3 Months Later

"Do you have the rings?" Fitz asked nervously.

Hunter let out a loud sigh. "For the tenth time today, Fitzy. Chill. The rings are safe." He was sitting on the only armchair of the hotel room with his feet up on the desk. Fitz squinted; something was strange about him…

"Why are you even wearing sunglasses inside?" Fitz frowned.

"Bloody hangover." Hunter moaned.

Fitz handed him two pills and a bottle of water with a scowl. "Well, like I said, we should have skipped the last tequila bar."

"It was a stag party for the ages…" grinned Hunter but then grabbed his head as his face contorted with pain.

"I think, I'll stick to the Zima next time." Deke appeared in the doorway and plopped down on Fitz's unmade bed.

"Do you need something Deke?" He was wearing a white shirt and dark gray dress-pants, just like Fitz and Hunter. Fitz couldn't recall ever seeing him in anything other than jeans and T-shirts. He looked kind of nice, all grown-up in a suit.

"Yes - as it turns out I've never tied a tie." Deke gestured at the blue tie that hung around his neck like a limp snake. "I mean what is the point of these things anyway?"

"Why is the sky blue?" Hunter shrugged dramatically, then winced again. Apparently the pills had no effect yet, even though Jemma swore they were the double strength, fast-release capsules before she took off at dawn to the beauty salon.

Fitz held up a finger. "Actually, there is a pretty good explanation to that. It has to do with the waves light energy travels in..." He halted the explanation when both Hunter and Deke looked at him with matching confused expressions, then he added sheepishly. "Obviously, I'm talking about the sky, not neckties."

"Ok, so can you help me tie mine?" Deke asked impatiently.

"Oh. I used to know how - but with my brain thingy, it's just one of those things I can't do anymore." Fitz shrugged pointing to his head.

"So you remember why the sky is blue but not how to make an Oxford knot?" Hunter raised an eyebrow.

Fitz just shrugged. "I went to MIT."

Hunter let out another exasperated sigh, but got off from the armchair rubbing his chin. "Come on, line up at the mirror," he instructed them.

They stood next to each other with Deke in the middle. All dressed in the same outfit, the similarity between them was even more striking. Hunter showed Deke how to arrange the two sides of the tie then started. "Repeat after me, once the bunny hopped around the tree… Twice, the bunny turned around…" Fitz followed the instructions, his tongue protruding slightly with concentration. In the mirror, he saw Deke working his knot with the same engrossed expression. Their efforts were rewarded by three very decent looking knots.

"We all look rather smashing." Hunter patted both of them on the shoulder. "Must be genetic."

"Are we ready here? We really don't want to be late." Mack's booming voice filled the hotel room, but he seemed visibly nervous as he surreptitiously checked his cuff-links.

"Stop worrying, mate. It's not a big deal, take my word for it." Hunter patted him on the shoulder too. He seemed rather tactile on this fine morning.

Mack gave Hunter a pointed look. "Hunter, you don't exactly have the credentials to be imparting wedding advice." Then he turned to Fitz. "Ready, Turbo?"

Fitz took a last look in the mirror and finger-combed his curls that he let grow out at Jemma's pleading. It did not make any difference; his hair always had a mind of its own. It would have to do. "Let's go."

They entered the chapel together and lined up in the front. The music started and Fitz stood next to Mack spellbound, as he spotted Jemma at the doorway. She wore a silver-gray flowy dress, and her hair was braided with flowers. It wasn't the dress or the hairdo that made him stare with mouth agape though, but the enticing cleavage, … err neckline. Och, holy chimpanzee, when did her boobs become quite so...so round?

Hunter elbowed him grinning and handing him the ring box. "Aren't you ashamed to stare like that in this holy place?"

Mack gave both of them a stern look. Fitz reluctantly tore away his eyes from the objects of his desire and focused instead on the other guests: Coulson and May - who looked very unlike May in her bright, flower-patterned dress - were sitting in the front row, holding hands and whispering to each other. Daisy was walking next to Jemma in a similar outfit, laughing at something Deke whispered in her ears from the pews, sticking her tongue out at him in reply. Elena was positively glowing in her white wedding gown, looking tearfully in the direction of Mack. Fitz noted with professional pride that her new arms that he had made for civilian use, looked flawless, even in her quite revealing dress. He also thought gleefully at the surprise Mack had in store with some hidden functions he managed to sneak into the design, unbeknownst to the Director.

"The rings please," the priest said. Fitz stepped forward and gave him the rings, giving an encouraging smile to Mack who greeted his bride with shaking hands, on the verge of tears. They listened to the little speech about love that bridges any divide and Fitz locked eyes with Jemma as Mack and Elena stumbled through their vows in quivering voices. The chapel erupted in cheers as they kissed.

After the ceremony they all piled out of the building, hugging the newlyweds. Elena threw her bouquet, trying to aim at May who was standing awkwardly at the side of the giggling group, but she miscalculated the trajectory and the bunch of yellow and pink flowers ended right on top of Hunter's head to everyone's amusement. Hunter held the bouquet out to Bobbi with a smirk "You see, sweetheart. Fate has chosen us to be together forever." Bobbi just rolled her eyes, but the wistful smile on her lips seemed to tell a different story.

After the dinner and speeches were done, Fitz was standing at the bar nursing a pint of beer to calm his nerves. Thankfully, he managed to get through his best man's speech, which he found more daunting and re-wrote more times than his Ph.D. thesis. Luckily, most of the jokes, featuring prominently the virtues of soccer compared to the abomination that American football was, landed as they were meant to. He may have also mentioned some of the funnier mishaps in the garage or the time Mack tried to organize a surprise birthday party for Yo-Yo agonizing endlessly whether he should choose chocolate or coffee-cream cake.

"Good speech…" Daisy appeared next to him grinning widely. In the time since the team returned with the Zephyr, things had slowly become easier between them. Not yet exactly as it was before, maybe it never would be, but Fitz was thankful for where they were. Their peaceful, mostly friendly co-existence was good, considering everything. "Your grandson is a horrible dancer." Daisy, who seemed to think that there was always a time for one more grandpa joke, took every opportunity to mention Fitz's unruly spawn. Earlier that evening, Fitz had watched with amusement as Daisy, Piper and Yo-Yo took it upon themselves to initiate Deke into the joys of cheesy pop dances.

"I guess it's genetic." Fitz shrugged and took another slow deliberate swig of his beer.

"So, I take it, dancing was not taught in nerd school, only at operations?" Daisy nodded towards May and Coulson who were doing a damn good impression of the closing act of Dirty Dancing.

"It was an elective; we switched to Advanced Simulations after two weeks." Fitz replied with a squint and smiled at Jemma who came to join them. All three of them stared with mouth agape as Coulson spun May as they finished their routine with her legs snaking around Coulson's as he dipped her in the middle of the dancefloor.

"It's true. Fitz practically begged me and vowed to do all my assignments for the whole term if we switch." Jemma shook her head when Daisy offered her a glass full of champagne. Instead she turned to Fitz. "Maybe we should go and see if we still remember anything."

"Good idea! I'll get my camera ready, Fred Astaire." Daisy snickered and pulled her cellphone out of her sparkly clutch bag.

Fitz pondered his options, but there did not seem to be many that wouldn't end up with him in the doghouse - except for the obvious one. So he gallantly held out his hand and led Jemma to the dance floor. His palms felt a bit sweaty against the sheer material of her dress. He pulled her closer as they swayed together to what he hoped was the rhythm of the music. "How's that?" He flashed her a seductive smile, trying to ignore Daisy who was giving him distracting and confusing hand-signals from the sidelines.

"At least you're not keeping me at arm's length like in that dance elective class." Jemma giggled.

"I was desperately trying to keep our dance PG rated… and generally keep things dignified. " Fitz's cheeks felt hot as he recalled how flustered he was that day."

Jemma could not hide her amusement. "Oh, Fitz, of course I knew. It's a perfectly normal reaction. You keep forgetting I had a PhD in biology?"

"You would never let me forget that Dr. Dr. Simmons." Fitz stressed the second doctor sarcastically. Jemma took every opportunity to gloat about her not one, but two PhDs to him during their Academy years.

"I think you mean, Dr Dr Fitz-Simmons…" Jemma corrected him and while they had been called like that for a long time now, from her lips it sounded very different. It sounded like home, like family.

"If you want to hyphenate for real, I think you forget one small but rather important detail." He had long hesitated about whether to bring up the possibility of a second wedding, one that he would actually remember, one where he could say something smarter than the hopelessly botched wedding vows he seemed to have made the first time, but it was such a minefield. Still, this was the perfect opportunity for a trial balloon. "We are not officially married..." He cautiously studied Jemma's expression.

"Are you proposing to me, husband?" she asked with a coy smile.

"I'm considering it, wife." His heart beat faster every time he called her that - it was a heady feeling.

"I'm not against the idea. Imagine, English country wedding, inviting our parents, ladies in proper hats, you in a kilt…" her expression was dreamy. Fitz had no idea why she found the image of a kilt so enticing, but once Simmons latched onto an idea, she was like a bulldog; she rarely let go.

He shuddered. He tried to hide his utter panic at the thought of a whole wedding gathering watching him intently as he pranced around in a kilt and he said on the most neutral voice he could muster. "Hey, you know what, forget about it - why change what works just fine…"

Jemma opened her mouth to argue, but to Fitz's relief the band announced a break. He grabbed her hand and led her away, steering her towards the secluded back terrace he had scouted out earlier. They were lucky; it was empty.

They leaned against the railings looking at the night sky. Tonight the universe did not look threatening; the stars twinkled back at them like millions of benevolently smiling eyes. Fitz leaned closer and kissed Jemma deeply, softly. She responded eagerly and soon his hands were roaming over her body. "I've waited for this the whole night... You're bloody gorgeous, Jemma. Do you think we could sneak off and…?"

"Aaw, get a room, won't you?" Deke interrupted them loudly. Fitz glared at him with annoyance. "I was looking for you guys…all over."

"Can it wait?" he growled, but Jemma just smiled at Deke with that maternal smile of hers. "So what's the big news?"

"You know… Daisy - she, Piper and Yo-Yo were teaching me this funny dance...called Gangnam Style..it's pretty awesome because you have to hop with your legs..like so..." Deke started hopping and waving his hands and Fitz had the sinking feeling that it was to be one of those endless, meandering stories Deke liked to tell.

"Yes we saw," Fitz noted drily. "And we can never unsee it…"

"No, anyways, so she asked me if I considered staying with SHIELD to become a field agent…" Deke seemed quite pleased with the idea, though Fitz suspected that it was more to do with Daisy's person, than with field work.

"I thought you didn't want to stay at SHIELD. I thought we talked about this, Deke. " Jemma looked troubled and elbowed Fitz, who added his pitch too. "You can help me with the new lab we are re-launching for SHIELD…You are pretty skilled at electronics… and.." They had discussed at length the role he could play in helping them rebuild the SHIELD academy and sci-ops labs.

"Yeah, but you guys never let me finish a sentence," Deke complained looking at them with exasperation.

"Go on then," they said at the same time.

"So, what I really wanted to say is that Daisy offered to come with me to Orlando, because she's never been either and we could do all the stuff together. It's supposed to be more fun that way." He seemed excited.

"Why Orlando?" Fitz wondered if out of all places Deke could conceivably visit, Orlando was really the best choice. Admittedly, Epcot and Animal Kingdom were pretty awesome...

"My mum always talked about it - some place we would go to in the multiverse. You know we closed our eyes and imagined where we would be. It's supposed to be magical." Deke was smiling but his eyes were sad.

"Tell us more about her, Deke." Jemma asked quietly.

"Oh, ok, so she loved these stories and books… " Deke started eagerly, happy to talk about the person who connected them in such strange way, his eyes lost in the stars. Fitz looked at Jemma and grabbed her hand. They were thinking the same; finally they were ready to hear the dreams of that little girl they lost - but maybe, just maybe second chances were real. Maybe second encounters were possible and they could make it up to the little girl growing inside Jemma's still hardly noticeable bump. They could make her strawberry-banana pancakes for breakfast, take her to the zoo on Sundays to look at monkeys, they could build sandcastles on the beach and travel to Disney World for her sixth birthday.

"She sounds lovely, Deke." A teardrop shone in Jemma's eyes, reflecting back the starlight.

"She was. And now I finally understand why she adored you guys so much." Deke hugged both of their shoulders.

"What was her name?" Fitz could barely get the words out, he was so overwhelmed by emotions.

"Maggie." Deke's reply was barely a whisper.

Fitz looked at Jemma and he could see in her eyes that she was thinking of the same thing as they smiled at each other with that profound joy that comes after losing everything. Fitz's hand went instinctively over her lower abdomen - he wanted to feel close to her, to both of them.

"Hi, Maggie." he whispered as he pressed his palm over the bump.