Disclaimer: This chapter contains information that I pulled from the web. I found it at mayoclinicdotorg and at a side page from quoradotcom.

Chapter 15

Gently guiding Daisy towards the restroom, Jemma motioned to the confused onlooker that she would be back to speak to him shortly. No words were spoken between the friends as Jemma helped Daisy clean herself up. While Daisy changed into the change of clothes she'd been given in the privacy of the bathroom, Jemma returned to the mess and cleaned it up, all the while doing her best to ignore the man on the opposite side of the wall. Daisy's use of 'Captain America' rather than 'Steve' really worried her and she hoped that he hadn't caught on to Daisy's use of his moniker as opposed to his name. Making her way towards the sink, she exhaled a deep breath. As she washed her hands, she slowed her progress, hoping to kill enough time that she wouldn't be left alone with him too long.

Steve watched as Jemma robotically cleaned up the contents of Daisy's stomach and washed her hands. He'd tried to contain his questions, knowing she was otherwise occupied. He'd witnessed the moment her actions became less automatic, when her shoulders drooped. She was no doubt upset by what had occurred. "Are you okay?"

Jemma blinked in response, as she squared herself. Of all the questions she expected to hear, that had not been one of them. She assumed he would have immediately asked about Daisy. "I'm…fine," she said, pausing to find a word to use. "Thank you," she added then.

He may not know the woman before him well, if at all, but he knew she was far from 'fine,' though he didn't dare voice it. Instead, he asked about Daisy. "That wasn't in reaction to me, was it?" He asked, referring to Daisy's bout of nausea. The explanation of what had taken place between Daisy and Lincoln hadn't wandered far from his thoughts, and he couldn't help but wonder if his presence was just as upsetting to her.

Jemma shook her head in negative as she turned and approached the window. "No, that would be because of a migraine. I…I believe it was triggered by a memory," she answered.

Though she knew it was a normal human function, Daisy still felt mortified by the situation she found herself in. Judging by the murmurs she'd heard through the bathroom door, she didn't want to risk seeing Captain America, not so soon after throwing up in front of him. "Jemma?" Daisy asked, her head peering out from behind the door.

"I'll be right there," Jemma said, looking towards the bathroom door with a kind expression on her face. When Daisy nodded in response, she turned back towards Steve. "Perhaps you should come back at a later time?" She didn't dare mention anything that had occurred only minutes earlier, feeling that any explanation would be too premature for the time being. Instead, she'd let Coulson deal with it.

While the words came out in the form of a question, he knew they were said that way as a form of polite instruction and there would be no speaking to Daisy that night. He pasted a small smile on his face, though it fell flat shortly after and nodded in understanding. "If you need anything, let me know," he offered, letting her know that he would be ready to help with anything if needed.

"I will," the English woman said before turning her back on him. "I've got things cleaned up," she offered for Daisy. "I'll help get you situated," she tacked on as she helped her friend into bed.

Once she was settled down in bed, Daisy closed her eyes, attempting to seek relief from the light. "Jemma, how does Captain America know my name?"

"He helped us retrieve you," Jemma answered softly.

Captain America helped the group retrieve her? The Captain America? Coulson must have been beside himself to see him again-wait, Coulson was supposed to be dead to the Avengers. Had he sought them out for help? How did that come about? How did Captain America react to Coulson?

Though her friend's eyes were closed, Jemma could easily see the various emotions cross her face and attempted to hedge off the growing questions she was sure Skye, no, Daisy had. "How's your head feeling now?"

Daisy considered the question before answering. "My head still hurts, but it's slightly less than before."

Jemma nodded. "I know you have questions, but I think you've been through enough today."

"You aren't going to tell me anything else, are you?" Like how long she'd known Captain America…

"Not tonight," she admitted kindly. "I don't want to risk overwhelming you so soon." Aside from that, if she'd reacted in such a way about Steve, who knew how she'd react when she learned that the rest of the Avengers were there as well?

"So, you're saying that her mind is rejecting the implanted memories…" Mack summed up when Jemma finished talking to the core group they'd formed since the reformation of SHIELD.

"Sort of, she has to be focused on a memory for that negative reaction to be generated," Jemma answered. "When I questioned her about what she remembered, it jogged her memory enough and her headache was triggered. It intensified when she experienced another memory."

"How is that even possible? Are we sure it isn't anything else?" Hunter inquired.

"The brain contains billions of nerve cells arranged in patterns that coordinate thought, emotion, behavior, movement and sensation," Fitz explained.

"The way the nerves connect to the brain is like a highway of sorts," Jemma tacked on for those less inclined to science and knowledge of the body. "Doctors are still studying the brain. We know the structures that make up the brain and can theorize what they are responsible for. But how they all work together and especially when they don't, is what we're still trying to figure out."

"So, basically, you're saying you don't know how it's possible," the merc summed up.

She rolled her eyes but didn't argue. "I'm saying that the brain is capable of amazing things," she tacked on. "The fact she's already fighting off the effects of the machine is very promising," her attention falling on Coulson as she finished speaking. She knew that he was torn up about locking Daisy away, especially after she'd faced such an ordeal.

"Did she say anything about Lincoln?" May inquired. "About her reaction to him?"

Jemma shook her head in negative. "We didn't get to that part of things before her headache became debilitating," she replied softly. "One thing is for certain though. She doesn't remember meeting Steve."

Coulson frowned upon hearing the revelation. He'd showed Steve to the containment pod Daisy was in, but he'd been called away shortly after, so he wasn't witness to their meeting. "How did she react to him?"

"She was…excitable." Upon seeing the various confused faces, Jemma cleared her throat. "She spoke about him as if she'd never met him before. There was no acknowledgement of him on a personal level. He was strictly 'Captain America' to her," she admitted as she worried her bottom lip. "But considering the way her mind seems to be reprogramming itself means that it may not be permanent. I didn't say anything to Steve when we spoke, I thought I would leave that up to you, sir."

"What can we do for her?" Bobbi spoke up.

"She's already feeling isolated and singled out, so don't make a big deal out of things. Don't push her too hard about what she remembers, but don't hide truths from her either," she watched her friends nod in acknowledgement. "She doesn't want to believe us when we tell her about Ward's actions, but she isn't so far gone that she thinks we're lying to her. At this point, she's more confused than anything. She's probably going to have a rough time until the worst of it is over. And no, I don't know how long it will last," she tacked on before anyone could ask that particular question. "Having said that, I would suggest leaving the topic of Ward out of any conversation. It appears that she's especially sensitive to any memories pertaining to him."

"From everything you've said, it appears that his main goal was about modifying her memories of him as opposed to turning her against us," Bobbi summed up.

Jemma nodded. "That seems to be the case. If he had other, more nefarious plans for the machine, he didn't get that far, but I can't say with absolute certainty," she answered softly, knowing that Coulson was forced into keeping Daisy locked up just in case.

Coulson nodded along with her words.

"Perhaps we could have Dr. Garner speak to her?" Jemma asked then. "After all, he was her therapist prior to all of this, he could be a great help to her."

"I don't think that's going to happen," Hunter replied.

It was Jemma's turn to frown then.

"He snuck off the other night and no one has seen him since."

May's attention swiveled towards Coulson. "You let him leave?" Andrew had been very off the last several days, but she didn't think he would leave without saying anything to anyone.

"I didn't let him do anything," Coulson denied. "He isn't contracted to SHIELD like he was before," he reminded her. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"How are you feeling today?" Jemma asked as she approached the containment pod with Coulson in tow.

"Aside from being bored out of my mind?" The Inhuman asked in response.

Visibly wincing, Jemma nodded. "I'll see what we can do about that,"
she said, writing a note in Skye's, no, Daisy's file. "How are you physically?" She asked, correcting her words so she could gather the desired information.

"I must have slept off the headache." It was the first thing she'd noticed upon waking.

"Good. Do you mind if Coulson sits in with us today?" Because she was still playing 'catch up' herself, she was sure there was a possibility that Daisy may have questions about events that took place before she was reunited with the team. And since she hadn't previously reacted negatively towards their director, he'd offered to join Jemma.

"Sure," Daisy replied in an odd voice. Seeing as he was the director, did it really matter if she minded or not?

When she received the verbal acceptance, Coulson held the door open for her as they joined the other woman. Once they were settled, Jemma jumped into the conversation. "After the excitement last night, I thought we could go over a few more things today."

A ball of dread immediately fell into her stomach and Daisy frowned. Did they have to? "My headache, it was brought on from our conversation last night, wasn't it?" She asked for clarification.

Jemma nodded. "I believe so, yes."

Daisy immediately started shaking her head in negative. "Then I don't want to," she replied quickly. She'd had enough the night before…hadn't she? They couldn't at least give her a break?

"I was actually referring to Steve Rogers," Jemma answered.

Ugh. She'd really thrown up in front of him, hadn't she? Though the memory wasn't far from her thoughts upon waking, she'd been holding out for hope that it was nothing more than a dream or nightmare of sorts.

"When you were taken, Ward called to…chat," Coulson said, careful not to say anything too negative about him in front of Daisy, not knowing how that would go over.

The English woman nodded. "He appeared to be completely surprised by th-his presence," she caught herself before mentioning the rest of the Avengers. "Because of that, I'm going to assume that there aren't any memories to overwrite, hence no headache."

Okay, she'd go along with that thought. "Fine, but if I do get a headache, can we stop before it gets nausea inducing?"

"Of course," Jemma assured her before promptly shutting her mouth again. She looked towards Coulson, waiting for him to begin.

Understanding that was his que to talk, he opened his mouth. However, nothing came out. Though Daisy had told him about spending time with Steve, he couldn't rightly find the best way to inform her.

"Sooo…." Daisy prompted when neither of her companions started talking. Turning her gaze on Coulson, she spoke up. "Steve Rogers is here."

Her words pulled him from his thoughts. "He is," he nodded.

"And up until his arrival, he and the rest of the Avengers were under the assumption that you were dead."

"They were," he agreed once again.

"So…I assume everything is okay," she tacked on unsurely. He wasn't being very forthcoming, and she couldn't figure out why.

"I think so." Natasha reminded him that he owed her a conversation, but they hadn't had a chance to sit down and actually talk.

"And how did all of this come about?" The moment her bout of embarrassment for throwing up in front of Captain America ended, confusion settled over her as to why he was even there in the first place. She'd tried her hardest to recall anything, but there was nothing but a void when she thought of him.

"You, actually," Coulson told her. "A couple months ago, you were passing through New York City and decided to go out one night. When you were at a club, Steve introduced himself to you."

"Steve Rogers was at a…club?" Daisy asked. She never would have thought he'd frequent such a place.

Upon hearing the words he'd once said repeated, one side of his mouth twisted in amusement before a stab of bitterness echoed through his being. "Obviously, not by himself," he said, repeating the phrase she'd used in response to his inquiry when she first informed him of the interaction.

"Wait, I met all of the Avengers?" How awesome was that? An awesome event that she didn't even remember…

He shook his head in negative. "Officially, you only met Steve. You only spent a couple hours together before Mack showed up to pick you up. Something happened and we needed you back here."

"So, I know Captain America on a personal level?" She asked for clarification.

Coulson nodded, his mind instantly going back with the private conversation he'd had with his childhood hero only an hour earlier. Steve hadn't said much in response to his revelation that Daisy didn't remember him, but he knew the other man was bothered by it. "You do, and he prefers 'Steve' to 'Captain America,'" he explained.

"Daisy," Jemma said, speaking for the first time since Coulson started talking. "It isn't just Steve that's here." Upon seeing the confusion on her friend's face, she continued on. "The rest of the Avengers, minus Bruce Banner, are here too. As well as Lady Sif."

"Wait, if I never met them, how…" she trailed off. She watched the other two exchange and look and pursed her lips. "What? Is it that bad?"

"Not exactly," Jemma allowed, looking back at Daisy. "But this next part could trigger a headache," she warned her.

Immediately, the Inhuman shook her head in negative. "Then I don't want to know." However, even as she said the words, she knew it wasn't true. Eventually, the curiosity would get the better of her. "Is there a way to tell me without going into specifics?" She wondered if that would explain things without the unfortunate side effect.

"Thor had a few questions about events that are occurring right now and went looking for answers. He returned to Asgard to track down Lady Sif and she brought him to our doorstep," Coulson explained.

What events? But as soon as the question crossed her mind, she pushed it away for fear of another debilitating headache. Another time… "Okay…and the others?"

Jemma licked her lips, hoping that her explanation wouldn't trigger anything. "Daisy, the day you were…taken, you had been with Steve." She paused, waiting to see if anything happened in response…it didn't. "He called in the rest of his team after the two of you were ambushed."

Steve was with her when she was taken? How did that happen? Not that she was still the helpless young woman that she was when Coulson found her, but how in the world did someone manage to overpower Captain America?

Seeing the confusion clearly expressed on Daisy's face, Jemma cautiously addressed it. "Are you okay? Did this trigger something? A memory?"

Pulled from her thoughts, Daisy shook her head in negative. "No," she replied, biting on her bottom lip.

"But?" Coulson asked, knowing that one was coming judging by the look on her face.

"He was given the OG super soldier upgrade. How does a human manage to get one over on him?"

"The men that approached you were also enhanced," he provided for her, watching as she nodded absentmindedly. She appeared to be lost in her thoughts, but he couldn't guess which direction they'd wandered.

"Do you have any other questions?"

She had plenty, but her main concern was the fact that any of them could trigger a bad reaction again. "I…I'm not so eager to ask them," she admitted.

Jemma offered her friend a sad smile. "You can't ignore things forever," she reminded her.

"I know," Daisy nodded. "But can't a girl get a break?" She inquired then.

Jemma turned to Coulson. If it were up to her, she'd let Daisy have the reprieve, but if he felt that they needed to continue their conversation from the previous night…

Coulson looked between the two. Not wanting to push the issue, he conceded to the request. "We won't push you right now, but Simmons is right. You're going to have to face the situation sooner rather than later," he warned her.

"I know, sir," Daisy agreed, knowing he'd spoken as the role of director rather than friend in that moment.

Frowning at her book, Daisy did her best to push her thoughts away while attempting to lose herself in the story of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, but it was for naught. No matter how many times she read the pages in front of her, she couldn't get invested. The words didn't even register, so the distraction she'd been hoping for never came.

Everything was just…so surreal. She was locked up because Ward may have done something to her that could result in a confrontation with Coulson and/or May. But she wouldn't…would she? Coulson was…Coulson and May was practically unbeatable. She'd be stupid to step up to the seasoned agent. Despite the initial distrust she'd felt in regard to the subject of Ward, they wouldn't lie to her. May was as direct as they came. She would never lie to someone just to spare their feelings, especially her. And Jemma, she had no reason to lie to her. Considering some of the things that Jemma said the previous night, Ward really was bad. All of this had been on her mind since she'd returned to base, but she still couldn't get over it. Everything that they'd shared, the side he showed her, everything that she remembered, everything she felt for him was a lie because that person didn't exist. How coul-

"Daisy."

Looking up, her gaze fell on the form of Steve Rogers standing just inside the door of the pod. Huh, she must have been more preoccupied than she first thought. She opened her mouth to greet him back, but then closed it upon remembering Coulson's words. "Steve..." she trailed off, unable to believe she was talking to him in such a casual way. When silence settled between them, she closed her book and shifted in her seat.

"Is this okay?" Steve inquired. "My being here, I mean."

Sure, this was okay…a little awkward, apparently, for both of them. "It's fine," she told him before the once again fell silent for a beat. She watched as he moved further inside the pod, but still maintained a distance between them. When he didn't speak again, she decided to apologize for the night before. "I'm so sorry."

Not knowing the best way to start speaking, he decided to go from the heart. "I wanted to apologize to you." However, the pair ended up speaking simultaneously. When he registered her words, he grew confused. Wait, she was apologizing to him? "Why are you sorry?" He asked.

"For last night," Daisy replied. "I can't believe I threw up in front of you."

He nodded. "I'm sure if you had control over the situation, you wouldn't have," he offered.

"Certainly not," she replied quickly before thinking on his own apology. "I'm going to assume that you're aware of my current…circumstance." As if to make her point, she gestured to her head. She waited for him to acknowledge her words before she continued on. "I was told that we were together prior to everything happening."

"We were," he confirmed, wondering where she was headed.

"Then you should know that your apology really isn't necessary," she informed him, watching as he froze in his spot. "It isn't your fault that I was taken." He wasn't the only one that knew how to fight. She just hadn't held her own as well as he had. "So, if you're apologizing to assuage your own guilt, you really don't have to," she finished informing him, watching for his reaction. He appeared stiff and uncomfortable. Maybe he didn't believe her? Or…he was still set on blaming himself.

"If you remembered what hap-"

"But I don't," she cut him off, her voice coming off slightly harsh. When he appeared slightly taken aback, she shifted in her seat. "Sorry, the past couple days have just been the absolute worst," she excused, watching as he nodded in understanding. "It would be totally asinine if I blamed you for something I don't even remember." When he still appeared skeptical, she stood up and approached him. She made no effort to speak again, instead she ran her eyes over his form. How could she not remember meeting him? He was…perfection, at least in the physical sense. It just wasn't right that she didn't remember…

"What?" He inquired, not missing her perusal before her shoulders drooped, as if she was downhearted about something.

Returning her attention to his face, she met his gaze and shook her head. "Nothing. I'm just trying to figure out how I got here," she said, self-deprecatingly. How did things get so messed up?

He knew exactly what she meant. There were plenty of moments in his life, especially in the last five years, where he felt the same way. "I suppose that happens to almost everyone at some point in their life."

Pushing her private thoughts away for the time being, she focused on him. "You seem troubled about something, and I know you were trying to apologize before, but I can't give you the forgiveness you're looking for. I mean, I could, but I wouldn't know what it was for and even then, you may still be hung up on whatever…" When she couldn't think of the correct word to express herself properly, she stopped to gather her thoughts. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I can offer a second chance, a new beginning for both of us," she supplied.

He still wasn't comfortable about her dismissal about things, but he did want to make amends and if this paved the way for that opportunity, then he would run with it. Even as a pit of doubt planted itself in his stomach, he held out his hand. "Steve Rogers."

Accepting the hand he offered, she clasped it in greeting. "Hi, Steve. I'm Daisy. Apparently, my life is a complete mess at the moment, and I don't know how it's going to play out." She watched as his eyes softened and she felt her stomach do a summersault.

"It's nice to meet you, Daisy. If it makes you feel any better, I'm still trying to find my way through this world, so, you aren't the only one."

Pulling her hand away from his, she tried to smile. "Considering the fact that it's been years since you woke up in the future or well, present, I don't know if that's exactly comforting, but I appreciate the effort."

He nodded, accepting her explanation. "When you put it like that…" She certainly hadn't lost her candor.

Turning away from him, she reclaimed her previous seat. "From what little has been explained to me so far, I guess I should thank you and the rest of your team for helping out during all of this."

"It's no problem, I was happy to help," he said, not bothering to mention the information that his team was hoping to gain about Bucky in return.

There was an intensity behind his gaze that caused her stomach to do another summersault. She understood that she'd previously met him, but friends didn't look at each other like that. At least, she'd never looked at her friends like that. It was reminiscent of the way Ward had looked at her sometimes…but that probably wasn't the best comparison to make as she was coming to understand that none of it was really real. Why would Capt-no, why would Steve look at her like that? Had something happened when they were at the club? Coulson and Jemma explained that he'd been with her when she was taken, had something happened between them prior to that? As curious as she was, she decided that she didn't really want to add any unnecessary drama. Something told her that she'd be dealing with some heavy emotions and information in the coming days, if not weeks. No need to add to it.

When the silence between them began to border on awkward, he cleared his throat. "I'll let you get back to your book," he offered.

Having grown anxious in her spot, she easily agreed to his excuse. "Okay," she replied, watching him back out of the pod. "I guess I'll see you around." Would she? Technically, the Avengers weren't working with SHIELD any longer. If they'd been there to help find her and she was back, there was no reason for him to or his team to stay at the Playground. "I mean, will I see you around?"

He couldn't speak for the rest of his team, but he didn't have any pressing matters to attend to. "I'll be around." He watched as she nodded.

She felt another flutter in her stomach upon hearing his reply. Instead of verbally responding to him, she could only nod.