A past birthday

Summary: Phil Coulson sort-of remembers a past birthday and Daisy Johnson meets a Phil she never would have expected to meet.

Notes: It was meant to be a birthday gift for a friend on Tumblr, but it is a little late - because I am really slow lately. So sorry.

He had been thinking about his 8th birthday for some reason.

Mack had noticed he had been thinking about something all day, the only time he didn't pay attention on what Fox News said about Daisy, what other media said about her.

But that eighth birthday seemed so important today. Why?

"What's on your mind?" Mack asked at last.

"My eighth birthday."

"What about it?"

"I...don't remember clearly. I had cake before the party and I promised to find someone. I thnk."

"And why did that memory pop up today?"

Phil shrugged.

Suddenly a monitor lit up.

DJ~~~~PC

Daisy Johnson was having the weirdest day of her life.

Because vigilantism didn't match up with time-travel and certainly not so far back. She could tell she was way too back in the past, due to stares of the people, their clothes, the houses, the cars...

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." she mumbled, looking at the round object in her hands.

Chasing after Watchdogs and taking artifacts and guns from them, she never expected this.

(Then again, with her luck, it shouldn't come as a surprise.)

Daisy walked down the road, trying to avoid as many people, while trying to understand how to get back home.

Suddenly something crashed into her.

"Oof!" she tripped and almost fell on top of the small body in front of her, nearly losing the object.

"I'm sorry." a voice said, muffled by her jacket.

Dasiy steadied them both and noticed how her arm had wrapped around the kid.

"You ok?" she asked, letting him go and kneeling down.

He nodded and Daisy froze recognizing the eyes that were looking back at her.

"Oh."

"Is everything all right?" he asked with a frown.

"You reminded me of someone."

"I'm Phillip." he introduced himself.

"Skye. Nice to meet you, Phillip." she smiled, shaking his hand. "Where were you going before crashing into me, young man?" she asked.

"Home. It's my birthday, you know." he said proudly. "I live just around the corner."

"How old are you?" she asked, taking his hand and letting him lead the way.

"Eight." he said. "As an apology, I want you to have some cake. Mum makes the best birthday cake you'd ever eat!"

"Yeah?" she beamed down at him.

"Mm-hm." he nodded.

"Phillip! There you are. Where have you been?" a man called from the door.

"Sorry, dad."

"My appologies. We bumped into each other. I thought it would be best not to let him walk alone."

"You're new in town, aren't you? Staying or passing through?"

"Passing through. I am just waiting for my ride." she replied.

Robert Coulson was almost the spitting image of Phil; the same shoulders and build. He had brown eyes and more hair than Phil ever did – and she was standing beside his eight-year-old self.

"Dad, can I show her Lola?" Phil asked excitedly.

"Go ahead." he nodded with a smile.

Daisy's breath caught at the mention of Lola and she berely registered a hand tugging her around the houre.

"We finished her a week ago. I actually didn't like the car at first, dad made stay in and help him."

"But now you do." she said.

"Yeah." he beamed.

The red corvette was sitting there, shining, looking brand new, for it being an old car that was fixed by a history professor and his son. Daisy run a finger along, as she circled, Phil following her with a small frown.

"She makes you sad." he said.

"She reminds me of the person you remind me."

"He has a car like Lola?"

"Yeah. He loves his car a lot. He let me drive once. Which, between me and you, has apparently never happened before."

"He must like you a lot."

Daisy hummed.

"I know he cares a lot." she said softly.

"That's even better than just like you." Phillip said.

"Yeah. It is." she said quietly. "Now, look at me. It's your birthday and I am getting you all sad with my melancholly."

"A piece of cake will cheer you up, I am sure. Come, Skye!"

She let him lead her back front and to the house.

"Mom, mom! Can you give Skye a piece from my cake?"

"Your party is in the evening, Phillip." Julie Coulson said, stepping out from the kitchen.

Daisy grinned upon seeing her. Phil clearly took her eyes and face.

"Oh, you made a new friend, then?" she smiled. "I am sorry if my dear Phillip dragged you around."

"It's alright. I didn't mind. He is good company." she said, ruffling up his hair.

"Hey! Birthday party later today. I need to look good." he said indignant.

Daisy smiled.

"Well, here you go." Julie set two plates on the table, each holding a piece of the cake.

"Oh, but, the birthday cake..." Daisy started.

"I always make extra. Phillip has inherited both our sweet teeth."

"My father told me once, that even though my mom liked sweets, he was the one with the sweet tooth, because there was nothing sweeter than loving her. Wish I could remember her." Daisy said.

"Your father sounds like a hopeless romantic." Phil's dad said, walking in.

"He is." Daisy smiled. "I think I am, too."

After, her and Phil sat outside, while she took the object from her pocket to inspect it.

Phil reached out and took the round artifact from her hand.

"What is this?"

"No idea. I found it before bumping into you and am trying to figure it out." Daisy said. "Hey. I owe you a present." she said suddenly.

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do." she grinned. "One thing you'd want."

"Could...could I meet you again? If...if you're passing through." he said after a couple of moments, shyly.

"I will try. But maybe, you will find me." she said, a small smile on her lips. "You never know."

"What does that even mean?"

Daisy chuckled.

"Sometimes things can surprise you." she said.

Suddenly the object vibrated. Daisy looked at it surprised.

"Oh."

"What is it?"

"I think it's time I go. Happy Birthday, Phillip." she said softly, reaching down and placing a kiss on his forehead. "Say goodbye from me to your parents and thank you for

She got up, Phil following her.

"But..."

"Do you think we'll meet again?"

"Yes."

"Then, see you around, Phillip." she smiled.

Phillip smiled.

"Yeah. See you."

Daisy walked away, feeling the eyes of the eight-year-old on her bad. Just as she turned around the corner, she looked back at him once. Then he was out of sight and she was enveloped in a bright light.

When Daisy opened her eyes again she was back in her time – she was back in the neighborhood she had vanished from – and a quick check confirmed it.

She looked at the round object in her hand.

It looked like it wouldn't be causing her any more flash trips to the past, but then again she couldn't be certain. She needed to give it to someone who could at least keep it away from the public. She needed him.

DJ~~~~PC

Mack and Coulson walked closer to the point of the incident only to find an open crate with a round object sitting inside it and note attached.

Coulson stared at the item in question with a curious feeling of déjà vu .

"Be weary of time travel." Mack said.

"What?" Phil looked up.

"The note. It said..."

"Can I see?"

"It's her handwritting." Mack said, handing over the note anyway.

"Daisy..." Phil sighed. "We missed her again." he said.

"Well, chances are she set this up so we could find and contain the time-traveling rock-thing. She probably is checking we're here from the security feeds or something." Mack said, looking around.

"Then better do what she wants us to do; bag it and tag it."

"What do we tell HQ?"

"We stumbled across it on our search for Daisy." Phil shrugged.

DJ~~~~PC

Daisy was indeed looking at them, just not from the security feed – she was hidden on the rooftop, looking down at the two of them as they closed the crate and moved it to the pod. She watched as Phil looked around him one more time, pocketing her note.

Moments later he entered the pod and it flew up to Zephyr1.

She could have sworn Phil Coulson was staring back at her as she followed it's ascenting path.

~The End~