Chapter Fourteen
When a dry voice came from behind them, Darcy didn't yelp, but it was close "I see. Pepper was right". All three wide eyed Avengers turned to face Coulson and his lips twitched at their obvious fear.
"Gossips!" Darcy screeched, heart still pounding. She wasn't sure what she was accusing them of, but it seemed like the right response in this situation.
Clint snatched the envelope from the distracted Rooma, darting away as it beeped at him angrily before zipping out the door in manic rage. Coulson came fully into the room (not even seeming fazed when the robot shot past him) and started walking around inspecting everything, talking almost absentmindedly "you can open the package, Miss Lewis. It's safe".
Still feeling a small measure of trepidation Clint handed it over, and Tony looked over her shoulder curiously as she opened it carefully. Whisper looked at the book in her hand with amusement, and then the snicker's started.
"Just a little gift from Director Fury. He said you'd need it" Coulson's laugh was quiet as Darcy showed him what the gift was. Go the Fuck to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. She wasn't sure how Fury had heard about Darcy bullying Coulson and the rest to sleep from wherever he was doing secret Shield stuff, but she wasn't overly surprised he was keeping track of them.
Tony was frowning however "how'd he get in here?!". The Twins looked at him pitilessly and simply said "magic", much to his irritation. Darcy tried to hide her smile as Tony's snark and guarded heart whisper mumbled angrily in the background, trying to figure out how Fury could have got inside without anyone noticing (some of his theories were pretty insane, and somewhat worrying). Coulson came to stand beside them, hands behind his back "now, if you'll excuse us, I need to speak alone to Darcy".
Natasha and Clint's eyes narrowed, but it was Natasha who spoke for them "you are going to train her". There must have been something on his face that the others couldn't read, because her shoulders relaxed a fraction and despite his request she moved with lethal grace to one of the black leather chairs and sat down resolvedly. Coulson raised an eyebrow, but Clint was already moving to follow her while Tony and Darcy looked at them in confusion.
Sighing, Coulson motioned for them to take a seat "despite your juvenile record, Miss Lewis, you've got the potential to be an excellent junior Handler for the Avengers". However before he could continue, Darcy flew into a panic "You can't know anything! It's sealed!". Emotionlessly, but still somehow seeming smug, he lifted an eyebrow "the F-4 Phantom II incident...".
Darcy squealed and launched herself at him. She wasn't sure who was more surprised. Clint and Tony stared. "I think I'm in love" Clint whispered, and Tony nodded in agreement. While they were in a stupor speculating at her past misdemeanours, Coulson had somehow managed to manoeuvre Darcy mid-air so she landed besides him and not on his lap, her wrists held loosely in his hands from where she had tried to physically silence him.
"How do you know about that?!" she demanded, slightly hysterical.
"Same way I know that Clint burns marshmallows with a candle up in the duct work in the middle of the night. He's always had a sweet tooth."
Tony and Darcy whip around to face him. Hawkeye almost looked like he might be embarrassed. Though it was kind of hard to tell with him. "Why didn't you invite me?" Darcy questioned jealously, while Tony had a look of comprehension on his face like he's finally figured out the answer to a difficult maths problem. "That explains the fire sprinklers!" he hissed, brown eyes narrowing menacingly.
"As I was saying," Coulson continued like nothing unusual had happened "you'd make an excellent Handler. As an Avenger your powers aren't suitable for field work, but your connection to each of us would prove invaluable in the field".
Darcy was speechless.
"Of course, I'll be working the comms with you. At least for your first few missions". Everyone watched her as she struggled through the thought process just like she had with Pepper this morning (yesterday?). She wasn't sure what made him do it, but Tony suddenly stood and grinned at her "Having Whisper on board will be great! No worries kid". She smiled at him sedately. But it was the encouraging shoulder nudge from Natasha that convinced her.
"Excellent. Now that's settled I can finally talk to you about the important stuff you didn't have clearance for before". Coulson smirk was smug, like he had just favourably solved a problem he hadn't agreed with before. And Tony realised what he'd done by making her a handler for the Avengers. Agent Coulson had practically made Whisper a clearance Level 8 Agent of Shield!