Begin Again

Day eighteen

He was asleep when she walked in, his curls splayed out around his head and a peaceful look on his face. She sat down beside him in her usual seat and refrained from taking his hand, instead twisting her fingers in her lap, a nervous habit of hers.

She felt guilty for needing to disturb him, but she had to.

"Fitz?" She spoke softly, but his eyes opened at the sound of her voice. He seemed to recognise her from when he woke two days before.

"You probably don't remember this, but - I'm Jemma Simmons. I'm your... I'm your best friend."

She wasn't sure what to call herself, considering his decleration of love in those final moments before the red button turned their lives upside down.

He smiled at her.

She smiled back.

"Do you remember anything? Anything at all?" She asked nervously. He had said her name just before he had opened his eyes, in those subconcious moments of addled thoughts and confusion, so the memories had to be in there somewhere, even if they were under lock and key.

He shook his head and she felt tears spill over her bottom eyelashes, blinking them away.

"Leo. Your name is Leo."

~*~

Even if he still couldn't speak that much, just the occasional short word, she felt like she'd had the most proper conversation she'd had in days.

It was with a much lighter heart that she left his room a few hours later.

She had told him lots of things, about his mother, his childhood, how he'd met her - and the smile had stayed on his face the whole time.

They still connected, even if it was a rather one-sided conversation.

"How is he?" Mrs Fitz asked.

"He can't remember anything. You, me - he doesn't remember."

"Oh." She sounded so dejected. Simmons put her arms around the older woman and pulled her in for a hug.

"I told him all about you. He seemed happy when I told him you were here. Do you want to see him?"

"Thank you, Jemma. Yes, I think I will."

And when she was standing in the doorway -

"You're a lifesaver, Jemma. I don't know how I would do this without you."

"It goes both ways, Mrs Fitz. Now, go talk to your son." And she turned and walked away, both breaking and healing with every step.

~*~

So many scenarios were playing out in her head.

He didn't remember her. He didn't remember the reluctance he had had to express how he truly felt. Would this change anything?

He didn't remember S.H.I.E.L.D, or Ward's betrayal, or how the world fell apart.

He didn't remember the Academy, or Sci-Ops. Would he still have a passion for engineering?

Would he still have a passion for her?

Maybe they would have to fix each other at the same time, and hope, just hope, that the pieces would fall into place eventually.