Drabble 61: A Night on the Town
A/N: Drabble requested by Spitfire303. I tweaked your request slightly, but I hope you like it! Leave me a review!
Jemma walked out of the airport and into the early morning, eyes bright but bleary. She'd been at a conference for a day, by herself, and she really wanted to get back to the team. The conference had been extremely boring, but Coulson had wanted her to go. And Jemma always tried to do what Coulson wanted. The man always had reasons for the things he did, and had proved to be very trustworthy.
She hailed a cab and rode it closer to the Playground than the airport was; easy walking distance but still concealed. Then she paid the driver and walked the rest of the way to the base, her bag over her shoulder.
When she got there the base was quiet. She had expected that much.
What she hadn't expected was to find the base empty.
There was a note on her bedroom door, telling her that the team was at the nearest bar. Except for Coulson, who was not to be disturbed unless something serious happened. She assumed May was off on her own.
She sighed. Was it worth going down to join them? She was tired. But it would be a good bonding experience for them, and they all needed that. So she threw her bag in her room, changed into fresh clothes, and set out again.
She walked into the bar and started looking for her team. It didn't take long to find them. They were all gathered around a big table, laughing and talking. And looking a bit wasted, she had to say. Jemma shook her head and walked over to them. "Hey guys."
They looked around, and Fitz stood, smiling. "Jemma!"
"Hey." Bobbi said.
"Glad you're back." Skye said.
"Come and have a drink, Jem." Fitz said.
Jemma inspected them and shook her head again. "Someone needs to keep a clear head." She said. "How long have you guys been here?"
"Like two hours?" Skye guessed.
"Relax, sweetheart." Hunter said to her. "We can handle our drinks."
"Or you think you can." She said. Because even in that brief moment all the attention that had been on her wandered. Hunter leaned in close to Bobbi's face and whispered to her low, and she smiled and giggled. That was definitely a sign there had been some drinking. Mack walked over to the pool table and started a game, and Fitz and Skye kept looking at a plan that lay on a napkin between them.
They weren't causing any harm. She couldn't think of a reason to bring them all back to the Playground. So she sat down at the table and ordered a water. She'd watch over them for a while, and bring them home before anyone got into trouble.
Why was it that trouble always found their team? Jemma didn't drink any alcohol, intent on her position as guardian. But after a little while she dozed off from exhaustion. She woke up about half an hour later and looked around, startled. All of her teammates were gone.
"Excuse me!" she said to a barman. "Do you know where my friends went?"
He looked up. "Sorry, I don't."
She rubbed at her eyes and walked to the counter. "Did they pay for everything?"
"It's all settled. But be careful going out."
"Don't worry." She said. She didn't realize he thought she had had too much to drink; she just thought he was being nice. She walked out of the bar and looked around. Where on earth would they have gone?
It only took a few minutes to get back to the base. She decided to check there first, and just hope they were there.
She walked in and smiled in relief. She could hear them all laughing.
The sight she met was strange, to say the least. Mack was sleeping in a chair. Skye was putting whipped cream on his hand while Fitz waited to touch his nose with a feather. It was the most mischievous she'd seen him since their academy days. But Hunter and Bobbi took the prize. Bobbi was holding a pool noodle, cut in half, and wielding the pieces like the pipes she loved to use as weapons. Hunter had a Styrofoam sword in one hand, and a pirate hat on his head. They were circling each other, facing off.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
Everyone turned to look at her. "Playing a trick." Fitz said. He said it with such a straight face and matter of fact tone that Jemma had to try very hard to stifle her laughter.
"What about you two?" she asked Bobbi and Hunter.
"Dueling." Bobbi said. "We can't use real weapons, or we'll hurt each other. So we're using these."
Jemma looked at them carefully. Maybe those two could handle their drinks better than she thought… but they were definitely less reserved than usual. "I understand." She said. "Except for the pirate hat."
"We stopped at a store on our way here, to buy these." Hunter said, gesturing to his sword and Bobbi's 'pipes'. "I saw the hat and thought I needed it."
"Because only pirates can duel." Jemma said.
"Exactly." Hunter grinned. "And ladies love a good pirate. Especially a British one."
Bobbi smirked, and Jemma chuckled. She couldn't tell how much of that comment was the alcohol and how much was pure Hunter. She wasn't sure she'd ever be able to tell.
A small smacking sound brought her attention back to Fitz and Skye, who were running backwards and laughing. Mack was stirring, his face covered in whipped cream.
Jemma wanted to scold them, but at least their fun wasn't harmful. She felt like a mother at the moment, not quite sure what her role was. She had to make sure they stayed safe, but could she force them to go to their rooms? Probably not.
"Let's get Coulson next." Skye said to Fitz.
Now she had to step in.
"You can't get Coulson." Jemma said.
"Why not?" Skye asked, her voice full of attitude.
"Because he doesn't want to be disturbed. You should try to get to sleep."
"Nah, we're not tired yet." Fitz said.
Jemma rolled her eyes. "Fine. But stay in here."
Fitz and Skye looked at each other, and then Skye raised the whipped cream can towards Fitz…
She looked back at Hunter and Bobbi and saw Bobbi repeatedly whacking Hunter with her 'pipes'. She sat down in the chair next to Mack, who had fallen asleep again, and watched them. She was going to have to wait for the crash.
But as she watched them play she felt a rush of affection for them all. Even Mack, whom she hardly knew. She also felt a rush of dark amusement. She had so much material to use against them now.
And she planned on using it to her benefit.