AN: Dear my reviewers: I never reply. I'm a duck. I love you all. You are the reason I keep writing. Each chapter is a thank you letter to you. To all of you.

I'm feeling happy and sappy because I have the loveliest reviewers ever. AND NOW ON WITH THE THANK YOU LETTER!

Disclaimer:

I own nothing you recognise. This is all completely un-beta'd and totally fresh off the top of my brain!

Rose answers the phone after two rings.

"Director Fury is still wondering why we haven't terminated you," Phil says. She laughs, deep and from the belly, and he knows her head is thrown back and her curls are bouncing with her mirth. He cannot help but smile. "Would you care to tell me how you managed to hack into my phone from a cave half way around the world to change your text tone to send me a text during a meeting you shouldn't have even known about?"

She just laughs harder. "Spoilers!" she manages to wheeze out after some time. She takes a few deep breaths, wheezes a few more times, makes a few 'wooooo' sounds.

"Okay, sorry about that, I'm good, we're good." She pauses, voice still choked in amusement. "So how was your day?" she asks.

"Suitably amusing, thank you," Phil replies. "How are you finding New Zealand?"

"Oh, Phil, it's glorious," she says, and he can hear the wistful wonder in her voice. "I can see the stars from my deck, the stars, Phil. The whole milky way." She heaves a sigh. "This is exactly what I needed."

"I know." He is smug.

"No sign of anything yet, though. I may be here for a while," she says. She doesn't say thank you.

In truth, she doesn't need to.

"Stay as long as you need," he says. "Let me know how it goes." He doesn't say you're welcome. He doesn't need to.

He can hear the smile in her voice, joy uncontainable. "I will, now get back to Fury before he has an aneurysm. Let him know his phone is next." The line goes dead.

Phil raises an eyebrow. He ducks back into Nick's office. "Might want to keep an eye on your phone, sir," he says. Shuts the door and darts out, the sound of vehement swearing on his heels.

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