Chapter 21

A/N*still flashback

Coulson watches Mary play with her toys in the kitchen. He'd had her for almost a year now. He presumed the girl had turned two already, but he didn't even know her real birthday. So on the 1st of July he decided why not celebrate Mary's birthday –instead of something like Canada day. "Mary." Coulson calls to his lovely little girl on the floor. She hadn't gotten to speaking much, but she could say a few words. "Da." She mumbles to Coulson a block in her mouth.

Coulson bends down and hands her a cupcake. "Happy birthday, you're two now!" He celebrates clapping his hands and putting the cupcake down.

Mary stares at the cupcake with a look of curiosity. Mary was more interested in Coulson's tie, as she tottles over to him. "Da..da" she says in her two year old voice. Coulson laughs and takes the girl in his arms.

"Don't you want your cupcake little one." He brings the cupcake to her face, and Mary puts her nose in the icing. Coulson laughs at the little girl's attempt.

A knock is heard on the door. "Coming." He calls out. Walking over to the door Coulson opens the door while holding Mary in his arms. "Yes?" He asks.

May stands at the door. "Melinda, what a surprise." He smiles, letting her inside. "Come in."

May doesn't seem as happy to see Coulson. "You haven't been at work in the past six months, and even when you did come in, they were for short visits" She explains. "I've been getting worried."

"A phone call would have sufficed." Coulson argues.

May frowns and takes a seat at his dining room table, scribbles made in crayon colored all over. "I was told you were taking care of an 0-8-4, what I never would have guessed was this." Her hands move along the scribbles. "Honestly Phil, why do you have a child here."

"She is the 0-8-4 Melinda."

May frowns, as if she's been insulted. "I figured that, but why are you looking after her?"

Coulson puts the icing covered girl back on the ground to play with her toys. "Because I can't put her in an orphanage just yet." Coulson justifies. "Not yet."

May taps her foot on the ground. "Honestly Phil, you seem to be having some sort of mid-life crisis" She sighs. "Though the girl is cute." May bends down and flicks the girl's nose. Mary grabs Melinda's fingers.

"You and Andrew spoken?" Coulson asks not sure if he should bring up the subject or not.

May pushes the little girl back, memories flooding back to her.

"The divorce became official last month." May pulls some hair back behind her head. She looks the little girl Mary in the eye. She shivers the very idea of this child being an 0-8-4, made what she could become unknown. Bahrain could become real again.

"Has she exhibited any signs of being unordinary?"

Coulson frowns at the comment. "No, she's a perfectly normal toddler. Honestly I'm pretty sure our agents made a mistake when finding her." Coulson sighs. "And now her life is ruined forever."

"You're not going to keep her right?"

Coulson feeling a little protective over the girl bends back down to pick her up. He keeps Mary in his arms. "I honestly don't know Melinda, if I could I might."

"But you're not a father. You can't keep a child, I mean…wait, what do you mean if you could?" May realizes her words, and sighs. "Shield won't let you, will they?"

"I've been reporting to Fury, and now that he realizes she's a normal human child he'll most likely want me to put her in the foster system." Coulson pauses for a second. "I agreed to it."

May's not sure if she's happy or sad. She saw the look of love that Phil has for this little child, this infant. But she also knew that Coulson was not a father he was an agent. And if this girl really was an 0-8-4, then who knows what that could lead to.

"Does she have a family, was she taken from one?"

Coulson hugs Mary tighter, the girl almost falling asleep on his shoulder. She was teething on Coulson's tie, and letting her fingers wrestle with the buttons, all while falling asleep. "She might, but we have no idea where and how we could contact them. Honestly all we know about her is that she comes from the Eastern side of China, and she was taken during what agents are calling a monster attack."

"Monster attack?"

Coulson shrugs. "There isn't much about her, but the work done on her before proves she has abnormal blood." Coulson moves the tie out of Mary's mouth, and bends down to grab a soother. He pops it in the little girl's mouth. "But even so she's a completely normal toddler."

May sees the way Coulson holds her, the love he has for this little girl that isn't even his. It was if the girl was his own child. He'd been raising this girl for the last year, and he'd really taken a knack for parenting. May was almost jealous in her own way.

"Well you said it's her birthday right?" May asks.

Coulson nods. "Yes, I'm not sure when her birthday is, but I thought July 1st was a good date." He holds the girl close. "Want to bring Mary to the park with me to help celebrate."

May seems frazzled by the idea, but sighs. "Sure, why not"

Packing Mary into a stroller the three of them go take a stroll around the park. May was expecting Coulson to pass by all these stay at home moms and wave and know their names. But Coulson didn't know anyone, in fact he explains to May that he mostly just stays at home with Mary, since it's best if they don't really bring attention to themselves.

"Aw your baby is so cute." A woman walking by with a golden retriever compliments. May waits for Coulson to correct her, but he doesn't. May shrinks back.

"She is adorable." Coulson agrees.

"Looks like the mom." The woman says, walking away with the dog. May frowns. She thought she'd never get a chance to hear that.

May and Coulson walk around the park a few times before going back to the house at the edge of a cul-de-sac. Coulson loads Mary into her crib when they get back.

Coulson turns out the lights and leaves the room. May watches the little girl Mary sleep sweetly under the covers. "She is cute." May agrees. Coulson has a sad smile on his face, and May can't help but notice. "What are you so down about Phil?"

He shakes his head. "I never thought I'd enjoy looking after Mary this much, I never thought it would bring on this emotion for me." He sighs. "But I'm always scared Melinda. I'm always scared that one day someone is going to come and take my little girl away from me."

May puts a comforting hand on Phil's shoulder. "Don't worry Phil, your little girl's safe. I promise she's safe."

x

Six months later May gets a call from Fury. "I need you to come in." he asks her.

The very thought of Fury calling May confused her. He hadn't spoken to her in so long, was it a mission. "I've been transferred to administration; I'm not in the field anymore."

"This isn't about that." He clarifies.

May unsure what to expect comes into the Triskelion, expecting to find a national emergency of sorts. What she finds is worse.

Coulson sat on the edge of a chair, his head in his hands. May sits next to him. "She's gone." Coulson says, trying to hide the fear in his voice. "I left her in the crib for bed, and I hear a noise in the middle of the night." He hugs his chest. "When I come into the room I see a lady rocking her and singing to her." Coulson explains. "Mary was still asleep, but the woman was rocking her back and forth."

Coulson rubs his temples. "I asked her, who she was and what she was doing with Mary." Coulson looks as if he wants to cry, but he stays calm and collected. "But all she said was. 'I'm taking my flower home.'"

May brings Coulson's head onto her shoulder, as salt water stains both their cheeks.

Sort of an emotional chapter, but gives you a whole sort of backstory about Coulson and Skye. Reviews much appreciated.