Twenty One

"I'm still not sure how you were able to stay awake through all of this without the use of sedatives," McCoy complained as he finished the last of his stitch work. It had taken most of the battle for him to repair the damage caused by the stab-wound. To add further insult to injury, he was forced to tear off the suit that normally concealed her scars. Kirk was forced to look away the moment he realized what McCoy was forced to do. Emily was saved from the sheer embarrassment of Kirk seeing her half-naked when she was stripped of her uniform for McCoy to reach the injury. Though she had a feeling he stole a few quick glances, but luckily McCoy blocked his view. Once McCoy was finished tending to the worst of her injury and blocked out the bleeding, he finished by patching the injury with what little medical equipment he had. Emily was relieved when he offered his jacket for her to wear, covering whatever bare skin was visible. "Most people would've asked for one by now just to block out the pain."

Emily nearly rolled her eyes at the accusation in his voice. Though to her surprise, and to her relief, his hands hadn't left her stomach once he was finished tending to her injury. She couldn't hide the sheepish grin that followed as she felt his accusing glare bore through her. He of all people knew it was pointless to keep her from throwing herself into harm's way.

The only thing he could do was try and repair the injuries she often endured. She was grateful for his acceptance to the fact that she was constantly putting herself in danger. McCoy had no control over her actions regardless of how many times he complained about it, and she preferred keeping it that way.

She grimaced when she felt Kirk glaring at them once again. Kirk stood on the sideline for most of the time. He had to duck every now and then when a few Chitauri crashed through the window of the Tower, but luckily neither he nor McCoy were dragged into the fight. Emily was grateful for that notion.

She didn't want to think of what might happen if they were dragged into their mess. Despite how annoyed Kirk was with the idea of her working for SHIELD, she didn't want him getting hurt because of her mistake. McCoy didn't deserve that kind of treatment either, but he was willing to take those risks because he'd always known about the agency.

Leonard's always been better at keeping secrets than I have, she thought bitterly.

It was ironic when she thought about it. She'd gone out of her way to keep Kirk from finding out the truth when it was her fault he found out in the first place. McCoy had done a good job at deterring Kirk from figuring out the truth behind her job. She was the one who somehow got herself into this mess. And of course, it always seemed to be her fault. Just when it seemed as if things were finally picking up for them, it always seemed to come crashing down on them.

It wasn't until glancing at McCoy that she found herself swimming within those hazel eyes of his. Not for the first time, Emily found herself wondering how she'd gotten lucky enough to meet someone like him. She knew he deserved better; she had enough baggage to carry the both of them across the world twice. But, that hadn't stopped him from keeping up with her, or getting to know her for that matter. And Emily realized with a start just how much that meant to her.

They had always been there for each other, through thick and thin. She was only just beginning to realize that McCoy meant more to her than she could ever admit out loud. He was one of the best friends she could have ever asked for. In spite of the constant arguments and throwbacks they somehow got themselves into, they still looked out for one another.

"Well, Clint always did like to joke around that I was too stubborn to die," she admitted with a sheepish smile.

McCoy only rose an eyebrow at her halfhearted attempt at joking, though she suspected he was still unhappy with what had happened. She did try reassuring him that she would stay out of trouble. But, she also reminded him that her job was always an occupational hazard. Emily suspected he was only just beginning to realize what she meant by that. Still, that didn't stop him from worrying over the fact that she was constantly putting her life in danger.

He was fully aware of what her job entailed when it came to security details. Yet, McCoy had always cared about whether or not she got hurt. She supposed that was one of the reasons they were able to get along so well. McCoy was one of the few men who actually gave a damn about her whenever something went wrong. True, their relationship had a few rocky bumps in the past, but it seemed as if life was finally falling into place for her.

It's strange to think that someone actually does care about me so much, she thought.

True, she always had Coulson to look back on. He would always be the overprotective father she loved. Despite how annoying he could be at times for that reason, she would always love him for the sacrifices he made over the years. And it wasn't just Coulson she had to rely on… Tony would also always be there as her unofficial adopted brother.

"The good news is, you'll more than likely recover from that injury," he sighed after reluctantly pulling his hand away. Emily rose an eyebrow when their eyes met. "Though, Lord only knows how." She couldn't hide the sheepish smirk that followed, especially when McCoy leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. "It's a good thing you're stubborn as hell."

Again, she couldn't hide the sheepish grin that followed upon hearing that. Though, it quickly faded when Kirk let out a cough to remind them that they weren't alone. Emily nearly rolled her eyes upon seeing the kid standing not far from where they were, arms crossed over his chest with a defiant look.

He managed to keep his distance for the time being, realizing with a start that they needed some privacy. She grimaced as she noticed the coat McCoy had given her was only just covering her most important assets. She was suddenly grateful Tony offered a spare change of clothing through Pepper; even if it wasn't her usual style or taste, it was better than nothing.

She knew she was in for an earful once everything was done and over with. The worst of the battle was finally over; now it was just a matter of sending in the rest of the Chitauri army through the portal Loki had created. Still, that didn't stop Emily from glancing at McCoy self-consciously as she wondered how he handled the situation aboard the Hellicarrier. She knew it couldn't be easy to suddenly be thrown into a mess that wasn't even theirs in the first place.

"I'm guessing Papa chewed you out before all of this happened?" she asked curiously.

Emily tried bracing herself for whatever hell Coulson would give once this was over. He had been concerned over what would happen once everything was all said and done. As her father, Coulson had every right to worry over any relationship she was involved in. The problem was, she never knew what to say or how to explain the sudden rush of emotions she always felt around McCoy.

Hell, Coulson was never happy when he knew they were seeing each other again. But she ended up defying him every second she could, knowing full-well that McCoy meant more to her than anyone she'd ever met. The moment McCoy's face fell was when she knew something terrible had happened.

"Em… he didn't make it."

For a moment, it felt as if the world had suddenly stopped spinning. Emily's eyes widened in disbelief as realization finally dawned on her. Her thoughts drifted back to how she had been able to push Coulson aside before Loki stabbed him. Then the world went dark for a brief moment before she found herself in the prison cell. It took a few seconds for her to register the fact that McCoy was being blatantly honest with her rather than avoiding the subject.

"He… he what?"

"Coulson sustained serious injuries to the hip and his chest before he even reached the weapon's vault," McCoy explained through clenched teeth. He wasn't any happier with relaying this information than she was to receive it. "We did everything we could, but he didn't make it."

She wasn't sure how to respond. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. She hardly noticed the fact that tears blurred the edge of her vision until feeling McCoy carefully wrap his arms around her. Her mind was churning with anxiety as the cold realization from earlier turned into grief. For a moment, McCoy was afraid she was going into shock when she let out a quiet sob, burying her face into his shoulder to hide the tears.

The last thing she planned on doing was letting Kirk of all people see her crying. It was bad enough he didn't seem to care whether or not he gave away her position with SHIELD. Knowing that he would see her when she felt the most vulnerable was far worse than that.

Kirk was already awkward as it was when he stood there watching them. He rubbed the back of his neck guiltily after realizing he shouldn't have been there to ruin the moment. Yet it still annoyed him that McCoy couldn't see how dangerous Emily was. He never saw her in action during the battle, but after experiencing the receiving end of her wrath, he knew full-well just how dangerous she truly was.

The problem was, this only seemed to bring them closer than ever. He knew that they'd practically grown up together, so in a way it made sense for them to be so close when a lot of what happened to them was similar. He was almost envious of them for that notion. He wished that he had that sort of relationship, but the moment his older brother took off was when his life had taken a turn for the worse.

"So… this is SHIELD?" Kirk finally cut through the awkward silence that followed, as if he wasn't sure how to react.

He had been watching the scene unfold with mild embarrassment. He was more embarrassed with the way he'd been acting earlier than anything else. How McCoy was able to provide comfort for the woman who had been lying to them was beyond his understanding, and he did hate to interrupt their moment. But, he also wanted to get straight to the point.

Emily threw him an icy look when they reluctantly pulled apart. She was still trying to get over what had happened to Coulson. But it seemed as if Kirk was only going to make her life much more difficult if she continued ignoring his presence entirely. She chewed the bottom of her lip as she thought of everything she had tried explaining to McCoy.

He'd accepted it easily enough because he already knew the truth. He was one of the few outsiders who came to her readily when she needed someone to talk to, and that hadn't changed when they both enlisted in the Academy. She finally exchanged a glance with McCoy, and he only rolled his eyes as he looked back at Kirk.

"No. This is the Avengers," she answered truthfully, glancing out the window to where all the chaos was currently happening. "The team… it was an idea that was created by Fury when he realized the world needed more than just superheroes running around. He thought I would make a good candidate because of my abilities." She grimaced as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Guess he never counted on me getting stabbed in the stomach by Loki."

"And I'm guessing this attack gave him that window of opportunity," McCoy muttered after realizing what she meant by that.

Because of her powers and what she was capable of, Fury had assigned her to the same team. But she'd suffered from numerous injuries, leaving her out of the battle while everyone else fought alongside one another. Guilt stabbed her in the heart at the thought. She knew she could have put up just as much of a fight if she hadn't been so damn stubborn.

Kirk eyed the pair thoughtfully when he realized what Emily meant by that. At the time, he hadn't thought much of why she chose to work for SHIELD. But seeing how the team operated once they got their shit together made him understand why. Even so, that didn't stop him from thinking back to the way she had lied to him all the time at the Academy.

"I still don't get how you were able to bypass Starfleet security the way you did, and without feeling anything from doing so," he deadpanned.

"Do you really think that I was given a choice in the matter?" she snapped without missing a beat. Her eyes narrowed with fury, and Kirk took a step back when he saw just how dangerous she could be when she was unhinged. "I was forced to enlist in the Academy because my boss thought I was somehow the most qualified agent for the task! My parents made me realize just how much of a shithole the Academy really is, along with Starfleet itself."

The Tower suddenly fell icily silent, save for the eerie sound of fighting down below. Emily glanced over McCoy's shoulder in time to see that Natasha managed to snag one of the Chitauri's ships; she realized with a start that the battle must nearly be over. Once the battle was over, their lives would forever be changed from there. Emily knew she wouldn't have time to get everything off her chest, so she vented off to Kirk before they parted ways.

He just stared at her as if she'd grown wings. His mouth opened once before he closed it, as if he wasn't able to comprehend what she just said. It was a lot of information to take in. She rarely talked about her parents. McCoy knew the most of what they had done to her, and that was the worst part of it. He'd been more than sympathetic after finding out how abusive her parents were. But, he only knew the small details she'd given him.

She recalled the conversation she had with him on the com the day Loki had attacked the base. Kirk admitted that his mother tried to hide the photos that were kept of when she had been with his parents. Though those moments were few and in between, the fact that she still kept some of those photos meant more than she would ever admit out loud. It also meant that Winona had likely talked to Kirk about the girl she and his father met on the Kelvin.

"Wait a minute, isn't Coulson your father?" he asked with an incredulous look.

Emily nearly rolled her eyes upon hearing that question. She remembered mentioning on more than one occasion that she was adopted. But of course, Kirk hadn't been listening at the time. Then again, she supposed she shouldn't have been too surprised. He was always more interested in finding ways to gain her trust rather than actually getting to know her better.

"He adopted me after my parents decided that I wasn't good enough for them," she snapped once again, this time the tone of her voice like chips of ice. "If it wasn't for him… I probably wouldn't be here right now."

Kirk's face fell upon hearing that bit. Until then, he hadn't realized that she would have likely been out on the streets if Coulson hadn't taken her in. Or, she would have been in a worse position. She could already imagine organizations trying to take advantage of her, especially since she had powers and abilities that would make anyone greedy enough drool.

She could still remember what had happened at the compound all those years ago. Those men had tried controlling her just like her father would in the labs. When that didn't work, they went to working on methods that would suppress her memories. None of their machinery had worked, and not for the first time, she found herself wondering why that was the case. She suspected it had something to do with her abilities, given how she was always able to adapt to certain situation.

"Lord only knows what would happen if someone found out about that IQ of yours," McCoy rolled his eyes knowingly.

She frowned at that, knowing full-well nothing good would have come out of that. She knew she was better off getting adopted by Coulson. Not only had he given her a second chance at life, but he also showed her that she didn't have to live up to anyone's expectations. It was one of the best things that could have happened to her.

"Neither of you should have gone through this," she admitted with a heavy sigh. McCoy leaned down once again so that he was within eye-level, making sure that their eyes met every few seconds while ignoring Kirk's presence. "God knows the last thing either of you need is this kind of stress added on your shoulders."

"Considering Starfleet ain't much better, this is nothing," McCoy reminded her with a snort of amusement.

He threw Kirk a glare that said it all – most of this was his fault anyways. They would have been in safer hands had Kirk not allowed his curiosity get the better of him. Though, Emily had a feeling that someone would have found out sooner or later that she worked for SHIELD.

It wasn't until hearing a loud rumbling sound that all three of them looked towards the windows in alarm. Emily narrowed her eyes when Loki stumbled into the penthouse. He suddenly looked as if he'd seen better days when he managed to recover. Though, his recovery didn't last long when someone else literally smashed through the already broken windows.

Kirk had to leap out of the way when the mass of green lunged at Loki. The whole scene would have been hilarious if it wasn't for the fact that both Kirk and McCoy were standing so close. A shiver of unease swept through her when she realized they could have easily been dragged into the battle.

God knows how miserably that would have failed, she reminded herself.

Kirk and McCoy were not part of SHIELD. While Bruce wasn't either, he had a good excuse for being part of this fight. Neither of them should have been dragged into this, and she wished there was a way to get them out of it before it got any worse.

"Enough! You will fall beneath me, you foul—" Loki wasn't given the chance to finish his rant when the Hulk suddenly grabbed him.

Emily couldn't help but wince when the Hulk began tossing him around like a ragdoll. By the time the Hulk was finished with Loki, he really did look like a mess. She knew that he should have paid for all the trouble he caused. Yet, in that moment, she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of sympathy towards him.

"Puny god," the Hulk grumbled before turning to look at the three humans.

"Hey Bruce," Emily greeted him just as the Hulk's gaze reached her.

She almost laughed when the Hulk bore his teeth in a wide grin. Though she never experienced the Hulk in person, Emily could see why so many people were terrified of him. Yet, there they were standing there in disbelief as the Hulk grinned at three strangers. She was only just beginning to notice there was something almost human about the way the Hulk acted. Maybe he was able to retain some of that humanity within him, despite what Bruce said.

"Where's a camera when you need one?" Kirk mumbled under his breath. Emily drew in a sharp breath as the Hulk leaped back out of the tower, though not without glaring at Kirk. "Maybe I'll just hide behind the couch this time."

Emily rose an eyebrow in amusement, sharing a knowing look with McCoy. She knew they still had a lot to discuss. Between Kirk's accusations and the fact that she had her own mess to deal with, she doubted they would catch a break anytime soon. She supposed the only consolation they had was the fact that the battle was mostly over.

They barely had time to recover from that incident when the rest of the team finally arrived. Emily nearly rolled her eyes as she struggled to sit up. The pain from earlier was finally beginning to turn into a dull throbbing thanks to McCoy's handy work. She had to admit, she was grateful that he had been there. Something in the back of her mind told her that she wouldn't have made it if he wasn't there.

"Do you have any idea how damn worried I was?" Faster than anyone could react, Clint suddenly pushed his way past and nearly crushed her in a bear hug.

"Clint, I can't breathe!" she snapped, though Emily didn't bother hiding the relief in her voice after realizing he was back.

She let out a rush of air when he finally released his grip, ignoring the steely-eyed look McCoy was giving him. Considering he'd just finished stitching her up, she couldn't necessarily blame him for being so annoyed. One wrong move and her injuries would suddenly open up again. The last thing any of them needed was for that to happen.

"After the hell I've been through, a hug isn't gonna cut it," the archer muttered crossly. But almost as quickly as he hugged her with a powerful grip, it was released when he glared at McCoy. "And you, you sorry excuse for a son of a bitch!"

No one was prepared for the moment when he suddenly slugged McCoy across the chest. He hadn't had the chance to brace himself for the impact, and the wind was knocked out of his lungs almost immediately. Kirk was ready to jump to his friends defense when Emily reached over, ignoring the withering look Clint was giving them.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kirk demanded when he reluctantly reached them.

"No, I deserved that," McCoy choked out after managing to catch his breath.

'That was way out of the line, even for Clint,' she reminded him as she helped him back to his feet.

"You're damn right you deserved that for hurting her," Clint snapped without missing a beat. "Next time it's gonna be an arrow, not my fist."

Emily grimaced at the thought of letting something like that happen. She knew full-well Clint wouldn't hesitate to resort to such lengths. She shared a knowing look with McCoy when he recovered from the incident. Though it was clear Clint's threat would loom over his head for the next few weeks.