A/N This takes place immediately after yesterday's new episode "Melinda" and will follow canon as much as possible therefore…
(SPOILERS!) (SPOILERS!)(SPOILERS!)
Melinda May had been given back command of the Playground. She sat at the desk in Coulson's office, looking through all the files that had been locked in the only combination-lock-enabled filing cabinet that was there.
She was skimming the stationary looking only for the words "Theta Protocol" and while she did so her mind processed everything she knew about Coulson's situation.
He was blowing through money and moving resources across the globe. He was with Hunter and Deathlok. They stole a Quinjet. He had bought 100 bunk beds. He was missing and wanted. And he was meeting with Andrew.
Why was he meeting with Andrew?
May pondered that question and decided that she didn't like any of the reasons.
Sighing, she gave up on reading the files for "Theta Protocol".
Rubbing her temple she could feel a particularly bad head ache forming behind her forehead and decided to take a break from everything in general. Now that she was back on base, and not a prisoner, she could lose herself in a good work out.
So May piled all the folders and placed them back where she found them, careful to adhere to Coulson's filing system.
She walked out of the office, closing the door behind her. Down the hallway she was surprised to run into Agent Weaver. The British Agent was obviously on her way to see Simmons. May hid all expression as she spoke. "Agent Weaver. Any news on Coulson?"
Agent Weaver mirrored May and hid her expressions also. Both women wanted to look as professional as possible, given the circumstances.
"Yes actually. I reread Coulson's Death and Recovery Report."
May had to fight to remain neutral in emotion. Just the thought of that section in Coulson's Personnel record was unsettling, but she hid her feelings well as she spoke. "What about it?"
Weaver pulled a piece of paper from the file in her hand. Just by glancing at it, May knew it was the page that reports how, when, and where, Non-S.H.I.E.L.D individuals were told about Coulson's death.
She also knew that the page only listed one person: Audrey Nathan. The Cellist.
Weaver held the page up for May to take, but May didn't take it.
Weaver spoke anyway. "Was Coulson close to Ms. Nathan?"
For a split second May thought about how Raina had used Audrey as a way to get Coulson to go in the memory machine the first time, and how Garret had used Audrey as Coulson's weakness by sending a gifted to put her life in danger.
May pushed these thoughts out of her head and answered Weaver's question. "He loved her."
Weaver maintained her stony and emotionless expression. "Do you think he still does?"
May finally had enough. "Why are you asking?"
Weaver's body language hardened her expression. "Ms. Nathan may be a way to bring Coulson in."
May tensed. Her anger was building but she controlled it. "Are you planning on putting Audrey in danger just to lure in Coulson?"
Weaver's ever professional appearance was getting on May's nerves. "Not exactly. Coulson will only need to believe that she's in danger."
May eyed Weaver. "Her life was put in danger to hurt Coulson once before. He didn't tell her he was alive."
Weaver sounded intrigued. "But he still cares for her?"
May gave no reply.
Two hours later, May was back on the carrier. She was standing while Gonzalez, Weaver, Mac, Bobbi, the rest of the Council and other senior Agents of Gonzalez' SHIELD sat at a board room table, in the same room that Gonzalez had previously given her a loaded gun.
Gonzalez, like Weaver, Bobbi and Mac, remained calm and neutral in his chair.
May's arms were crossed but she stood firm. "Bringing in Audrey Weaver would make matters worse with Coulson. He'd take it personally."
Gonzalez held his cane out in front of him with both of his hands resting on it. He looked at May with a sense of caution. If he had his way, May would still be locked in Vault D.
"But it would lead him to us." Gonzalez said in a tone that told everyone it wasn't a question.
May could feel her body betraying her emotions. She moved around the room.
"Let me try to make contact with Coulson. I'll tell him that you're after her. I know Coulson. He'll come to protect her."
A debate was started with all parties arguing about whether or not to pursue that route. An hour later, they all came to a decision and their attention was refocused on May, who had not said anything the whole time, and who had been sent out of the room while they debated.
Gonzalez spoke with authority. "We've made our decision. You will make contact with Coulson and tell him that I have gone to Portland to bring Ms. Nathan in. You will also tell him that you want to meet with him at a secure location."
May pursed her lips. "So you can capture him." That wasn't a question either.
Bobbi looked at May and looked worried. She actually liked Coulson, and didn't want to see him hurt. "Do you think it would work?"
May looked directly at Bobbi. "If you let me go through with this alone."
Weaver scoffed. "How do we know you won't help him escape once again?"
May unfolded her arms and leaned with her hands gripping a chair. "Coulson is on a path of self-destruction. He needs to be brought in for everyone's sake, including his own."
May's answer was satisfactory. The next day she was sitting in a small, homely, diner outside of Portland, Oregon.
She was, by all appearances, alone.
May had convinced the "Real" SHIELD goons that any S.H.I.E.L.D personnel in the vicinity would alert Coulson. He was too smart to not notice them. And May had wanted their initial meeting to be private.
After waiting 15 minutes, Coulson had appeared through the diner's door. May studied him quickly.
He looked the same as the last time she had seen him, and despite his fugitive status, he had a clean shave, and what looked like a recent haircut.
The only external difference she saw in him was that he was wearing a navy blue pull over hoodie and loose fitting jeans. Somehow they made him look younger. That was probably the point.
He came to the table, recognizing her at once.
Sitting down he smiled weakly but showed worry. May was not surprised when he immediately talked business. "When are they coming to take Audrey?"
"Not until tomorrow. Gonzalez is holding off for now while they pursue a lead that they discovered while searching your files for specifics on Deathlok." May watched Coulson's every move, while she said this.
She was relieved to see that Coulson's body language showed regret.
"I should have told you about my orders to Mike Peterson, May."
May scanned Coulson again.
"Why didn't you?"
Coulson said nothing as he thought. After a few moments, he spoke softly, but not at a whisper. "You already had enough on your plate. And I didn't want you responsible for anything that would happen if Mike's mission became a problem."
May was half satisfied with that answer.
"Well where is he? And Hunter?"
Coulson made himself a little more comfortable. He put his hands on the table and clasped them together in a way that looked natural.
"I came alone. They're busy and they thought it would be a little risky to come along. I agreed."
Forming her next question in her head, and moving herself in a natural way so Coulson couldn't see, May reached behind her back with her right hand and pulled out her ICER. She positioned it in her lap and aimed it upwards under the table.
She knew that when she pulled the trigger, Coulson wouldn't fall unconscious as usual. He would feel sick, and start to feel as though gravity was working double time. He would also become confused, and lose track of time. He may also become aphasic. Only six minutes later, she also knew, would he fall asleep.
This ICER had been Gonzalez addition to the plan, and May was just happy it wasn't a real gun (she had Simmons study it and the chemical compound inside to make sure it really was just an enhanced version of an ICER)
Confident that the gun was properly aimed at Coulson, May asked her question. "What's the Theta Protocol, Phil?"
Coulson looked down and sighed, in the voice that he used as a friend and not a colleague or the Director he said, "I can't tell you that. Not now. And not here. But I will, once I know Audrey is safe, and once I know Skye is safe."
May could feel the same emotions that he was no doubt feeling as she pulled the trigger.
A look of surprise and shock engulfed Coulson's face. He stood up weakly, and looked down at his stomach.
The ICER's small bullet had opened a small wound on his stomach and it was starting to bleed lightly. As the chemical mixture, reached his system, Coulson took his index finger and felt the wound. May though that perhaps trying to decide if it was a real bullet.
She stood up to and went to his side and placed her hands on his shoulders, and half pulled him to the door, while keeping him from falling down. He was walking, but he was amazingly weak kneed.
To make the scene more awkward, Coulson had some of his mind working enough to try and get away from May. She had to manhandle him, and hold tightly, as she felt him try to push her away,
He was talking too. But the speech was unintelligible.
Winning the battle, May managed to get him outside, after dragging him through the diner's kitchen.
The staff had been told that Coulson was a schizophrenic who had escaped his institution and that May was a psychiatrist bringing him back. May fought back the thought that that story was more right than she wanted to believe.
Once they reached the small alley behind the Diner, a van pulled up. Its right side door slid opened and May handed Coulson off to the Agents clad in black tactical gear.
When the agents and Coulson were inside, May jumped in the van herself, and slid the door closed.
Two agents were each sitting on a different side of Coulson.
May watched with a bad feeling in her stomach as each of those agents held one of Coulson's wrists up while a third agent cuffed Coulson's hands.
When the third agent moved, May saw that these handcuffs were the normal kind. But the middle chain was shorter, and Coulson's hands had to be cupped or fisted, in the same way that they had to be when he was restrained with a zip tie.
May was happy to see that at last, Coulson had fallen asleep. She didn't want him to try and escape in his condition.