Agents of SHIELD

The Aftermath

Melinda May & her Bus Kids, after the events of 5x14 The Devil's Complex.

When May gets back from the mission, the Lighthouse is deadly quiet. The ground still shakes with broken tremors. Scattered drops of blood trail across the rooms and most of the team is nowhere to be found.

Mack limps to her, his eyes sad, his shotgun/axe on his back. "It was Fitz," he says.

May's shoulders fall, weary and tired and too old for such pain. She closes her eyes. Then she pushes past him to find Daisy.

Her boots are steady in the halls, despite the shaking. She knocks on one bunk door. "Daisy?"

The door clicks open.

Her girl falls into her arms, hair wild and shoulders shaking. New stitches throb behind Daisy's ear, and May keeps her hand well away.

"He wouldn't stop," says Daisy. "He wouldn't stop."

"I'm so sorry, Daisy," May says. It's all she can say.

Daisy cries herself to sleep in May's arms and she feels so small against her chest. May tucks a blanket over her shoulders and presses a kiss to her hair and wishes she could do more.

*

May goes to see Fitz next. 

Through the window of his cell, his shoulders are slumped in defeat. His eyes are almost spilling over with guilt and pain. He turns his gold wedding band around and around his finger like he might at any moment slip it off.

May is silent. She opens the cell door, and steps inside without pause.

Fitz doesn't move from his spot on the bed. His hands curl so tightly that his knuckles turn white, and his breathing quickens.

May walks straight towards him and punches him across the face.

When he looks back up, his lip is split and bleeding, and his eyes are wet with tears. He says nothing.

May takes hold of the back of his shirt and pulls him into her arms.

He cries, he cries and his tears stain her shoulder and his hands shake because he doesn't dare to hug her back.

She holds him even tighter, like she can press his broken pieces back together. But it's not that easy.

*

May finds Simmons in the control room, wearing Deke's jacket. Her eyes are bloodshot, her hair disheveled. A cup of tea sits mostly untouched on the table, and she stares down at the tablet in her hands with wide eyes.

"Simmons," says May.

She doesn't react.

May steps up behind her, a hand drifting towards her shoulder, and then her eyes catch the results on the tablet.

A blood test. Positive.

"You're pregnant," whispers May.

A sob tears from Simmons's chest.

May takes the tablet from her hands and sets it on the table.

Simmons turns, one hand at her mouth, the other trembling at her belly.

May slips her arms around Simmons's shoulders and pulls her close.

"I don't know what to do, May," cries Simmons. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."

"I know," says May softly.

"It wasn't supposed to -" Simmons breaks down, crying desperately into May's shoulder.

May holds Simmons's head in one hand and sighs softly into her hair. "It's okay," she says. "It's okay."

Simmons's breathing slowly evens out.

"You'll be a great mother," May says.

"It's a father she needs," Simmons whispers back.

May has no reply.

Finally Simmons pulls back, brushing the tears from her face. "I have to tell Deke," she says, turning to the hallway. "He needs to know."

"Deke?" May repeats.

But Simmons is already gone.