Not Quite A Christmas Miracle

Summary: Fanfic fix for Coulson's death. 'Cause I liked the snarky guy.

Author's Note: This has OCs. I will, hopefully, keep everyone in character. Also this does not have slash. Thank you so much to those who reviewed and favorited and alerted on this story! I really appreciate the feedback as this is the first time I've ventured into the story of the Avengers. Please, keep your comments coming.

Disclaimers: I own nothing except, perhaps, any OCs I dream up. No profit is being made from this story.

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Chapter Two

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Phil Coulson stood in the hallway just outside the infirmary. Had he not seen the footage of Loki plunging his spear through his chest, the veteran agent would have scoffed at having been so grievously wounded. However, a ruined suit and the video evidence were hard to refute.

He should be dead. Had been dead, to be exact.

Until the woman currently in quarantine had done something to him. According to Dr. Banner, he was in perfect physical condition—even his ulcer was gone. Though, in his line of work, that was sure to return.

So now he stood, in another black suit and white dress shirt, watching his savior.

While he had come to believe in heroes, he was hard pressed to decide whether or not the woman seated lotus style on the metal floor had purely altruistic purposes. No stranger simply appeared out of nowhere on a more than classified helicarrier and swiped a man from death. How she'd gotten onto the ship wasn't at issue yet but it would be. Right now, Coulson wanted to know her motives. Oh, and how the hell she'd brought him back from the dead.

Yeah, that would be a good start.

Bruce Banner stepped into the hallway with him, brown eyes returning periodically to watch the strange woman on the floor. He couldn't explain her. She'd been shot and left in a holding cell until after the battle for New York had been concluded and yet she wasn't asking for an attorney or even for a painkiller. He had the bullet in the pocket of his lab coat. He knew it had bounced around a bit in her body from how smashed up it was but she wasn't a bit worse for wear.

"Coulson," he offered, stepping to the side of the agent.

Phil cut his eyes to the resident expert on gamma radiation and nodded. "So, Doctor Banner, what would your assessment be?"

Bruce ran a hand through his ruffled dark hair and shrugged. "No visible wounds. On either of you, I might add. And from your own records I count at least five scars that are missing. Not to mention your high blood pressure, acid reflux and ulcer are gone. As a doctor, I can suggest some relaxation techniques."

Phil allowed a tiny smile before it vanished as quickly as it came. "Ah."

Bruce chuckled and turned his eyes back to the woman in quarantine. She didn't seem like a biohazard but she had brought a seriously dead man back to the land of the living. That had more than a few questions rattling around some very smart people's brains and at least five members of the Avengers wanting to give her bone-shattering hugs. "As to our mystery guest, she's none the worse for wear for that bullet." He pulled out the plastic cylinder holding the bullet from his pocket and passed it to the agent. "No trauma and minimal blood loss. The only way I can explain her collapse after healing you is, perhaps, exhaustion?"

Phil nodded. "I see. I should have a chat with her." He started towards the door of the infirmary, his hand reaching for the door.

Bruce's eyes narrowed. "You're not intending on shooting her again, are you?"

Coulson allowed a dry laugh. "Not unless she does something that warrants it."

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