tcnetwork | Jemma Simmons

“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.”

Mercy slid her hair over to the other side and managed another wan smile for Sasha. "No hair today."

Mercy turned her attention to the small creatures. "It's okay,"she said gently, "some animals aren't all that comfortable around me. Maybe it's the smell of the grease and oil." It really isn't, but it's an easy thing to say.

And it sure seemed like the little guy see last understood a few words. "I would never hurt Sasha or anyone else," Mercy said seriously. "He's safe with me."

“He will love you once you bring over a baby for him to play with. He loves all babies. He sleeps in Sasha’s room.” Jemma shakes her head. “And if he thought you were a danger to Sasha he would’ve showed you his teeth.” Such huge teeth for such a tiny head. “No, he’s just being a jerk. It’s a good thing he’s cute.”

Greene continues to stare for another second then like he made a decision, flops at Mercy’s feet. He’s clearly decided she’s friend, not foe.

“Yes, you apologize to our guest.” She’s trying to sound stern, but is trying not to laugh when Greene flops.

Finishing her food, “I’ll just run Sasha back upstairs and we’ll head out.”

Bring him over a baby, right. She was going to have one. She took a breath and let it out slowly, trying to keep herself from getting even more panicked. She wasn't sure if the flop was also a request to be petted, but she returned a hand fire him to sniff or rub against or ignore as he would.

"I'm ready when you are,"she said quietly.

"I didn't say that to upset you." Jemma gives her a moment as Greene chooses to rub his head against Mercy's hand.

That moment includes her taking Sasha back upstairs, and throwing on a jacket over her t-shirt. If she's going to do some rather important tests, she can look somewhat like a professional. In a bag, she's got a lab coat, her TC, and an external drive.

"Let's get out of here." She smiles at Mercy.

On the way, Jemma will mention a few things. "We should be able to determine not only the other parent, but also how far along you are. Sometimes, these pregnancies last only 6 months, rather than 9. Oh, and if you care about the sex, we can determine that to. I left it a surprise with Sasha. I didn't really care if he was a boy or a girl." She's also nattering hoping to give Mercy something specific to focus on rather than everything ever involved with having a baby.

"I know she didn't," Mercy murmured to Greene, petting him as Jemma went upstairs. "She's trying to help, I know."

She was on her feet in a second when Jemma came back, ready to get this over with. Once she knew she could take some time and let it sink into her head.

She listened to Jemma as they went. "Timing would be good to know," she agreed, "but I don't know if I want to know the sex. Can I say no for now and find out later if I change my mind?"

They were at the door and she took a deep breath, then headed in. One way or another she'd know and she'd find a way to cope with it all.

Jemma nods. "Of course you can. I promise whatever I see in the results, I will say nothing." If professional duty didn't require it, she'd do it anyway, for Mercy.

Ushering Mercy to the prenatal examination room, she gestures to the bed, "You're going to need to lay down, trousers off, but you can leave your knickers on."

Jemma ducks out for a minute into another office just to let it be known she's booked the room and is not to be disturbed under any circumstances. Mercy wants privacy and Jemma doesn't want an intern blundering their way in there.

Jemma Simmons can still scare the interns when she needs to.

Coming back in, she's now got on her lab coat. "This is going to be a lot like an ultrasound, but without having to drink a litre of water. Halfway through, you're going to feel something akin to a mosquito bite."

Jemma Simmons

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