It was early on Christmas morning, if The Playground had windows, Coulson would be certain it would still be dark outside. He glanced at his alarm clock on his bedside cabinet, it read 05:53.

'Awake before the alarm, no surprise there.' He huffed to himself as he pulled his duvet off and made his way to the shower.

When Phillip Coulson joined the rest of his small team in the area they're using as a living room, he sat on the large sofa beside Skye listening to the conversations between his Agents.

Some Agents in the room he knew more than others, so he listened intently as they all discussed their usual Christmas routines, family they'd visit and presents they had over the years. They laughed, joked and reminisced, but Phil was keenly aware of the May sized void in the room.

Phil had asked her to go on a mission last week, to be honest; he'd expected her back by now. The team had decided to work together to make Christmas dinner, the turkey was already in the oven, roasting before he awoke, it seemed. Skye had done most of the work, but she seemed happy enough to do it. She said it's the first time she's had a real family at Christmas.

Phil's heart melted and he couldn't help but walk up to her and embrace her. Over the months that Coulson had his team, he grew attached to each of them and there was a special place in his heart for the young hacker. She was like the daughter he never allowed himself to have. And to hear how Skye considers them family was beautiful to him, but again his mind drifted off to another member of this family: Melinda May.

He didn't need to worry long, because as he broke away from Skye's hug, Melinda May had entered through the base's large blast doors.

She wore black jeans, black knee-high boots, a grey vest top and a black leather jacket, but she was also soaked from head to toe. It must've been raining outside. She looked cold, as if she'd spent hours outside.

"May! You're back!" Skye yelled as she made her way over to her legendary Supervising Officer. "You're just in time for Christmas dinner!"

May smiled slightly at the sight of Skye approaching her enthusiastically. The two had really bonded and Skye felt privileged to have made a connection to the outwardly reserved Melinda 'The Cavalry' May. She threw her arms around the smaller, older Agent and the hug was returned.

Coulson couldn't help but smile at the scene before him, if he was a random person on the street and happened to have glanced, he would believe a mother and daughter were embracing, meeting up for the holidays.

Phil walked over with a look of concern replacing the soft smile that graced his features moments ago.

"May, you're soaked. Are you ok?" He placed his hand on her shoulder, then down her arm and finally to her cold hands. She was cold and wet…and bruised. "They found you." It was a statement and not a question, how else could she have gotten those bruises and as he brushed the wet hair off her face, he saw cuts that were just starting to heal.

"Yeah, I took care of them though." May looked him straight in the eye.

"Good." Coulson gave her a nod and a smile, which she returned. Their bond surpassed the use of words, the small gesture conveying so much.

"Dinner smells good." May said as she started to remove her jacket and threw it over the back of one of the many mismatched couches in the room.

"It'll be ready in a few hours. Should Simmons check your injuries?" Phil asked as he stroked the hair off her face again.

"Phil, I'm fine. I need a shower." She appreciated his sentiment, but was desperate to have a shower and start to feel warm again. She'd been surveying Hydra members and was unlucky. May managed to fight her way out after she was spotted. She would have been back to rejoin the team days ago but she needed a few days to recoup. May was in a worst state then and she was conscious of the fact it would worry Coulson more to return a wreck than it was to return days later and not so much of a wreck. Melinda might've considered staying away longer but she really wanted to be with her team for Christmas.

May walked past Coulson and Skye to pass the other members of the team, she acknowledged them as she passed, exchanging small greetings as she made her way to the shower.

~~~

It was Midday and May entered Coulson's office, he had a spare few hours where he thought he could talk to Melinda and ask her about what she was able to find out in her mission. He had to double take when he saw her stand at the door to his office looking slightly self-conscious.

There she stood, The Cavalry, in leggings, bear foot and in a green sweater, many sizes too big for her. She looked so sweet at that moment; he almost forgot himself, his surroundings and the circumstance.

"Hey, is that my sweater?" Phil asked as he approached her.

May smiled sadly to herself, "It was, years ago. It's mine now."

He hadn't seen this sweater for years, maybe even before the battle of New York. "Since when?" He wasn't accusatory, just curious.

"Since you died." May looked down, fiddling with the overly long cuffs, finding them strangely fascinating at this point in time.

Phil got closer to where she was standing, stroked the back of her head, his fingers running through her freshly washed but damp hair and kissed the top of her head. He then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him.

"I had to collect your belongings from your apartment, I couldn't bring myself to give S.H.I.E.L.D. everything, so I kept it." Melinda started to breath deeply in an attempt to fight back her emotions, her tears. "I wore it when I needed to feel close to you after your death. I'd lie there, wearing it, smelling it-" at that point it was game over for her. She'd cried for the first time since those nights after the events of New York.

"Oh May," Phil started to rain kisses on her head, down the side of her face then to her lips, "Shhhh, I'm here. I'm alive. I'm not going anywhere." He tried to reassure her.

"Good, because it was unbearable and I don't want to go through it again." She said as she looked earnestly into his steel blue eyes.

Phil stroked on of her tears off her cheek, then returned to kissing her. Melinda May looked so small and vulnerable right now. He was honoured to be one of the few people who knew the real Melinda May. She is sensitive, she is caring and she is emotional. But it's because of these qualities that she's had to develop a tougher shell than most to cope with her life as an Agent and life in general. As he kissed her, his hands dropped to her waist then rose to firmly caress her back, that was until she pulled away slightly and gasped.

Coulson stopped immediately. "May, are you ok?" He was worried that he'd aggravated one of her recent injuries, the marks of her devotion to him and S.H.I.E.L.D. He walked around the back of Melinda and raised the green sweater up slightly to where he thought he'd hurt her. That's when Phil saw the large bruises and gashes marring her otherwise flawless skin. Seeing her like this hurt him to the core, he felt like he couldn't breathe.

"Oh my God May," Phil was upset, his mind running terrible scenarios of how May could've possibly been injured like this.

"Phil, I'm fine, I swear. I took care of them." She placed her hands on his chest, rubbing up and down slightly, "I'm fine."

Before Phil had the chance to argue that she didn't look fine, there was a knock on his door. "Sir, Dinner's ready."

"Thank you, Jemma. We'll be right out." Coulson said, just loud enough for Simmons to hear on the other side of the closed door.

They looked at each other a few seconds more, then Coulson opened the door and placed his hands very gently on the small of May's back and escorted her to the dining area.

The team sat down at the large cafeteria table apart from Coulson who stood at the head of the table, carving up the roast turkey. Everyone's plates were already full of vegetables and the only thing missing were the slices of turkey and gravy.

Skye beamed as everyone complimented her cooking, it was obvious that she was proud to cook for her family; she already couldn't wait till next Christmas.

~~~

Hours after the food had been eaten and gifts exchanged, the team were in the living area, notably May and Coulson were sharing a two-seater sofa and looking very domestic. Coulson lounged back, legs wide apart, one of his arms resting over the top of the sofa and the other one wrapped around May as she leant into his chest. May had her legs tucked underneath her as she rested her head on Coulson's firm chest, one of her arms across his stomach. May looked quite cosy as she snuggled up to Phil wearing his oversized green sweater.

Skye stole a look at the couple, the two people she cared about more than anything, who if asked, she'd say were her parents. They looked so at ease with each other, something that is only obtained through years of contact and openness as well as love.

Skye could see May was starting to get sleepy, "D.C," Skye got his attention. She then pointed above him. He glanced up and saw a branch mistletoe, suspended from the ceiling.

"May," Coulson whispered as he stroked her cheek, she roused slightly and looked up at him.

"Hmmm?" As she looked up at him, that's when she noticed the mistletoe above them both. She looked back at him and saw the dopey smile on his face, just before he leant down and kissed her.

"Merry Christmas, guys." Skye said as she smiled, happy for her parental figures.

"Merry Christmas, Skye. Merry Christmas everyone." Coulson said as he managed to tear his lips away from May.

~~~End~~~

Thank you Cassie for the prompt: Christmas time, Green and Mistletoe. This fic is for you, I hope you liked it! ^_^