Twenty Nine – — …
When she first signed up for the agency, Emily had little to no idea what to expect. She never imagined going on missions would feel as exhilarating as they did. Or that she would find herself another brother through Clint. The archer had become more than just a friend to her. Like with McCoy and everyone else she had gotten to, she could feel the connection between them forming. It was a strange sensation that left the skin along her arms crawling with unease. The pull she felt towards McCoy had been much stronger… she couldn't explain how or why that pull was so much stronger, but she knew it had something to do with how close they were as kids.
She was only just beginning to notice that her abilities had something to do with that pull. The more she began looking into it, the deeper understanding she had of how it worked. First came the trusting phase… it took weeks for her to open up to people, and it wasn't just because of what happened on the Kelvin or at the SHIELD facility. She realized with a start that her abilities also had something to do with it. She'd begun looking further into what she was capable of as a result of her recent discovery. She knew there were people out there who would easily take advantage of such powers… being able to manipulate those around her was something she never considered, nor did she take advantage of it.
"I just want you two to meet," Clint let out a sigh of exasperation as he caught her in the labs one afternoon. Emily nearly rolled her eyes when the archer leaned against the desk and gave her a pleading look. He knew she would easily give in when he offered her that 'puppy-dog' look, something of which she found herself hating more often than not. Tony sometimes pulled off that look too, though it was easier to turn him down since they'd practically grown up together. "She's not comfortable enough to meet up with me alone, and I know she'll get along with you once you open up to her."
"If I say yes will you leave me alone?" she retorted when she realized he wasn't about to leave anytime soon.
"What are you working on anyways?" he asked after giving no response.
Emily held back a sigh of her own and glanced back at the holoscreen. Images of the first time she and McCoy first met suddenly flickered across the screen. She wasn't aware that Coulson took those pictures for future references. But she knew he'd done so just to keep tabs on the people she met. Then a picture of when they first met at the facility appeared, along with Doctor McCoy.
"That's the facility where Papa first met me," she explained warily. "Leonard's father was also there the day he arrived… Doctor McCoy has an agreement that lets him work on patients who are considered an 0-8-4. I wasn't sure what to make of them when we first met…"
She chewed the bottom of her lip when she caught Clint eyeing the screen with surprise. He shifted from foot to foot uneasily when he realized she looked… scared. But as he saw the burns and other injuries that covered her skin, it suddenly became apparent why she was so terrified. She'd only been awake once or twice when Doctor McCoy was there. But she could clearly make out his voice when he talked to her that first time they met.
"I didn't realize you were an 0-8-4," he said thoughtfully. "You're covered in burn marks and other injuries."
Unease crawled through her as memories of the Kelvin incident suddenly came rushing back. Clint looked equally uneasy when he noticed the lights were flickering on and off. It only took a split second for him to register that she was losing control. But as quickly as her emotions began to spiral, she quickly regained her composure and pursed her lips together.
"It's nothing to worry about," she brushed it off with ease. Clint gave her an incredulous look as she shut off the screen. "So, when are you planning this 'date night'?"
She struggled to hide the cheeky grin that threatened to follow when Clint shook his head in disbelief. He knew something was on her mind, though she would never admit it out loud. Instead of arguing over the fact that she was changing the subject, he quickly gestured for her to follow. She hesitated in doing so, but she knew better than to stay behind and ignore the request.
"There's a diner not far from the academy grounds she picked," he explained while leading the way out. "I'm sure you've heard of it."
Emily just punched him in the arm when he gave her a knowing smirk. He knew she and McCoy had gone out on a few lunch 'dates' during his visits to the agency. The diner had become a popular hotspot for them whenever coffee wasn't available or healthy. Though if she was being honest with herself, it was a good chance for them to unwind and be themselves without being scrutinized.
She swallowed hard as they reached the diner in question. A woman with wavy brown hair stood in front of the main entrance, pacing around while muttering under her breath. Emily rose an eyebrow and shared a knowing look with Clint. But almost as soon as they arrived, the woman stopped her pacing and looked at Clint warily.
"Laura, it's good to see you again," he greeted her without hesitation.
The woman just stared at him with mutinous eyes.
"You're late," she snapped without missing a beat. "When you said be here at noon I thought you were being serious. I showed up around ten of hoping you'd be on time. And to make matters worse, you've brought another woman."
By now, Emily was struggling not to laugh when heat rose to the archer's cheeks. It was the first time she had ever seen him look so flustered. Even when they first met he'd never acted that way. Clint rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment as he struggled to find the right words to explain himself. Eventually, he looked at Emily as if begging her for help.
"Don't mind me," she shook her head in amusement at his expense, "Clint just brought me along to babysit in case he pulls off any stupid stunts."
"You're a real help," Clint muttered under his breath. "Laura, this is my friend and coworker Emily Coulson. We've been training together at our jobs since we first got hired."
It took everything she had not to snort at his expense. She knew he was having enough trouble trying to keep his head straight. The situation didn't get much better when Laura eyed her critically. Emily held back a sigh of frustration as they got inside the diner and ordered drinks and meals. She was relieved that the diner itself served alcohol. She couldn't shake off the feeling it would be a long night, especially when Laura kept giving her curious looks. Fortunately her com kept going off; Coulson was checking in on her along with McCoy. She ignored Coulson's message - she knew he was worried she'd been overworking herself, though she would never admit out loud whether or not she was.
'Clint decided to introduce me to his girlfriend,' she sent back. It took a few minutes for McCoy to respond. Emily glanced over her shoulder to see that the pair were still talking. She almost scoffed when she noticed they were completely oblivious to the rest of the world. 'Do we really just ignore the rest of the world when we're together?'
'More or less,' McCoy finally sent back. Emily rose an eyebrow in amusement when she saw the confused emoji that followed. She doubted McCoy would understand what she meant by that question. Clint had always found some way of complaining about the fact that he was always a third wheel around them. Now she suddenly found herself understanding what the archer meant by those complaints. 'So, what's she like?'
'I can see why Clint's so into her,' she replied without hesitation. 'Though something tells me the only reason he dragged me along was because he felt guilty.'
She wondered for a brief moment how many times she and McCoy had ditched Clint in favor of going out for the night. The thought suddenly left her feeling guilty. She knew what being in a relationship was like. It was new and exhilarating, along with numerous adjectives. But once reality kicked in, they needed to start focusing on their friends and the outside world. It wasn't until hearing a light cough from Laura that Emily glanced up.
"Clint's told me a lot about you," the other woman finally intervened. Emily furrowed her brows together when McCoy sent her another message. This time it was a picture of the labs he was currently stationed at. She knew in that moment that he was busy with his studies, so she decided to put her com away before causing further distractions. "I heard that you're adopted."
She stiffened in surprise when Laura brought up a rather uncomfortable subject. Then she glared in Clint's direction as the archer sputtered a cough while taking a sip of his whiskey. He hadn't meant for the subject to be brought up. But Laura had been curious as to how they knew each other. The only thing he could do in that moment was change the subject with a more interesting story.
Of all the stories to tell her, why did he have to tell her mine? she wondered.
She detested the idea of sharing her past with anyone she didn't know. Clint was lucky to know as much as he did through the SHIELD database, which was normally reserved for agents higher up in the ranks. The only reason he knew the full scoop was because she finally caved and told him about getting adopted by Coulson and being disowned by her own parents.
"I was adopted after my parents decided I wasn't worth keeping," she waved it off with a shrug. Laura gave her a look of surprise as she ordered a shot of bourbon, ignoring the look Clint was giving her. He already knew he was on thin ice after telling Laura that she had been adopted. "It was honestly the best thing that could have happened to me."
Laura seemed to take those words into consideration. Her own brows furrowed together as she glanced at Clint, who whispered something under his breath. Emily rolled her eyes at the uncomfortable silence that followed, knowing full-well that she was the reason behind said feeling. She had a feeling that it would be like this for a while until Laura got used to seeing her.
She pursed her lips together as she thought of how easy it had been to fall under old habits. Back when she was in high school and even middle school, trust had been difficult to come by. Nancy had shattered what little trust she had when she started dating McCoy. Then to make matters worse, she'd ended up betraying McCoy by seeing a man twice their age.
"Alright Coulson, what's your deal?" Clint finally cut through her thoughts when Laura excused herself to use the bathroom. It was clear her presence had been making the other woman uncomfortable. Not that Emily couldn't blame her. She swallowed hard and tried pushing the uneasy thoughts aside as she took another swig of her drink. "I've seen you take on enemies twice your size, but you froze up around Laura."
"Since when is giving away someone's personal history ever a good idea?" she hissed under her breath. Clint rose an eyebrow in surprise when he realized what she was implying. "I know you like this woman but telling her everything you know about me is out of the question. She's done nothing to earn my trust."
Clint just rolled his eyes at the accusation in her voice, "Oh, like you're some kind of saint when it comes to keeping secrets. How much have you told McCoy about the agency? I'm willing to bet he knows just about everything about myself too."
Emily narrowed her eyes dangerously. She knew he made a valid point. McCoy had known long before she joined what the agency was like. But she hadn't told him about Clint and what his background was like. She let out a sigh of frustration and suddenly paid off her tab, deciding it was better not to stick around and continue arguing.
She hated being drawn into confrontations in the first place. She and McCoy had fought time and time again, as any couple would. Some of those arguments had ended in epic shouting matches that left people reeling in shock. And usually for McCoy's sake, they ended in miserable failure. She wasn't in any hurry to do the same with Clint, especially when this had been his idea in the first place.
"I'm done here," she snapped before he could make things worse.
She didn't bother checking to see if he was going to follow. If Laura really meant so much to him, he would likely spend the rest of the night venting off to her. Emily shook her head at the thought, knowing full-well that this might have ruined whatever friendship they once had.
.
.
Emily let out a sigh of frustration as she paced back and forth in the labs later that evening. When she first agreed to go with Clint on his date, she knew nothing good would come out of it. She half-expected things to go a little more smoothly, but the moment Laura addressed her presence was when she'd frozen up. And the realization that she froze up left her recalling how she would act whenever she met someone new. Unease crawled through her at the thought. She could still remember freezing up whenever Doctor McCoy or some other dominant male figure would approach her. While she had gotten better over the years thanks to months of therapy and working with McCoy, there were times when that familiar instinct kicked in. That confrontation with Laura was just another painful reminder of how extensive the trauma she suffered from was. She tried pushing the thoughts aside when an alert suddenly went to her data PADD.
"Can we talk?" Emily rolled her eyes at the sound of Clint's voice cutting through the tense silence. She merely glowered at the archer when she realized he'd known exactly where she would be. Hiding in the air vents was out of the question. She hated feeling as though she was trapped… that only brought on another painful reminder of her time in the escape pod. Clint's jaw clenched when he saw what she had been looking at before his arrival. Images of the Kelvin wreckage were scattered along the screen, along with the survivors and the victims of said attack. Her name, small as it was, was also etched under the name of Doctor Matthew and Selene Hayes. "Wait a minute… Hayes? Why does that name sound familiar?"
Her eyes narrowed with renewed fury as she caught the curiosity sweeping across his eyes. Clint didn't seem aware of the research she had been working on since they returned. Yet as he studied the screen curiously, he began to piece two and two together. He realized with a start that there was a connection between the three of them.
"You've likely heard about them from the news conferences regarding the Kelvin incident," she replied.
Her voice was quiet as she looked at the images once more. The records revolving around herself and her parents had long-since been scrapped thanks to SHIELD's efforts. The agency hadn't wanted any past information revealed to the rest of the world. When Coulson chose to adopt her, he made it perfectly clear that her parents were to have no contact with her after the process was finalized.
"Look, do you wanna tell me what's really bothering you?" he suddenly demanded. Emily grimaced when he crossed his arms and gave her a stern look. "First you were doing research on your abilities, and now this…" He paused as realization dawned on him. "It's the anniversary, isn't it?"
She forced back another sigh of frustration as she finally shut down the screen. It was difficult enough to address the situation at hand. When Coulson agreed to adopt her, she fully expected her life to change for the better. A large portion of it had. But there were times when she found herself wondering what her life would be like if she was still with her parents.
"It's been a good thirteen years since that incident," she explained warily. "Yet I can remember it like it was yesterday. Captain Kirk had me on the bridge when it happened, it was his turn to watch me since his wife was so close to her final term. When the Romulans attacked, he was the one who pushed me into that escape pod."
"He's the reason you're still alive," Clint realized as her words sank in. She let out a shuddering breath as she gave a reluctant nod. She felt guilty enough for what happened to him. "Why look into all of this now?"
She let out a tired sigh as she looked at nothing in particular.
"That incident with Laura just reminded me of what I was like before Papa brought me home with him," she admitted guiltily. "Before I got to know Leonard or his family better, I would always freeze up whenever someone tried approaching me. It was a natural instinct; they would tell me. The therapist concluded that because of the way my father treated me and everyone else on the ship, I would probably always live with that reaction."
Clint's brows furrowed together when he realized what she meant by that. He hadn't known before than that she had gone through any of that. He was well aware that she suffered from some kind of trauma – her reaction that one day during a training exercise proved his theory – but he didn't know just how deeply the trauma ran. He let out a sigh and suddenly closed the distance between them. She shrank back immediately, and Clint frowned when he realized what was happening.
"Em, you know I wouldn't hurt you," he reminded her with a pointed look. It wasn't until he suddenly reached for her hands and gave them a light squeeze that Emily finally made eye contact with him. Another shiver swept through her, this one for a whole different reason. "We've been training together for almost a year now, and we've gone on missions together. I've seen what you're capable of, and I sure as hell know that you're better than what you think you are."
For a moment, she didn't know what to say as realization dawned on her. The moment her eyes met his was when she knew another connection had been formed. She could feel the warmth and affection rolling off of him in waves, though it wasn't nearly as strong as her love for McCoy. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, leaning into him as she buried her face into his shoulder.
Clint held her for what felt like hours that night. He'd known for some time that she suffered from nightmares and other problems. He just hadn't realized until then how terrible said nightmares were. It was enough for him to wonder how she and McCoy were able to overlook said nightmares. More so when he knew how much they looked out for one another. And he knew in that moment he would look out for her. It was at that point when he realized that she had become his unofficial sister. And nothing was going to change that.
.
.
"I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot the other night," Laura apologized when they met up again, this time alone.
"It's not entirely your fault," Emily reassured her with a knowing look. She understood that trust was difficult to come by, especially if Clint had warned her already. "Papa was the one who taught me not to trust anyone right away."
Laura gave her a thoughtful look as she explained why that was the case. It didn't take long for either of them to get into a more relaxed conversation. She realized with a start that Laura was like any ordinary citizen, just finding a way to survive in this crazy world. She worked as a sales associate at one of the local stores. It was through her job that she'd met Clint… or technically, she was on her way to work when he'd saved her life.
The two of them had taken time getting to know one another. Emily suspected Clint left out a lot when it came to her personal history. The brunette was obviously curious since she'd seen Emily's reaction the other night. Thankfully though she hadn't said anything regarding her earlier reaction. She wasn't in any hurry to explain what led to that reaction. Or what led to what felt like hours of talking between herself and Clint.
"So I have to ask because I know he hasn't been completely honest, but does he really work for the FBI?" she suddenly asked.
"He and I work in the same field," Emily nodded in response. It wasn't technically a lie, and it was an excuse she and the others had been working on when they were asked. "Did he mention that I was the one who kicked his ass when we first met?"
Amusement swept through the other woman when Laura heard that remark. She doubted Clint would have told Laura everything, especially since there were a few stories he would have rather left out. The biggest challenge was figuring out what she could tell Laura and what needed to be kept secret. At least until Laura could be trusted.
"What about you and McCoy? You seem rather fond of him," Laura remarked thoughtfully.
"Leonard and I have been friends since we were kids," she admitted with a sheepish look. "It wasn't until around high school that we started dating."
The brunette rose an eyebrow in surprise when she realized what Emily was implying.
She couldn't hide the small smile that followed as memories of their time together suddenly came rushing back. She knew there weren't many who had such luxuries, and she didn't try taking advantage of it. Because McCoy was still taking classes at med school, they didn't get to see each other as often. But that didn't mean they never had time for each other.
"Do you really think we stand a chance?" Laura suddenly asked when they were finished. Emily glanced at the brunette doubtfully when Laura suddenly looked down at the ground. "I mean, you both have your cool FBI jobs and I'm just a salesclerk in nursing school."
Emily allowed herself a rare smile and suddenly took hold of Laura's hand. She realized with a start that in ways, they were alike in that aspect. Not once did she think she had a chance with someone like McCoy. After all, he was just a civilian who ended up getting caught in her world. But he'd readily accepted her despite their differences.
"It isn't an easy job, but something tells me that if he really cares about you, he'll keep coming back," she reassured her. "I know Leonard has done the same."
Laura returned the gesture with a smile of her own. Maybe they had gotten off to a rocky beginning, but Emily could see there was more to her than meets the eye. She just hoped that Clint didn't find some way of screwing this up, because Laura seemed like a good fit for him.