AN: I hope like HECK that this isn't where things actually head on the series itself!
They laid Daisy to rest in the same grassy field of Afterlife where her mother Jiaying had been buried a year before at her husband's insistence. Everyone whom Daisy had touched during her time in SHIELD, including the Secret Warriors, were there at the funeral to pay their last respects but it was her family who grieved her the most.
Simmons.
Fitz.
Mack.
Lincoln.
May.
Each one had spoke a little about Daisy (yes even May), had shared what they would always remember most about Daisy first and foremost as their friend but also as the extraordinary SHIELD agent she had become.
Coulson went last because he was the Director of SHIELD, and they all knew how close he had been to Daisy before all of this started. When he approached the podium, they all anticipated some very heartfelt words from him about how he admired the young woman and how much he would miss her.
But instead Coulson read a letter for Daisy that was unsigned but everyone knew without being told that it was from Bobbi and Hunter. Their letter was full of everything they had felt for Daisy but especially their love for the sister and amazing friend that they had lost who would be in their hearts everyday for the rest of their lives.
"Thank you," he had said once he had finished reading the letter, "I know Agent Johnson… Daisy would have been touched by how much she was thought of and loved." The gathered crowd began murmuring in surprised as Coulson left the podium, and indeed the gathering, behind.
May recovered first, and as she watched his retreating back while he walked across the field she said, "Adding to what the Director said, I think the best thing we can do to honor Agent Daisy Johnson's memory is put down every remnant of HYDRA once and for all. Let's go be the world's SHIELD in her memory and for everyone we've lost in this war." With one final nod, as the gathered agents began to applaud, May left the podium paying them little attention as she began walking in the same direction as Coulson had only moments earlier.
Soon the sounds of quinjets taking off filled the skies as May finally caught up with him where he stood looking at but not seeing a nearby mountain range. He stood so rigid that to someone who didn't know him for as long and as well as she did wouldn't believe that he just came away from Daisy's funeral completely unaffected. But May knew him, could read every ounce of the grief and pain coming from the man before her.
"Phil," she said softly.
"Don't," he replied, "I know exactly what you're going to say, and I don't want to hear it."
"It doesn't matter that you don't want to hear it, Phil, because you need to hear what I have to say," May stated, pausing to wait to see if he'd respond. When he didn't, she continued, "You are NOT responsible for what happened to Daisy or for her death. I know that you gave the order but, Phil, Daisy… the Daisy we knew was gone along time before the rest of her died. Hive destroyed her, took away who she was, and what you did… was a kindness to her."
Again she waited for a response from him, any kind but received none. So she said, "You know killing her… killing Daisy was one of the hardest, most difficult things I have ever had to do in my life."
Taking the younger woman down had only been possible because Simmons had found a way to temporarily neutralize her Inhuman powers. After that it was only a matter of time and patience when the two women had battled it out. May had simply waited for an opening, then ended the fight as quickly and as painlessly as she could.
"Phil?"
When Coulson finally looked away from the mountains, there was such a deep level of pain in his eyes that it scared May. It scared her because she saw in his eyes the same pain she had felt after Bahrain.
"You know," he began in a quiet voice, "You were the one who actually took her life, but I am the one who has her blood on my hands. I'm not referring to the kill order I issued either." He looked down at the offending extremities, balling his artificial hand into a fist, "Her blood was already on my hands the very moment I decided that Ward's killing Rosalind was the final straw and that he should to die. When I murdered him, I might as well have pointed a gun at her head, and pulled the trigger because she was dead the moment I decided to cross the line to play Grant Ward's executioner."
"Ward had had it coming for awhile," May reminded him. "For a very long time."
"That maybe true but that doesn't mean I had the right to murder him in cold blood. SHIELD may exists outside the jurisdiction of any country but just because we're not subject to their laws doesn't mean that we don't have rules of our own." He sighed and turned back towards the mountains. "I had planned to make an announcement when we returned to base but now is as good of a time as any to tell you this. I am stepping down as the Director of SHIELD, effective immediately once I have made my decision public."
May nodded, not surprised by his decision but that didn't mean she had to agree with it, "You can't step away, Phil. Fury tasked you with rebuilding SHIELD because he trusted you and knew you would do the job right."
"And look how I've completely betrayed his trust."
"Phil-"
"My mind's made up, Melinda. I can't lead SHIELD anymore."