The Day Everything Changed

Chapter 21

A few months later, Jemma Simmons was thoroughly exhausted but had never been happier in her life. She had once said that she never wanted to see Fitz in a hospital bed ever again, but was quickly changing her mind as he shared that bed with her and they each held one of their twins. "I have never loved you more than I love you at this moment," he said softly, kissing the side of her head.

She leaned into him, feeling exhilarated by his presence and the knowledge that she had just brought their children safely into the world. "Thank you for being here," she said.

"I promised you I wouldn't pass out. I watched all those YouTube videos for practice."

Jemma gave a watery laugh, sniffling. "That's not what I meant. Thank you for being here with me. Thank you for being my best friend." She kissed him tenderly.

"Always," he whispered.

There was a knock on the door and Coulson poked his head in after they called out their response. "Would you guys mind some visitors?"

"Not at all," Jemma said, feeling as if nothing could interrupt her feeling of contentedness. "They need to meet their family, after all."

Coulson held the door open for an eager Daisy and May . "Everyone else is holding down the fort, but they said they'll be by for visiting hours tomorrow," Trip said. "Bobbi sends her love and said if we don't bring back pictures, we will all experience pain."

Daisy immediately came to Jemma's side of the bed and gave her the best hug she possibly could while not jostling the baby. "They're so tiny," she said, voice light with wonder.

"How are you feeling?" May asked, rubbing Jemma's leg through the hospital blanket.

"I'm doing well, actually," Jemma said with a smile. "I'm not sure I would ever want to deliver twins again—" she gave Fitz a look and he stared back at her wide-eyed, as if there was anything he could possibly do to prevent that "—but it was on the quicker side for a first delivery of multiples and there weren't any drastic complications. And the babies are both doing very well."

"They're perfect," Fitz said, kissing the child in his arms.

Smiling at him, Jemma said, "Fitz even stayed conscious and coherent for the entire delivery."

"I told you I would, I don't know why you doubted me, I prepped!" Fitz said all proud.

Smiling affectionately, Coulson came to stand next to Skye, holding his arms out to Jemma. "May I?"

"Of course, sir." She sat up a little straighter so that she could hand the baby off to him.

He held the baby gently in his arms, rocking back and forth. "And who are you, you beautiful, beautiful child?"

Daisy beamed next to him, adjusting the cap on the baby's head. "Aww, you have Fitz's curls, little one."

"That is Margaret Malinda Fitz-Simmons," Jemma said, voice trembling softly.

Coulson looked up to catch her eye. "Well, Peggy, I feel sorry for your brother because I already know you're going to be my favorite."

"Phil!" May chastised.

Jemma and Fitz exchanged a smile and Fitz cleared his throat. "Well," he said, "I guess, ah, you wouldn't be interested in meeting Benjamin Phillip Fitz-Simmons then."

They all looked at Coulson as he stared at the baby in Fitz's arms. "Benjamin... Phillip?"

"I was told it was a good name," Jemma said, shrugging.

Coulson gently handed Peggy off to May, who cooed at the small child in her arms, before he walked around the bed to Fitz. He bent down to pick up Benjamin, who blinked up at him with blue eyes. If anyone noticed that Coulson was suddenly crying softly—and in a room full of spies, everyone noticed—no one mentioned it. "Well, now I don't know which one is my favorite."

May smiled down at Peggy, then at Jemma and Fitz. "They're beautiful."

"Thank you." Fitz said, wrapping his arms around Jemma and pulling her close. "They take after their mum."

Jemma rolled her eyes and shook her head before curling into him. "I don't know." Daisy said, looking closely at Benjamin. "I can see both of you."

Pleased at that confirmation, Jemma said, "Benjamin, do you want to meet your Aunt Daisy?"

Coulson only displayed a bit of reluctance to let go of the baby as he placed him gently in Daisy's arms. Daisy was weeping openly as she held onto him tightly and Coulson wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong, Daisy?"

"I just never thought I'd be anyone's Aunt Skye," she said, kissing the top of Benjamin's head and smiling at Jemma and Fitz. "Thank you."

"We love you, Daisy," Jemma said and Fitz nodded in agreement, reaching out to squeeze her arm.

Clutching Benjamin tightly, Daisy said to him, "I know that you already have the greatest parents on earth and there's no one I love more because they are the best people ever but I want you to know that I love you so much and I'm going to take such good care of you and your sister. Cool Aunt Daisy is here. And if you ever need anything, I'll be there. And I'll buy you a puppy even though they're gonna say no, I promise." She stroked Benjamin's tiny cheek. "You will never be alone."

Benjamin started crying. Fitz rocked him and tried to shush him as Jemma sighed. "I think he's hungry, Fitz."

"And that's our cue," Coulson said. He patted Fitz on the back and came over to kiss Jemma's cheek. "We'll come by tomorrow to see how you're doing and Bobbi, Mack, and Hunter said they'd be by too."

"Baby shift." Daisy said, giving Jemma another hug. "We love you. And we love you two." She gave each of the twins a kiss on the forehead. "Try to get some rest," May said.

As the door closed behind them, Jemma and Fitz carefully switched twins. He unsnapped the back of her hospital gown so she could feed and she leaned against him as Benjamin latched on. "Oh, yeah, I can tell he's going to take after you." She said. "Always hungry."

"They take after you." He said, sounding a bit choked up as he kissed her forehead. "Most beautiful things in the...in the entire world."

She smiled through her exhaustion and turned her head for a true kiss. Fitz pressed his lips to hers until his phone chimed from the table next to the bed. Carefully, he reached over and picked it up. "Here, look." He said. He showed her the picture Daisy had just sent to them of all of them together: Daisy, Jemma, Fitz, Coulson, May, and the twins, Peggy and Benjamin. It was their family, large and newly extended, full of the promise of new legacies.