Story description: Loki joined the avengers, Tony is a narcissistic genius, Bruce has some serious anger-problems, Clint is a lone wolf trusting no-one, Natasha really needs some 'girl power', Steve still lives in the 1940' and Thor is not even from this realm.

How on earth are they going to bond as a team? They definitely need a counsellor.

A/N: Yes, I know I should have kept working on the story about Loki. But after I saw the new Avengers trailer I wanted to write something about the whole team and I came up with this I also felt like this hasn't been done before and writing is way more exciting for me if there is something new to explore.

There really should be a Movies-Avengers section but since there isn't I'm posting this story here because it's a movie verse story. And I PROMISE to update this story as long as someone wants to read it!

Anyway, 'nough talking. Here we go. ENJOY!

Chapter 1

"Miss Philippa Jones, we meet at last." The man held out his hand. "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm director Nick Fury."

The blond woman looked a little confused around the all glass and metal conference room she had been brought to but shook his hand nonetheless. "The pleasure is all mine." she said, shaking his hand while she took in his grim leather-clad appearance completed by his eye patch. "But I'm afraid I really don't know why I'm here."

Fury gave her one of his very rare smiles. "Then let me explain it to you." He gestured towards one of the leather chairs around the huge conference table. "Please, take a seat." When they were both seated Fury put his elbows on the table and brought his fingertips together while he gave the woman across from him an examining look, comparing the data from her file with reality.

She was in her late twenties, twenty-eight to be precise, born and raised in Somerset, England -her unmistakable British accent gave her away- and working over here in New York since two years at the Metropolitan Museum as an expert on impressionistic art. And judging by the way she was patiently waiting for him to start their conversation although she had to be mad with curiosity by now, Fury instantly knew that the most important information of her file was true as well.

"Well, Miss Jones, you must have a lot of questions. Feel free to ask them. Fire away." He finally said, never taking his eye off her. The blonde woman smiled, her green eyes twinkling.

"Alright, then let's start with: what exactly is S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"It's short for 'Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division'. We're an organization dealing with superhuman threats and protecting the earth and its people from it. Currently, we have two branches in the United States- the headquarters here in New York and another one in Los Angeles. But we're recruiting members all over the world."

She just critically raised a brow at that, making it disappear beneath her pony. "With superhuman you mean something like aliens?" Fury could tell how hard she fought to keep the biting sarcasm out of her voice.

"Basically, yes. Although I would prefer the term advanced species."

"And you want me to join your organization?"

"It would be more something like a counsellor's position, however, yes again. I would like you to become a part of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Philippa didn't ask another question after that, just stared hard at Fury for some moments as if she was deciding on whether he was joking with her or not.

Finally, after what seemed like an hour, she spoke again. "Let's pretend for a moment that I believe you and that this organization really exists." She looked him straight in the eye, her green ones bright and piercing. "Who are the other members? Surely, you don't fight superhuman threats on your own. And why on earth would you want me to join your club? It's not like I have any superpowers." She was starting to get angry, Fury noted. Apparently she didn't like it when someone played games with her. That was good.

"Ah, Miss Jones, now we're getting to the crunch of the matter." He couldn't help himself and smiled again. "You see, I wouldn't have let you come here, if I didn't think you were special. One of my most capable agents tailed you for an entire month, gathering information about you and finally confirmed my suspicion. You are an empath."

Whatever Philippa had wanted to say about her constitutional rights being abused, she never managed to get it out. Nick Fury had just casually told her he knew about what she believed to be her best-kept secret. That she was able to share and experience the feelings of other persons.

"What…? How..?" she stuttered, shaking her head in disbelief while the director calmly waited for her to pull herself together. It was as if he had never done anything else then to tell people he knew about their most private thoughts and secrets. Which was probably true, Philippa thought.

"No need to get upset. Yes, I know you have psionic abilities and so does my agent, but apart from that your secret's still a secret. Now, I would like to give you the reason why I had you followed and brought here."

The blond woman eyed him suspiciously, her arms now crossed under her breast. "Please, do."

"As I assumed and as you just confirmed, you do have a superhuman ability and that is why I need you on my team here in New York. Your empathic abilities are the reason why I send out one of my agents to find you."

"I still don't see how I can help your team defeat alien villains. What am I supposed to do? Tell them that they really should feel awful about attacking the earth? In case you haven't noticed, I don't have any suggestive skills. Who is on your team anyway?" Philippa chipped in.

Fury ignored her comment. "And as I told you before, this is not an interview for an active position on the team. What I'm offering you is the position of the team's counsellor." He held her gaze to see her reaction and wasn't surprised to find her baffled.

"I … don't understand. A counsellor? Just like Diana Troi, the ship counsellor in Star Trek?"

"Something like that, yeah." Philippa wasn't sure but for a moment she thought she'd seen a flash of annoyance cross his face. It made sense because he certainly didn't look like a guy you should be joking around with. However, the moment passed and Fury continued. "Although your 'crew' will be a bit tougher on you and not quite as easy to handle." he said. "I promise you that."

"And who will be my crew? If I accept the position, of course." She added hastily, yet Fury knew he had her hooked.

"The Avengers are a team of seven extraordinary people each contributing their own special powers to the fight against evil forces. The first avenger is Steve Rogers also known as Captain America. I recruited him during WW ll. During his last mission back than he saved the world by crash-landing an airplane loaded with atomic bombs in the Arctic and sacrificed himself as he did so. He was frozen for about seventy years before we could find him and bring him back to the land of the living." After he had finished Fury shot the empath a puzzled look.

"You don't know who I'm talking about, do you?" he asked her incredulously. Philippa shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe your files didn't tell you that, but I grew up in England. So I wouldn't know about Captain America because he is obviously American." she answered wryly.

Fury chose to ignore her pointing remark and went on. "Second in line is Tony Stark, aka Iron Man. He is, as much as I hate to admit it, an engineering-genius and built himself a flying titanium alloy-suit which…" The agent noticed how Philippa's eyes had grown wide.

"Ah, so you do know something about Stark. That actually suits me because now I don't have to ramble on about how great he is and… Miss Jones?"

The empath needed a couple of moments to remember how to talk and then said: "You… Tony Stark is on the team? Iron Man is part of the avenger's initiative? How?"

Fury cocked his head to one side, thinking about the answer. "Actually, he insisted on being on the team. At first I didn't want him as a fighter, he should simply be responsible for all the tech stuff but, as you can imagine, he wasn't really happy about that and as it turned out he is quite an asset for the team if he decides to follow Cap's orders."

'Which apparently isn't very often.' Philippa mentally added. Fury went on to give her some information about the other team members: Bruce Banner(Hulk), Clint Barton(Hawkeye) and Thor and Loki Odinson(apparently both gods). The empath wondered if one had to be male to be on the team but she didn't drop the question. Instead she opted for:

"Who's the seventh member? You told me there were seven avengers."

Fury nodded. "Yes, there are, and I'm going to introduce you to the last member." While he still talked the glass door behind him opened and a woman with red curls entered the room who was dressed in a black bodysuit. She had this don't-get-in-my-way-or-you'll-regret-it-attitude and Philippa was fairly sure that this woman could kick a six foot tall guy across a football field.

"Agent Romanoff, this is our new team counsellor, Miss Philippa Jones. Miss Jones, this is Agent Natasha Romanoff." Natasha came around the table and held out her hand. Pippa stood and after a couple of heartbeats, when she could feel the other simply wanted to say hello, she took the offered hand.

Natasha smiled. "It's so good to get introduced to you, finally, after I spent a whole month spying on you." she said and her eyes flashed mischievously while she said that.

Well, if that wasn't straight forward. "You…You…" Philippa tried and looked at Fury, hoping he would guess what she wanted to ask.

The director nodded. "Yes, Romanoff was the one who found you - Natasha is very good at recruiting new members for S.H.I.E.L.D." On hearing this, Philippa's head shot up.

"Woah there! I didn't agree to take the position yet and I'm not sure if I will do it at all."

"Honestly, Nick, you should have made her sign a contract, because as soon as she meets the guys she'll want to run away. I would do that too if I wasn't on the team. Hell, any sane person would do that." Natasha looked at the empath. "No offense, Philippa, but they're not exactly easy to handle. I agree with Nick, they need someone to help them with their personal issues but whoever wants to do that will have to be tough.

They won't come to you and ask for your help, they won't even accept it if you offer it to them freely. The only way to do it is to confront them again and again, every day, and to work with them even if they think you don't. You'll have to be persistent and tough and you have to really want to help them. Anything less won't work and, sorry, but you don't seem to be too keen on doing that."

Philippa was impressed by the other woman's words and she also felt a little challenged by them. She could be tough if she needed to be. Considering everything it sounded like an interesting and demanding job, something her current employer couldn't guarantee for. She looked from Natasha to Fury.

"Okay, I'm in." she said, surprised how calm and business-like she sounded. "But if we set up a contract I want something in there that allows me to get out in case this doesn't work out the way you or I planned it."

Nick Fury nodded. "I've already included a paragraph on that." He stood up, beckoning her to do the same and Philippa couldn't deny how grateful she was that the unexpected interview was finally over.

"Agent Romanoff will take you to the Avengers Tower and give you all the information you need before you meet up with the team. You can sign the contract in the car." He held out his hand and Pippa abstractedly thought that this was all going way too fast. However, she had agreed to join the club and now she had to play by its rules, too. She took the offered hand and even managed a small smile.

"Thank you, director Fury. This is an honour, really."

"Yes, you're right it is and I know you'll do a great job. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Miss Jones."

Natasha Romanoff gave her a sign to follow her and the two women headed for the glass doors. Just before they left the room, Fury said:

"Oh, and: welcome to the Avengers."

Yeah, so far that was it. The next chapter will be about Pippa meeting the team for the first time (I can almost hear Tony's sarcastic comments on a 'team counsellor' ;)) I'll try and update soon.

Like it? Hate it? Want to read more? Any suggestions? Just tell me Thx for reading!