Chapter 49
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners.
AN1: Thank you for the review. PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.
April 12th 2013
It has been two months since Melinda, Natasha, Clint, Pepper, Rhodey and Sharon found out that Phil is alive and ever since then they have been waiting for Phil to return from Tahiti.
It is a Friday evening and even though Maria knows that Phil is back no one else does and she is having dinner with her sisters, brother, Pepper, and Rhodey at the house. Sharon would have joined them but she is on assignment.
The group of six have been eating for a while when they hear a knock on the door.
"Who is it, J?" Tony asks, as no one moves to get up and answer the door.
"Agent Coulson." Jarvis answers.
"Are you sure?" Melinda asks shocked.
"Yes." Jarvis answers and the second he does Melinda gets up and hurries to the door.
As Melinda hurries to the door the others stand and follow behind, but making sure to stay back so that Melinda and Phil can say hello to each other first.
When Melinda opens the door still seeing Phil standing there amazes her as even with all the files she has read she still has some doubts.
"Hey May." Phil greats.
"Phil, you're back." Melinda tells him, sounding amazed.
"As of a little while ago. I went to Daisy's grave first." Phil explains.
"It's good to see you." Melinda says before hugging him to his surprise, "I missed you." Melinda admits, not letting herself dwell on how amazing it feels to have Phil in her arms once more.
"I missed you too." Phil responds and the two of them break apart.
"How was Tahiti?" Melinda asks, preparing herself for the answers she knows she is going to get.
"It's a magical place." Phil answers.
"You guys can stop hiding back there." Melinda says and Natasha, Clint, Pepper, Rhodey, Maria and Rhodey walk out from where they were standing.
"It's good to see you Coulson." Tony says, reaching his friend first and hugging him, "You should have waited for help."
"It's good to see you too Tony." Phil responds and when he and Tony break apart Clint hugs his friend.
"I'm sorry Phil. I'm so sorry." Clint tells him.
"It's not your fault. I don't blame you, Clint." Phil assures his friend.
"Don't do that again." Natasha informs Phil before hugging him.
"I'll try not to." Phil responds, and the second he and Natasha break apart Pepper hugs him.
"I've missed you." Pepper tells him.
"Missed you to." Phil responds.
"Rhodes, it's good to see you." Phil says.
"You too, Man." Rhodey says before pulling his friend into a hug.
"We were having dinner. You joining us?" Maria asks Phil curious.
"Do you have enough food?" Phil asks.
"We always do, you know that." Melinda tells him and they all head into the dining room.
For the next hour the Carter-Stark siblings, Phil, Pepper and Rhodey have dinner together and those who haven't been dead have been filling in Phil of what he has missed and Phil has been talking about what he can remember from the past few months, though Melinda and Maria have been subtly getting the subject off the things that will lead the others to become suspicious and even though they are doing that the others all find some of the details odd.
"So, is my room still free?" Phil asks Clint curious, after they eat and drink several glasses of alcohol.
"Always." Clint answers.
"Before you go I have something for you." Melinda says, standing up.
"Okay." Phil says confused and he stands up too and follows Melinda.
"What are we doing here?" Phil asks a little while later when they walk in the garage.
"Just look." Melinda says, turning on the light and Phil sees something which makes him grin.
"Lola." Phil says happily, "Please say you've been getting Tony to look after her." Phil requests as Tony is the only other person, apart from his dad and Howard, who has ever been allowed to work on Lola.
"Of course I have." Melinda answers, "But I think it's time that her rightful owner takes her back." Melinda says, handing Lola's keys back over.
"Yeah, it is." Phil answers, "Thanks for looking after her, Melinda."
"You don't have to thank me, but you might want to look in the glove box." Melinda tells her partner and being completely confuse as he moved the ring out of there a while ago, though he still has it, Phil opens the glove box and finds his trading cards.
"My cards, how?" Phil asks shocked, "Fury said they were destroyed."
"They were." Melinda confirms, "But at your funeral Steve gave them to me. He replaced your destroyed ones and signed them all."
"It's incredible." Phil says before hugging Melinda once more.
Once they break apart Phil walks over and gets into the drives side of Lola,
"Do you want to go for a drive?" Phil asks curious.
"Maybe later. I think you two need to get reacquainted." Melinda tells him.
"Yeah, we do." Phil says, "I'll see you later, May."
"See you later, Phil." Melinda responds and he drives away, Melinda watching him go with a smile on her face, as even with everything that is going on she has her best friend back, and ever with everything that may happen that is still an amazing feeling.
June 17th 2013
It has been two months since Phil returned, but he has been off field work since he's been back, something which he is getting rather annoyed with, so he is glad to have received the authorisation to form a team, a team that he doesn't know was basically picked out for him.
A couple of hours ago Melinda was approached by Phil to join the team, and after agreeing, not that she had much of a choice, Melinda headed home so that she could pack up the stuff that she wants to talk with her. Having packed up some of her stuff, Melinda realises that there is something that she has to do so she pulls out her phone and calls both Natasha and Tony at the same time.
"Yeah." Natasha answers.
"Speak, if you must." Tony answers, causing Melinda to roll her eyes.
"So, I'm just letting you both know that I'm joining a team; on a mobile command unit. We're leaving tomorrow." Melinda explains, feeling that cutting right to the chase will be best.
"WHAT." Tony says shocked.
"You're going back into the field?" Natasha asks, being glad that no one is close enough to hear what she is saying.
"Just as the pilot, but yes." Melinda answers.
"This is about Phil, isn't it?" Natasha asks her sister as she knows that there is only a small group of people that can get Melinda back in the field and she knows it's not her, she's looking at Clint, Tony is just as surprised and Maria wouldn't fit, that puts Phil on the top of the list.
"He's leading the team, yes." Melinda admits.
"Okay, what's really going on? What aren't you saying?" Natasha asks, knowing that she is saying something.
"Nothing. It's just a team, there will be five of us, working cases differently, no red tape." Melinda says saying the line she rehearsed.
"So the kind of you dreamed about years ago." Tony realises as he's heard conversations to that affect among the S.H.I.E.L.D agents he knows.
"Exactly." Melinda tells her brother, "Well pick our cases. It will be good." Melinda explains
"Right." Natasha says, still finding that suspicious, "When tomorrow do you leave?"
"First thing." Melinda answers, "So I should continue packing. I'll talk to you later." Melinda tells her siblings.
"Okay." Tony says, getting an idea of something which he wants to give to his sister before she goes, "Bye." He says before all three siblings hang up.
It has been a few hours since Melinda talked to her brother and older sister on the phone and ever since then she has been sorting through her stuff and figuring out what she is taking with her and what she is leaving behind.
"See, this is what happens when you haven't been in the field for years, you forget how to pack." A voice from the door says and Melinda turns to see her sister standing there holding stuff.
"Yeah, guess so." Melinda admits, "What's all that?" Melinda asks her sister as Natasha walks over and puts everything down on the bed.
"Secure phone for emergencies. Tony said to only use it if things go to hell." Natasha says handing Melinda one phone, "Secure, encrypted, enhanced phone for talking to family." Natasha says, handing over a second phone, "New flight suit with full ballistic protection." Natasha says, handing her sister an outfit that looks so much like her old tactical outfit, "And from me a full tactical cat suit because you never know when you're going to need a cat suit." Natasha informs her sister.
"I won't need it. I'm just the pilot." Melinda informs her sister.
"Yeah, and Tony's just kind of smart." Natasha say and Melinda gives her an annoyed look, "What? We both know that the second Coulson or a member of this team of yours need help you'll be there, because that's who you are. It's who you've always been." Natasha reminds her sister as Melinda avoids looking at her, "Oh and Tony was wondering if you want something to hide your tattoo. He said he can make something quickly if you need." Natasha explains and Melinda reaches up and runs her fingers along her tattoo.
"My hair will hide it." Melinda answers.
"Not always, and we both know how risky it is to have something that personal showing." Natasha tells her sister, knowing that Melinda wanted to get a tattoo for a long time, but she didn't get it until after she left field work so that it wouldn't compromise her.
"I'm not going to cover it up." Melinda tells her sister, "I won't." she says.
"Okay. I won't mention it again." Natasha tells her sister, realising that she can't push her sister.
"Thanks for all this Tasha." Melinda tell her sister as she puts the items her sister gave her in her bag.
"You're welcome." Natasha says as Melinda zips up her bag, "So I take it you're ready to go."
"Yeah." Melinda confirms.
"Good. Let's go." Natasha tells her sister as she picks up her sisters' bag.
"Go?"
"Clint's downstairs. I talked to Ria and I know that you're leaving from New York tomorrow so three of us are going there tonight, having dinner with Pepper, Maria, Rhodey, Tone and Bruce, and then tomorrow while you're leaving for your team Clint and I are going to head back here before Captain Rogers can notices that we're gone." Natasha explains.
"Guess we better get going then." Melinda says as she follows her sister out.
A little while later Melinda, Natasha and Clint are all in New York, at the tower with Tony, Bruce, Maria, Pepper, Rhodey and Clint.
Together all the eight are all around the open area of the Tower, Natasha, Clint, Rhodey and Maria are playing pool while Melinda, Pepper and Bruce are watching from different places.
"So you're really going back into the field." Pepper says as she walks over and sits next to Melinda and hands her a glass of scotch as even though she doesn't exactly why Melinda left field work she knows that it was something big that caused her to leave and that she would only go back for a big reason.
"I'm just going to be the pilot." Melinda informs Pepper who gives Melinda a disbelieving look, "Why does no one believe that?" Melinda asks her.
"We know you. We know that you're not one to sit on the sidelines when others are in danger." Pepper tells her friend, "Just look after yourself too, Melinda." Pepper tells her friend, "Please."
"I will." Melinda responds and the two of them drift into silence.
At the early hours of the next morning all four Carter-Stark siblings get up so that they can have breakfast together before Melinda has to get back to her team and Natasha and Clint have to get to DC.
"I should get going. I want to be the first on the plane." Melinda tells her siblings once they have finished eating.
"Okay." Tony says as all four siblings stand up, "Be careful, Mel, and if you need anything, anything at all, call me." Tony tells his sister.
"I will." Melinda assures him and Tony gives her a look, asking permission to hug, which Melinda does, "Call before you do something like threaten a terrorist, again." Melinda tells her brother in a whisper.
"Will do." Tony responds and he and Melinda break apart.
"Like Tone said, just call." Natasha tells her sister who nods and the two of them hug as well, "And whatever your real reason, I'll always be here to listen when you're able to share." Natasha informs her as they hug.
"Thanks Tasha." Melinda responds and when they break apart Maria walks up and hugs her sister.
"You can do this. I know you can, I believe in you." Maria says to her sister in a whisper.
"Thanks Ria." Melinda says before they break apart, "I better get going." Melinda tells her siblings, "See you soon." Melinda says before heading out, picking up her bag as she goes, knowing, no matter how many times she says 'I'm just the pilot', that her family are right, she will go into the field to protect the team every single time she has to.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 1x01
From the second he pulled the girl calling herself Skye out of the van Phil knows that she is someone he wants to help. For decades Phil has always seen his daughter in people he met, but with Skye it's different. With Skye he sees a girl, so much like his daughter that was taken away from him, who is lost. A girl who needs someone to give her a chance, someone to look out for her, to help her, and he promises himself that he will be that person, knowing that it's what he would have wanted someone to do for Daisy if she was in Skye's shoes.
While Phil and the specialist Ward are question the hacker, Skye, Melinda is with the biochemist Simmons and the engineer Fitz at the crime scene. As she hears the two of them talk so passionately about science, the different possibilities of what was used, and their inventions, Melinda can't help, but be reminded of Tony and Howard, and the way they used to get when they would work on something together. That amazes her as it is clear that both Fitz and Simmons have a close bond, and share a love of science.
It has been a long case, and more eventful than Melinda was expecting, considering it involved a super strong man and questionable science, Melinda is sitting in the cockpit, the one place where she can be alone, while waiting for Phil to get back from taking Ace, the suspect and victims son, to his aunt's with Skye, with the door lock, and honestly she isn't at all surprised when her family phone rings.
"Hey." Melinda answers.
"Hey. So, I heard your first case was rather eventful." Natasha's voice comments.
"You could say that." Melinda answers.
"What's your team like?" Natasha asks curious, knowing that Melinda can't really talk about the cases, even on a phone that encrypted by Tony.
"The specialist is reminding me why I don't like spending extended time with specialists." Melinda says, causing Natasha to give an amused snort, "The two scientists are two kids who don't know the first thing about being in the field, but who are geniuses, and amazing at what they do, so much so that I know that Tone would love to steal them away in a second if he could." Melinda explains, "And as we speak Phil's inviting a stray to join us." Melinda explains.
"Oh?" Natasha asks amused, and not entirely surprised.
"Yep, the Rising Tide Hacker we were tacking, she helped us out and Phil sees potential in her." Melinda explains.
"And you really don't think it's a good idea for Phil to invite her to join." Natasha realises.
"I don't know yet. I think she could be an asset, but there are things that worry me about having her on this team." Melinda admits, knowing that she can't tell her sister all those reasons, "And..." Melinda starts to say before trailing off.
"And, what, Mel?" Natasha asks, gently prodding her sister.
"She's about the age Daisy would have been." Melinda tells her sister, "And she's Asian-American." Melinda reveals.
"Oh Mel." Natasha says sympathetically, realising that that can't be easy for her sister, "You're worried that Phil is seeing her as what Daisy could have been and is so determine to help her because of that that he's not seeing the risk she could be."
"I think it's a possibility." Melinda admits, and then she hears a knock on the cockpit door, "I've got to go, but do me a favour tell Tone that my two scientist figured out how the stabilize a formula involving extremis within a few hours. I think he'd find that interesting." Melinda say, knowing that that might just impress her brother, before hanging up without another word. Once she hangs up Melinda puts her family phone back in the safe place and walks over to the door, "Yes?" Melinda asks when she opens the door and sees Ward on the other side.
"We've got an 084. Agent Coulson is on his way back." Ward informs Melinda.
"Thank you Agent Ward, let me know when he gets back." Melinda requests.
"Of course." Ward responds and Melinda close the door and heads back over to the pilots set where she sits down and starts to run all the pre-flight checks.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 1x02
It has been a few hours since Melinda talked to Natasha and the team are on their way to Peru. Even though she would very much like to stay in her solitude of the cockpit Melinda wants to talk to Phil so she switches the plane to autopilot and heads upstairs to Phil's office.
"Can I come in?" Melinda asks from the doorway of Phil's office.
"You never have to ask." Phil responds and Melinda closes the door before entering, "You want to talk about Skye." He realises.
"You know I trust your judgment, I always have." Melinda tells her partner, "I just want to understand your reasons." Melinda explains.
"This doesn't have anything to do with Daisy." Phil says and Melinda just gives him a look as he sits down on his desk, "Okay, maybe it's a little to do with her." Phil admits, "They would be about the same age May, and I just can't help but think, if that was Daisy, alone, living in a van having made some bad choices, because she thought it was what's best, while trying to get by, what would I want someone to do if they found her."
"You'd want them to help her, offer her a safe place, support, give her a chance to do better, a chance to make better choices." Melinda realises, knowing Phil.
"I would, and I need to do this for Skye." Phil explains, "I might be wrong, it's too soon to know, all I know is that I have to give her a chance."
"Okay." Melinda says, "We'll be landing in Peru soon." Melinda says before she leaves Phil's office. Leaving the door open as she goes.
A little while after her conversation with Phil things have quickly turned south and Melinda found herself having to take down a couple of Peruvian Military soldiers, before meeting a woman that Melinda knows, thanks to Clint, Phil spent a lot of time with last time he was in Peru, and then she had to drive a car, with three people who have never been in the field in the back, back to the plane while being shot at.
It has been a few minutes since they got back to the plane and Phil has just gotten off the phone with S.H.I.E.L.D HQ to report about the Hydra weapon, fuled by Tesseract power, that is now in their cargo hold.
"Top speed's a priority, May." Phil says once he hangs up with HQ, "Obviously. I know you didn't want to see combat. I apologize for that." Phil says and Melinda doesn't say anything, she just keeps flying as she knows how bad the thing in the cargo hold is, "Do you need anything else before I go check on the device fuelled by evil that's sitting in our cargo hold?" Phil asks and Melinda asks and she just flicks a button, annoyed, "This was fun." Phil says before heading to the door but then when he's almost there Phil turns back around, "May, can you…." Phil starts to say.
"Call Tony and see if there is anything in Dad's files, sure." Melinda tells him, knowing that there are no bugs in the cockpit so she doesn't have to worry as she checks herself, with something she got off Tony, several times a day.
"Thank you." Phil says before leaving, locking the door behind him.
Once Phil has left Melinda grabs her family phones from its hidden place, as while she is using one hand to fly she uses her phone to access the security cameras, something which she set up before they left just in case, and then captures an image of the weapon so that she can send it to Tony once she has explained everything. Once she has done that Melinda calls Tony and puts the phone to her ear.
"So, tell me about the scientists of yours. They sound amazing." Tony says without even saying hello.
"Not now, Tony." Melinda tells her brother, her voice sounding short.
"What's wrong?" Tony asks worried, knowing that tone of voice.
"We have a Hydra weapon that's fuled by a Tesseract power cell in our cargo bay." Melinda explains, causing Tony to give several creative swear words,
"What do you need?" Tony asks once he has finished swearing.
"I need to know if there is anything about it Dad's old files from the war." Melinda tells her brother, "I'm sending you a captured image from the planes security." Melinda explains, lowering the phone away from her ear to send the photo to Tony.
"Okay. Got it." Tony tells his sister, "I'll see what I can find."
"The sooner the better." Melinda tells her brother.
"I'll do my best." Tony responds and Melinda hangs up before putting her family phone back in its hiding spot, hoping that Tony finds something.
Within a few hours of talking to Tony Melinda, and the rest of the team, have been hijacked by the guests they took on their plane, and were forced to blow a hole in the plane so that they could get control once more.
After having one drink and a little bit of time with the team, where Melinda knows, even though she is going to try her best to make sure it doesn't, that Agent Simmons will be in for a surprise as it won't be the last time they almost die, Melinda headed back to the cockpit. Once she locks the door behind her Melinda pulls out her family phone and calls her brother again.
"I'm sorry, I haven't found anything yet." Tony answers, it being clear that he is sounding frustrated, "I've so got to digitalize all this stuff one day." He comments.
"It's okay, you can stop looking. The weapon just got sent to the sun." Melinda explains.
"Really?" Tony asks, being surprised by that.
"Technically." Melinda corrects, knowing the truth about the slingshot program.
"There is a story there, isn't it?" Tony realises.
"Yeah. I'll tell you when I see you." Melinda tells her brother.
"Okay. I'll hold you to that." Tony says, "Soo, about these scientists of yours?" Tony asks and, being amused though she doesn't let that show, Melinda begins to explain all about the scientists that are on her team.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 1x03
It has been over a week since a whole was blown in the side of the bus and as they investigate the case of a truck rising into the air Melinda once more finds herself being reminded of Howard and Tony when she listens to Fitz and Simmons excitedly talk about science, and to her surprise Skye reminds her of herself, of the way she used to be, when she is so excited and so full of wonder about the possibility of the suspects being invisible.
As Phil talks about the ways into the compound to save Hall Melinda finds herself becoming more uncomfortable as she realises exactly what Phil is going to suggest, and even with what she is feeling and how much she doesn't want to be the one on the rescue mission, Melinda can't help but be impressed with Skye managing to get an invitation to Quinn's party, though she still worries about the fact that she will be going into the field with no experience or training.
A while later Melinda, isn't on the mission, though she thinks the fact that Phil is the one on it without her watching her back might be worse, and her worry has decreased after hearing how Skye is doing on the mission, though she still has a feeling in her gut that tell her that something isn't right, a feeling that only increases after they lose contact with Skye and finding out who really leaked Hall's location.
While she is in the lab with Fitz and Simmons listening to the mission Melinda knows, without a doubt, that she hates running back end and that her brother would love to spend time with the two young geniuses.
Once everything has settled down Melinda heads up to Phil's office so that she can tell him a decision that she has come to. Even though Phil gives her the chance to leave Melinda knows she can't, she knows that there is only one choice,
"Reporting for combat, next time it's up." Melinda informs Phil.
"Are you committed to the cause or just watching my back?" Phil asks, though he suspects he knows the answer.
"Same thing, and you are a little rusty." Melinda says before heading out of the office, knowing that she has a phone call to make.
After leaving Phil Melinda once more heads to the cockpit where she can all her siblings in private. Knowing that it is the simplest thing to do Melinda presses the button to call all three of her siblings at once.
"Hello." Tony answers.
"Yes?" Natasha asks.
"Hey." Maria answers.
"You were right; you were all right." Melinda informs her sibling.
"About what exactly? Because that could mean so many things." Tony comments.
"I just told Phil that I'm reporting to combat next time it's up." Melinda reveals.
"Damn Tasha, you win." Maria says, causing Melinda to roll her eyes, though honestly she isn't surprised.
"You good with that?" Natasha asks her sister concerned.
"I can't just stand back and watch as my team, three of whom are kids with no training, are in the field. I need to protect them. I need to watch their backs." Melinda explains.
"Okay." Maria answers, knowing that this was coming eventually.
"So, what have you been up to? How's Mom doing?" Melinda asks her sibling and together the four Carter-Stark siblings talk about what they have been up to and how their mother is doing.
