I've come to terms with it. I got a second chance. I made a difference in a few people's lives. I don't want to be greedy. It's time to make space for somebody else.
Well, great, because I have every intention of walking back out of that basement. Just because I've made peace with dying doesn't mean I'm in a hurry. Now, you want to help me get into this gear Fitz has for me? It's super sexy.
No, Coulson, I'm telling you that you've never been to Tahiti. Or Malta or Puerto Rico or outer space... or the Framework... or the future. You're on the table, Coulson, code blue.
Nightmare? This whole thing has been a dream. And every time the dream is too random or doesn't reconcile with a memory, your mind creates a scenario to make it work.
What does that even mean? You really think your skull is caught on fire, Phil? Or does it hurt to have electrodes on your scalp for this long? You think there was an alternate reality where you were a history teacher? Or were you remembering your father, who was a history teacher?
No, Mike. This is fear. I thought I'd come to terms with death, but this is my fear of it manifesting, because it's harder to let go of than I thought it would be.
PPeterson
Yes. You're struggling to let go. At least now you admit you're dying. What's the hardest part?
And that's why your mind created this story, where you spent years doing all the things you never got a chance to do... to vacation on a white beach with blue water. To travel to the stars. To own your own plane, a car that flies, your own team. To have a family. The brilliant students you never got a chance to mentor. The daughter you never had. And above all, a chance to be a hero. You said it yourself, Coulson. It matters who you are.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today for a moment we all knew was coming, some of us even before these two did, and I think we can all agree that to wait even one second to do this is playing with fire. All in favor?
[Pulls out a piece of paper] I had to write it down. Fitz. I knew from the moment I saw you, from our first conversation about dielectric polarization, that you'd be in my life for a long time. But I didn't know... you would be my life. My heart. My home. We joined this team for adventures and got more than we had hoped... but I can't wait for our next adventure... building a family together. My love for you grows deeper and always will, no matter where the universe takes us next.
Um. Okay. Um. I have been thinking about what to say. Uh. Just... Words don't really seem enough. Here. I think that you are perfect. And, um... I don't deserve you, Jemma. I don't. I don't deserve you. And I'm well-aware that I'm the luckiest man on any planet.
Turns out a lot of people pawn wedding rings. I had to find one that was gonna be small enough for his little-boy fingers. And then, for hers, found this ring that looks just like this one that my mom used to wear sometimes. It was my grandma's, I think.
Fitz is gonna do the best prosthetics work he's ever done for you, but it may take some time. We don't have the materials he needs here, but we're gonna find a way to get them. In the meantime, I need you to focus on resting and healing.
I know, but he'll make it worth the wait. See? [Shows her his prosthetic arm] People can't even tell the difference. And, honestly, this one's way more fun. He's always adding...
What? Oh, no, come on. That's not what I meant. What I meant was that the thing I hate about robots is that they have no heart, no soul... those are the parts that matter.
[To Fitz] Well, why don't I stay here and stare at the numbers for a little while? You can go visit Mrs. Fitz. You guys just got married. All the grown-ups are gone. I bet she's just dying for a little post-wedding yee-haw.
That's the spirit. Oh, I'm just holding onto that thing in case of emergency. Don't beat yourself up while you're trying to heal. Go slow. The steps you take don't need to be big. They just need to take you in the right direction. [Sees Deke, who overheard the last part] Oh. Can we help you with something? What's wrong, Deke? Did you see another ghost from your past?
No, it wasn't a ghost. I... I just saw you standing there and, uh... How are you? What... I'm... I... And, um... They're... They're... They're back. That... That's what I came to tell you.
I have simply redefined what that means. Parts of me will always be human. But I have gained so much more with this new form. Strength. Immortality. How's that for a cool origin story, bro?
The Doctor would. He programmed it to make sure I'd go through with it. He didn't want to hurt you. Just like he didn't want to hurt Mack. But it's just... I wouldn't have done any of this if I didn't believe it was going to work.
I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. You're a victim in all of this, too. I just don't... I don't really know how to process it. He's losing himself. I feel like I'm losing him, too.
That's why you let him win arguments sometimes, right? He can be a real baby when he's sick, so that's why you got to take care of him. And he's always got the weight of the world on his shoulders. That's why he needs you there to help lighten the load. Oh, and he loves his prosciutto and mozzarella sandwiches that no one can make right except you.
Because my mom used to tell me about her parents all the time. She always spoke about her dad with so much love and admiration on her face. Said that he was the best man she ever knew. So I know that you can help Fitz. And I know that you two are gonna be okay because... the steps you take don't need to be big...
Not my first rodeo, so I may have already figured out a little bit of what's going on here. You've got the Gravitonium and the total disregard for human safety. Check. You've got Ivan Drago and Crusher Creel on the payroll. Check. And then there's you, rogue general, operating with zero oversight. Add it all up, it just doesn't feel like an Air Force operation.
