Twenty Two

When Tony suggested that everyone meet up for lunch at a shawarma joint, Emily had little to no idea how it would play out. She knew it meant bringing Kirk and McCoy since they had been dragged into their mess. But the tension between McCoy and Clint was still thick. The situation hadn't gotten better when Tony was finally caught up to speed on what happened between them. The genius had been furious of course, if not annoyed that he hadn't beaten Clint to the first punch.

One withering look from Emily was all it took for him to back down though. Getting clobbered once by someone who had been trained to kill was more than enough. As it was, McCoy now sported a black eye from Clint's ambush, and Kirk was less-than-happy with the way everyone had been acting at the Tower. About the only positive consolation she had was that she'd stopped Clint from following through with his threat. She knew nothing good would come out of it, especially with Kirk lingering in the background.

Eventually the others reluctantly agreed to follow through with Tony's request. As annoyed as they were with the idea of getting together one final time before the clean-up process began, it was a nice break. Emily soon found herself wedged between McCoy and Steve after what felt like hours of arguing between Clint and Tony.

Neither had been keen on letting him join in, but McCoy came up with the viable excuse of making sure her wound didn't open up again. She almost smirked when she recalled how Clint reluctantly agreed with the notion, and Tony soon followed suit after seeing the sense in McCoy's warning.

'They aren't gonna give up anytime soon,' she warned him through their mental link. She was grateful the link was still open… after their last argument she had been tempted to sever the bond entirely. At the time she hadn't thought it was worth the risk of letting someone pry into her thoughts. But McCoy was trying to prove himself. He'd taken a risk by joining her on the Hellicarrier, and she knew that risk would eventually pay off. 'Natasha is probably the only reason Clint hasn't followed through, and Tony's too tired to pull off anything.'

'Well, I can't exactly blame them for reacting the way they have,' McCoy admitted while taking a careful bite out of his sandwich. He was still sore from where Clint had punched him. Emily glanced at him warily when she noticed how nervous he was around the archer. And understandably so. 'I'm surprised it wasn't worse.'

Emily held back a sigh of frustration. Everything felt as though it was falling into place. Despite the way he reacted to Kirk's recent discovery, she was still willing to forgive him. That notion alone wasn't something he deserved... at least in his mind. She'd been through hell and back, yet that didn't stop her from caring about the people who wouldn't give a rat's ass about her own wellbeing.

'Clint's been there when I was at my lowest point,' she said carefully. She didn't want him to feel any guiltier than he already felt, but he needed to hear that explanation. He only knew bits and pieces of what she had been through during their time apart, and that was only thanks to the reports that were filed under her bio. 'He was the one who found me when I was… he found me passed out on the bathroom floor. Said he didn't feel a pulse and called an emergency transport team. I don't remember much of what happened prior to that, but I do remember waking up in the ICU feeling like hell.'

McCoy's jaw clenched when he realized what she meant by that. He hadn't known at the time that she could have died if Clint hadn't found her. And it was then that he understood why the archer had been so protective of her. He had seen her at her worst. It was enough of a painful reminder that he'd abandoned her when she needed him the most. Yet when her hand silently reached for his, she gave it a light squeeze.

That action alone left him mentally kicking himself. The fact that she was so willing to forgive him left his mind spinning with unease. He sure as hell hadn't done a damn thing to deserve that forgiveness, especially when he treated her like shit on the Hellicarrier.

He shifted uneasily in his seat, though not without feeling her reassuring thoughts pry through his. He knew she was worried about the rest of the team reacting to the fact that they had been seeing each other again. More importantly, she was worried about how Steve and Bruce would react if they found out what happened between them.

Even though they had only known each other for a short time, Bruce had clearly gotten to know her while they were aboard the Hellicarrier. She hadn't treated him like a threat, unlike others who knew about his alter-ego. Steve was a different story. He only knew that she and McCoy had been in a relationship since they met. He didn't know the fact that they had a relationship prior to enlisting in Starfleet.

'I was an idiot for abandoning you the way I did,' he muttered crossly. 'How the hell could I have been so stupid and selfish?'

'I think it's safe to say we've both made mistakes we're not proud of,' she reminded him. 'The only thing we can do from here on is move forward… dwelling on the past won't get us anywhere.'

She realized with a start how true that was. She'd quickly learned over the years not to hold a grudge on anyone. Anger was a pointless emotion that didn't get her anywhere. It only led to destruction, something of which she wanted to avoid at all costs. Though that was also what fueled her abilities on more than one occasion.

Natasha was the one who told her that she needed to learn how to utilize her emotions to control her abilities. That was the only way she would learn to understand just how powerful she truly was.

"It's so weird the way you two just seem to read each other," Tony remarked after watching them for a brief period. Emily rose an eyebrow and looked at him incredulously, but he merely shrugged and took a nonchalant bite out of his sandwich. "Just an observation… you've been making faces since we got here."

She shared an uneasy look with McCoy after realizing what he meant by that. When she first met other telepaths they made no mention about making faces when they communicated with each other. Professor Xavier had been a prime example of that notion. Though he also had years of experience to train himself not to express emotions when he was communicating with someone telepathically. There were others who held strong emotions and still made it look easy.

She knew that was something she would have to work on later down the road. The last thing she wanted was for people to suspect that she and McCoy were silently communicating with each other. Though she also planned on only using that form of communication whenever there wasn't an emergency happening.

"It's complicated," Emily finally answered after realizing Tony was expecting some kind of response.

It was awkward enough with McCoy and Kirk being there. Neither of them had played a role in the battle… and of course, neither did she. But she was still part of the team… if the boss allowed it. Tony just rose an eyebrow at her comment, though he didn't bother indulging himself further. She knew he would ask more questions about the bond they had, and Emily suspected it wouldn't be long before he really began prying into McCoy's backstory.

Kind of ironic considering Tony's pretty much known Leonard for so long, Emily nearly rolled her eyes at the thought.

"So you're saying you grew up together as neighbors?" Steve decided to cut through the awkward tension filling the air.

With Kirk sitting at the far end of the restaurant, she wasn't surprised by his growing unease. She understood why Kirk acted the way he had… he was nervous around the team and herself. After the way Clint treated McCoy, she couldn't blame him for being so wary around them. Though she wished he would understand why she'd chosen the agency over Starfleet.

"Pretty much," she replied with a shrug. She'd heard this song and dance enough times to know exactly where it was headed. Bruce had asked something similar back on the Hellicarrier, and she'd given him everything he needed to know. Though even he was curious as to what their full story was. He hadn't seen the confrontation between McCoy and Clint, but judging from the tension between them, he could tell it wasn't anything good. "I think it's safe to say Papa made the right call in moving to Georgia."

McCoy only snorted at that, though not without feeling a little smug as she leaned further into him. She had to move carefully to avoid opening her wound again. McCoy made sure that she wasn't pushing herself too hard. After spending a few hours treating the injury, he wasn't in any hurry to restitch it if it opened again.

"Coulson said that you mentioned something about having some kind of bond," Natasha put in with a thoughtful look. She ignored Clint's scowl as she kicked him from under the table when he tried voicing his own opinion. Emily was grateful for the notion… she didn't need to hear more of how annoyed he was with her than she already had. Natasha was already pointing out the one subject that Tony had been interested in since they arrived at the restaurant. "I'm assuming that's how you were able to stay so close."

Emily grimaced at the thought of having to explain the bond they shared. Though it seemed to grow whenever they were together, it stopped when they were apart. She was only just beginning to understand the meaning behind it. He was her Imzadi… nothing would ever change that. But that didn't stop them from having their fair share of arguments over the years.

"It's hard to describe," she admitted guiltily. She shared a look with McCoy, not missing the unease sweeping across his gaze. Even he wasn't sure what the full extent of their bond was. "I'm still trying to figure out the full extent of it myself, but it's like a lifebond. Sort of like how Vulcans pair together, but on a much more intense scale."

'That's putting it mildly,' McCoy scoffed through their link.

She hadn't missed the fact that Kirk was listening to them with keen interest. Though he tried looking bored as hell, it was obvious he had been interested in their conversation. Emily almost wished he would join them so that he had a better understanding of what was happening between them. Though she doubted that would change his mind over the fact that she was a part of SHIELD.

"That explains a thing or two," Tony snorted in annoyance. "Doesn't mean I'm in any hurry to forgive you for the way you treated her. You know you've been nothing more than an asshole to her for how long?"

"Yeah, I am more than aware," McCoy retorted with equal annoyance. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Tony pointedly. There had always been tension between them, even before they started dating. Emily knew that tension was purely out of jealousy and something else she couldn't quite describe. "But I'm also aware that she means a hell of a lot more to me than some random woman I've picked up from the bar."

"You old romantic," she nudged him playfully as Clint rolled his eyes in disgust.

Emily didn't miss the fact that Kirk had faltered a little at McCoy's last remark. She knew he was infamous for picking up woman from the bar. After getting to know him a little better, she understood where that came from.

During their time apart, she'd picked up more than her share of men at the many bars she frequented while on missions. That had become one of her best ways of releasing some pent-up stress. McCoy only knew about some of her one-night stands… it was best not to push the boundaries farther than she already had.

"There is a clause that protects outsiders from the agency," Natasha said thoughtfully. "Yet your family apparently already filled out an agreement with the agency."

"Pa figured it'd be good to sign up when he and Coulson became good friends," McCoy explained after shifting uneasily beside Emily. "Guess he knew what he was getting himself into."

She allowed herself a faint smile at that. If it hadn't been for his father, she likely wouldn't be there to this day. She knew in the back of her mind that she owed his family so much more than what she had to offer. But McCoy made it impossible for her to return the favor, more so for his sake than her own. It was his way of reassuring her that she would always have a place that felt like home, regardless of their relationship.

"We've already set up a funeral date for Coulson," Tony explained when the team began splitting up. Emily wasn't surprised that Clint went off with Natasha. Considering how annoyed he was with her, she doubted she would see him anytime soon after all was said and done. Guilt stabbed her in the chest as she thought of everything that happened between herself and Coulson. "He's done more than his fair share of Avenging even in the past. He deserves his place on the team."

"Thank you, Tony," she let out a quiet sigh as he pulled her into a careful hug. After realizing she was still recovering from her most recent patchwork, he was careful not to make it worse. Emily wasn't surprised by the notion, especially with McCoy standing nearby. "It's going to take time for me to get over losing him… he gave me a second chance."

"You sure you'll be okay?" Tony asked after glancing at McCoy warily.

He was well aware of how close they were even after enlisting in the Academy. Emily explained to him that she stopped by McCoy's place a few times after the divorce from hell. She never wanted him to feel alone after everything he went through, knowing full-well what it was like to be in that position.

If only Clint and the others could overlook it as well, she thought guiltily.

It would take time for Clint to forgive McCoy, if he ever did at all. Emily swallowed hard at the thought of what might happen if she ended up losing her best friend. The last thing she wanted was to think of that. Especially in light of recent events.

"I'll live," she nodded in response.

Tony quirked an eyebrow at her, but he knew she wasn't going to admit whether or not something was bothering her. Instead of pushing her, he shook his head and offered a faint smile before giving her some much needed alone time. In the morning they would reunite one last time before parting ways for good.

For now, she had the rest of that night to discuss matters with McCoy before he and Kirk were sent back to the Academy. Speaking of which, Emily turned to face McCoy as he reached her. She couldn't help but flinch when Kirk glared at them, but his expression was short-lived when he was finally led back to the Hellicarrier.

"You know he isn't going to back down from his challenge," she murmured when his hands reached her waist. The moment their eyes met was when she found herself swimming within those hazel eyes. "He's even more stubborn than I am, and that's saying something."

"Yeah, he is," McCoy rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Doesn't matter though… if that kid speaks up all hell will break loose."

Emily held back a sigh of frustration at that. She was well aware of how right he was. Kirk wouldn't hesitate to give away her position, and she knew nothing good would come out of that. The only thing she could do at that point was stay away and hope for the best as life went on at the Academy. Though it wouldn't be easy to part ways with him, she knew it was necessary for their sake.

"I know," she said quietly. She let out a heavy sigh as she leaned forward and kissed him without hesitation. McCoy welcomed the gesture without missing a beat, relishing the way she felt against him. As difficult as it was for either of them to part ways, she knew it would ensure their future. "It won't be forever."

'We can keep in touch with each other this way, at least,' he added through their mental link. Emily couldn't hide the sheepish smirk that followed when she realized he was using it without hesitation this time. Though he had plenty of chances to get used to it by now. 'Kid would have a field day if he knew we could keep in touch like this.'

'Oh I'm sure he would,' she rolled her eyes in amusement.

McCoy held her close when he realized this would be the last time in months they saw each other. Neither of them wanted to admit that leaving the other behind was the worst thing that could happen to them. For Emily it was that much worse, because she knew McCoy would have the freedom to choose between Starfleet and whatever future the world had in store for him.

"I love you," he whispered.

Her heart was fluttering with joy at that. She kissed him firmly on the lips, ignoring the look of surprise that followed.

"I love you too, cowboy," she whispered back without hesitation.

If he wasn't grinning before, he was now when she reaffirmed his response. They reluctantly parted ways after that. Emily was forced to watch from a safe distance as he too was led to the Hellicarrier. She let out another sigh as he finally disappeared into the Hellicarrier, though not without looking back at her one last time. She knew in the back of her mind that this wasn't the end. Of that she was certain.

.

.

The streets of Manhattan were oddly quiet as the team gathered around Central Park. A solemn atmosphere hovered around them. Emily found herself standing beside Natasha as Loki was pushed along by Thor.

His hands were bound in cuffs after SHIELD took custody of him. According to Thor, the cuffs were made of some kind of magic that prevented him from teleporting away. Emily could tell from the look written across his face that he'd tried multiple times and failed.

Barely two days had passed since the battle of Manhattan. Since then, McCoy and Kirk had returned to Starfleet Academy. Emily had promised McCoy that they would find a way to keep in touch until she returned. It was impossible to tell when she would return. Kirk had already promised that he would find some way to tell the Council that she worked for SHIELD and ruin everything. She had no doubt in the back of her mind that Kirk was capable of pulling off that stunt. It wasn't a matter of 'if' he would do it. It was a matter of when.

Thor finally turned to face the team after making sure that the Tesseract was in a secure case. It took some convincing on his part and Steve's to ensure that the Tesseract returned to its rightful home. Emily knew that the Tesseract was a dangerous weapon to have on Earth. Especially if it was placed in the wrong hands. She just hoped that this was the last they would see of said weapon.

It was almost strange to think that everything had ended so quickly. Emily recalled how SHIELD had been so determined to use the Tesseract as a weapon, and to design new weapons. When she reflected upon it, she understood just how dangerous it was to tamper with such an ancient object. The best thing to do was leave it in the hands of the Asgardians. They knew how to handle the weapon and how to keep it secure.

"My friends, it is with great reluctance that I must take my leave so that Loki faces punishment for his crimes on Midgard," the Asgardian informed them.

Emily wrenched her gaze from the ground, keeping her eyes guarded when Loki looked in her direction. She knew Clint must have told him everything about them. His expression was just as impossible to read, but she thought she saw the slightest hint of fear sweeping across his green eyes. Her jaw clenched as she held that piercing gaze, knowing full-well she could and would kick his ass if he tried pulling off any stunts. Then another thought crossed her mind.

Weren't they a cloudy blue before? she wondered absentmindedly.

She frowned at the thought. Clint and Selvig had had similar cloudy eyes when Loki used his scepter to control them. Now she began to wonder how it was possible for Loki to have the same eye-color, and for it to change so dramatically.

"Just make sure you keep that thing as far from Earth as possible," Steve gave him a firm nod.

He had been angry with Fury for using the Tesseract to make weapons. It was bad enough the Red Skull had used the Tesseract for such methods, but to see SHIELD use the same tactics was too much. Hopefully they learned from their lesson and didn't interfere with alien objects again.

"We shall do our best to keep the Tesseract out of the hands of Midguardians," Thor replied with a reassuring smile.

"Take care of yourself, Thor," Emily added when she realized that this was likely going to be the last time they saw each other for a while.

"And you, Lady Coulson," he returned the gesture with a charming smile.

Emily rose an eyebrow when she heard Tony scoff at the mention of 'lady'. He knew she could easily kick his ass, so he didn't dare say it out loud. One withering glare from her was enough for Tony to clamp his mouth shut and throw his hands up in defense.

Once Thor took off with Loki and the Tesseract in hand, she noticed that a strange pattern was left behind on the ground. Selvig had explained that those patterns were the ones Jane had been studying nearly three years ago before the New Mexico incident.

The others finally began parting ways after they were gone. There wasn't a point in staying behind unless the situation demanded it. Natasha and Clint went off on their own – Emily heard Clint mention something about visiting the family before going on a much-needed vacation. Bruce went with Tony to explore the possibilities of working together.

That left Emily with Steve, who seemed to struggle with his own issues. She couldn't imagine what it was like for someone who'd basically trained themselves to fight for battles. While Steve had lived a relatively normal life before becoming Captain America, he lived for the thrill of battle. Once it was all over, he didn't know what to do with himself.

"So… you and McCoy are officially together?" the Super Soldier reluctantly asked.

She glanced at Steve self-consciously when she noticed he'd ruffled the back of his hair halfheartedly. It took a few seconds for her to realize that he'd been watching them so closely now. Since they had been getting to know each other at the base, Steve had been interested in the fact that she spoke so fondly of McCoy. Heat rose to her cheeks as embarrassment swept through her.

"More or less," she replied with a shrug. She chewed the bottom of her lip as she wondered how they were going to take the next few years. If Kirk had his way, she would never be allowed back at the Academy. Though she knew McCoy would likely throttle Kirk if he tried pulling off that stunt. "Papa was anything but happy when he found out we were seeing each other again… Clint and Natasha weren't either, but Clint was also the one who saw what our breakup did to me."

Steve gave her a wary look as he guessed that was a story for another day. She didn't want to admit that she'd gotten low. There were times in her life when she thought of ending it. The only time she had ever been suicidal was after she and McCoy stopped talking. When the nightmares started, she resorted to cutting herself in order for the pain to keep the nightmares away.

McCoy never once questioned where the scars came from that covered her wrist, but she knew his curiosity was growing. Sooner or later, she would have to tell him the truth behind those scars, and she dreaded the moment that would happen.

"You know, the two of you seem close regardless of what the others say," he remarked thoughtfully. "It's obvious that he cares about you."

She simply returned the gesture after realizing he was right. She wasn't entirely sure what she did to deserve that kind of care. Years of tolerating her presence had taught her that she hadn't done anything worthwhile to earn that kind of love and care. Not for the first time, guilt stabbed her in the chest at the thought of dragging McCoy down with her.

She knew that was part of the reason Kirk had been so annoyed with her. Because she worked for SHIELD, there was always a possibility that she could end up injured or dragging anyone close to her down with her. And truthfully, that was something that had always bothered her. The last thing she wanted was to put McCoy in that position. He meant so much more to her than another asset to the agency.

"I'm not sure what we're going to do now," she sighed irritably. "Kirk's not going to hesitate in telling everyone that I work for SHIELD."

Steve looked down at the ground thoughtfully as he tried to understand the situation she was in. It was impossible to determine whether or not that would actually happen. He suspected it would. After seeing the way Kirk behaved around them, it was obvious he didn't trust Emily.

"I know it's not exactly in my place to say this, but you would probably be better off following your instincts," he finally said. Emily rose an eyebrow and caught the quick look he threw her, "I'm not just saying this to make you feel better. You and McCoy already have an established relationship. Going back to Starfleet might not be the best option for you now, but give it time."

Emily swallowed hard as she let his words sink in. She told McCoy the same thing just a couple of days ago. It seemed almost surreal to think they had thought the same thing. Yet, Steve's advice made the most sense. They were both better off waiting until Kirk let it slide, or he found something else to focus on. Hopefully by then, she'd be able to return to the Academy.

AN: This is the end of the first Avenger's movie. Bits of Iron Man 3 will be added into the next chapter, so spoilers are ahead for those who haven't watched it. Aside from that, I'll be moving on to the first Star Trek movie. Hopefully I'll do it justice by merging two worlds into one XD As always, comments are always welcome, and thanks for reading!