Twenty Seven (Seventeen Years Old) – — …

Emily held back a sigh of frustration as she studied the screen in front of her. Months dragged on after her visit to Atlanta. Since then she had been focusing on her work within SHIELD. She and McCoy would constantly keep in touch with each other throughout those weeks. While it was never the same as seeing him in person, it was better than nothing. Tony had also been a constant factor in her life. He was busy building his father's company up, and he had become a huge success thanks to Pepper's help. Within the public's eye, Tony was nothing more than a playboy philanthropist who wanted nothing more than to have sex with women. She knew him better than that. Tony had his issues when it came to the public's eye, but he was a better man than that. Sure, he screwed up from time to time and did tend to screw around with women, but he had gotten better.

She chewed the bottom of her lip while scrolling down the data PADD. The agency had sent her files regarding the Augments. Recent research on the past had begun bubbling to the surface. Since then she was beginning to see a pattern revolving around the Augments and herself. She knew if she went anywhere near Starfleet they would see her as nothing more than a burden. Her powers were going to cause problems on the ship. If she lost control or suffered a panic attack, there was a chance she could hurt dozens of people in the process. While that was an outcome she would rather avoid, she was well aware the agency had taken it into consideration.

Unease crawled through her at the thought of losing control. She had already lost control in the past… she could still remember the time she lost control while she was staying with the McCoy's. She had been terrified of what would happen when they realized just how dangerous she was. Doctor McCoy had reassured her that she would always have a place at their home. Yet that didn't stop her from remembering the panic she stirred when McCoy himself found out she was causing the mess in his home… or the way his mother would look at her with renewed pity. She never wanted anyone's pity. She hated it when people looked at her that way. She knew it was mostly out of instinct; Captain Kirk and his wife would give her the same look when they saw just how alone she was in the world. And maybe that was what led to her hating that look. Whatever the case, it was something she needed to get over on her own.

She tried pushing the uneasy thoughts aside and glanced down at her PADD. A bout of unsuccessful missions had led to this moment. She let out a sigh of frustration and ran a hand through her hair, debating whether or not it was worth calling McCoy. She knew he would at least provide some insight on her dilemma, but something told her he didn't want the distraction. As much as it pained her, she was on her own for the time being. Not that the notion surprised her. She wasn't in any hurry to drag him or anyone else down with her. She didn't want him to know just how frustrated she was with the agency.

The last thing I want is to get Leonard involved with this mess, she told herself.

McCoy had always reassured her that he would always be there for her if she needed someone to talk to. But truthfully, she didn't want to feel like a burden. It was bad enough that she'd always felt like a burden to Coulson over the years. The last thing she wanted was to feel something similar to McCoy. He'd already seen her that way when they were younger… she didn't want to go down that path again. Especially in light of recent events.

It wasn't until hearing a cough from behind that Emily glanced over her shoulder. She nearly rolled her eyes when she saw Clint giving her a skeptical look. His arms crossed as he reached her, quirking an eyebrow when he saw the look written across her face. He knew her well enough to know when something was bothering her, and it was clear from the exasperated look written across her face that she was frustrated.

"You look like a woman on a mission," he remarked dryly. Emily snorted when he took a seat beside her, stretching his arms out until one wrapped over her shoulder. "I'm sure McCoy wouldn't mind if we got a little cuddly."

"Fuck of, Barton," she practically growled after pushing him away with her elbow. "It's bad enough I haven't gone on one mission while you've been out on several."

The archer merely scoffed at the thought of being sent on missions ahead of her. Though he hadn't bothered denying her accusations. He of all people knew that Coulson somehow had a word in what went on at the academy. Because of Coulson's tie with the agency, he had a bigger say in what happened to her. And it was his word that often led to some of her more frustrating results. That was also why the agency had likely assigned her to fill out a report on the Augments that followed Khan's rule. Clint rose an eyebrow when he noticed the subject on the top of her PADD. She rolled her eyes when she shut it off, ignoring the shrewd look he was giving her.

He knew that Coulson's interference's were getting the best of her. And while he didn't have a say in what happened at the agency, he did try his best to make her tasks somewhat tolerable. That didn't make the situation any better. She was tired of being overlooked as nothing more than Coulson's adopted daughter.

He was well aware of the fact that she had stronger assets the agency had been looking forward to utilizing. The problem was, someone had been interfering with the agency and ensuring that she wasn't sent out on missions that were seemingly too dangerous. Annoyance swept through her at the thought, mostly because she knew what she was capable of when it came to being thrown into the pit.

"Augments? Really? Since when has that become your area of expertise?" he asked curiously.

"I did a report on them when I was in high school," she explained with a shrug. "I was part of the school's STEM team and one of us had to file a thesis on the study of Earth's evolution. Mine was on modern technology and science."

Clint just looked even more confused when she tried explaining to him the suggestive idea behind her thesis. She knew there were few kids her age who would've chosen something like that as their thesis. When she was first given the assignment, she had begun hearing more and more stories about them from the teachers. At the time she hadn't known much about them, and it gave her valuable insight on how the rest of the world would perceive her.

"You lost me back at the word 'thesis'," he pointed out. "I never even went to school."

It was her turn to look surprised. She'd known for some time that he hadn't graduated from high school, but she hadn't realized he didn't attend any school. Then again, he'd lived out on the streets for most of his life after his parents died at a young age. She couldn't imagine going through something like that. Yet, she realized with a start that if it hadn't been for Coulson, she would have likely been in his position.

God knows where I would be if he hadn't adopted me, she thought bitterly.

She knew in the back of her mind that she was far better off with Coulson than anyone else. Despite how aggravating he could be even at the worst times, she found herself appreciating the fact that he cared so strongly for her. And it wasn't just Coulson that cared so much about her. The more she thought about it, the more she found a family within Tony, Rhodes and McCoy's family. She knew she would have likely been out on the streets had it not been for Coulson, but her experiences in life helped her grow stronger because of the people she met.

"Sorry Clint," she let out a sigh and took a sip of her coffee, deciding it was better not to dwell on the subject. She wasn't in any hurry to delve further into the subject, especially if it was only fueling Clint's confusion. "I take it your mission was a success?"

"More or less," he replied with a shrug of his own. Emily rose an eyebrow when he remained uncharacteristically quiet. She wasn't used to such behavior. On any normal occasion Clint would've run his mouth off until she pushed him away. It was clear something happened while he was on his most recent mission. "I uh… met someone while I was out. She was easy on the eye and pretty easy to talk to… she also wasn't afraid to put me in my place."

Emily almost smirked when she realized that he was babbling on and on. She'd never seen him act this way, even when they first met. And she'd easily put him in his place at the time. So that was how she knew his view on the woman in question was real.

"She must mean a lot to you if you're willing to talk about her this way," she said thoughtfully. "Do you know her name at least?"

"Laura," he replied without missing a beat. She rose an eyebrow in surprise when she saw the look of longing written across his face. One nudge was all it took for him to let out a sputtering cough. Even he was beginning to realize that all his teasing on her relationship with McCoy had led to this moment. "You're never gonna let me live this down, are you?"

"Nope… especially not after the way you acted after finding out that Leonard and I were dating," she rolled her eyes in amusement.

Clint's cheeks flushed a faint shade of red in embarrassment at her comment. He had a feeling that this was only the beginning of dirty jokes that would follow. The best part of it was that if he really did go after Laura like she suspected, this would be the start of a beautiful friendship.

.

.

"He has a crush on someone?" McCoy asked in surprise when she met up with him over the weekend.

His studies had gotten a lot more hands-on since the first year went by. Not that Emily wasn't surprised by that. Most second-year med school students went through the same thing, so it wasn't surprising to see McCoy go through something similar. When she was finally able to take time off from the agency, she wasted no time in paying him a visit. The first thing they did was share a room that night after drinking, neither willing to admit that they were doing something wrong. It felt good just to get out and explore the city with someone she trusted fully. McCoy had proven himself an invaluable partner time and time again.

"Apparently they met while he was on a mission," she nodded in response. "He's been swooning over her ever since."

She added the last bit in a southern twain herself, earning a smirk of amusement from McCoy. Despite having grown up in the south for most of her life, she'd never picked up on the accent. A few of the old students at their school had found that an odd trait of hers, though most of them had quickly learned that she wasn't from the area. Still, that didn't stop her from mimicking their accent whenever she could. McCoy often got a kick out of it, especially knowing that she wasn't technically from the South.

"I'm surprised you never spoke that way at high school," he remarked with a knowing look. Though that didn't stop the amusement from sweeping across his eyes. "You'd fit right in with everyone else."

"And what good would fitting in have done for me?" she snorted in mock disappointment. He of all people knew she didn't enjoy being part of the crowd, especially when it involved social commentary. After dealing with people like Nancy and other kids she'd put up with, she'd quickly learned to keep her mouth shut whenever they tried dragging her into some argument. "It's like you don't even know me, Leonard."

By now, he was struggling not to laugh at her expense. Emily quirked an eyebrow when he suddenly captured her lips with his, holding her close against his chest. She knew moments like these were few and in between. With work at the agency becoming more frequent and his own classes getting more hectic, it had been difficult trying to get together for nightly activities.

"I think that's what I admire the most out of you," he remarked thoughtfully. "You're not afraid to put someone in their place or stand out."

Emily couldn't hide the sheepish grin that followed when she kissed him back, this time without hesitation. She had to admit, she relished the moments when he constantly complimented her strongest points. She knew he didn't need to go out of his way to do so, but he did anyways. And that was what she admired the most out of him.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that if he does decide to court her, we may be asked to go on double dates," she said sheepishly.

McCoy rose an eyebrow at the thought of going on a double date. They'd never gone out with other people unless their families were somehow involved, and even then they were usually on their own. But she was aware that Clint had never actually courted women before. From what she gathered, he'd been on one-night stands before, but that was about it.

"Something tells me that's the last thing on Barton's mind," he rolled his eyes.

"Maybe," she hummed in agreement. "But it isn't as if we aren't experienced in this area."

Hearing his huff of laughter was enough for her to offer a sheepish smile. It wasn't like she was wrong. He of all people understood that they had experienced more than most couples would in a lifetime. She knew full-well that there were few who had to endure the same training she had when she first joined the agency. But at the end of the day, the risks had been worth it.

She gave his forearm a squeeze when they continued their way to the local coffee shop. That had been one of their favorite stops over the last few months. Since they had been busier than ever, either with studies or her training, it was a good way to sit and relax. McCoy hadn't minded getting out of the dorm every now and then, especially if it meant spending time with her.

"How's your report going on the Augments?" he suddenly asked when they sat at a table overlooking a window.

Emily pursed her lips together in annoyance. That report had been going well, but she wasn't sure why the agency was suddenly so interested in the Augments. She had a feeling that nothing good would come out of whatever expectations they had in the Augments, especially if they planned on using them as a weapon again.

"Not bad," she replied with a shrug. She took a thoughtful sip of her coffee and glanced out the window, aware of where this was headed, "I've been digging a bit more research into why the agency is so obsessed with the Augments though…"

Her eyes narrowed as she recalled finding out that the Augments had been experimented on before they became who they were. Scientists were developing new methods leading towards the Super Soldier Serum in the hope of creating the perfect soldier. Those who volunteered were subjected to several treatments, and what bothered her the most was that most of them had been part of the military at the time. The Augments had turned against the scientists. Leading them had been Khan, a tactician officer who'd been hellbent on revenge.

She'd heard horror stories of Khan and how he cruelly led his people. While most of them were stories, she doubted he would treat the modern world so kindly. A shiver of unease swept through her at the thought of having to deal with them at this time and age. Nearly thirteen years of experience taught her that the best thing to do was learn from history rather than repeat mistakes.

"Sounds to me like nothing good would come out of the agency getting their hands on those reports," McCoy remarked after giving it some thought. Emily nodded in agreement, though she didn't bother saying anything out loud. "What I don't understand is why they asked you of all people to run this research?"

"Good question," she rolled her eyes knowingly. "I'm guessing they knew about the report I did back when I was part of the STEM program."

She was never happy doing the research in the first place, but that had been her assignment. She supposed it was fate's way of telling her that she was meant to somehow be their voice. But she wasn't in any hurry of being part of that world, especially since it led to Starfleet. Starfleet was the last organization she wanted to be associated with.

The only consolation she had was that she didn't have to enlist in Starfleet. SHIELD had provided another outlet for her, one where she could prove herself if she was given the chance. The biggest hurtle she had now was that she needed to prove to Coulson that she could surpass all expectations.