A Miracle Starts With a Beat of a Heart

Chapter 35

Daisy woke up from her May-ordered nap just shortly before they finally arrived back to the Lighthouse. She felt so much better than earlier. Her mind was still racing, but she felt like she was able to contain her feelings about it. At least for the moment. She still had no idea how she would react when the separation actually happened. With one last look at a photo of Nadia on her phone, Daisy got out of bed, changed into new clothes, and joined the others out in the command center.

"Preparing to descend!" May called out from the cockpit. She spotted Daisy make her way into the command center and gave her a soft smile before turning back.

Everyone was getting themselves buckled into the seats. Daisy spotted the empty seat next to Daniel and happily rushed towards it. "Hey," she said to the man, who was still wearing the same blue shirt he had been in the time loops.

"Hey," Daniel replied. "You feeling better?"

"Yes, much better. Thank you." Daisy took the seat next to him, buckling her self in. When she and Daniel made eye contact once again, she spoke up. "I, um..." Daisy could almost feel her cheeks burning as she blushed, but she tried to not show it in her face that she knew. "I just want to also thank you for staying with me. Staying with me while I was in the healing pod, I mean. The only time I could think of someone staying with me would be Coulson a few years ago when I got shot and May when I gave birth. It... It really means a lot."

Daniel smiled back at her. "Well, you're very welcome." There was a silence between them as none of them really knew what to talk about. Daisy almost wanted to confess the kiss from the time loops, but she figured now probably wasn't the best time. He had yet to make that speech since the loops stopped, but she knew that these feelings were still in him. She could feel the vibrations of his heart begin to flutter more when she approached him, so it was clear as day to her.

Before long, May landed the Zephyr in the Lighthouse hangar. It was weird to be in this oh-so familiar place but have it be so different. May, Coulson, Mack, and Elena went ahead first while Daisy, Jemma, and Daniel packed their bags to be moved into the Lighthouse for whatever time they had to stay there. Deke stayed back on the aircraft, making sure everything was still good with the time drive.

They were told briefly by Coulson that the triskelion, which wouldn't be built until 1989, was already a full-functioning SHIELD base in 1983. Seems the chronicoms were still at play with the time line. While getting settled, Daisy, Jemma, and Daniel made their way over to the lab.

Daniel opened the door and turned on the lights as Jemma and Daisy stepped in. There was a pause between the two women as they took on the scenery of the room. Somehow, despite being over thirty years in the past, the Lighthouse was still just as the same as it was in 2019. It was a tiring feeling really.

Daniel was quite confused at Jemma and Daisy's reactions. "Well, consider me impressed," he said, really taking in the 'future' technology as Jemma piled equipment onto a table. "A multi-story base under a lighthouse?"

"Yeah, we've just spent a lot of time down here, so maybe we're... over it," Daisy explained to him. Daisy approached Jemma with Sousa trailing behind her. "Any idea why the new countdown didn't start after we fixed the drive?" she asked. Usually when the time drive jumps, the countdown would tell them how long they had, but it has stayed frozen since they fixed the drive.

Jemma stared at the frozen clock. "The electrochron displacement mechanism did stabilize it, but it is possible the cumulative damage severed our operative transmission receiver's ability to penetrate spacetime."

"Did you understand any of that?" Daniel asked from behind her.

"Actually, yes. I did," Daisy admitted. The electrochron displacement mechanism stops the time drive from jumping unexpectedly, but there is still damage that is preventing us from jumping back home at all. Huh, maybe I have spent too much time with Fitzsimmons over the years. Daisy only hoped that this problem would be fixed soon so that she could finally be back home with Nadia again. However, she also dreaded returning home since that would mark the end of the mission, the end of their final mission together.