Chapter 2

"So how about we play a game?" James suggested as the two sat at the dinner table, each nursing a beer after eating the burgers James had grilled. Daisy took a long swig before responding

"What kind of game?" Daisy asked skeptical of what the Aussie's intentions were.

"How about 20 questions?" Daisy raised an eyebrow, taken aback by his suggestion

"That seems pretty tame for you." She remarked

"What is that supposed to mean?" He questioned in mock offense

"I thought you would suggest something like strip poker or beer pong, anything to get me into bed." Daisy took another swig of her beer as she waited for his response.

"Well, if you're suggesting that we, ya know. Then I'm all for it flower." James smirked, leaning across the table. Daisy shook her head.

"No. 20 questions is fine." James nodded

"Alright then, ladies first." He took a swig off beer as Daisy pondered what to ask him.

"What happened to you after Hive and Lincoln died?"

"Well after you lot abandoned ship, I snuck out of there. I hotwired a car and hid out for about two months until I figured out how to get the HYDRA money to buy my place again." James explained

"So when I found you in that run down motel, you were trying to hack your way into HYDRA bank accounts?" Daisy questioned, James nodded in confirmation.

"You're an idiot," Daisy shook her head "Why didn't you tell me what you were doing? I was a hacker before SHIELD, I could've helped you." Daisy pressed.

"Yeah well you didn't seem you were in the best of moods, you had just left SHIELD for god's sake. I didn't want to bother you with my crap Dais." James got up and grabbed another beer from the fridge, holding one up to offer her another one; Daisy took it without hesitation.

"It probably would've helped getting my mind off of everything in all honesty." Daisy remarked quietly. James sat down again and watched her.

"Why did you come here?" She looked up at him and shrugged

"I had nowhere else to go. Like I said, I need a place to lay low for a few weeks."

"What happens if SHIELD finds you?" James questioned, crossing his arms across his chest as he stared her down.

"I'll leave before they find me. They would never think of you when they have me in mind; they only know that Hive infected us and that we worked for him. They don't know that we actually got along." Daisy threw back at him. James nodded slowly, realizing that she was probably right. Daisy stretched her arms over her head and downed the last of her beer.

"I think I'm gonna head to bed okay? It's been a really long day." She remarked as she got up from her seat and walked passed James. He grabbed her wrist gently and turned her towards him

"I just want you to know flower, I'm not gonna let SHIELD get you. Nothing will happen to you as long as you're here, I promise." James said seriously. Daisy smiled at him, his words hitting her harder than she expected. It had been a long time since someone had promised to keep her safe.

"Thanks James, for everything." She replied as she lightly squeezed his shoulder before she went to the back bedroom.

James stayed up for a few more hours after Daisy went to bed. He was worried about her, she had lost so much and now she was on her own. He would rather not have the heat of SHIELD ridding his ass but Daisy needed a place to go, she needed him; and in a way he needed her too. From the moment she blew up his landmines in his yard he had been intrigued by her. But then when she showed up with Hive, he knew he was in trouble, not only because he knew what they were there for, but because he knew Daisy Johnson would change his life forever. And she did. Daisy, under the orders of Hive, had finally given him what he had always wanted, she unlocked his inhuman powers and he finally felt whole. Yeah, fire wasn't what he expected but hey, it had its perks, and it came in use a lot when Hive needed it.

James peeked in the bedroom before he went to bed to check on Daisy, she had finally taken off that damn black wig and he could see that her hair was longer than the last time he saw her, but it wasn't as long as the wig. He silently closed the door then took his jeans and t shirt off and grabbed an old blanket from the closet and fell asleep on the couch within a few minutes.

Daisy woke up mid-afternoon the next day, stretching her arms above her head; she got out of bed and went out to the main room. She looked around for James but he was nowhere to be seen. Opening the front door, she looked out in the yard and saw nothing. Suddenly, she heard cans falling behind the trailer; cautiously Daisy walked towards the noise, only to see James holding a chain in his hand, wiping it at cans as he lit the chain on fire. Messing with him, Daisy blew a can away with her hand. Turning around, James looked towards her and smiled

"Hey sleepy."

"What are you doing?" Daisy asked, eyeing the chain that had killed Lash.

"Practicing." James remarked proudly.

"Practicing for what?"

"If SHIELD comes after you, I'm going to fight them off." James said seriously

"James no." Daisy argued

"Daisy, don't argue with me. You came here to be safe and if somehow here becomes dangerous, I'm gonna do everything I can to protect you. I already told you this." Daisy sighed, not wanting to argue with him, she dropped the subject.

The next week went by without incident; the pair practiced their powers behind the back of the trailer a few hours a day. Most of it was Daisy showing James how to get more control over his powers since he never had anyone show him. James also told her stories about Jiaying and Lincoln from his time at the Afterlife and in return, Daisy told him about her hacking days and how she got into SHIELD and everything that followed. In the short amount of time she was there, Daisy was learning to trust James; it was nice to have someone to talk to again. She had been so lonely since she left SHIELD, she had every reason not to trust James after what happened but gut instinct told her she could.