A Miracle Starts With a Beat of a Heart

Chapter 39

Daisy took many shuddery breaths. It was still hard to wrap her mind around the fact that in order to defeat Malick and the chronicoms, she had to die in the process. Her mind could not stop telling herself that it was so unfair just how she was always the one to make the sacrifice play, but she also knew that she was the only one with the power to tip the scales in their favor.

It was always difficult to grasp that this was where her life had taken her.

She stood alone to the side of the Zephyr. She watched as her team members rushed around, preparing for their duties. She told herself that they were the ones she would be doing this for. She would be saving them. She would be saving Alya. She would be saving Nadia. Her sacrifice would ensure her family's safety and survival. She just wished her survival was guaranteed.

Maybe looking at photos of her daughter on her phone before leaving for the mission wasn't the best idea. If things didn't work out the way they should, then these photos would be the last time she would see Nadia, but Daisy wanted nothing more than to go back home and wrap the infant in her arms. Her hot tears burned her skin as she let them fall. Though she never believed in God, she prayed that they would get through to Kora and that she would be able to bring her back to life. Daisy wanted to live. Daisy needed to live. She needed to live and watch her daughter grow up into an amazing person.

Coulson and May slowly made their way over to her, sad looks on both their faces. She figured Coulson had explained the plan to May given that a little earlier, she could hear May's angry yet very emotion-heavy yells from the other side of the ship. Daisy quickly wiped her tears away, not wanting for her pseudo-parents to see her true emotions over the situation, but she knew that they could see right through to her.

Coulson placed his hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked despite knowing the answer. Daisy just shrugged in response. "You don't have to do this, Daisy. We can tell Fitz that you don't want to do this."

Daisy sighed. "But I have to, Coulson," she replied. "It doesn't matter if I want to or not. It's never mattered."

"It should," May added.

Daisy shook her head. "It should, but it doesn't right now. It's my life or the world's. I just wish Fitzsimmons had come up with a better plan that didn't require me, their best friend, to possibly lose my life over it." Daisy was still a little bitter over the conversation. Why would her best friends allow her to die when she also has a kid of her own waiting for her to come home? It's not like they didn't know about Nadia before heading off to space for five years.

"We're just as frustrated as you are," May replied. "He's got a great composure on, but even I can tell without my empathic abilities that Mack's about to burst at the seams. We just wanted to make sure that you were going to be alright before we head out." For what could possibly be our last moments together, Daisy finished in her mind.

Daisy nodded as she turned to Coulson, hugging him tighter than she had ever done before. She clung to him as he embraced her. "You fight as hard as you can, alright?"

"I will" Daisy said into his shoulder. She was reluctant to let go, but May's hand on her back pulled her towards her mother.

May hugged her just as tight. "Come back to us," May whispered in her ear. Daisy had wanted to ensure her return, but she knew with only a ten percent chance, she wasn't able to. When she let herself go from May's embrace, she could see the tears starting to form in May's eyes. May placed her hand on Daisy's cheek, cupping her face in her palm. Daisy leaned into it for a moment before Coulson and May went to the cockpit.

Daisy figured she better make her rounds before the other team departed.

She found Mack and Elena talking to each other. Elena's face as Daisy approached told her that Mack was just explaining what was going on. The two approached the younger agent. "Are you really doing this?" Elena asked.