again, and he draws me closer.
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I take his hand and place it on top of mine, on my stomach, and rest my head on his shoulder. There’s a tear in his eye, and he reaches up to kiss me, his other hand stroking my hair. “I love you, Jemma.” My own eyes are wet, and I smile, giggling a little. “I love you Leo..” I wrap my hand around his once more. “Can we really do this? Raise a..” I trail off, looking back at him. Fitz smiles, “I think that two people with combined four PhDs can raise their own child, Simmons.” He chuckles, and so do I now. I let myself lay against Fitz, let myself just be with him. He rests his head on my shoulder. “We’re having a baby..” I murmur, looking down at my stomach. Fitz nods, his own gaze fluttering there two. “We are having a baby.” We turn to look at each other, both our eyes shiny with tears, and as I wrap my arms around him, he does the same- and everything is right.