Note: It's the penultimate chapter(!) – I'm already getting emotional about finishing this – and a shorter one than the last two (sorry) but hope you still enjoy it! The final chapter should be finished and posted by the end of this weekend. Again, thank you so SO much for still reading and for your lovely comments

Based on events during the one-year gap in Episode 7x13 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D

(Takes place during March-June)

Hello Mack,

It's only been a week since you left on that extraordinary helicarrier (thank you again for our grand tour of that earlier this month), and HQ is already feeling your absence. I wasn't sure how I would be able to get this letter to you, but Quake has said she'll try and see if someone has a fax machine somewhere. I suspect she was joking, but I'm going to see if I can get one of my friends in 'the HQ Squad' to scan it over to you for me.

Quake keeps telling me I should just send you a text, which I know would be much more straightforward now that you are quite literally unreachable by post, but, honestly, I still can't get my head around my new cell phone. Also, texting just seems very impersonal, and the messages are shorter and get lost easier. So I think I'll stick to writing my letters for now – although I do enjoy receiving messages and 'notifications' on my phone.

Quake helped me post our first 'Instagram selfie' the other day, whatever that means, and apparently you and Yo-Yo 'liked' it? The whole thing still baffles me but hopefully, thanks to that new guidebook you sent me, I should improve. Once I've read it thoroughly, I might even be able to trick Quake into believing I've finally got the hang of this modern technology malarkey. Although, secretly I think she enjoys seeing me struggle still.

As promised, I thought I should give you my review of 'Hamilton' from when Quake and I went to see it the other night (thanks again for helping me with those tickets, I really appreciate it). It was absolutely phenomenal. Quake always expected it would be, but I was blown away. I quite literally couldn't speak for quite a while after the curtain call. I've never seen, or could ever have imagined, a spectacle on stage like it. The music, the performances, just everything…I have a feeling I will be in awe for many weeks to come. I confess I have even started joining in Quake's Hamilton singalongs in our apartment.

Quake and I are closer than ever before (yes, I can see you rolling your eyes and chuckling as you read that, but it's true). I'm on Cloud Nine. Is that still a saying you have here? If not, then basically it just means I'm very happy, incandescently so. And what makes it even better is that Quake Daisy says she is too. I can only imagine how much you must be missing Yo-Yo. You must already be looking forward to your reunion next month.

Perhaps we could have a telephone call at some point when you are free? Do you even have a telephone on your new base up there high above the clouds? Or is that just yet another silly question from The Man Out Of Time?

All the best,

Daniel

Spring arrived, and the team didn't visit or contact one another half as much as Daisy would have liked, but she supposed that was only to be expected, when they were all busy and scattered across different parts of the world.

Yo-Yo had now finalised her new team with Piper and Davis in L.A., Fitz and Simmons were still shacked up enjoying their retirement in their cosy cottage in Perthshire with sweet little Alya, May was getting ready for the launch of the Coulson Academy, Coulson himself was still taking some time out, and Mack was off commanding S.H.I.E.L.D.'s new helicarrier. Daniel and Mack kept in touch the most; theirs was a close friendship that had slowly crept up on Daisy, and she loved it dearly. She also was immensely pleased by how confident Daniel was becoming with his fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in HQ and out in the field. Since becoming more comfortable with this new life, Daniel had made quite a few friends out of his co-workers recently and had really come out of his shell. He felt almost like he had done back when he had been Chief – only this time he could grab a beer and go and see a movie with these new friends without them being intimidated or seeing him as the boss. It was one of the many nice things about his life at the moment.

Daisy was immensely happy when some new recruits arrived at HQ; it meant that she could go back to her normal hours and spend quality time with Daniel, as well as Kora, who had recently finished her sessions with the counselling service and seemed to be doing much better and more keen for socialising in general. While Daisy continued to show Daniel the luscious sights of New York and educate him further on 21st-century life, Daniel also taught her about more of the customs he'd been used to 'back in the old days'. He took her regularly to a movie theatre that specialised in old classic films from his time, such as Singin' in the Rain, and she even got into old-style music by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Margaret Whiting and Doris Day. Daniel, meanwhile, was going through a whole variety of phases when it came to what he listened to in his spare time; his music taste now ranged from The Beatles and ABBA (who fascinated him) to Taylor Swift (his guilty pleasure after hearing Daisy sing along to one of her earlier albums). He wasn't overly fond of current music, although one day he did discover Uptown Funk and enjoyed it so much that he and Daisy went strutting around the apartment together in time to the beat as they sang along…at least until Kora walked in and caught them doing this on the video-camera on her new phone. Despite the occasional anomalies such as songs and artists like these, however, Daniel was assured that his ultimate favourite was – and he knew would always remain – the legendary Frank Sinatra.

A few days after watching Calamity Jane together, Daniel came to their apartment after a mission to find Daisy belting out 'Secret Love' by Doris Day in the kitchen while she tried to cook. He could smell that whatever she'd put in the oven was burning, but he put that to the back of his mind for a moment as he came up to her, tickling her waist and pulling her close to him as he kissed her tenderly, interrupting her singalong, and she laughed gleefully. He loved the way her nose scrunched up when she laughed.

A pleasant development that neither Daisy nor Daniel had expected as the weeks continued to pass was their growing friendship with Piper and Davis. The bickering pair joined Yo-Yo on her missions to hunt down 0-8-4s but regularly took time out to visit Daisy and Daniel at HQ, and later on at their apartment and at diners and the movies, and the four of them became good friends. Daisy had forgotten how much she'd missed her time with Piper and Davis during their endless months of travel in space to find Fitz, and, as she'd predicted, Daniel got on with them both, in particular Davis, spectacularly well. Daniel said he always got a 'big tickle' whenever he spent time with Piper and Davis (Daisy gave him a funny look when he said this, but apparently it just meant that he found them absolutely hilarious, which she supposed made sense). Daniel even set up Piper with a new fun female recruit who's just joined the agency, though Daisy wasn't sure why she was surprised by this; she had been able to tell from the moment she'd met Daniel at Area 51 that typical fifties attitudes weren't something that resonated with him at all.

Daniel wished that he'd found these people – Daisy, Mack, Piper, Davis, Kora, Jemma, and everyone else – sooner, but better late than never. He felt more at home here than he had ever done back in his own time…despite appearances to the contrary. He may still be confused and taken aback and sometimes downright disturbed by some of the practices and attitudes and behaviours of today's society, but he was getting used to it. And it was a fun ride, particularly for Daisy to experience alongside him as she continued to teach and show both him and Kora the ways of how the world worked in the 21st century. Nearly nine months in and still not a day went by when Daniel wasn't left completely flummoxed by something that Daisy considered an ordinary part of life.

He had a new smartphone, though he had no idea how to work it. He liked playing games and fooling around with the silly filters when taking photos and asking Google the most obscure questions simply for his own amusement, but he still couldn't get the hang of social media or even basic texting, though he knew if he tried more he probably would be fine with it. Daniel had worked out how to save a photo of himself and Daisy as his screen background though, which he was very proud of. He kept looking at it at random points throughout each day; he wasn't sure whether that was because he was still amazed that he had managed to work out how to accomplish such a basic thing, or if the photo itself of him and Daisy, beaming together cheek-to-cheek, was what left him completely starstruck.

In April, the Fitzsimmons family booked a last-minute flight to New York to visit the team members still in the area over the school holiday. Daisy and Daniel drove over to pick them up from the airport, but on the way they came across a golden retriever bounding about in the middle of the road, limping on his paw; he'd clearly got lost and hurt himself.

'We need to take him to a vet,' Daniel said anxiously, as they guided the whimpering dog over to the car. 'Do we have a map in here, we can see if there's one nearby?'

'Or I can just look it up on here?' Daisy reminded him, showing him her cell phone. 'But it's okay, I, uh…I know a guy.'

Daniel eyed her warily. 'You 'know a guy'. That doesn't sound reassuring.'

'He's a vet,' Daisy said, smiling exasperatedly, as Daniel got in the back-seat to sit with the anxious golden retriever. 'I'll take us there now.'

When they eventually reached the veterinary clinic and parked up, Daisy took a deep breath and turned around in the driver's seat to face Daniel. The golden retriever was resting his head on Daniel's lap while he stroked him.

'Okay, so, uh…he goes by 'Doctor Winslow',' Daisy told him.

Daniel frowned, picking up on her uneasy tone. ''Goes by'? Why, what's his actual name?'

'Cal,' Daisy replied, her voice shaking slightly. 'Though he doesn't know that.'

Danie's lips parted slightly. Daisy had told Daniel all about her father, and everything that had happened, including how she had asked for his memories to be wiped so that he could have a chance at a happy life, a new identity, a fresh start.

'Your…he's your father?' Daniel asked quietly.

'It's okay,' Daisy reassured him. 'I've seen him a few times since…since it happened.'

'But…Dais, are you sure…?'

'He's a good vet. And…I want you to meet him,' Daisy realised.

It was important to her that Daniel knew her father, even if only briefly. She couldn't explain why, but it was.

Cal turned out to be extremely jovial, talkative and hospitable. Luckily, the golden retriever was chipped and so they were able to get in touch with his owners; while they waited for them to arrive, Cal treated the dog's injured paw and talked enthusiastically to Daisy and Daniel about his work and the animals. When he asked them about their own line of work, Daisy and Daniel exchanged an awkward glance before saying something along the lines of 'a boring, office job' before they were saved by the arrival of the golden retriever's owners. They were overwhelmingly relieved to be reunited with their beloved dog, and grateful to Daisy and Daniel for rescuing him from the road; he had escaped through a hole in their garden fence and ran out into the road, and they'd feared they would never see him again.

'You're both true heroes,' were Cal's parting words to Daisy and Daniel as they bid farewell and headed back to their car.

When they got back into the front seats of the car, they both sat in silence for a moment, a little dazed.

'Are you okay?' Daniel asked Daisy after a while.

'Yeah. Yeah, I'm good,' Daisy replied thoughtfully. 'Just…it's been a while, y'know.'

'I think he'd be very proud of you, Daisy. He's a nice man. And…he seems really happy,' Daniel said, his tone soft, as he smiled at her.

Daisy nodded slowly. 'Yeah. I agree,' she said, gripping his hand, and she leaned over her seat to kiss him.

They then resumed their journey to the airport, speaking affectionately about Cal and his clear devotion to animals, and joking about whether he would have been such a fan of Daniel if he'd known he was his daughter's romantic partner – but of course he would have done, how could he not? – and Daisy sent a quick message to Jemma and Fitz to let them know that they would be a few minutes late.

'That dog back there really took to you,' Daisy noted, and Daniel's face broke out in a huge smile.

'I love dogs.'

'Same!' Daisy said enthusiastically. 'They're amazing.'

'I've always wanted one, but…with this line of work, you can't, can you?' Daniel said, shrugging.

'Well, depends what area you're in,' Daisy said thoughtfully, as she steered the car around the corner. 'There are some agents with kids and pets, who just don't go out in the field, and with this new flexible-working policy Mack started…'

'Well there we are then. In a few years I'll quit the field, stay in HQ or go work at the Academy, and we'll get a dog,' Daniel said decisively.

'Yeah?' Daisy said, beaming.

'Yeah. I should think about giving up field work sometime soon anyway, I'm already in my mid-thirties.'

Daisy rolled her eyes, amused. 'Daniel, did you not hear May when she said she was twenty years older than you?' she said, laughing. 'And she's literally only just retired from the field.'

Daniel merely chuckled.

Daisy knew that he could get quite paranoid about his age sometimes. He hated the things that she loved about his appearance; the small specks of grey hair appearing on his temple, the crinkles around his eyes that only grew more prominent whenever he laughed or smiled (which, of course, had happened a lot more in the past nine months). He felt a lot younger than he was, but so did Daisy; she still sometimes felt the same age she'd been when she'd first joined S.H.I.E.L.D.. They were both young at heart, particularly more so since they had found each other.

The arrival of Alya only made them feel even younger. When Daisy and Daniel brought the happy family back to their apartment, they spent a great deal of time watching Disney movies with Alya and helping her create and perform plays with her toy monkeys that she'd brought along for their exciting holiday. They all went out for meals and visited Central Park and acted like proper tourists as they took the Fitzsimmons' around the city. May and Kora even joined them for one day, which was nice.

One evening, when Alya had gone to bed early after an exhausting day seeing the sights of New York, Daniel spent a great deal of time talking to Fitz, who was enthusiastically asking him more about his past with the SSR. Meanwhile, Jemma took the opportunity to ask Daisy about the progress of her relationship with 'Agent Sousa'.

''Agent Sousa'? Really? Still?' Daisy said incredulously.

'I'm sorry, it's just habit!' Jemma said, laughing.

Daisy had a feeling that it wasn't just Jemma wanting to be polite, however. By calling people 'Agent', she was still keeping that tie with S.H.I.E.L.D.. She was having a hard time letting it go.

'Well…we, uh…when we were shopping for a new kitchen table, he…when talking to the sales guy, he referred to me as his partner,' Daisy said, unable to keep the smile from her face.

Jemma's face lit up in delight. 'Oooh, his partner?!'

'Mm-hmm.'

'And…did you like that?' she asked eagerly.

'I really did,' Daisy replied. 'We hadn't talked about it before, but…um…obviously I wouldn't let it go afterwards-'

'Obviously.'

'And, uh…yeah. We're partners now, I guess,' Daisy said, sounding surprised to say it. 'Not that…I believe in labels or any of that, but, uh…yeah, it's nice.'

'Nice' was a huge understatement, but Daisy didn't like to make a song and dance about it. She and Daniel had agreed to act as low-key about their relationship as possible, just because they liked their privacy and their freedom to see where this wonderful journey together took them, without any pressure or expectation from others.

The week went by too quickly, and before they knew it, it was time for the Fitzsimmons' to leave for the airport and head back to Scotland. Before they departed, Jemma and Fitz approached Daniel to lend him one of their favourite books to read: Cosmos by Carl Sagan.

'Here. We had this to read when Jemma and I were…well, away on the Zephyr raising this little one,' Fitz said, ruffling Alya's hair as she stood between them.

Jemma smiled warmly at Daniel. 'You seemed so…enthusiastic about it all, after you went in the Quinjet last year-'

'To space, you mean?' Daniel said, and he chuckled dazedly. 'Sometimes I still have trouble believing that it actually happened and it wasn't just a dream.'

'Well believe it, and read this,' Fitz said, passing the book over. 'It's fascinating stuff.'

'Thank you, that's…I really appreciate it,' Daniel replied, grateful. 'I'll read it as soon as I've finished Harry Potter. I'm near the end of the fifth book now, so…I'm making steady progress.'

'And?' Jemma said, her eyebrows raised. 'Verdict?'

Daniel hesitated for a moment as he looked at both Jemma and Fitz's eagerly-awaiting faces, then he smiled. 'They're pretty awesome, I'm not gonna lie.'

Jemma and Fitz grinned smugly at each other and high-fived.

'I told you he'd like it!' Jemma said triumphantly.

'Aaand welcome to the nerd herd,' Daisy said, sidling up to Daniel as they all laughed.

After the Fitzsimmons' had left, Daisy felt rather downcast. She missed her friends terribly, and she hated that they were so far apart, that they could only see each other a few times a year now. Fitz had apparently almost finished a modification to the Framework in a portable device that would enable everyone in the team to tune in virtually and speak as if seeing each other in person, but it wasn't really the same, was it? Their time together as a team was truly a thing of the past now.

Daniel could sense Daisy's low mood; he slowly walked up behind her as she leaned against the wall; Daisy reached her hand behind her shoulder for him and, attuned to what she wanted, he hugged her gently from behind. He'd put his turntable on, and Frank Sinatra's 'That's All' was playing, which soothed Daisy.

'Are you okay?' he asked gently, his head resting on her shoulder.

'Yeah. I'm okay,' Daisy replied, as she held onto his hands wrapped around her stomach.

'Can I ask you something?'

'Of course.'

'I sometimes wonder…what do you think the odds were of us meeting that day?' he asked curiously. 'June 22nd 1955.'

There was a silence as Daisy frowned and thought about it, her fingers stroking his.

'I've been thinking about it,' Daniel said. 'Back then, I was based in L.A. permanently and just happened to be visiting Area 51 that day. You were a 21st-century agent on a time-travelling mission who, by random chance, ended up being led to where I was, all just because of the Chronicoms. If you hadn't been there, you and I would never have met and I would have died that night.'

Daisy turned around to face him then, though he kept his arms around her waist. 'And then if that had happened…you would never have been there to save me from Malick in that barn, so I'd have…most likely died there…but even if I somehow hadn't died, you wouldn't have been around to help solve the time loops, or…come up with a way to get us out of that Chronicom ship,' she said, frowning. 'Whichever way you look at it, no-one in the team would have survived. Malick and the Chronicoms would have won.'

Daniel raised his eyebrows and exhaled deeply. 'You know, Mack was right, 'The Man Out Of Time & Quake' does seem like a good comic book idea,' he said, and Daisy laughed softly.

'I've never…I've never really thought about it. The chances of us meeting…what would have happened if the Chronicoms hadn't led us to Area 51 that day…' Daisy murmured, dazed.

'Or if I'd just stayed in my L.A. office and sent someone else in my place instead.'

Daisy barely repressed a shudder at the thought. 'Maybe it was…fate,' she said, but then she grimaced. 'God, I know that sounds crazy-'

'No, it doesn't. It's the least crazy thing either of us have said in this conversation. It's the only thing that makes sense in a way,' Daniel said warmly, as he tightened his hold around her. 'I've never believed in…fate or destiny or…meant to be…but…I don't know how else to explain this.'

Daisy smiled back at him. 'Me neither,' she said, and as she kissed his lips tenderly they were both hit with the realisation that they had never loved anyone as much as they loved each other.

A few weeks later, Daisy met up with Coulson for coffee while on her lunch break at work; he was back in the area and now dropping in at HQ quite regularly. No matter how much he felt he needed to escape it, he knew deep down that S.H.I.E.L.D. would always be a part of him.

After reminiscing on the good old days and talking about the rest of the team, the conversation inevitably turned to Daniel.

'I hear from Davis that Agent Sousa seems to be fitting in well with everyone here now, I gather he's quite popular here at HQ,' Coulson said.

'Yeah, they think he's a cute dork. Which he is,' Daisy said proudly.

Coulson smiled softly at her. 'How are things going with you two anyway?'

Daisy hesitated. 'Uh…they're going,' she said, taking a large gulp of her coffee.

Coulson stared at her. 'That's it? 'They're going'?' he said, raising his eyebrows. 'I gotta say, I was kinda hoping for a bit more than that.'

Daisy began to laugh. 'Okay, so…honestly? Daniel and I are a bit freaked out by how well things are actually going, so when people ask us that we just try and keep it casual because knowing our luck we'll probably jinx it if we're honest about it,' she admitted, and Coulson smiled and nodded in understanding.

'Ah, I see. So just 'they're going' is actually code for…'they're going insanely well'?'

'Yeah. Basically,' Daisy replied, averting her gaze as if embarrassed.

Coulson tilted his head at her and smiled. For as long as he'd known her, she had been longing for a family, for that special connection with someone. Now she had finally found one for good, one that Coulson was sure would last, one that made her incandescently happy. And that pleased Coulson more than Daisy could ever know.

'You don't have to be afraid of telling people how happy you are, you know,' he said gently.

'I know. It's just…it's still taking some getting used to. It's scary, and…neither of are used to it. We don't want to ruin anything,' Daisy explained. 'We'd been trying to take things slow, keep it casual – I mean, as casual as we could, given that we're living together – but, y'know, seeing how we feel, one step at a time, whatever…'

'How's that working out for you?' Coulson asked, smirking.

'Surprisingly really hard,' Daisy said, grinning, and she gazed over at the father figure who she missed so very much. 'I love him, Coulson.'

Coulson smiled, looking just as emotional at hearing her words as Daisy felt to say them. 'That makes me very happy.'

When Daisy returned home to the apartment that evening, she found Daniel and Kora sat together on the couch and laughing as they raced each other on a game of Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch that Mack had bought them for Christmas. In that moment, as she watched her partner and sister with a fond smile on her face, Daisy realised that she didn't really have a reason to be sad about the way things had changed with S.H.I.E.L.D. anymore. The main reason she had joined S.H.I.E.L.D. in the first place was so that could try and find her family. And that was exactly what she had found.

Hello to the Fitzsimmons family!

I would just like to say how lovely it was to see you all last month. Daisy and I thoroughly enjoyed your visit. To see how happy you both are in your retirement, and with precious Alya as well, is truly a gift. I think you even made Daisy a bit envious – you certainly did for both of us over Christmas! I hope Alya's enjoying it back at school with her friends.

I've attached the design you asked for, I hope it helps – please excuse the shoddy drawing, I had to hurry up towards the end because Daisy came home early (and obviously I couldn't risk her seeing). Let me know what you both think! Thanks again for doing this for me, I really appreciate it.

Daisy and I watched the 'Back to the Future' trilogy a few days ago…interestingly their rules of time-travel seem to differ somewhat from reality; I would love to hear your take on this, Fitz, as I'm sure you will have a lot to say about it. Also their depiction of the year 2015 amused me very much. Overall, all three movies were extremely enjoyable…although Daisy and I are having an ongoing debate about which one is the best.

In other movie-related news, we went to an outdoor theatre showing of the modern-day musical 'La La Land' last week, I'm not sure if you remember that Daisy got me tickets for it for Christmas? Anyway, there was a live orchestra accompanying the movie, and the sun was setting during the last 20 minutes, and it was beautiful. I'm not ashamed to admit I may have shed a tear at the end.

Daisy tells me you have recently been able to reconnect with your old S.H.I.E.L.D. friends, Bobbi and Hunter, due to your retirement from the agency. Daisy has told me all about them and your missions together, and they sound like very fine people. I'm glad you are now able to see them more often; I know Daisy wishes she was allowed to do the same, but I can't see her wanting to leave S.H.I.E.L.D. anytime soon – and, let's be honest, neither will I, most probably.

Alya, I'm now speaking directly to you. I hope you had a wonderful birthday, and that you enjoyed your present. We weren't sure whether you had too many stuffed monkeys already, but Daisy and I thought this one was particularly cute and worth adding to your impressive collection. Please do let us know what you name him/her.

I look forward to our next video call. Until then, take care.

Love from,

Uncle Daniel

P.S. Jemma and Fitz – I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. All I can say is 'wow'! Give me a call when Alya's old enough to start watching the movies and Daisy and I will catch the next flight over!

In May, the Coulson Academy officially opened and hundreds of new trainees arrived. A few weeks after the induction, May contacted Daniel to ask if he would like to come in a couple of times a week to speak as a guest lecture. He obliged, and it turned out to be very rewarding work. It was inspiring to see so many eager young recruits, and they seemed to enjoy the tales of Daniel's experiences in the early days of S.H.I.E.L.D (well, his 'long-lost ancestor's' experiences, officially). He realised that this was what he would like to do; perhaps, in a few years, when he turned forty or something, he could take on less physical cases out in the field and become an instructor like May at the Academy. And then that way, he and Daisy could get a dog like they had fantasised about…and perhaps even settle down, and think about family life. But he enjoyed the fieldwork and investigative missions far too much to do that right now.

One day, as Daniel jotted down some notes on a recent assignment he'd been on for him to mention in his next guest lecture at the Academy, Daisy came home early with a look of both trepidation and excitement on her face. She went up to him sat at their new kitchen table, and they kissed and talked about their day for a few minutes before she went into their bedroom to change. She took a deep breath as she came back out into the hallway, wondering how she was going to approach the subject that had been on her mind since the moment Mack had contacted her about it from the helicarrier early this morning. She crossed over to the turntable and put on some old jazz music to calm her nerves; she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply as 'Misty' by Ella Fitzgerald began to play, and she gazed over at Daniel, still sat at the table poring over his notes without a clue of how Daisy was about to change their lives.

Daisy smiled fondly as she watched him work. They had passed the honeymoon phase now, and yet they were still infatuated and felt a pleasant jolt of surprise whenever they looked upon each other, as if still struggling to come to terms with the fact that this was real, that they had really found each other, that they were together. Everything had changed for them since the moment they'd first met, and in this past year with this man, this wonderful man who cared so deeply for everyone and showed her such unconditional love, Daisy had felt herself grow in confidence and become her true self again. She wasn't just content, she was truly happy. And she had a sneaking suspicion right now as she gazed over at him that somehow, inexplicably, she was about to become even happier.

'Dan, I've…I've got some news,' Daisy began, walking slowly over to the table.

Daniel picked up on her tone at once and looked away from his notes. 'Okay,' he said, prompting her to continue, as he removed his reading glasses.

'It's…it's kind of exciting,' Daisy said, trying and failing not to smile. 'I-I've been asked to lead a new…well, a new division of S.H.I.E.L.D.'

Daniel's face lit up as he leapt to his feet. 'A new division?! Daisy, that's amazing. I'm so proud of you!' he said, taking her in his arms in a fierce hug. 'Of course, they couldn't have picked anyone better.'

'Thanks, but…there's a slight complication,' Daisy said, as they leaned away.

'Oh?'

'Yeah. It would mean we'd have to…slightly delay our plans to buy a house,' Daisy said grimacing; they'd been saving for a couple of months now, and planned to start looking at the house market by winter. 'I'd have to move away if I took the assignment.'

'Okay, well that's no problem, let's do it,' Daniel said, without hesitation.

Daisy smiled as she gazed at him in disbelief. 'You won't even ask me where it is or what the job is or what the new division involves, you'd just say yes?'

'Of course. Every time,' Daniel said, and she cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his lovingly.

'Well…I would need to recruit my own team, if I said yes,' she said, once they'd broken apart. 'I know Kora would be up for it, she's desperate to use her training out in the field, and…I'm sure I could use a square around to keep me in check. But…Dan, it's not your standard kinda job. It's…a far cry from the…the ordinary life you wanted to try.'

Daniel shrugged. 'Doesn't matter. Ordinary life can wait. You know I'd go anywhere with you,' he said softly.

'I know. And I love you so much for it,' Daisy said, stroking his cheek, but her smile faded slightly. 'But this is…big. It's not your usual kind of relocation.'

Daniel seemed unconcerned as he cocked an eyebrow at her playfully. 'The suspense is killing me.'

Daisy grinned and indicated that they should sit down; they took the two nearest chairs at the kitchen table. 'Uh…remember last year when we…took that, um, cute little sight-seeing trip out to space in the Quinjet?' she began tentatively.

'Ah, our first date…sort of,' Daniel said wistfully. 'Hard to forget the day you killed Malick and saved the world and somehow survived an explosion in space while doing it.'

'Well…about that…you enjoyed it, right? Being up there,' Daisy said in a hopeful tone, watching him closely. 'Aside from the whole…you know…Chronicom…complication. Like, you turned into a full-on space geek so…'

'Well I wouldn't say 'geek' but, uh…' – he paused as Daisy raised her eyebrows at him, and he smirked – 'okay, fair point, yeah, it was…incredible,' he admitted, and he frowned at her curiously. 'Why, where are you going with this?'

Daisy took a deep breath. 'The new division is a department specialising in…sentient world observation and response. It'll be looking at threats to world security, but…extra-terrestrial threats.'

There was a short pause as Daniel took in her words.

'Extra-terrestrial,' he said slowly.

'Mm-hmm.'

His forehead was creased slightly. 'Sounds dangerous.'

'Yep. Probably,' Daisy agreed. 'But nothing I wouldn't be able to handle. I've seen and done a lot.'

Daniel smiled. 'Don't I know it.'

'But…it means…it would mean…leaving Earth for a while,' Daisy said, swallowing nervously and averting her gaze. 'I've done it before, I spent a year out in space travelling between galaxies with Simmons to find Fitz, and we saw all kinds of planets and worlds and met aliens and the whole works – I mean, you know, I've told you all about it – but…it's not easy, it's…it's not settling down or…-'

'But it's…it's space,' Daniel said, raising his eyebrows at her, as if excited. 'Sounds pretty awesome to me.'

Daisy tilted her head at him. 'You're just saying that to make me think it's okay to take the job.'

'I think you should take it,' he encouraged.

Daisy sighed, torn. 'But would you wanna come? Away from Earth, when you've only really just got used to things here?' she asked. 'I mean, seriously…because…we could make long distance work, I could set up virtual calls, we could keep in touch, I could try and visit – and I wouldn't be away for long anyway, just a few months, maybe a year or two at most – but-'

'I don't wanna do that,' Daniel said at once, frowning at the thought, and Daisy exhaled in relief.

'I don't wanna do that either. I don't wanna waste any time, I…what we've got going, this, us, it's…it's the best time I've ever had,' Daisy said, gripping his hands tightly in her own. 'I know what it's like to be happy now, I don't want that to stop.'

Daniel smiled lovingly at her as he squeezed her hands back. 'Me neither.'

'So I think I should stay. With you,' she said firmly. 'And we should stick to Plan A and carry on with our regular S.H.I.E.L.D. work here and get a house.'

Daisy knew it made sense. He always made her a priority, so she made him one of hers.

Daniel smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her forehead. He couldn't believe she would really pass on an incredible adventure through space simply because she thought he'd prefer to stay here. She didn't want to go anywhere without him.

'Plan A sounds good,' he said thoughtfully, and Daisy smiled.

'Mm-hm. Sounds perfect to me.'

'Do you know what else sounded good?' Daniel said, leaning closer to her. 'Last year when we pretended to be a couple in the speakeasy in '73 when Gideon Malick was trying it on with you, and I called you my fiancé.'

Daisy felt her heart skip a beat. 'That did sound good, yes,' she said, and a smile slowly appeared on her lips as she gazed at him in wonder. 'Daniel Sousa, what are you saying?'

'You know exactly what I'm saying,' Daniel said softly, his smile and gaze loving as he laced her fingers with his. 'But I'm not gonna ask the question now, because we've got to start preparing for Plan B.'

'Plan B?' Daisy asked, frowning.

'You're taking that assignment. You're leading the new S.H.I.E.L.D. department. And I'm coming with you,' Daniel said firmly, squeezing her hands. 'It's what you want, and it's what I want as well.'

Daisy looked at him doubtfully. 'You really want to go out to space? For…like, months at a time? It would mean living on another Zephyr ship.'

'Even better, just like old times,' Daniel said, making her smile. 'Like you said, I…I loved being out there, when we were in the Quinjet, it was…it was amazing, there hasn't been a day that's gone by when I haven't thought about it, or-or dreamed about it, even. And I think I could handle a few aliens, y'know, and help Quake save the world from inter-planetary wars.'

Daisy couldn't help grinning back at him. 'You're actually being serious, aren't you?'

'Mm-hmm,' Daniel said, nodding. 'Word from the bird.'

Daisy stared at him. 'Wh-what?'

'Really? 'Word from the bird'? No?' Daniel said, disappointed. 'Okay, uh…well, I mean, absolutely. Ordinary life here is fun, but we can carry on with a lot of it out there when we're flying between worlds.'

Daisy could tell he was saying it to encourage her, but she also could tell that he believed in her, that he believed in this new division, and more than anything that he wanted to go with her.

'You're unbelievable, you know,' Daisy said, and she got up off her chair to sit in his lap and kiss him; when they broke apart, she stroked his hair softly. 'Hey, if Kora joins as well, we'd have to really try not to make her feel like too much of a third wheel.'

'A…what, now?' Daniel asked, confused, and Daisy chuckled softly.

'Oh, err…ooh, I got this – a gooseberry? Is that what you'd say? Does that make sense?'

'Y-yeah, that makes sense,' Daniel replied, smiling.

She bit her lip as she gazed at him, trying not to feel too excited. 'Are you sure about this?' she asked. 'It's…a big decision.'

Daniel gazed at her, his eyes full of nothing but pure devotion and love. 'I'm being given the opportunity to join a new S.H.I.E.L.D. division led by none other than Agent Daisy Johnson out in space protecting the Earth. There's no decision to make,' he said, and he smiled warmly at her. 'Let's go explore the stars.'