Chapter 3! A longer gap than the others - but real life got in the way, sorry.

And seriously you guys, seventy two alerts in what, six days - that's just amazing and I love you all, and please review - even if just to say 'cool', and if you have any prompts or requests, feel free to leave them as a review or a PM.

Okay, bye and on with what you came here for.

It was a Saturday morning - the Saturday only two days after the Day - and the entire team, well, the entire team barring only Coulson (who was still working in his office, finishing up with the extra paperwork that came with being their boss) was gathered in the main seating area, for no reason other than it had the comfiest chairs, and they had nothing better to do - no mission, no training, no lab work that needed doing in the next few hours anyway.

They were debating the pros and cons of various board games, not even two of them able to agree on a single game, and it was looking more likely that a mission would occur, before the group of five supposedly adults made up their mind about what to do - a fact made further likelier as they heard Coulson's shoes approach them in the same measured steps he usually took.

"Simmons," he started and three members of the team turned back to what they were doing before, only FitzSimmons remaining looking at Coulson. "There appears to be an error in some paperwork you filed this morning, if you could come now and we can sort it out." It wasn't a question - it was a statement and she knew what he was talking about almost instantly.

Of course she did, it was only a few hours before that she had placed the paperwork tentatively on his desk before disappearing as fast as was humanly possible to go - and was thankful he didn't mention the name of the form in front of the whole team.

Coulson left as quickly as he appeared, retreating once more to his office to wait for the biochemist, and Simmons made to start to follow him, before turning around.

"Fitz?" The engineer looked up at his name. "You coming?"

"He wanted to talk to you, not me." He protested, not really wanting to sit in a meeting about paperwork.

"And this is just as much your fault as it is mine, so you're coming." She hissed, a hint of venom imbibed within that promised ... that promised something, were he not to come with her.

A flash passed across his eyes with sudden understanding - and how could he have forgotten, even just for a few minutes - standing quickly, and following his other half in Coulson's footsteps.

Ward looked up as they left, not confused by them going as a pair, but by the cryptic repertoire that had preceded it - but returned to their discussion when Skye just shrugged - even if her eyes didn't quite meet his, and May just looked as blank as always as she argued her point - and if he thought he saw a hint of a smirk underneath the layers of nothingness - well, he wasn't going to be the one to bring it up to the Cavalry.

It began with a sigh - from Coulson unsurprisingly as he picked up the stapled pile of papers that Simmons had painstakingly filled out just that morning.

"This is a request for maternity leave." It was a statement - he didn't ask questions that he already knew the answers to.

"Yes." Jemma's response was soft, but still loud in the quiet of the room - audible clearly over the gentle hum of the airplane engines.

"This is a request for maternity leave in just over six months." Another statement and Simmons opened her mouth to speak again, when Coulson closed his eyes and took a breath. "Do you know how many rules this breaks, how many regulations you have ignored?"

Jemma's hand found Leo's almost unconsciously - as if daring him to separate them.

"I'm not going to split you up," and Jemma released a breath she hadn't even realised she'd been holding - she was only just going to be able to do everything with Leo by her side every step of the way, she dreaded to think what would happen should they be sent to separate bases on opposite ends of the Earth - and it had happened before, in cases not quite the same, but similar to this, "nor am I going to tell you to leave SHIELD or even this team, unless you wish to. You work too well together as a team, and I'd hate for anyone else to have you."

The worst was over, the fear of separation having played on both of their minds since they discovered the pregnancy, and the rest of the conversation continued in a gentler same style - confirming responses on the paperwork, and planning responses for the higher ups when news inevitably got passed along to them.

It was a long nearly forty minutes, that had Simmons close to irrational tears at more than one point, as the whole situation became more real with each passing question, until ... finally ... they were released.

They stood to leave in the same sense of exhaustion they had spent the past two days, headed for the door, the lab, and (quite possibly) sleep.

"And FitzSimmons." They turned back as one to look at their boss, and he smiled, genuinely happy for the pair. "Congratulations."

"...And you can stop going into the field."

"Limit my time in the field, Coulson said I didn't have to stop just yet," she immediately countered, an obviously ongoing argument between the pair as it had been the third time Ward had walked in on the identical set of statement since the duo had left Coulson's office just over twenty six hours previously.

Each time before, the two stopped talking in their (supposedly) hushed tones the moment he moved into their line of sight, as he expected them to do this time - but in actuality, all that happened was that they glanced at him in the same perfectly in time motion that may or may not privately creep him out a little bit, and returned directly to their ... conversation.

"I don't know why you're getting this worked up this early on Fitz. It's won't be anything I haven't done a thousand times already, anyway - and you know it."

"But it's not just you now is it Jemma." They had forgotten Ward was even in the room, so involved they were in their argument - neither of them willing to back down from their positions - Fitz just wanting Simmons and the baby safe (well, as safe as it was possible to be within SHIELD), and Simmons understanding his point of view, but not giving up the entirety of field work this early on, on the possibility that something might happen (even if probability might be the better word with the field work they do these days).

Fitz groaned, throwing his hands up into the air and leaving the room with a decidedly unimpressed look on his face.

Ward held up his glass. "Drink?" he offered to the young biochemist just as Skye walked into the room.

"No thanks," she muttered, sitting on one of the many chairs around, "Bad for the baby."

Ward nodded, returning to his own thoughts as he took another sip, when Simmons words finally hit him in the split second before he meant to swallow his mouthful, causing him to splutter, his eyes wide, as Skye burst into giggles - unable not to, as she watched her S.O. lose his composure for one of the very few times since they had met.

"I'm so sorry," Jemma's eyes were wide, partially with shock, and partially with amusement, as she handed over a wad of paper towels - from her pocket, and why she was in the habit of carrying paper towels around he really didn't want to know - for him to wipe the droplets that had landed everything following his minor break in his usual perfect manner.

"I assumed you knew - everyone else does."

Her eyes glanced over to Skye in a way that was probably meant to be secretive but really wasn't, and the younger hacker jumped to defend herself.

"You told me not to tell anyone," her tone was slightly put out by Simmons' lack of belief in her secret keeping abilities. "So I didn't tell anyone."

A slight commotion by the door startled them as Fitz walked back in, unaware of the events of the previous ... minute or so he had managed to stay away from Jemma for, " - and for another thing Simmons."

He started, but stopped when he noticed Ward glancing from him to Jemma and back again, not even trying to be subtle about it.

"You couldn't even tell him when I was in the room?" Fitz caught on quickly, and there was an incredulous note in his voice - he had wanted to see Ward's face when the elder agent found it out - even if Ward's reddened face and too wide eyes , not to mention the slightly damp pile of napkins next to him, gave a fairly good indication of what had occurred.

"It's on the security camera," she placated him as they left the room again, returning to their lab and (presumably) their argument, leaving Ward with a still chuckling Skye.

He put his head in his hands - three non-combat ready members (because no matter what Skye believed, she wasn't combat ready) on the plane was bad enough - but a baby?

"I need a drink."

Skye just laughed.

Thank you for reading, and please review,

Mia