A/N: Spoilers for S2 E10! Alright, so since the writers of the how are intent on putting me in emotional turmoil, this story will be taking place in a canon divergent AU in which Trip pulls Raina out of the temple, but Skye is stuck inside with the Diviner. So Trip is alive and Raina isn't a weird cactus cat, okay? Cool.
Antoine Triplett had been through some seriously weird stuff since he had joined SHIELD. He'd encountered aliens, gifted individuals, and more recently, a psychopath from the 1940's. However, all of that seemed to pale in comparison to his latest assignment: parenthood.
He'd arrived a bit early for the meeting that Coulson had requested, partly because he was a punctual person by nature, and partly because he was just plain curious.
"You can come in." Coulson called from his desk.
Trip hadn't even knocked yet, but he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "You asked for me sir?"
"Yes, have a seat." He indicated the chair across from him at the desk. Trip settled into it as Coulson placed a slim folder on the desk between them. "Melody Clark," he said, pulling a paper from the top of the file and handing it to Trip "was found three miles from her home in Fairfax last night. Apparently, she fled fled the house with her five month old sister Addison after 'bad men' broke in and murdered their parents."
Triplett looked at the picture in the file. It showed a little girl in a yellow raincoat and boots smiling up at the camera. Raindrops glistened on her warm brown skin and in the dark curls that spiraled past her shoulders. The next picture was of a little baby, staring up at the camera with big brown eyes. He immediately felt his heart constrict at the thought of everything they had been through. "Are they alright?"
"Miraculously, they managed to escape unharmed. They're in the care of Child Protective Services for now, and I have an acquaintance there who's looking after them."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that, but why are you telling me this? Actually, why are we even taking this case? Shouldn't this fall under the FBI's jurisdiction?"
"I'm getting there." He said patiently.
"Right. Sorry, Sir."
Coulson waved off his apology. "Saying this is a unique case would be an understatement. Samuel and Vanessa Clark died under very suspicious circumstances, and we need to investigate those circumstances. The problem is, whoever killed them was either after their children to begin with, or will want to tie up their loose ends. That's where you come in. These girls are orphans now, even if they did have any family to go to they wouldn't be safe. As soon as this threat is eliminated they'll be released into the foster care system, but until then you're going to look after them." He pulled another file from his desk and handed it over. "All the files and documents you'll need for your cover are in here, and a friend of mine has made arrangements for the four of you just outside of Boston."
"I'm sorry. You said the four of us?"
"Raina will be joining you." Coulson said as if it were the most obvious thing on Earth.
"Raina?" He gawked. "As in flower dresses and fifty shades of crazy, Raina?"
"Don't you think that's bit extreme, Antoine?" For the life of him Trip couldn't figure out how she managed to sneak up on them in those heels, yet there she stood raising an expectant eyebrow at him in her signature floral attire. Today's dress was a deep plum color with gold flowers patterning the garment, and Trip certainly didn't notice the way the silky fabric perfectly hugged her frame. That would have been out of line.
"Raina. Come have a seat." Coulson said, leaving the agent in front of him to wonder when he and Raina had gotten so chummy. Once she had perched herself primly on the seat next to him, Coulson began again. "Skye briefed you I believe?"
"She did." Raina confirmed. "Although, I think she was just as baffled as Antoine about my role in this mission. I'm assuming you haven't told him yet?"
"I was getting to it." Coulson said tersely.
"Getting to what, sir? There has to be someone else who can come with me on this."
"I'm hurt. You don't want me to come with you on your undercover adventure?" Raina asked, pouting her lip the slightest bit.
It took more effort than it should have to tear his gaze away from her lips, but he managed it, turning back to Coulson.
"I told you that Melody and Addison's parents died under suspicious circumstances." he said. "Well, Raina has more up-close experience with suspicious circumstances than just about anyone else. We need your skills, but we need her experience."
"Are you sure that's safe? You just said that an unknown murderer may be after these two kids, and I would feel much better having someone who's at least a field agent with me."
"Well, I'm sorry to be causing you discomfort, Antoine." Trip really doubted that. "But, I am best equipped to help you deal with anything…odd that may come up."
Coulson sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes in frustration. "Look, I know you two aren't exactly best friends, and I not asking you to be, but you do need get along well enough to sell your cover and not get killed. May's flying you to Virginia in forty-five minutes. Once you've picked the girls up from CPS, you'll drive to Boston. You have the duration of the plane ride to figure out a way to make this work and smooth out any kinks in your covers. This op could run anywhere from two weeks to two years, so I suggest you two get comfortable with each other really fast, for your own sakes. Got it?"
Raina looked surprised at Coulson's slight outburst, but nodded anyway while Trip gave his superior the usual "Yes, sir."
"Good. Everything you need to know is in here." He said tapping the files on the desk. "And good luck, both of you."
And with that, they left. Trip wasn't sure where Raina was headed, but he had packing to do. His duffle bag was nearly full when Skye and Bobbi showed up at his door.
"We come bearing gifts." Skye said, holding up the box in her hands.
The two of them emptied the parcel item by item, handing things over for him to pack.
"Extra ICEr with more compact cartridges." Bobbi said, handing him the weapon.
Skye passed him a Glock 19. "This one's the real deal, so don't go getting them confused." Trip nodded and the gun joined the ICEr. "And a SAT phone that you can use to call me, Simmons, or AC. Emergencies only, obviously."
"Driver's licenses and credit cards under your cover's names." Bobbi handed him a small envelope containing false documents and credit cards under the names of Antoine and Raina James. Trip had had a lot of different covers over the years, but 'married with kids' had never been one of them. And what was worse, he had no experience to draw on in either of those areas. For the first time as an operative he was flying blind.
"I hope that's it." He joked, trying to get rid of the just-punched sensation in his gut. "This bag is looking awfully full."
"Just one more thing." Skye said as she rifled around in the bottom of the box. With a little noise of triumph, she pulled a small, velvet bag out. "Because no marriage is complete without a blatant display of blind consumerism. And by that I mean a really huge rock. Like seriously, I don't know where Coulson's getting these gigantic diamonds, but I'm starting to get suspicious."
Trip couldn't help rolling his eyes as he took the bag from the younger agent and tucked it in his jacket pocket. "They're probably fake, just like the marriage."
Skye's only response was to give him a long, tight hug. "Be careful out there okay?"
"Come on, girl. You cant get rid of me that easily. I'll be back sooner or later."
"I'd prefer sooner if you can swing it." Bobbi said, taking her turn to envelope him in a hug.
"Yes Ma'am." He agreed. "Tell the others I'll see them soon, yeah?"
They promised to do so and before he knew it he was sitting next to Raina on the Quinjet while May piloted the plane towards Virginia. The flight wasn't long, but it was all the time they had to smooth out their covers.
"You've finished reading the files, right?" He asked as they approached their destination.
"Front to back." She confirmed. "Any kinks?"
Trip nearly choked on air before realizing that she was repeating what Coulson had said in his office. "No, but I'll tell you if anything comes up. You?"
"A few. But, none pertaining to our cover." She said nonchalantly. He took a deep breath as he rose to check in with May in the cockpit. This was going to be a long mission.
