"And the extraction team?" Jemma asked nervously as she fiddled with her skirt.

Jemma understood how missions worked; especially solo missions with no contact. She had been on the team for long enough to realize that. There had been too many instances of Grant coming close to death for her comfort level. They had been on the Bus for almost two years. Jemma knew what the missions were like when they returned to the Hub. Danger always followed when Ward was sent out on his own.

It was when he jumped out of the plane to save her that things changed between them. Nearly a year and half had passed since Jemma knew that she had developed feelings for Grant. It took Grant longer to admit his feelings for Jemma. Shameless flirting was all they shared until a mission that ended with her having a broken wrist (from tumbling down a cliff that was really her own fault). When Simmons had been all fixed up from the incident, Grant had been so angry with her. The confusion had began to eat at her before he kissed her and it all made sense. His hands were firm against her and Jemma didn't hesitate to kiss him back.

It was a month after that before they even considered a relationship, let alone telling the team about it. Coulson was the first to learn – well technically Melinda had seen them before Coulson heard about it from them. The fraternization regulations in SHIELD weren't a strict as Ward would have expected them to be. It probably had more to do with Director Furry's own personal opinion on the matter. The two of them had put more "rules" on their relationship than the organization did.

They had told the team only they were sure in their relationship and they made sure that it was nowhere on the records. Ward didn't want anyone to know his weakness was Simmons (it would only put her in more danger). It meant no "coupley" action, although they never did. Public displays of affection weren't allowed, but it worked for the two of them.

"There's none."

The words shocked her and she stared stunned at him for a few moments.

Jemma was only Clearance Level 5. Jemma wasn't allowed to know what the mission was; all she knew was he was going in alone. Even knowing any more information wasn't technically allowed. Jemma wouldn't have asked what the extraction was like if someone else had gone with him. Worry wouldn't have overwhelmed her.

"Wha—What?" she asked as she stayed on her space on his bed. He said nothing in response and she knew that she hadn't misheard him by some chance. It was bad enough that he was going in alone, but now they had no plan to rescue him after he risked his life? "Grant..." her tone said it all. Jemma knew that she didn't need to say anything else

"This is the job, Simmons." His tone was harsher than he wanted it to be. She isn't the only one that has to be worried about all of this. Grant needed to find a way to take out the threat and then get himself out of the situation. There was a lot riding on the mission (as well as getting back from it).

"You know I hate it when you call me that," Jemma said quietly as she looked down at her hands, suddenly embarrassed of her questions. "You only call me that when you're upset."

Tightness left his jaw as he visibly relaxed at her words. Jemma had managed a way into his heart and all he needed to do was hear her voice to know when he was wrong. Grant sat on the bed next to her. His body turned to face hers. His hand moved to grasp hers. It was all that was needed. Just the hand (his hand) holding hers was enough. Because Jemma had gotten her way into Grant's heart and she knew him. It had taken time, but she knew his tells now. Just the handholding said so much. It was the "sorry" that didn't need to be spoken.

Grant was more scared than Jemma was.

His actions spoke louder than his words ever could, so when he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it, she knew. This wasn't a mission that was easy. Jemma didn't want to lose Grant; Grant didn't want to lose Jemma. Her eyes shut tightly at the realization. These were the times to be strong for Grant. Crying wasn't going to solve the situation.

Make the most of the moment.

"What if you weren't Simmons anymore?"

The question broke her out of her silence. Her head tilted slightly at the question. Even to a genius, it didn't make sense. She would always be Simmons—that was her last name. Grant could tell that she was confused and he would have used it to his advantage at any other moment. The times where he knew something she didn't were few and far between, especially when it came to the two of them.

"What if your last name wasn't Simmons anymore?" He questioned again, but she still stared at him with a confused glance. This wasn't how he had ever imagined doing it (everyone had imagined marriage, no matter how cynical). "Would you change it to Ward?"

The confusion slowly left Jemma's face and was replaced by absolute shock. "What?" Her eyes were wide and she looked younger than she was. Definitely not what she had expected.

"Let's go off base, just for the night. We can get Coulson's permission and be back by time for me to go," Grant reasoned. There was more thought put into the suggestion than she expected. "Would you become a Ward?"

Jemma had never expected to be proposed to in the middle of a secret government-run facility—let alone on the night before Grant went away and potentially not come back. She didn't need the time to respond. She knew her answer the moment she realized what he was asking. The moment was just to take it all in. So much had changed in such little time—she never imagined when she had agreed to join the team that any of this would happen.

Make the most of the moment.

The motto they had adopted never seemed as relevant.

"Yes," Jemma nodded as a smile broke out on her face. Hiding her emotions had never been something she was good at, let alone tried to be good at. Grant got to her before she had even started to lean to kiss him. With his hands strong against her neck and waist, Jemma knew that she had made the right decision.

There was no doubt in either of their minds.

"But, Fitz…"

"Jemma," Grant said with a sigh as he squeezed her hand lightly. "We already agreed not to tell the monkey until after."

"Hey!" Jemma exclaimed with a hint of offense in her tone. "He is not the monkey. Do not roll your eyes at me, Ward. You know you have a soft spot for him."

They had both decided to just have witnesses at the Hub that they didn't know. It was easier that way—the agents there didn't even need to know their names. Coulson was the only one of the team that was aware of their vows. Jemma had nearly kissed him right there when she heard that Grant had already asked "permission" to marry her far before the real proposal. It would have to wait till later due to their own strict public affection rules, the look on her face had been enough until later.

All thoughts of Fitz and everyone else were gone once they returned back to the Bus.

Jemma's shirt was almost completely off by the time they got back to Ward's bunk. Grant's shirt was tossed aside before they even got to the room. His hand slammed against the button to close the door once they were inside.

Ward's chilled hands roamed her hips freely once her shirt was off. Jemma suddenly wished that she had worn lingerie fit for the occasion. It didn't seem to matter to Grant, because the bra was off before he even looked at it. His teeth scraped against her neck as he pressed her against the wall.

This was desperation. They both were craving each other wholly—not just physically. When you didn't have all the time in the world, it changed things. It wasn't that on a normal day Jemma liked being treated like a doll. This time was just different.

Grant might not return.

They both knew that far too well. Too much emotion, too many things to be said—it all resulted in a collision of their bodies.

Pure need radiated through both of them.

The first time they had sex, it had been slow. It took a while for Jemma to be one hundred percent comfortable letting Ward see her naked. So much patience occurred during their first time. Grant was more of a gentleman than was expected by anyone—but Jemma knew that from the start. He might be an agent, but that didn't mean that he didn't have a romantic side. Jemma loved that about him.

Grant was a pleaser.

That was something that Jemma learned during their second time of having sex. Jemma trusted him and Grant knew there was nothing better in the world than trust. So when he kissed down her stomach, Jemma had been able to experience what that trust meant for the two of them with her legs wrapped around his shoulders.

Grant didn't leave a patch of skin untouched as he brought his rough hands up to cup her breasts. It had never been an important conversation between the two of them how much experience the other had. Just as long as there were no diseases (and Jemma was absolutely certain after a few blood tests), it wasn't important. Trust was the important factor. Jemma didn't need to torment herself with images of Grant sleeping with other woman. Plus, she was afraid that Grant might kill the men she had been with.

Moans escaped from the bottom of her through as he sucked down against her neck while he flicked her nipples with his thumbs. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders at the action. Jemma didn't have to look to see the smirk on his face.

"Bed," she mumbled as his hands groped her. Red blushed against her face as he pulled away and moved his hands to her hips to lead her to the bed. The room was small, so the bed was only meters away. Jemma didn't let him push her against the bed right when they got onto it.

Jemma made sure to keep breathing as she unbuckled his belt. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the intensity in Grant's face. The air around them was thick with tension as she unbuttoned his pants before pulling the zipper down. "Pants," she whispered before he got off the bed for just a moment so that he could slide his pants off. The socks came off quickly afterword and Jemma suppressed the giggle that wanted to come out. She found it absolutely charming that he wouldn't leave his socks on when they were being intimate. Once he sat back down, she captured his lips with her own. The tension returned to the air as her hand slowly trailed down his muscular chest. Pure muscle rested against her fingers as she trailed down his abs.

Her hand moved until she reached her destination. Jemma wasn't surprised at how hard he was already. She knew he wouldn't be able to take much before he would come. Jemma knew that she matched him in arousal. The dampness reached through her silk panties.

"Jemma," he warned against her mouth as her hot hand slowly pumped him. Her fingers squeezed lightly as he spoke. Ward knew she did it so that the moan would escape his mouth. For what Jemma lacked in dirty talk, she made up for in action.

There was no doubt in her actions when she leaned over to take him in her mouth.

She remembered the first time that she had gone down on Grant. It wasn't as embarrassing as she would have thought. It gave her the power—the control. It thrilled her to see the human body in action—especially when she caused it. To know that she caused his white knuckle against the table that he leaned against… it quickly became one of her favorite activities.

Jemma loved how his fingers twisted in her hair as she went down on him. Lips touching flesh as her hand accompanied her. She hummed her approval of his fingers against him. As soon as she does, he shutters beneath her and she knows that he's closer than he would care to admit. All the roughness had left his touch as he gently urged her up from her place against his lap.

Their gazes connected once she sat up. There was so much more at stake during the next few days (maybe even weeks) than either one of them wanted to admit. How would Jemma cope if Grant actually died? It might devastate her to the point of no return. She was already a mess when he was gone… if he was gone forever, who knows what would occur.

"You'll be okay," he promised in a whisper as if he could read her thoughts. She had never been good at hiding her emotions anyways. Grant could read her like a book. Even with Grant's extensive training, Jemma was able to read his emotions as well. Her boyfri—husband wouldn't admit he was scared to protect her from it. Jemma didn't want that. The words wouldn't come to her, so she tried to put it all in the kiss. Her mouth was hot against his and he pushed her down on the bed.

Don't die.

Her actions did the talking. The words might have escaped her mouth, but she wasn't paying attention. All she focused on was how he pulled down her skirt, and panties, without a second thought. It was easy for her kick them off the bed to lay next Grant's own pants. Her entire body leaned up into his touch as his hands roamed her sides and his lips sucked against her collarbone. A hand reached down and a moan escaped her lips as he touched her.

There was the pleaser side of him.

You're the most important thing to me.

His rough hands were so soft as he slid a finger, then two (oh) inside of her. Even when he touched her face, Jemma could always feel the way his fingers had aged with hard work. It was different when he was inside of her though. All those thoughts vanished and all she could focus on was how good he made her feel. Being with him had showed her how sex could be like. It didn't all have to be about actually having sex—there was so much more to it than that.

The giggles, the laughter all had their place in the bedroom with them, but tonight wasn't the night for it. It was the time for just passion and absolute adoration for the other.

They were making love. As corny as it sounded, Jemma knew that was what they were doing. Now it was instinctual. They were speaking to each other without words.

I adore you.

These simple moments were the ones that mattered. Grant etched it all into memory. There would be many lonely nights in the days ahead and if he could just remember the way she arched into him, the way the sweat began to glisten on her crinkled forehead—then he'd be able to make it through it all.

Let me take care of you.

He spent the rest of the night trying to memorize exactly how she feels, how she moans, how she looks when she comes apart around him.

Even if she would never know, Jemma would be the reason that he made it through it all.

Grant wasn't afraid for the mission. That wasn't going to change. He had his orders and he would complete them. If anything, all he was concerned about was Jemma. There was a moment where he considered leaving her asleep when he left.

Grant always woke up before she did.

It must have been the internal alarm clock that he had regulated so long ago. By 5:30 in the morning, he was ready for the day. Grant considered slipping out without waking her (because it'd be easier for him), but then he had looked at her. Grant wasn't a coward. That was a burden that he wouldn't place on Jemma. There needed to be a goodbye. For both of them. His arm stayed wrapped around her shoulders as she rested half on him. They hadn't fallen asleep until past 1 in the morning.

(Although he'd never admit it, one of his favorite parts of the morning was just laying with Jemma. She was so comfortable with him. Just being with her made him feel more than any mission ever could.)

Her hand was clenched to the blanket on his chest.

Grant wondered, morbidly, if this would be the last time he would be able to see her this peaceful. He knew that she would try her hardest to keep a brave face for him later on, but he always saw past the fake. His fingers ran through her hair slowly. It was time for him to get ready. Taking a shower didn't seem worth disturbing her peace—but he knew that this would be the last hot shower he would get for a while.

By the time that he got back, Jemma was sitting up in the bed, reading one of the books that she had placed around his bunk. Her body was still wrapped in the blankets. There hadn't been time for clothes last night once they had returned to the Bus. "Morning," he said as he entered back into the bunk and shut the sliding door.

"Good morning," Jemma muttered back as she closed the book that was in front of her. She hadn't really been reading anyways. When she had woken up without Grant by her side it reminded her of what the day was. Everything could change forever after this morning. Her hair hung loosely around her face. Some of it stuck to her neck, while other parts were bunched up. If there had been more time, Grant would have pushed her back down under the covers and had his way with her.

There wasn't the time.

All their time had run up. It upset Grant far more than he expected it too. He had just finished pulling on his pants before he stopped. Of course he didn't want to leave her, but he had to. They had signed up for this life.

The touch of Jemma brought him back from his thoughts. Hands slowly wrapped around from his back and slithered to grip each other on his chest. Bed warmth radiated from Jemma as she leaned against him. Grant could feel the wetness of her cheeks when she pressed her face against his back. Her eyelashes fluttered against his back for a few seconds before he felt them close. Her breathing was deep and Grant tried to match his own to hers.

No words needed to be spoken.

His large hands moved to rest against her small ones. They stood there for what seemed like hours. Jemma was still against his back except for her breaths. The tears felt warm against his skin. If it were any other time, he would have turned and wiped them away. Now… he couldn't bring himself to do just that. This moment was for him—not for her. He knew that as soon as Jemma had hugged him. The hug hadn't been for her comfort; it had been for his. These gentle moments were a reminder why he needed to fight to get back.

Grant needed to get back to her.

Jemma was his home. This warm, wonderful woman was the reason that he needed to make sure that he didn't die in the mission. Her kisses against his back broke the silence. Jemma knew that he couldn't handle her light, teasing kisses. Not even in moments like this.

When he turned around, Grant kissed her. It was soft and gentle (just like she was). It was his turn to wrap his arms around her body and pull her against him. He could feel her break when his tongue slid into her mouth. The low sounds that came from her throat weren't ones that he longed to hear. They were swallowed down sobs.

"No crying." It was supposed to be an order, but it came out as a plea. His hands took their time running up from her back to her sides to her neck and then finally to her face. Rough thumbs pressed away the tears that had pooled underneath her eyes. Jemma nodded softly and leaned against his touch. "I love you, Mrs. Ward."

The name made tears only reappear in her eyes—but for all the right reasons now. Jemma loved the way he said it.

"I love you, too," she whispered her confession against his lips before kissing him again.

The hardest part was not being able to kiss him goodbye with the team.

They had said their goodbyes in Ward's room, but it didn't seem to be enough as he got encouragement from the other members of the team. Thank God for Fitz, who stayed loyally at her side throughout the entire encounter. Skye was pressing for details, but May was keeping a careful eye on her as well. It was obvious that Coulson had told May about the marriage the night before.

The rest of the team (well Skye and Fitz) seemed completely unaware. The other technicians at the Hub had no idea either. There was no record in the database for anyone less than a level 7.

Even with their relationship known, out in front of the team, it was important for them both to be strong and not have Jemma break down in Grant's arms.

By the time that Grant came to say his final goodbye, Jemma was reeling herself in by the last straws of her strength. Fitz was still by her side and she knew that it was a relief to not only her, but to Grant as well.

"Take care of her," Ward ordered as he looked in Fitz's eyes. Jemma would have rolled her eyes at him if she had the energy. Instead she just watched out of the corner of her eye as Fitz nodded. Even the boy couldn't argue with Ward. Fitz had been taking care of her for a long time before Ward even entered the situation. Jemma would need a lot of Fitzsimmons time with Grant gone.

"Stay safe," Grant said softly when he stopped in front of her. The words said everything that Grant couldn't say.

I love you. Stay safe. I'm coming back.

"Stay alive," she countered with a small smile.

I love you. Stay safe. Come back to me.