tcnetwork | Jemma Simmons

As Jemma prepares and takes the blood, she chatters to ease Mercy’s nerves, “good for you getting the car out early. You’ve earned yourself a nice break, away from all this stress.” Yes, she’s making a very unsubtle suggestion, should the test come back negative.

“I’m guessing you’re constantly busy at the garage. I’ve noticed quite an increase of cars here, all the better for you.” It’s like they’ve tripled in recent months.

She takes the blood and puts it in a machine. She doesn’t bother explaining the process, as most women understand what she’s testing for.

“I understand Steve’s at the garage a lot, you know we asked him and Bucky to be Sasha’s godparents,” now she’s making idle conversation as the machine whirrs away.

"It has been getting a lot busier," Mercy agreed. "I only have time to take an occasional shift or two at the docks, so it's nice to have that extra time. We've gotten some cool cars in lately too."

She watched the machine as it whirred away. "Who would have thought that getting an Earth car designed to your specific instructions by an "actual Earth mechanic' would carry such cachet? But hey, if they want to pay me extra for being from my home I'm not complaining."

She tried not to blush at the mention of Steve. Nobody needed to know she'd had quite the crush on him with hopes that their friendship might become more - until Bucky had arrived. It was embarrassing enough. So, she just nodded. "Not as often as he'd like. He may never get his bike done at this rate. But as you said, once things settle down some... And I think he'll make a great godfather. I haven't actually directly met Bucky, but I'm sure he's a good guy as well."

"Who would have thought indeed." Good for Mercy, Jemma thinks. Considering how some backwards people in their own time might've looked at women mechanics, even better.

"I knew I invested in the right person for the business." She's not trying to take any credit; she's just thrilled at Mercy's success.

"Oh, they'll be brilliant godparents. Plus, can you imagine Sasha's bragging rights?" She giggles at that, because really who can compete with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes? "He'll be the best protected baby in the universe. We had them over for dinner and asked them via fortune -- oh."

There's a beep that interrupts her train of thought. That oh didn't sound worrisome, but more surprised. Turning to Mercy, she's put on her best professional grin. "Am I allowed to offer congratulations?" She's going to take her cue from Mercy as to how to react to it.

"I'm so grateful you offered me the opportunity, " Mercy said with a delighted laugh. "And, yes, he'll sure be well protected."

She turned at the sound of the beep, but the significance of Jemma's words didn't connect.

"Congratulations? " she said, looking confused.

Jemma continues with her best bedside manner smile. “You are pregnant.” She states it simply, letting it sink in.

She knows Charlie was shocked but happy, but Jemma’s not so sure how Mercy will feel.

Brushing some papers off a chair, she pulls it over to sit across from Mercy.

"I'm..." Mercy stared at her. "Oh, no. No, no, no,no,no. I can't - it's not possible. I haven't - please tell me this is a joke, Jenna."

But she knew it wasn't. The Doctor and then the prophet. But she couldn't be. All her life she'd sworn she'd never be careless enough to be a unwed mother like her mom.

Damn, it, she hadn't even had sex in almost fifteen years because she wouldn't sleep with someone she wasn't sure she was in love with and it had just been easier to be careful.

She couldn't catch her breath, she couldn't breathe, her heart was pounding so fast she was afraid it might just explode. She put her head between her knees, covering her face with her hands, praying it was all just some bad dream.

“You’re very early in your pregnancy,” Jemma reaches out to rub Mercy’s back. “I wouldn’t joke about something like this.” Comforting is what the other woman needs.

“Just breathe. It’ll be all right.” Because Mercy can make whatever decisions she wants to make it all right for her.

"Is this some kind of crazy parthenogenesis thing?" Mercy asked, head still between her knees. "I mean okay, maybe the crazy baby pod things could steal DNA or whatever, but this is inside me. And I can tell you, I haven't had sex in forever - like fifteen years, forever, so I just don't get how this could be happening."

“That’s a good way of looking at it, yes,” sadly, with regards to the solar flares, they don’t have a satisfactory explanation as to how this is possible.

“We don’t know how. We haven’t had that much of a chance to study it, but whether or not you’ve had sex has nothing to do with it. None of this is your responsibility either.” It’s a difficult subject but it needs to be broached, “And if you don’t want to go through the next six months, you don’t have to.”

Mercy's head came up at that. "It's my child, isn't it? And where would I be if my mother had decided she didn't have to go through with it?"

She shook her head. "No. If I'm pregnant, I'm pregnant and that's it. I guess I'll just have to figure it out. Leave it to me to end up - It is just my DNA, right? Pathogenesis? Not like..."

Oh no. There was some other unknown parent, wasn't there? Some potential stranger who would have rights to get child. Damn.

Jemma nods her head. "Whatever you want to do, I will support you however I can." She was waiting for some clue from Mercy as to how to react, and now she has it. "If you're going to have this baby, then I'll plan the baby shower." Jemma grins. "I'm thinking a car theme, everyone decorates little overalls."

She's not making light; she's trying to give Mercy something positive to think about.

Shaking her head. "No, there will be another parent, someone here in New Dodge. Did you know my godchild, Malina is a flare baby? Remember Charlie? She was the mother and the Nogitsune the father. It may be someone you know, but only in passing, but it might be someone you know very well." The current pod babies are examples of both types.

"I'm having the baby," Mercy said shakily. "But let's hold off on any baby shower for now."

She was a coyote and coyotes were adaptable. Sometimes it just took a little longer. And this was going to take a little while.

"Okay," she said, swallowing hard. "So how do we find who the other parent is? Do I have to wait the whole nine months and then do a test? If there was some way - I mean you already got everyone's DNA for the pod babies, right?"

She didn't want to know anymore than she really wanted to be pregnant, but she needed to do what was right.

"I will wait until you give me the go ahead." Jemma agrees. Whatever Mercy wants.

Jemma takes a minute to think to give Mercy a considered answer, "We'd have to go to the clinic for that. It's a more invasive test, not as invasive as it is during our time, but not one I can do with a simple blood test. If you want, I can clear some time with Allison to use the equipment, if you'd prefer I do it. If you'd rather have your own doctor do it, that's fine too."

"Then baby's DNA will be compared with the samples we took for the pod babies." They haven't destroyed them yet, simply because they were holding them in case one of the prospective parents wanted a retest.

"I can also, if you'd let me, put you in contact with one of the other parents of the current group of flair babies. You could have some great support there." Jemma's secretly thinking Bucky in particular, but won't say anything unless Mercy wants to be put in touch. Then she'd call Bucky.

"I'd rather have you do it," Mercy said quietly. "I trust you. But that I don't trust one of the doctors, but I know you better."

"Just, can we get it done as quickly as possible? I want to get it done and know and then have time to let it all sink in."

She considers what Jemma said, but hesitated. "I don't know," she said. "I'm not ready to talk to anybody else about it yet. At least not before I talk to the father. Or mother, I suppose."

"I'll call Allison to arrange some private time to use the equipment. How about tomorrow, if it's available." With Harry not home from work, she can't leave tonight, not without packing up Sasha.

Jemma nods again. "We'll also be able to tell how far along you are. Sometimes, flare pregnancies can be shorter." It's another important question to be answered.

"Listen, what if you were to stay here tonight. Harry won't be home until very late, and we have plenty of rooms. You can have something to eat," Harry keeps the fridge well-stocked with fine-dining level food. "Have a chance to rest, or we can talk, if you prefer."

Mercy may want to be alone, but this is a serious shock, and Jemma would like to keep an eye on her.

"Tomorrow would be great," Mercy said. Her head was spinning, this was all just too much to take in.

And while another day she might have objected to staying, right now the thought of even getting up from this chair seemed overwhelming. "All right," she said. "If you're sure it won't be an imposition."

Tomorrow. She's know tomorrow.

“I’ll do that right now then.” Jemma reaches out to grab her TC, fingers quickly texting the mayor.

“No imposition at all. I insist. I have all this food in the fridge and my chef of a partner cooks when he’s got excess energy.” That would be often. “Even after having Steve and Bucky over we didn’t make a dent in all that food.” Imagine their freezer.

“But for now we can sit here as long as you Iike.”

Mercy nodded. "All right. I just... need a minute. I probably should eat something, but my stomach is all in knots right now."

She gave Jemma a weak smile. "You wouldn't happen to have any hot chocolate would you?"

“Consider it doctor’s orders, having something to eat.” Jemma jokes. She knows that once the stage of development of the fetus, and the father’s been confirmed, ethically, she needs to encourage Mercy to tell her doctor.

If only Mercy knew how much chocolate was in the house. “Oh, we have hot chocolate. Would you like a medium, large, or extra large cup?”

Mercy will. She just needs to get this whole thing sorted out in her head first.

"I'm inclined to say large, but let's go with medium. I'm not sure how happy my stomach will be with anything in it," Mercy said.

And after that she'd probably be heading to bed, feeling like she couldn't keep her eyes open.

Not that she'd sleep much - strange place, too many noises for her sensitive hearing, and way too much running through her brain. In fact she'd probably be up, and wishing she could clean - nothing against your house, Jemma, but when she's stressed she cleans - long before Jemma would want to be up.

“I didn’t offer small because there’s never been a situation in the history of humanity that called for a small.” A truth according to Jemma Simmons .

After she gets Mercy her hot chocolate, she’ll show the other woman to a comfortable guest room, complete with its own bath. The SHIELD House is massive.

Before bed she goes to check on Sasha, remembering how scared she was when she found out she was pregnant and Sasha was planned for. They’d been trying for three months.

The next morning, Jemma isn’t surprised Mercy was up before her. “Did you sleep at all.”

Sasha, in his usual sling, burbles at Mercy.

Mercy managed a smile for Sasha and shrugged at Jemma. "I rested, but I'm not great at sleeping in a strange place at the best of times."

And she didn't need to say that this wasn't the best of times. There was just so much. The shock and upset of the news, having to wait to find out who the father was, and knowing just how much was about to change in her life forever.

"It's okay, though, I know I'm up too early. You just do what you normally would. I don't mean to rush you."

“Oh, I fed him upstairs.” Usually, she’d feed him sitting on the sofa, but shes not sure how comfortable Mercy would be with feeding in front of her after all the shock of yesterday. “I’m just spending a little time with my boy before we head off and he gets to spend some time with his dad.”

She’s going to talk to Sasha as she grabs something quick to eat, explaining everything she’s doing in a sing-song voice. The baby is clearly riveted.

“Did you get something to eat? You should have something even if it’s just some toast.” She slips back into Dr. Simmons mode.

Mercy may also notice that she’s being stared at, not by Jemma, but a small, fluffy bunnicula. He’s staring at her like he knows.

"Maybe a little toast," Mercy says, but very little of it actually gets eaten. She mostly watches Jemma with Sasha and wonders if there's any way she'll make even a halfway decent mother.

She smelled the small predator before she saw him and just hoped that her own predator scene wouldn't bother him. Lots of small animals were very uncomfortable around her, feeling she meant danger.

Jemma is going to serve her toast and encourage her to eat it.

It should also be noted that when the toast is served, Sasha tries to reach for Mercy’s hair. “No no,” Jemma says gently, “no pulling the guest’s hair, silly boy.”

She finishes her own food quickly, and then finally addresses the staring bunnicula. “If you continue stare, Mercy might never let you meet her baby.” Greene’s head swivels to look at Jemma when she says the word baby, like he’s understood. “Excuse him.”

Jemma Simmons

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Morning of 4-13

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