Nothing fazed Agent Phil Coulson.

He was Level 8, Senior Operative for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. He always knew what to do.

He threatened to tase Iron Man.

He was the one they called to investigate and deal with a hammer fallen from the skies.

He took out two store robbers with a bag of flour on his way there.

He tried to take Thor in for debriefing.

He assembled the Avengers.

He shot Loki, god of mischief in the chest.

He died.

He came back to life.

He brought together the most unlikely group ever assembled.

Two hardened field agents, Ward and May.

Two geeky scientists, Fitz and Simmons,

And then Skye.

The young hacker. He was the only one to see her potential.

He helped her, integrating her into the team, giving her a drive, making her a S.H.I.E.L.D agent.

Together they became a team, a family, solving problems, saving lives.

And Agent Phil Coulson was the glue that held them together.

He took every problem in stride, and kept a dry smile on his face the whole time.

He took people with problems, and helped them, and made them better.

He stood for freedom, truth, and second chances. And he always knew what to do.

Whenever he met with an enemy, he was confident, because he knew he was right, and they were wrong.

But when billionaire Ian Quin stood there, smirking, Skye's blood on his hands, Coulson's gun under his chin, and said,

"You know Agent Coulson, its dangerous, sending her in like that all alone...when she means so much to you...",

…..Coulson was furious. He unprofessionally backhanded Quin across the face in his rage.

When he found Skye, unconscious on the floor, bleeding from two horrible bullet wounds that had ripped open her body...

…..Coulson panicked. He cradled her head and begged her to hold on, yelling for medical help, NOW.

When Skye lay there, barely alive, her cold, white, blood-covered face locked behind the glass...

…..Coulson was terrified. He refused to look away from her, his shoulders tense, barely hearing Ward punching the hood of the car in the next room, or Simmons sobbing.

Coulson knew it was his fault. He was the one who brought her on the team. He was the one who gave her a family, on the plane, with the rest of them, as an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Until now, Coulson prided himself on this. He had saved yet another human being, and given her something to care about.

But now he realized.

For once, his enemy had been right.

….. "she means so much to you..."

Skye was not just another prodigy that he gave purpose to.

She had become like a daughter to him.

…Coulson cared.

And now she was dying...

…And it was his fault.

And he didn't know what to do...