Sixteen
Early morning fog rolled down from the forest as she ran laps across the pastures. Her breath billowed in the wind, flowing around her in the process. The morning dew that clung to the grass suddenly recoiled from the impact of her feet that trampled over the ground. Nearby, a horse nickered in confusion while watching her jog.
Summer was rapidly approaching, and the morning runs had gotten more tedious with the heat rolling in. But determination and a will to prove everyone wrong had gotten the better of her. Emily didn't bother stopping to greet McCoy when he emerged from the house one morning, staring at her in disbelief as she ran past him. He never seemed bothered with her these days, it seemed.
She managed to strike a deal with Hannah earlier that month. After explaining that she wanted to work once she graduated from high school, the older woman had been more than willing to give her chores to work on. Emily used the time that was spent on the farm performing said tasks. She'd often take on the heavier, dirtier tasks that everyone else left for either Doctor McCoy or his wife. McCoy himself had argued relentlessly that he didn't need her snooping around the farm, but his mother had given him a withering look when he tried. It was then that Emily began to notice his behavior was similar to Nancy's back in school.
They hadn't spoken to each other since she graduated from high school. McCoy had tried asking where she went after noticing that she wasn't around anymore, but she simply ignored his presence entirely, treating him just as he'd treated her. She realized with a start that arguing with him or talking to him wasn't going to get her anywhere. Instead, she focused on the tasks ahead and managed to pull ahead in her training.
Her muscles had become more defined as a result. She was surprised to see how easily visible they were over the last couple of months. She was no longer the lanky teenager everyone had known in high school. What amazed her the most was that her stamina really had increased thanks to all the work she put in every morning and evening. Maria's suggestion had paid off, and she realized with a start that she had become a better version of herself.
She hadn't realized until then how good it felt just to blow off some steam with an early morning run. Or to help out around the farm whenever she could. She knew that Hannah appreciated the extra work she offered, knowing full-well it wasn't easy to manage the farm alone. It was with that notion that she put in twice as much effort to prove herself towards Coulson and the rest of the world.
"Why do you keep doing this every morning and evening?"
Emily froze at the sound of McCoy's voice. She finally stopped near the barn where the horse manure needed to be cleaned out. She'd gotten used to the stench over the passing weeks, even going as far as enjoying it over time. She realized with a start that it was just a natural part of life, and the manure was used as fertilizer for the gardens.
She hadn't forgotten the time when his cousin tried using it as a way of getting everyone acclimated with the family. A shiver of dread swept through her as she recalled how sick she was the following evening. McCoy had stayed with her for most of that night, having gone through the initiation process himself.
"Maybe because this is the only way Papa is going to realize that I'm ready to join the agency," she rolled her eyes as she finally acknowledged his presence.
He had been busy sorting through the piles of hay that was gathered earlier that year. She could see he was using it as an excuse to spend time in the barn. Even from a distance, it was obvious he had been watching her. Though she hadn't been bothered about it up until he cut through the tense silence.
He finally stopped for a moment and stared at her. His face wavered slightly when he finally got a good look at her for the first time in months. Any other time he'd been distracted thanks to Nancy always trying to talk. He was usually wrapped around her fingers whenever she stopped by for dinner or to study with him. But seeing her now made him realize just how drastically she'd changed over those months.
"Was he being serious that night? Did you really graduate early?"
Emily paused in her stride when McCoy brought up a particularly uncomfortable topic. He had been thinking of their confrontation when Tony and Rhodes were with her that evening. She knew in the back of her mind that it was impossible to forget something like that. Tony had kept his job offer open when she gently turned the offer down. She admitted that she was forever grateful for the offer, but she wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. Luckily Tony fully understood what she meant by that, even if he thought it was pointless.
"Oh no, I've just been skipping classes to see what the authorities will do when they finally catch me," she rolled her eyes in exasperation. McCoy cringed visibly when he realized what she was implying. "Of course I graduated early, you idiot. But did anyone bother checking to see me when I finished getting my diploma?"
His eyes dropped with sheer embarrassment as he understood what she meant by that. She wasn't going to allow her bitterness to get the better of her. Weeks of training under Maria's strict program had taught her how to keep control over her emotions. She'd gotten better at it; the random disappearances had mostly stopped as well much to her relief along with everyone else. Though the nightmares had been getting worse. She swallowed hard as she recalled one nightmare in particular that had terrified her to the core. She never once talked about how said nightmares occurred or that she slipped away for the evening to think of how she could avoid said nightmares.
"I didn't… I didn't realize you'd graduated," he admitted sheepishly.
"Of course you didn't," she snorted in disbelief. She let out a sigh of frustration and shook her head as she noticed his demeanor change. He seemed agitated. And not for the first time, she was reminded of the way he acted more like Nancy than himself. She'd braced herself for whatever fallout would follow. Years of putting up with that kind of behavior taught her what to expect and what to avoid. This was no different. "You've been too busy focusing on Nancy rather than your so-called friends. No one bothered checking on me after I graduated and got my diploma. The only ones who really gave a damn were already here."
She ignored the way he flinched when she swore. Since he had been raised to respect everyone older or above them, McCoy refused to swear in front of his parents or anyone he supposedly cared about. At least that was one trait he retained. She didn't want him to change entirely just for someone else's happiness.
"You wanna know the worst part in all of this?" she suddenly added when McCoy couldn't bring himself to say anything. "Nancy was the one who suggested I graduate early and leave. She claimed I would only drag you down if we continued acting like friends. But I guess at the end of the day that's all you were doing: Acting."
She heard him let out a shallow breath as he realized what she was implying. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, and she didn't give him the chance to defend himself. But as she heard the sound of footsteps crunching along the gravel, she knew she was in for a long haul. McCoy was almost as stubborn as she was… probably more so when it came to trying to prove himself. She supposed that was why it had been easy for him to fall in line with Nancy. He wanted to prove that he could have a normal life.
"Em, wait!" Emily suddenly whipped around to face him, her movement so fast that he nearly collided into her. Thankfully, McCoy skidded into a halt just in time. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes dangerously, knowing full-well that nothing good was going to come out of this conversation. "Look, I know that Nancy can be a bit upfront at times, but I'm sure she didn't mean any of it."
She almost laughed at the audacity of his claim.
"Are you serious?" she scoffed. McCoy's jaw clenched as he stared at her apprehensively. Instead of the usual guilt or regret that would follow, he just seemed… done with everything. She wasn't sure how to describe it, but she didn't like what she was seeing. "When we were sitting in the lunch room, she basically told me to fuck off and leave you alone, or else. I know a threat when I see one."
McCoy flinched when she swore at him. She'd been around adults long enough to know what the word meant. More importantly, she knew when to use it. McCoy was still nervous about dropping such words, being raised to refrain from using such vile language. She almost smirked at the thought of using that against him in some way.
"She really said that?" he asked in disbelief.
"I've never lied to you, Leonard," she let out a sigh of exasperation. "Remember that promise we made years ago?"
His brows furrowed together as he recalled the promise they made when they became best friends. And it was in that moment when McCoy realized she was being honest. His face fell as he stared at her for a few seconds, unsure of how to respond. Emily swallowed hard as their eyes met for the first time in months. And for the first time since meeting him, she saw real fear.
"I'll talk to her tonight," he finally decided. Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise when she heard the doubt in his voice. "I just want her word on what happened that day."
He still doesn't trust me, she nearly rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Don't bother," she snapped in voice full of ice. McCoy winced when he realized too late what he said. "I should have known better than to trust you."
The last part was full of bitterness. So much so that it nearly knocked the wind out of his lungs. She left McCoy standing there, too dumbfounded to say anything in his defense. She didn't bother looking over her shoulder to see if he was following her, or if she'd somehow hurt him. The only thing that mattered at that moment was putting distance between them before she did end up hurting him.
.
.
"How's the training going?" Coulson asked when he returned from work later that day.
Emily had been busy cleaning the place up when she and Maria spent most of that afternoon cooking in the kitchen. Well… Maria more than Emily. The end results had been disastrous when Emily tried cooking on her own for the first time. Because of that, she was never allowed to use the stove or the oven by herself. Maria had taken a point to stay whenever Coulson was away, knowing full-well that she needed someone to keep an eye on her.
She was mostly independent in other areas. Cooking had always been a problem for her, and it was also something that Maria had been working on with her. On any other occasion, McCoy's mother had offered to teach her how to cook. But ever since they stopped talking, she knew better than to spend what little free time she had at their place.
"Her training's gotten much better," Maria replied with a knowing look in Emily's direction. "Won't be long until she's ready to take on an actual mission."
That was enough for Emily to look at them with renewed interest. Even with Maria's tutoring and encouragement, Coulson still refused to let her join the agency. She had a feeling that Maria had been right about her proving herself to the council. That really was the only way she would ever be accepted into the agency, without Coulson's consent.
Annoyance swept through her at the thought. Coulson didn't seem to understand why she was so determined to join the agency. Between the gratitude she felt towards being rescued in the first place, and being given a second chance thanks to said agency, she felt as if she owed them that much.
"There's no way I'm letting her take on a mission," he remarked dryly.
She just rolled her eyes when she heard the tone in his voice. It was always that way. Coulson usually found some excuse not to let her join the agency. She knew he would likely find another, until she was forced to go behind his back. The last thing she wanted was to pull off that stunt, especially since he was the reason she had a roof over her head.
With a sigh of frustration, she left the kitchen and decided to get a head start on her evening jog. She knew Coulson wouldn't be bothered to look for her until Maria left. And the brunette had been keeping a log of how many laps she ran in the evening as well. Emily glanced over her shoulder to see that they were arguing, and she shook her head in disbelief.
What is it going to take? she wondered.
She'd already proven that she could take orders without giving too much feedback. Maria tested her patience almost every day. The brunette warned her that there were some agents who would always see her as nothing more than an asset. The only way she could stand up to them was by proving what idiots they were by following said orders, unless it was something reckless.
She almost smirked as she imagined what would happen when she joined the agency. Her whole world would change in a matter of minutes once she was joined up. To be able to help people the way Coulson helped them was something she'd always dreamed of. Even if it was in the shadows and under the radar, that was more than what she could ask for. Maybe it would also give her a chance to meet more people like her. She knew the agency had a variety of people with abilities like herself working out of the radar, sometimes in teams. So it wouldn't come to a surprise if the boss decided to assign her to such a task.
Emily tried pushing the thoughts aside when she heard a sound from around the corner. She grimaced when she recognized the sound as something she was all-too-familiar with. Emily frowned as she finally saw the victim in question. Then her heart sank when she saw McCoy slouched over, holding his arm as if he was in pain.
"Leonard?" she called out warily, unsure of what she was getting herself into. When McCoy suddenly looked up, her eyes widened with horror. He was sporting a black eye, and it looked as if someone had broken his wrist as well. Blood stained his shirt as he desperately tried hiding it. All at once, fury swept through her when she realized that someone had done this to him. "What happened to you?"
"Nancy happened," he winced when she reached him. Emily threw him a wary look when she heard the defeat in his voice. "I went over to her place and tried talking to her, but she wasn't alone. She had another 'friend' with her who was twice her age."
Her heart sank when she heard the bitterness in his voice. She hadn't realized at the time that he would've confronted Nancy the way he had. The last thing she wanted was for him to hurt himself over something so stupid. But at the end of the day, she knew how stubborn he could be when it came to getting his way.
"Leonard…" She suddenly took hold of his arm, carefully touching it when she saw that it was sprained. She knew his father would have to reset the bone and ensure it was properly taken care of. Though she had begun studying how to reset bone and sprains herself, she didn't want to take that chance with someone like McCoy. "That asshole sprained your wrist?"
"Actually, I tried punching him in the chest," he admitted with a sheepish look.
Emily let out a sigh as she realized what he was implying, "You idiot. You're lucky you didn't break it."
"Does it look bad?" he asked doubtfully.
"Black eye's a real shiner," she remarked as she studied his face. "But the blood is gonna need to be cleaned up. At least let me heal your injury."
McCoy opened his mouth to argue when he seemed to think better of it. Instead, he gave a meek nod and allowed her to heal his injury. The moment she felt her powers drain was when McCoy let her use him for support. He knew about her ability to heal injuries, and he was also aware of how it also drained her energy.
The fact that he was willing to support her even after everything that happened was what amazed her the most. She knew he could have easily pushed her away for predicting what would happen between him and Nancy. Yet she also knew that forgiveness was key. Staying angry with someone wasn't going to get her anywhere, especially in today's day and age.
"I really am an idiot," he sighed as she helped him back to his feet. "Pa's gonna kill me when he finds out what happened."
Emily offered him a sympathetic smile. She knew this was a major blow to him, in more ways than one. But she wasn't about to let him give up so easily. She wasted no time in helping him back to his house, knowing his father would at least stabilize his arm. The biggest challenge was going to be making sure they didn't go after Nancy for what she did. Though she hadn't lashed out at him, she could still face charges for assaulting a minor.
She's the real idiot for doing this to him, she thought angrily. McCoy hadn't done anything to deserve this. Sure he could be hardheaded at times, but at the end of the day, he really did care about the people he was close to. She knew from experience that his loyalty meant so much more than that of the average teenager. And what surprised her the most was how compassionate he was for someone his age.
"No he's not," she reassured him. McCoy just gave her a skeptical look. "Look, your father cares about you, Leonard. And if he's going to be angry, he'll be angry with Nancy for doing this to you. She shouldn't have hurt you the way she did."
He blinked a few times in disbelief. He would have thought after everything he said to her earlier that day, she'd refuse to help him. But there they were, headed back to his house after she'd helped him back to his feet. It was a kind gesture that couldn't go unnoticed. He kept glancing in her direction, not missing the fact that despite her mask of calm, there was also a hidden fury she held for Nancy and the man that hurt him.
"I'm sorry for everything I said," he suddenly cut in. Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise, but then she caught the guilt written across his face. "You were right about her, and I didn't trust you."
She couldn't help but wonder at the fact that she'd run across him when she did. She knew she would have gone on ignoring him had they not crossed paths. Fate worked for a reason, and she was only just beginning to realize how important that knowledge was. It wasn't until taking hold of her hands that McCoy found himself gazing at her with renewed wonder.
"It doesn't matter," she shook her head and glanced at him thoughtfully. "No matter what, we're still friends."
And she didn't plan on stopping that anytime soon. McCoy just gave her a look of admiration when he realized what she was implying. Even after all the crap he and Nancy pulled on her, she was still willing to help him out. He knew if it had been anyone else, they would have turned a blind eye on him. It was in that moment when McCoy realized who his true friends were. And it was also in that moment when he decided he was better off being her friend than hanging around with someone who had a bad taste in men.