Destiny Intervenes
Authors Notes: From this chapter on-wards this story will feature a lot of events and characters from the Marvel TV Series - Agents of SHIELD; right now there will be spoilers from Season 1 of the series I do not think it will be hard to follow without having watched it but it would make much more sense if you did.
Previously:
As he let go to allow her to open the door Natasha looked at him sternly. "You're still not allowed to die out there Rogers," she said to him. "because after that the only person allowed to kill you is me."
Steve nodded once more. "Yes ma'am." And both, ignoring the wide eyed Agent witnessing the weird scene, opened the door and ran out onto the roof to confront the new arrivals.
The Bus at the Triskelion
The new director of SHIELD looked out at the blue sky's and sighs. The events of the last few weeks had taken its toll on him, as much as he might think otherwise he was not as young as he once was, oh he was still on the upper side of fifty but only by a few years, the scar atop his heart itched and he might have gone to rub at it if he didn't fear triggering the pain from all the other bruises he had acquired in the fight he had been involved in.
Contrary to popular belief even Phil Coulson got hurt when being thrown around a room by a super powered being drugged up on synthetic alien blood.
The fight with Garrett hadn't been more than 24 hours ago and he felt like shit. Coulson didn't dare take a moment to lie down though; he had gone into that compound determined to do what he needed to do to stop Garrett but he had walked out of the compound as Director of SHIELD and now he had more responsibilities than he ever had and only five people at his disposal, he needed to start recruiting for the Agency but as he turned around to face his desk he couldn't help but groan out a painful protest as the bruises on his stomach protested.
He pressed the comms button to talk to the pilot. "May, how far are we out?"
"We'll be entering DC airspace in 90 minutes, sir." Came the answer through the comms.
"Thanks May," he replied. "Tell the team to get ready, we want to hit the ground running."
"Will do," said May and the feed cut off.
Coulson sighs once again and decides he's put it off long enough, he loosened his tie and pulls it off over his head, he unbuttoned his shirt and drapes it over the back rest of his chair and examines his torso in the mirror opposite his shelf of trinkets that he had glued down.
His entire upper chest is purple and blue and his right arm is almost black with bruising, it was the arm that Garrett had wrenched and then used to throw him almost fifteen feet across the room and into a wall.
Coulson reached into an upper desk draw and pulled out small tub of salve. It was one of Simmons inventions; an improvement on the pharmaceutical bruise remover with ingredients that big pharma couldn't even dream of acquiring, but it worked well enough.
He was just about to dab some on his chest when there was a knock and Skye entered the room without waiting for his permission and gasped at the sight of his bare and bruised torso.
Coulson, unknown to Skye, held a lot of admiration for the young girl he had picked up on his first mission as part of the Bus. The woman was definitely attractive but aside from that it was her carefree attitude and the love of life and freedom of self that pulled at Coulson's heart strings and made him pay attention. She had grown in spades in the last few months, going from untrustworthy affiliate of the Rising Tide to an integral member of his team that he didn't believe would function half as well if she decided to suddenly up and leave.
It was a fear that Coulson had had these past few weeks as he watched her struggle to deal with the discovering of her past, being mortally wounded and then save by an alien drug, and then being made to care for a team member and soon realizing that that man was actually the enemy.
He knew that the rings around her eyes were getting darker; she was not getting enough sleep and it was taking its toll but still her sunny perception never diminished, she still had a sense of contentment around her as if she acknowledged that life was sometimes shitty but you didn't need to dwell on it too much, you could look at the brighter side of things and move forward. She didn't realize just how many cues he took from her in his way of living ever since she had come aboard.
He was pretty sure if it hadn't been for Skye then the revelations surrounding his resurrection would have had him in a rut that he doubted he would have gotten out of as soon as he did and it all thanks to the young lady who was now staring at him with horrified tear filled eyes and her hand on her mouth trying to choke down a sob.
He never could stand her tears and so he tried to make light of the situation. "I don't look that bad, do I?" he asked nonchalantly trying not to be self-conscious about being half naked in front of the girl he was half inappropriately infatuated with and half genuinely cared about.
"AC," she said softly walking inside and shutting the door behind her. She glanced at the door for a moment. "I'm sorry about barging in, I... I just... oh Coulson!" she let out in a whispered gasp.
He supposed he should reprimand her for walking into a superior officers office without permission but he knew as well as anyone else on the plane that unless on a mission they were more of a family than a team of Agents and besides he could never bring himself to reprimand Skye; the only time he did was when he felt she truly deserved it and he admitted that a small part had been jealous of seeing her in Lydons arms; Mays surveillance of that incident had been very thorough with video evidence and all, it was not something he liked to think about.
"It's fine," he said shaking away thoughts of wringing Miles Lydons neck. "I was just about to apply Simmons' bruise remover but I guess it can wait," he put the tub down and went to his chair. "What did you want Skye?" he asked as he picked up his shirt.
"Wait!" she let out as Coulson started to put on his shirt trying not to wince, he paused looking at Skye with one eyebrow raised.
"I...umm...I could help," she said hesitantly and then gained confidence. "with the salve I mean. Those bruises look nasty AC and I'm sure you can't really apply it on yourself without any pain."
Coulson got a brief image in his head of Skye's delicate fingers, so steadfast and sure on the keys of a keyboard, flitting across his skin and it sent a shiver down his back. He gulped. "I don't think that would be appropriate," he said gently not wanting to smart.
Skye seemed unfazed. "It's just that Simmons has been giving me some help in first aid and stuff and I'm pretty sure I could help." She paused and looked at him earnestly and Coulson cursed mentally. "Please AC, let me help."
Coulson shook his head ruefully; he never could refuse her. He shrugged his shirt back off and picked up the the tub. "I admit," he said. "that there are places that I can't reach myself..."
Skye snorted as she took the salve and opened the lid. "Is it any wonder? Jesus AC you're black and blue, of course you're not going to be able to reach all this," she pointed vaguely at the bruises. "God why didn't you say anything , Simmons could've..."
"Simmons has got enough on her plate right now with Fitz, Skye I wouldn't have done her any good pointing out my own hurts, Fitz deserves her full attention."
"You know if you weren't covered in bruises already then I would smack you," she replied. "You yourself said we were family and family doesn't hide it if their hurting from each other, Simmons would have wanted to know."
Coulson bit his lip to stop himself from retorting that it went both ways, that she needed to talk about her hurts too, but Phil Coulson wasn't ever accused of being tactless so instead of taking the offensive he tried diplomacy.
"I know, I'm sorry. I should've told Simmons but now what's done is done and I need to get this done before we land so..." he trailed off looking at her pointedly.
Skye nodded. "Fine," she huffed. "Insincere apology accepted," she said tersely. "But just so you know Director Coulson, as soon as we're back up in the air, I'm hauling your ass down to the med bay, is that clear."
Coulson nodded solemnly trying and failing to keep a steady poker face.
Skye scowled at him. "Now, d'ya want me to do your front or back first?"
"Back?"
Skye's eyes widened. "You seriously don't know that you have as much bruises, on your back as your front?"
Coulson shrugged and said. "I thought there were a few but..."
"Urgh," Skye grunted in frustration. "Turn around Coulson, just... just turn."
Coulson decided to do as he was told and turned. He let out a quiet hiss though as Skye's fingers made contact with his skin, they were small, warm and slippery from the salve. Skye paused and muttered a pained apology stopping her movements.
"It's okay," he said perfectly willing for her to believe that his exaltation was one of pain instead of pleasure as her hand touched his bare skin. "Just... just go slow," he said in a tense whisper. The air was charged with tension; Coulson felt that if he made one wrong move it would break and then there would be a whole lot of awkward to deal with so he kept quiet and silently reveled in her gentle, caring ministrations.
His breath caught in his throat though as Skye leaned forward onto her tip toes to reach his shoulders unintentionally pressing her entire front to his back, he had bite back a moan and cursed his body; he was supposed to be in his yesteryear's, his body was not supposed to respond like this to a young woman's touch but he could not deny that ever since he had met Skye, ever since he had first touched her, no matter how innocently, there was a fire that was lit inside him and it grew brighter and brighter the more he got to know her.
He let out the breath he was holding as Skye dropped back down onto her heels and tapped him on the shoulder telling him silently to turn around, perhaps she recognized the tension and didn't want to break it by speaking. He tried valiantly to keep his eyes off of her, tried to look at the table, the window, hell he even tried staring at his own two feet but still his eyes strayed to her.
Skye to her credit never looked up from her task; meticulously and with great care applying the salve to his bruises and rubbing it in. He watched her eyes as they traveled up his torso and realized that her pupils were dilated and her breathing was almost labored, his breath hitched in response as he realized that he wasn't the only one affected by their closeness.
Skye's fingers traced his scar and she splayed her hands atop his heart as if to ensure that he was in fact alive and then finally she lifted her eyes to his and they froze. It seemed as if time itself had frozen the moment their gaze met and they knew, at that moment they both knew that there was something between them that went further than friendship or camaraderie, definitely further than the superior-subordinate relationship they presented to the world and until now they were both at a loss as to what to do with it.
Until now. Their heads seemed to tilt out of their own accord; hers up and his down and they met in the middle their lips a hairs breadth apart, a final decision needed to be made. They both looked into each others eyes to see if they both really wanted this. Whatever they were looking for they found in the silent assurance of Coulson's eyes and in the restrained sparkle of Skye's and their lips met and then...
"Sir, we're approaching the Triskelion ETA 10 minutes."
They broke contact and groaned as May's voice blared through the speakers and Skye's forehead fell onto Coulson's shoulder in mortification, it was as though May herself had walked in the room and successfully cooled the growing temperatures of their bodies.
Coulson let out an embarrassing chuckle and buried his hand in Skye's long brown locks. Skye soon pulled away just in time for May to let out another, "Sir? Phil?"
Skye disengaged herself from Coulson and let him answer May.
"Uh Yes, May thank you," he said watching as a red faced Skye tried to get away but he held on to her hand. Coulson pulled on her hand once and shook his head imploring her non-verbally not to go. Skye sighed and nodded her reluctant acceptance and he let go of her hand. "Any contact with the tower?"
"None sir," replied May. "The tower seems to have taken a hit in any case sir, we have no way of contacting anyone down there."
Coulson nodded. "Please inform the team," he continued on to May. "And tell Agent Triplett that we may meet some resistance, you and him will be taking point, ICERS only though, we're don't want to shoot friendlies, I'll meet the team down at the Communication Centre in five."
"Yes, sir," said May and cut off the feed leaving a deafening silence in her wake.
Skye twisted her hands together for moment and then seemed to decide to go for broke. "So... uh... that happened," she let out a soft laugh that felt forced and died down too quickly.
Coulson grabbed his shirt from his chair and started to put it on, being half naked was definitely not helping matters, he couldn't quite hide the wince this time but Skye was next to him in an instant pulling his shirt over his bruised frame and started to button him up. Coulson reached up and stilled her hands forcing her to meet his eyes. Her gaze was frightened but also hopeful, he imagined that he didn't look much better.
"We can't ignore this Skye," he told her and watched as she swallowed nervously before nodding.
"No," she said, her voice came out hoarse, wrought with tension. "No we can't."
Coulson nodded and started buttoning up himself up watching Skye follow his hands in sure practiced motions, he tucked the shirt in his pants and tilted Skye's chin up, he leaned in waiting for her to push him away but she didn't and he closed the distance planting a soft kiss full of promise on her lips. He pulled back and found her watching him with a soft smile.
He smiled back. "If we can't ignore it then we talk about it," he said to her as he picked up his tie and looped it around his collar. "Once we get back on board, okay?" Skye nodded and Coulson let out a relieved sigh that he hadn't ruined anything between them. "Alright then." He walked over to the door and opened it for her asking her to walk in front of him.
As she reached the door though she snaked her hand around his still loose tie and pulled him in for a much more smoldering kiss than the last. "Sure we'll talk AC," she said as she pulled back. "But I hope that's not all you've got in mind."
Coulson gulped as Skye walked down the stairs from his office and extra swing to her hips and he groaned. Just what had he gotten himself into this time. He shook thoughts of tempting brunettes from his mind, or tried to anyway, and descended the stairs after her. He had a mission to brief.
Guns were poised and aimed dead center at chests and their was complete utter silence on the Triskelion rooftop. Three ICERs against two SHIELD issued custom modified Glock G19 pistols and a Captain America with a Vibranium shield he had retrieved from where it had embedded itself in the concrete, behind them stood the Agent with his side arm drawn, almost vibrating with nervous energy but his hand was steady as he aimed at the new comers, overall Natasha thought they stood a pretty good chance at taking them on, that is until a voice called out from inside the Bus.
"Hold your fire," it said and Natasha's ears picked up the voice loud and clear, it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up; she knew that voice, but instead of lowering her gun she tightened her grip as a figure descended the ramp of the Bus holstering his ICER, passing between the two Agents taking point and coming to stand in front of them, he signaled to the two Agents and they dropped their guns but didn't holster them, he raised his hands in an innocent gesture and spoke.
"Hey Natasha, long time..."
She took one step forward her gun still raised and spoke in a clear flat voice. "Who. The hell. Are you?"
He just smiled a very familiar smile and said. "You know me Tasha," he said softly. Beside her Steve shifted restlessly.
"Don't call me that," she said her voice cold; only he called her that and he was dead, whoever this imposter was he was not going to disgrace her memory of him. "Phil Coulson is dead, whatever HYDRA trick you're using to impersonate him, it's not going to work. But," she smirked at the imposter; a deadly foreboding smirk, that would have made even Steve run for the hills if he wasn't on her side. "If you think you can hold your own against me and Captain America then by all means..." she made a 'come at me' gesture, gun still in hand, and waited.
Not-Coulson shook his head still smiling. "We have no intention of taking on the Black Widow and Captain America and embarrassing ourselves, Tasha."
"I don't know boss," said the heavy set black man behind Not-Coulson, a specialist by the looks of him. "I reckon I could take her."
"Don't be stupid," said Not Coulson. "Romanoff would run rings around you Trip, she's called the Black Widow for a reason." He turned back to her. "Besides we're not here to fight with our own people."
"Natasha," said Steve. "You know this guy."
Natasha watched as Not-Coulson frowned at his words and responded. "He's an impostor, I used to know the guy he looks like, he was my SO and more importantly a close friend, he was killed almost a year ago."
"It's true that Loki did kill me Tasha," said Not-Coulson, his patient and completely unconcerned tone grating on her nerves, it reminded her forcefully of her early days in SHIELD and how patient Coulson had been with her. "Stabbed me right through the heart, but Fury brought me back."
"Back from the dead?" asked Natasha her voice still cold but now with a sarcastic edge to it. "You've got to have a better story than that! At least a little bit more believable then apparent resurrection."
Finally Not-Coulson seemed to lose his serene composure, he sighed and she tensed waiting for the attack but it never came, instead he spoke again this time in a dull almost apologetic tone. "December '99, The Rouge," and Natasha froze her green eyes locking sharply with his blues as he continued. "Something happened, something that made Barton break my jaw, something that we promised never to talk about again."
Natasha's eyes widened as she looked at him in horror because suddenly there was no doubt in her mind, it was him, it was Coulson because only three people knew about that incident and she knew that neither one of them had broken that promise to never mention it, not even to Fury.
"Coulson?" she asked hoarsely her voice wrought with emotion.
Coulson spread his hands his posture imploring. "It's really me Natasha."
And before she knew it she had thrown a punch that landed straight on Coulson cheek sending him careening back into his Agents she heard someone let out an indignant shriek from somewhere inside the plane and watched with satisfaction as Coulson clutched his jaw in pain.
"Nice to see you too," he said with a little effort standing up straight again and adjusting his tie. He didn't call attention to the bruise now forming on his left cheek. "Well that went as well as exp-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence as a black and brown blur shot past him and managed to somehow, despite her enhanced speed and agility, sock Natasha in the jaw.
"Skye!" yelled out Coulson. "No."
'Skye' didn't listen to him as Natasha watched with a sense of morbid fascination as the slip of a girl in some sort of tactical gear pulled back her fist for another punch. The Black Widow is known on the rare occasion to be caught unawares, but never twice in as many minutes and as this 'Skye' pulled back her second punch, her form totally off, she prepared herself to deliver a world of hurt when...
"Skye," said Coulson once more and pulled the girl back before she could try and hit Natasha again. "Skye. Skye, stop."
"Let me go, AC," she spat out glaring at Natasha. "She has no right to hit you."
"Actually Skye, she does."
That answer took all the fight out of the girl and she stared at Coulson incredulously.
"AC no," she said in a half whisper. "That was Fury, all of it was Fury and you're already hurt as it is."
"Be that is it may Skye, it was also my choice not to contact the Avengers and that's on me."
Skye nodded subdued but then turned back to Natasha and the fire was back in her eyes. "You lay one finger on him again and I'll..."
Natasha raised an eyebrow at her. "You'll what?" she laced her question with mocking laughter. "I barely felt that hit you just snuck in." Which wasn't entirely true but she didn't need to know that.
Skye's glare intensified "I may not be able to fight you," she said fiercely. "But I hacked into SHIELD from my van with a laptop I won from a bet, believe me I can make life hell for you."
Natasha's eyebrow didn't twitch but she tried not to smile, the girl had fire in her that's for sure and she played to her strengths and she didn't get cowed by the fear of the Black Widow, she'll have to keep an eye on this 'Skye' she seemed to be an interesting one.
"Skye," said Coulson once more in reprimand and turned to Natasha. "Tasha she won't do anything of the sort." He pulled Skye back behind him while she scowled heavily at her.
Natasha raised her eyebrow again this time at Coulson. "I don't think that's going to be your call," she turned to Skye. "Don't worry, unless Coulson gives me a reason I'm not going to hit him again." Skye seemed to lose some of her glower but the look she was giving him was definitely not friendly.
As usual, even though he was not the Steve she knew, it was Cap who decided to defuse the situation. "Look from what I gather none of us are enemies, am I right?" When all of them, even Skye, reluctantly nodded Cap took charge. "Alright then, I think we should all," and he looked meaningfully at Natasha. "Put our guns away and talk like civil people okay?" Another series of nods followed slow holstering of weapons with two identical Glocks being the least to be sheathed.
"Okay then," said Natasha. "Coulson you're alive and what else? Why did you come here? You must know that this facility is no longer functional."
"It's Director Coulson now, actually."
The correction didn't actually come from him but from one of his Agents; the one still standing in the shade of the plane with her face partially hidden but once she said her words she stepped forward and Natasha's lips stretched into a thin line.
"May?" she asked her surprise lasting for only a second before her lips curved into a rare smile.
"Romanoff." May stated with a nod.
And for the first time since the Bus had landed on Triskelion, Natasha actually relaxed; it was because she knew without a doubt that it was Melinda May standing in front of her, she guessed it was because she was a warrior just like Natasha; they had trained together and fought together; a lot of her early days missions at SHIELD overlapped with Mays and she had been there for the aftermath of Bahrain, she had no doubt that HYDRA had technology that could successfully mimic a person's appearance, hell SHIELD had one of those, but there was no one who could mimic the way May held herself, moved and functioned, that came from years of experience at being Melinda May and Natasha knew that Mays loyalty to SHIELD could never be in question; she didn't have any emotional ties for an Incentives Program to coerce her and she was honorable to a fault.
It sometimes caused friction between members in her team because she was first and foremost loyal to the Director, it was a little similar to the relationship between Hill and Fury; they both might question Fury's actions but never his orders, and they would never betray him or SHIELD.
"You should have come forward before May, all this," she indicated Coulson and Skye. "wouldn't have been necessary."
"Then it wouldn't have been as entertaining as it was," was her tacit reply with no hint of amusement in her tone and yet she made Natasha want to crack up laughing.
"That's true," relied Natasha with a straight face, she turned back to Coulson. "You never said why you were here Director Coulson, I'm assuming we have Fury to thank for that?"
Coulson nodded. "It's not a very welcome position given Fury's involvement in my resurrection, but I figure the rebuilding of SHIELD is bigger than the both of our egos."
Natasha smirked at him. "Don't let Fury hear you say that, he might take offense." And just like that they were back to that familiar relationship that Natasha valued and had thought she had lost forever when Fury had told them about Coulson's 'death'.
Coulson then decided to answer her other question. "We came here to look for specs on a cloaking device," he said. "kind of like the ones on the Helicarrier and the Quinjets, even though our main weapons and tech engineer is currently out of commission, we figured that the Triskelion might have some data for us, we actually expected this place to be abandoned, at least that's what Fury told me."
"For the Bus?" she asked nodding towards the GlobeMaster.
Coulson nodded. "Yeah a lot more people recognize this Bus than we'd like," he replied. "Talbot has actually ordered it to be shot down if sighted so we're looking to hide plain sight, at least until we can rebuild enough to get negotiations going with the Pentagon again. As long as we're labeled as terrorists though, we need to lay low."
Natasha turned back towards the Agent who was by now just completely confused not knowing what to think. "Agent today is your last day is that right?" he nodded with certainty. "Good, then if you want to retire with no hiccups then forget all that you saw and heard here after you get Director Coulson's team what they require, clear?" he nodded again shaking slightly under her scrutiny, she nodded back satisfied and turned back to Coulson.
He smiled back at her and nodded at the girl beside him. "Skye has the requirements with her," he shared a significant look with the girl and urged her to go with the Agent. Skye nodded and after casting Natasha a withering look moved off to follow the Agent back down the stairs.
"You trust him?" he asked Natasha indicating the stairwell leading down.
"No," she answered honestly.
Coulson nodded. "Skye can take care of herself but," he turned to the specialist. "Ghost them, keep your distance but once Skye's done escort her back to the Bus." He nodded a "Yes, boss," and went after the two.
"A little protective are we, Coulson?"
Coulson nodded definitively. "I think we all can safely say that Skye is a very important member of our team. We almost lost her once, we're not prepared to risk her again."
Natasha looked to May in surprise, Melinda May was famous for keeping it business only, there was no place for attachments for her on a mission but Natasha saw that she didn't refute Coulson's claim, in fact she thought she detected a hint of approval of his statement. Skye was definitely interesting now.
She looked to Coulson again. "You planning to loiter."
Coulson shook his head. "Just grab and go," he said. "Why you need a ride?"
She looked towards the gate of the Triskelion and frowned; there were reporters everywhere with news vans and TV cameras pointed straight at the building, not that way then. Besides all her plans for the day was canceled as soon as the second Captain America fell into the river.
"Yeah," she answered. "So does he." She nodded at Steve.
Coulson's face lit up as he finally had a reason to look at Steve. "Captain Rogers, it's an honor working with you again, sir. I'm sorry for the deception concerning my death, I assure you that I played no part in it except not informing the Avengers of my still alive condition as soon as possible." He said all this very fast in his rare fan boy tone before Natasha could stop him.
Steve gave Natasha a bemused look but still shook Coulson's offered hand. "The honors mine Director Coulson, is it?"
Coulson's eyes widened at his response. "Oh no sir, Phil is fine or Coulson which ever, that's fine."
May actually snorted at that and shook her head exchanging amused looks with Natasha. "Skye would hate to have missed this."
And Natasha had to shake her head at that, a lot had changed. She decided to break up Coulson's nervous rant about losing his collection of Vintage Captain America trading cards before getting him to sign it the last time they met and clear the air.
"Coulson, Steve isn't," she paused trying to find the words." he isn't the Captain America you met during the Avengers Initiative."
And Coulson and May looked at her in confusion. "What?"
So Natasha told them of the events of the last two hours in detail deciding to omit the kiss and her feelings on that in the recount, once she was done they both looked at Captain America in shock.
"You're kidding me," said May. "You're telling me that somehow you time traveled into the future?"
Steve shrugged a little nervous under May's sharp eyes. "I...uh... I think so," he said nodding.
"Impossible," she said immediately.
Natasha nodded. "Yeah but last I checked it was impossible for a man to come back from the dead as well." she looked pointedly at Coulson, who weirdly had gone completely slack faced. "Coulson?" she asked hesitantly. He mumbled something that was hard for her to hear. "What? Coulson what did you say?"
"Two Captain America's?" he whispered breathlessly and Natasha winced. "Natasha are you really telling me that we now have not one but two Captain America's here in the same century?"
Natasha nodded. "That's what I said," she confirmed.
And she startled as a grin spread across his face in unholy glee and he said in a strangled whisper that nevertheless carried to their ears. "HYDRA won't know what hit them."
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End Notes: So I don't really know how well the Skoulson would go down but I am comfortable with that pairing, its less cliche to me then Philinda or FitzSimmons and definitely better than SkyeWard. Hope you enjoyed and please comment; they help me so much. 'Til next time.
