#leopoldfitzsimmons

Jemma’s crossed arms fell to her sides as the realization that the impossible had suddenly become reality. “Well what do I do Fitz! I don’t know how to be the director!”

Fitz bit back a laugh, “Simmons you don’t have to do anything, sign some papers so work progresses as it normally would, I’m sure someone will be back soon.”

“But what if there’s an emergency! What if we receive a call from the president or the base is attacked or-“ she struggled for more catastrophes, “or a supply shipment comes in.”

“A supply shipment?”

“You know I don’t understand their ridiculous organizational system in the supply room, it’s easier to find Waldo then it is to find the paper towels to restock the ladies loo.” Fitz was shaking, trying to hold in laughter brought about by his girlfriend’s panic. “Fitz, I’m serious!”

His laughter died away and was replaced with a sympathetic smile. “The chances of someone attacking the base or the president buzzing in are extremely thin.” He said reassuringly. He took her wrists in his hands, swinging them lightly. “And if a supply truck shows up, well, we’ll use the opportunity to reorganize the storage rooms to your liking, I’m sure it would be more efficient.” Jemma digested his words and took a calming breath. Then all at once her posture changed, her smile lifted, and a spark lit in her eye.

“Do you really think we could reorganize the supplies?”

Fitz faltered, “uh yeah, I don’t see why not, I mean, you are in charge but it’s kind of quiet around here, you could get a lot of work done in the lab.”

Jemma nodded, “well yes, but that really requires a good deal of focus and surely there will be a lot of interruptions, I should get these,” she waved the papers still firmly clasped in her hand, “back to Nathanson and see if anyone else needs anything.” She spun on her heel and started back towards the lab. Fitz, looking slightly worried, followed.

“Jemma, I don’t think you need to go out of your way with this acting director thing, we could just go about the day same as usual maybe even use the time to relax, you’ve been working too hard lately.”

“But there is so much that could be done Fitz, just imagine a stock room that never runs out of coffee.” Fitz shuddered. That had been a nightmare of a day. “Do you think we have any extra man power, to help with the reorganization efforts and I’m going to need my tablet so I can keep track of where everyone is assigned to, does the intercom system still work, I don’t recall us checking it recently.”

“Uh yeah, Jemma-“

“I’ll need a blank calendar as well to schedule, do you think we can create an equation to estimate the frequency in which the paper products in the restroom would need changing, I’m sure it’s different in the men’s than it is in the women’s, should we take a poll?”

“I’m sure it is but I’m not sure how comfortable anyone would be with that poll.” Fitz replied helplessly. There would be no stopping her if the ideas had formed this quickly.

“You know what my first act as director will be?” She said stopping and turning to him excitedly.

“What’s that?” He asked nervously.

“I’m going to appoint you as my co-director.”

After a moment to process what she’s said and questioning if she had that much authority he just gave a questioning ‘really?’

“Well yes of course, we really do work best when we’re together and while this promotion has been beneficial I miss you terribly.”

Co-directors? It was quite possibly the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard but somehow heartwarming to know that even in a position of power Jemma wanted him next to her. He decided that it couldn’t hurt to play along with Jemma’s plans, it was a slow day after all and the base would probably benefit from a Jemma Simmons system.

“Alright, I accept, where do we start?”

Within three hours Jemma has everyone who wasn’t working on time sensitive assignments, restocking shelves, repurposing rooms and Feng Shui-ing the furniture in the lounge. “I’ve always wondered if there was really something to it? Though its more philosophical than scientifically based there have been proven results.” Jemma explained as she shifted an arm chair slightly. Fitz will admit, he had knocked his shin into the coffee table enough times he had contemplated moving it himself and yes, her arrangement allowed more seating, but he wondered if the small changes were truly worth all their effort.

He personally would have liked to use the time to discuss projects or other more private pursuits but Jemma was happy so he went along with it. Even upgrading her tablet to sync to an old label maker.

“Simmons, one high tech label maker, ready to go.” He said as she returned from checking on Team Beta.

“Oh thank you Fitz! This will speed up progress in the file room.”

She cheerily took the device from him, placed a quick kiss to his cheek and turned to walk away only to be tugged back by their suddenly intertwined fingers. “So miss director, when do you get a break?”

“Break? Fitz, there’s not time, Mace could be back at any minute and we haven’t even started on the lab.”

“You do realize you were the one to originally organized it.”

She sighed. “I’ve decided that its inefficient, you were just saying the other day you couldn’t find a damn thing, unfortunately I think we need to simplify it for the lab techs so they don’t go putting stuff in the wrong place.”

“Okay but maybe just us can work on the lab while everyone else finishes up were they are.” He hoped he sounded flirty, she was really much better at that, at least she was when she wasn’t in work mode.

Jemma genuinely considered his statement, “It would be easier if we didn’t have to teach someone new our system.”

Fitz rolled his eyes, a gesture he had learned from the best. “That wasn’t my reasoning but alright.”

“Oh, what is it then?”

He tugged her closer, until she was near enough to press his lips to hers in a kiss that made his reasoning plain as day. When the broke apart Jemma took a minute to catch her breath then nodded. “I think I like that reasoning.”

It’s another hour later when Fitz and Jemma have finally started the lab efforts just narrowly making themselves decent before Nathanson rushed frantically into the lab. “Agent Sim-Uh Director Simmons, Directors Fitz-Simmons,” he shook his head uncertainly, “we have a situation.”

“I explained the library system four times already Nathanson, I don’t know how much more I can simplify the concept; topic, year, and then alphabetically, if it crosses fields than you use an information card in the secondary topic that will refer you to the location of the book.”

Nathanson stared back at her perplexed, than shook his head more urgently, “No, actually I stopped by Director Mace’s office with the paperwork you signed off on and well there was a blinking light on the large screen and I don’t know why but it seemed like something that needed attention so I clicked on it and well then I had to go through a whole identification pro-“

“Nathanson!” Fitz and Jemma scolded in unison.

“Right, it would appear there has been a breech in security.”

“WHAT?!” Jemma shoved past Nathanson and was out of the room before Fitz really had time to react, than he too shoved past the poor lab tech, sprinting to catch up with Jemma.

“Simmons, WAIT!”

“There is no time to wait Fitz, I just knew something terrible would happen, something terrible always happens.” Jemma shouted back to him. Fitz stumbled into the director’s office, Jemma had already brought the security feeds up on the screen searching for the intruders.

“Do you see anything?” She asked after taking them all in.

Fitz shook his head. “No, nothing, but I mean look at the things we’ve seen in the past, intruder could be bloody invisible for all we know.” Jemma looked at him with wide eyes. “Or it was just a bird that tripped the system.” He suggested optimistically.

“Our system is trip proof, birds shouldn’t activate it, they’re not heavy enough or electronic.” She exclaimed and moved closer to the screen. She examined them more closely and Fitz began to worry himself. “We need to prepare everyone on the base.”

“Jemma we’re scientists not tactical experts.”

“We are in charge, we have to do something, lockdown the base, we’ll search every room individually.”

“What if we lock whatever it is into one of the rooms with agents.”

Jemma release a strangled noise. “Grab the Icers then, we’ll alert everyone covertly, this was obviously intended to be a stealthy invasion, maybe just an information grab? Lockdown the computer systems.”

Fitz nodded. He ran his recently printed orange level lanyard over the computer and activated the digital security, designed by Daisy to keep anyone without her skills out. Jemma sent out a message through a mass text message to her “Team Leaders” to inform all team members of the potential theat. “Hurry Fitz, we need to secure the base.”

Fitz looked up at her panicked. “I think that’s what the field agents are for.”

“Well we don’t have any of those right now, do we? and we certainly have more experience in the field than anyone here now so come on.” Jemma stepped out of the door, Icer raised, Fitz quickly grabbed up his own and dashed out after her, hurriedly moving to take the lead. Despite the urgency of danger they could be in Jemma still took the time to roll her eyes at him.

The base had gone very quiet since Jemma’s message went out. The shifting of boxes, shuffling of papers, and murmurs of complaints had died down instantly as residents took shelter and went on look out. Jemma kept one hand at his back, fingers lightly gripping his shirt, and keeping him surprisingly calm. Her other hand held her Icer aloft next to his as they made their way down the steps into the lounge.

“If its information they want they’ll head for the labs won’t they?” Fitz suggested.

“Or the file rooms, lucky for us nothing will be where they expect it to be, aren’t you glad we did all that rearranging.”

“I’d be much happier if we’d have just used the day for sleeping in.” Fitz muttered. Jemma glared at him briefly before turning her attention to a noise down the hall. She quickly shoved Fitz into the lab, the two of them falling down and sliding under the closet work bench.

Three masked men appeared at the door and the two tucked in farther underneath. They entered swiftly, tearing at anything within reach as they searched for the information they needed. The burliest of the men stepped up to their bench, smashing beakers and sending glass and chemicals to the floor. Jemma raised her Icer, pulled the trigger only for nothing to happen. No bullets. Fitz raised his own to the same results. A curse slipped from his lips and in the moment they had to react, their position now given away, Fitz lunged forward, grabbed the man around his legs, sending him to the floor. As they wrestled for control of the gun the man held, Jemma propelled herself up, grabbing the wheeled chair and shoving it at the next closest thief. The heavy chair toppled over, forcing the man to his knees and sending his own gun to the ground. Jemma fell forward to grab it, narrowly missing shots fired by the third assailant as he came toward them. Crawling beneath the tables to put some distance between them Jemma popped up on the other side of the lab.

“Fitz get out of the way.” She screeched and Fitz rolled to the side.

It took a few shots but Jemma managed to hit her mark. A faucet that supplied the highly flammable chemical used in the Icer Bullets. It sprayed across the room, soaking the three intruders. Fitz, as though reading her mind reached above him for the nearest Bunsen burner, flipping it on and holding it threateningly over the puddle that was quickly forming. He slowly stepped back to keep out of it himself.

“Drop your weapons or he drops that!” Jemma shouted.

A burst from behind them revealed a new attacker. Jemma turned her gun on them but with one already trained on her she couldn’t act. Then out of nowhere Nathanson of all people appeared, hitting him over the head with the modified label maker. Eventually the hostages fell light-headed to the ground.

“Fitz-Why must you tell the story like that?” Jemma said as she listened to the last bit of the story from the doorway of their daughter’s bedroom.

Fitz looked back at her with a smile. “Come ‘on Jemma you know it’s more exciting than what really happened.”

Peggy’s eyes lit up. “What really happened?” She asked curiously, curling more closely to Pesto, their old mutt of a dog.

“Don’t listen to her Pegs, we, in our one day as the directors of SHIELD saved the base and the very important information the bad guys were trying to steal; all the while creating an effective organizational system, thanks to which, no one has ever once been trapped in the stall without toilet paper.” Fitz insisted.

“How about when this one comes,” she rubbed her rounded belly, “you can go back to that version.” Jemma reasoned. “But I think Peggy might like the real story just as much.” She plopped down on the bed with her favorite people, ruffling Pesto’s fur and placing a kiss on Peggy’s head.

“Tell me what really happened Daddy, I want to know.” She sunk back into her pillows and Fitz gave in.

“Alright fine.” He settled himself, reverting to storytelling mode. “Most of it was true, all the way up to your mum and I going to track down the intruder.”

Fitz and Jemma slowly walked down the stairs into the lounge. A clatter from the kitchen caused them both to jump.

“Whose there?” Jemma called. Some shuffling noises were all they received in response. Icers still raised the two made their way to the kitchen. “Hello?”

Giving a curious look to Fitz, she passed him and hurried over to the source of the sound. “Oh my!”

Fitz bolted over to Jemma, who had raised a hand over her mouth. After assuring himself she was fine he turned to face the source of her shock. “Oh?”

“Well how did you get in?” Jemma asked, her voice raising three octaves and she reached out for a scruffy dog who was licking something off the floor.

“How did we bird proof the security system but not dog proof it?” Fitz asked.

“I guess he weighed enough to trigger it.” Jemma said slowly patting the young dog’s head. “OH NO.” Fitz raised his icer immediately, adrenaline still high. It wasn’t a dog, it was a robot. Its eyes glowed red and it let out a howl-

“Uhg, FITZ!”  

“Fine! You are no fun at all.” Fitz pouted.

“Oh no what?” Fitz demanded.

“He got into my Pesto Aioli, I just made that batch too.” Jemma frowned and pulled the jar away from the dog. “I split this one, half basil, half spinach, thought I might get some more vitamins into you.”

Fitz looked at her horrified. “Seriously, you can’t change the pesto aioli.”

“Well maybe this is a sign that I shouldn’t, let’s get this cleaned up.” Jemma said dumping the jar into the sink. Fitz picked up the dog, looking him over carefully. “Where’d you think he came from?” Fitz asked.

“I don’t know, he doesn’t have a collar, wonder if he’s got a name.”

“If not I think I’ve got one for him.”

“Oh Fitz you can’t name him, you’ll get attached and he might belong to someone.”

“But, Pesto.” He said, holding the dog out to her. Its tongue licked at its mouth, trying to reach any remnants of the pesto then struggled in Fitz’s arms to be closer to Jemma until he could lick her face just as excitedly.

“Alright Fine, but we have to at least be sure.”

“We put up flyers and he wasn’t chipped so when no one claimed him we kept him, we had moved into our apartment by then so Mace couldn’t even stop us.”

“How did he get inside?” Peggy asked sleeply.

“We had to lower the security so everyone had access to help with the reorganization efforts. We think he slipped in when the supply truck arrived.” Jemma explained.

“Well I’m glad and I do like that version better daddy because that’s how we got Pesto and Pesto is my best friend in the whole world.” Peggy’s reasoning was tough to beat so Fitz agreed that in the future he would tell the story that way. They tucked the girl in, Pesto still curled up at her side and stepped out of the room.

“I still think my version makes a better good night story.” Fitz complained as they walked down the hall.

“I don’t know, I recall having a lot of fun that day.” Jemma reminded him.

“Well of course, you organize files for fun.”

“That’s not what I was referring to.” She said cheekily. “Remember you have to tell the PG version of that story and some of the things we did would not be approved for all audiences.”