This is a sequel to Murphy's Law. You don't have to read Murphy's Law in order to understand it, but it might help explain some stuff! :-)

((Disclaimer: I am not cool enough to own Agents of SHIELD or any of its awesome characters.))

Chapter One

The metal under his finger was cold as he pulled the trigger, his elbow locked against the force of the gun as it fired - once, then twice. Fitz watched as the men crumpled to the floor. But he didn't feel any sympathy. He didn't stop at the sight of the blood beginning to stain the floor; he just grabbed Jemma and ran.

They ran as fast as they could, down halls and through doors. Fitz pulled the last door open, ready to make a break for freedom, but behind the door stood a man with a cruel, mocking face. Fitz stopped in his tracks, holding Jemma close to his side as he stared back into the eyes of the man in front of him.

Benedikt Daecher.

Leopold Fitz woke up; beads of sweat lining his brow. It was the same dream that he had every night since he found out that Benedikt Daecher had escaped.

It had been nearly two months since he and Jemma had been taken hostage by Daecher, but the memories were still fresh in Fitz's mind. Daecher had been working on Extremis and had needed to know how Fitz and Simmons had stabilized the Extremis in Mike Peterson. Snatching them from a small German town, Daecher had tortured them for information.

After they finally escaped and the team caught Daecher, Fitz had thought it would all be over. He thought that things would finally get back to normal. But that all came crashing down when Coulson pulled them in for a briefing and informed them that Daecher had some how escaped.

Fitz could still remember the icy fear that took over him when Coulson told them the news of Daecher's escape. Instinctively he had moved closer to Jemma, not wanting her out of his sight. Fitz tried to tell himself that it was unlikely that Daecher would come after them again. They were safe with the rest of their team. Even Daecher was not stupid enough to attack the Bus, but it didn't stop Fitz from worrying. Worrying about Jemma.

Knowing that sleep was beyond his reach, Fitz got out of bed. His curly hair unkempt, and clothed in sleep pants and a t-shirt, he made his way out of his bunk and to the common area.

"You're up late."

Fitz looked up and saw Skye sitting on the couch with her computer. He tried for a smile, though he was sure it looked more like a pained, tired grimace. "What are you doing up?"

"Wanted to finish this. What about you? Still having nightmares?"

Fitz flinched at Skye's question. "How did you…?" He hadn't even told Jemma that he had been having nightmares, how would Skye have known?

"I heard you screaming in your sleep last night. Our bunks are right next to each other after all." Skye gave him a sympathetic look, moving her computer off her lap. She gently patted the spot on the couch next to her. "Want to talk about it?"

"No," he replied, but slowly changed his mind. He took the spot on the couch, looking out across the plane, unable to look Skye in the eyes. "I just keep seeing them hurt her and I see myself hurt them back. But what scares me is how good it makes me feel. I felt nothing. I'm not sorry that I shot them – I want them to suffer as much as they made me suffer, as much as they made her suffer." He looked at Skye, "Is that horrible?"

Skye grabbed Fitz's hand and gave it an affectionate, friendly pat. "Fitz. You saved Jemma's life. You took a bullet for her. Nothing you did was horrible and I'm sure Simmons agrees."

Fitz shook his head numbly, trying to feel a sense of reassurance from Skye's words, but none came. "Thanks," he said, trying for his best smile, but he could tell from the way that she looked at him that she could see through the façade. "I'm…I'm going to try to get some sleep. You should too."

He went back to his bunk and slid the door closed, collapsing on his bed. He still couldn't sleep – his eyes staring up at the ceiling. He turned over and grabbed a picture that he had on his bedside table. It was a picture of him and Jemma that was taken while they were at the Academy. The picture was in a frame, covered in monkeys, that Jemma had made him for Christmas one year.

He looked at their smiling faces, simple and carefree. Their biggest concern was passing their latest test, not risking their lives for some crazy mission. He set the picture aside. He wasn't the same person that was in that picture and neither was Jemma. Sometimes he wished he could go back to those days, away from the Bus, back to a time when life was simpler.

Back to a time where there were no Benedikt Daechers.

But there was one thing that he would not trade – the one ray of silver lining from their whole ordeal with Daecher. After years of wanting from the distance, Fitz had finally told Jemma how he felt – that he had loved her from the moment he set his eyes on her at the Academy, and, surprisingly enough, he had his feelings reciprocated.

No matter how much he wanted to, he could not go back to being the person in the picture, hiding behind a veil of friendship and never taking a risk. He would face a thousand Daechers if it meant that he could be with Jemma Simmons.

His eyelids growing heavy, Fitz finally drifted off to sleep.

"Harder." Ward held the punching bag in front of him, holding it steady as Skye punched it.

"We've been at this for nearly an hour, Ward." Skye wined, dropping her arms limply by her side. "It's time for a break."

Ward was about to resist, until he made the mistake of looking into Skye's liquid, dark brown eyes, that pleading with him to stop. "Fine." He said, letting go of the bag. He quickly looked away from her, not wanting to admit why it made her so hard for him to say no to.

They walked to the kitchen where Ward immediately grabbed two chilled bottles of water and tossed one in Skye's direction. She caught it in the air, twisting the top off immediately and downing half the bottle.

Ward watched her closely, a small smile pulling at the corner of one of his lips. Coulson had taken a risk letting Skye onto the Bus. Ward had sworn that he would be sorry, that he was making a serious mistake. The hacker was an unstoppable force that was sure to cause problems. But, while her record had not been spotless, Skye had proven herself time and time again to be an integral part of the team, in more ways than one. Ward hated to admit when he was wrong – but he had been wrong.

"What?"

Skye's voice snapped Ward out of his reverie. Her eyes were on him, a slightly confused – slightly amused – look on her face. It was then that he realized that he had been staring at her.

"Nothing," he said quickly. His face gave no evidence of the embarrassment he suddenly felt. He had been trained – and trained well – to not show his emotions. He was all business, nothing else. "I was just thinking about what we were going to work on next. The form on your roundhouse kicks still needs improvement. Finish your water."

His eyes studied her face, years of training helping him read her emotions, but what he saw still surprised him. A flash of something new went through her eyes; it almost looked like hurt, like she was hoping he would say something else. For a split second Ward opened his mouth, knowing he had more to say, but then shut it quickly.

"Briefing in ten minutes."

May's voice came over the intercom, causing both of them to look up from their water bottles.

"Looks like the roundhouse kicks will have to wait until later" Skye smiled at him, back to her normal self, and walked out of the kitchen.

Coulson knew that the rest of SHIELD did not understand why he did the things he did. They saw his actions as confusing, reckless even. His team had been through so much over the past few months. But every time they faced a new challenge, Coulson saw them come out on the other side that much stronger.

They were about to be tested again.

Coulson waited as the team gathered around the holotable. When everyone was settled, he looked up at his team. "We have new orders from SHIELD HQ."

"Sir, did they find…"

"No," Coulson said, cutting Fitz off before he could even finish his question. He didn't have time to think about Daecher and how badly he still wanted to find him and put him away for good. He hated looking at his two scientists every day, feeling like he had somehow let them down. "This is our mission." Coulson put up a picture of a thin, balding man. "This is Herman Mattsson. He is a Swiss engineer, and, according to SHIELD intel, he has been creating some new and dangerous weapons."

"For who?" May asked, her hands clasped firmly in front of her chest.

"That's the thing – We don't know. SHIELD has been trying to get eyes and ears on Dr. Mattsson for months, but they haven't been able to touch him. We need a new way in." Coulson stopped for a second, looking at the members of his team, his eyes finally settling on Fitz. "That's where you come in."

"What?" Fitz said, his eyes filling with confusion as he looked back at Coulson.

"SHIELD has learned that Dr. Mattsson and his wife are scheduled to go away this weekend at a remote bed and breakfast. We are sending you undercover. We need you to talk with Dr. Mattsson, get him to open up about his work, engineer to engineer."

"Undercover? At a bed and breakfast?"

"Yes. You will be undercover as a honeymoon couple." Coulson said, his eyes sliding away from Fitz. "You and Skye."

To be continued...

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