I have enjoyed Afalstein and bissek's Recruitment Drive stories a great deal. But I have been curious to follow the threads of those stories into the current season of AoS and other relevant material. This current season has seen the deaths of both Agents of SHIELD's Agent Antoine Triplett and Criminal Minds' Jason Gideon, both of whom have featured prominently in a number of Recruitment Drive stories. But how might events change in a shared reality? Readers may wish to consider this an AU version of the Recruitment Drive Universe.

Standard Disclaimer: The characters in this story are not mine. They belong to their respective networks and creators. The concept of the Recruitment Drive belongs to Afalstein and is used with his permission. This story is for entertainment purposes only (Hopefully) and not for profit.

Unfinished Business

Chapter 1: Point of Departure

"Director? May I have a minute of your time?"

Phil Coulson looked up from the stack of reports on his desk and leaned back in his chair with a frustrated sigh. In eight months he had crisscrossed the globe in his efforts to rebuild SHIELD. He had recruited dozens of individuals that in the old days would have been written off as damaged goods or objectionable on other grounds. He had forged alliances and working relationships with groups and individuals that would previously been untouchable or even completely unknown. And he had made it all work somehow. And yet; for all that, SHIELD was still dangerously low on equipment and resources.

It wasn't that Coulson expected another helicarrier to fall into his lap. He knew the Navy had Fury's command carrier locked down at the Norfolk Naval Yard since the day SHIELD fell, where it had been undergoing repair and refit after the Battle of New York. Getting it back and storing it for Theta Protocol had been a major accomplishment but with the optical camouflage dismantled, it was a card best hidden until absolute last resort, making it useless for normal missions. The Insight helicarriers had been thankfully destroyed and the others had been reported as lost or had been seized by various national governments. But the fact that Hydra could send a full flight of cloak equipped Quinjets to intercept the Bus and he could only lay his hands on a single one was a bit galling. Worse, it was an imbalance of forces he needed to correct.

Still, he was far ahead in the quality of his people and the man in front of him was a firm testament to that.

"Agent Gideon. Go ahead and take a seat." Coulson noticed the file in Gideon's hand and cleared away room for it. The former FBI profiler plopped into the chair opposite. Surprisingly enough, it was his wallet and not the file from which Gideon withdrew an old photograph.

"Tara Barnett. Reported missing by her mother in 1978. Her abduction fit the pattern of three other young women abducted and found strangled near Roanoke Virginia in the previous nine months."

"An old case of yours?"

Gideon nodded. "David Rossi and I went down to investigate but we never found Tara or the unsub. There were no more bodies discovered and the Behavioral Sciences Unit only had three agents. We didn't have the manpower to keep on it. We had to let this one go but I never could." Jason shook his head sadly.

Coulson could certainly understand about having too many missions and not enough agents. He also understood about not being able to let some things go. "Have you found something new?" He opened the file to see a clipped newspaper article.

"Possibly. A body of a woman in her mid fifties was discovered in the woods just outside Roanoke. In my gut I'm sure it's her. Tara Barnett. But I have to make sure Phil."

"And if it is?" The Director asked leaning forward in his seat.

"I have to be the one to close this case."

"You know SHIELD isn't even a legally recognized law enforcement agency anymore. What are we supposed to do if you even manage to catch this guy?" Coulson asked. Sympathies aside, just what could they really do in this case?

"I know sir, but I have to do this. Besides, you'll think of something. You always do." Gideon replied with that disarming smile of his.

"Alright Jason. I'll give you one week to prove to me something is there." Coulson decided.

"Yes sir."

"And you'll take Agent Triplett with you."

"That's not really..." Gideon started to object.

"Not negotiable Agent. If you're going out chasing after psychopaths, I want someone riding shotgun on your ass. You are completely too valuable for me to lose Gideon." Coulson shrugged. "Besides, Trip just might go off the deep end if he doesn't get away from House for a bit."

"Now that I understand completely sir." Gideon conceded with a slight smile.

"Good. It's settled. Go find Trip and get going. This case isn't going to solve itself."

Meanwhile; in the lab wing, Agent Triplett had dropped in to see Skye.

"So? How long until they let you out of here?" Trip asked looking around the room.

Skye shrugged. "Jemma wants to run a few more tests."

"Better her than House." Trip replied rubbing his shoulder. He was quite certain most of the man's prodding had absolutely nothing to do with his injuries and completely with a need to be constantly be prodding, prickling, agitating, or irritating someone or at least something at all times.

"Can't argue with you there." Skye agreed. "I swear the man is a ghoul!"

"Yeah. The man seriously puts the crimp in my funk!" They both laughed. "I gotta remember not to let an ancient temple fall on top of me again." Trip shook his head. "Thanks for pulling me out of there." He said more seriously.

"I know any of you would do the same for me." Skye replied. I risked Trip's life. I shouldn't have gone after Raina... Did part of me just... Was I too tempted just to see what would happen?

Trip looked down. "I should have done something down there."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Anything." Triplett replied.

"I'm kind of glad you didn't." Skye said. "I mean, who knows what would have happened if you had."

"Yeah. Dresden's lecture on interfering with poorly understood or supernatural processes." Trip agreed. The wizard's words ringing in his ears. It had been so tempting to smash the obelisk but Dresden had been very clear on the dangers of screwing with magic if that's what it was anyway. Magic? Superscience? Was there really a difference beyond the label? "Still..."

"Still nothing." Skye told him. "We're alive. I mean that's what counts right?"

"Right." Trip squeezed her hand. Behind him, Skye looked up to see Agent Gideon.

"Gideon! Come to delve the depths of my brain?" Skye asked as he came in.

"Maybe some other time." Gideon told her and turned to Triplett. "I'm actually looking for Trip here." Gideon quirked his head at him. Trip and Derrick Morgan would have gotten along pretty well, he thought. "I've got a case in Virginia that I need to check into. The Director strongly recommended I bring you along. Of course I would understand if you'd rather stay behind."

Trip grinned. "You know; as much as I'd love to hang around, when the boss recommends something, he's just being polite. I guess I'll just have to grab my gear and check out a vehicle. Shame. This means I won't be around for House to run anymore tests or anything like that."

"Duty calls huh Trip?" Skye smiled.

"Yep. Duty calls." He agreed as he stood up. "You be a good girl and I'll see you when I get back."