#frameworkfic

           Jemma looked up, giving Daisy her typical “everything’s-fine-not-really” smile. “Course. Just tired, is all.”

           “C’mon, Jemma.” Daisy turned her desk chair to face her, wheeling up closer. “You can talk to me. I mean, I’ve been blabbing for the past hour. What’s up?”

           Jemma shrugged, wagging her head. For a moment she looked down at her hands, but when she raised her head back Daisy could see the tears flooding her eyes. “I don’t know,” She took in a deep breath, trying to hold back any sobs from escaping her mouth. “Suppose I just miss him.”

           Daisy laid a hand on her arm in comfort. “And that’s a hundred percent okay, you got it? Don’t start telling yourself you’re not allowed to feel just because we’re on a mission.”

           Jemma nodded. “No, I know. I just – I can’t help but think, if his world is so luxurious here, what would make him want to come back to reality?”

           “I would think that would be kinda obvious, Jemma.” Daisy paused seeing Jemma didn’t seem to know the answer. “That being you.”

           “Yes, well I don’t exist here, remember? Maybe in the real world; but here? Here I’m a – a corps to Leopold Fitz. I’m sure he has a dozen girlfriends every week and lives a life full of –”

           “Of emptiness and loneliness.”

           Jemma stared at her for a moment, soaking up her tears with her sleeves. “You don’t know that.”

           “I know that he doesn’t have Jemma Simmons in his life, and if you ever asked Fitz what was important to him – what mattered most to him, it was you.”

           Jemma’s eyes filled up with tears even more as she said, “But that was because I was all he knew. He never had a loving father or a supportive sibling, he had me – in this distorted world he has everything. He doesn’t need me. Clearly.”

           “Jemma, you know what Fitz does have, in reality? He has a mother, who loves him. He has a team who see him and treat him as family. He has Mack who sees him like a brother, Coulson who sees him as a son, and after all of what we give him and he gives back, he still always loves one thing more. You. Fitz might look happy in those pictures, and he might think he’s happy right now, in this very moment. But until he meets Jemma Simmons, the love of his life, he doesn’t know what happiness is.”

           Jemma gave a slight smile then. “You seem so sure.”

           “Yeah, because I know from experience. I was able to live a perfectly happy and content life before I met Lincoln, but once we met I … I just knew I had to have him in my life for the rest of my life. And when he died – it was seriously the hardest thing to continue living. Knowing that the one person you belong with in this world is no longer here, with you.” Daisy blinked, trying not to dwell on the painful past. Lincoln was here – somewhere. Without SHIELD he would still be alive. But she couldn’t find him – he wasn’t real. “Now c’mon, let’s virus the heck out of this HydraWorld and get you Fitz back – that way you guys can go and get married, grow old together.”

           Jemma blinked. “What did you say?”

           Daisy looked at her, a little thrown off. “Just that you guys can finally go settle down together, after all of this.”

           Jemma eyed her. “Why?”

           Daisy chuckled a little. “Why what, Jemma?”

           “Why did you say that? Did Android Fitz say something to you, before everything?”

           Daisy narrowed her eyes. “No…? I guess I just figured –”

           “I’ve never mentioned wanting to get married before.”

           Daisy was starting to look nervous. “Yeah, so? I thought it was pretty obvious, right? I mean, it’s you guys, everyone expects that from you-”

           “Do they?” Jemma wiped the last of her tears, still prying at Daisy. “Because I would assume everyone would expect us to live our lives working in the lab, side by side, just as we are.”

           Daisy sighed. “All right, fine, since I can obviously tell you aren’t going to let this go,” Daisy winced. Fitz would kill her if he knew she blabbed. “Fitz might’ve asked me a couple weeks back … what your ring size was.” Jemma’s eyes widened. Daisy could already imagine Fitz glaring at her. “And if you would prefer Princess cut.”

           Jemma was speechless. Android Fitz mentioned marriage, but she never in a million years thought Fitz would actually start planning on a proposal without getting some kind of confirmation from her first. Not that she didn’t find this romantic – she just didn’t think Fitz to be that bold. He took years to even admit his feelings for her, for goodness sake.

           “He might’ve also asked if I thought you would be for marriage in the first place,” Daisy grinned. “I might’ve told him yes a whole bunch of times.”

           Jemma finally spoke. “I can’t… When was he planning on doing all of this?”

            “I don’t really think Fitz even knew. With all this stuff with Aida and Radcliffe, plus with his constant self-doubt. It’s amazing what you guys have been through and Fitz still questions if you would say yes.” She shrugged. “I’m not sure if he even got the ring. I just know it had been on his mind, a lot. He apparently even mentioned it to Mack.”

           Jemma was in awe. Fitz and her, married. The thought was a constant friend if she was going to be completely honest; she just didn’t know what Fitz would think. He was already uneasy about getting an apartment together, not to mention his past with his father. Fitz never seemed very keen on the whole marriage idea.

           “You would say yes … right?”

           Jemma looked up at Daisy, drawn out of her thoughts. “Hm? – Oh! Yes, yes,” Jemma laughed, a smile on her face. “Without a doubt.”

           “Well, then,” Daisy stood up, grabbing her jacket. “Let’s break our team out of this hell.”

           Jemma gave a solid, confident nod and gathered her things along-side. “You know, I think I know of the perfect candidate to help us with our predicament.”

           “Who?”

           Jemma smirked. “Does the name Trip ring any bells?”