Fitz joined Simmons and Melinda in the lab twenty minutes later, while Phil spoke with the rest of the team in his office. He returned to the lab to tell her he would help sweep the playground for any suspicious activity and that he wanted her to remain there with the baby until they finished. She didn't exactly enjoy being left behind but knew there was little she could do with Leia. Phil knew that too, and had obviously expected her frustration because he was quick to assure her she had a job to do and that was keeping their daughter safe. The affection in his tone and his eyes left her with little to argue with.

It wasn't until much later that day they all met back in the lab. Phil came in first, over to where she'd been sitting with Leia while she'd been listening to Fitz and Simmons argue for the last few hours. He offered to take the baby from her and was still holding their daughter as everyone slowly filled the room and gathered around them.

Daisy's eyebrows rose the moment she walked in and stayed up as Phil explained to everyone what happened. When he finished, all were silent except for Daisy, who asked, "Leia? Like, as in Princess Leia?"

Phil looked over at her then at Daisy, smiling a big goofy smile. "I certainly dig it."

Daisy's face became thoughtful. "You know I always thought any kid of yours would be named Lola or Peggy."

His eyes may have danced with unbridled amusement, but Melinda shook her head. There was no way she would ever let Phil name their child after a car or, even as much as she admired her, after Agent Carter. "Absolutely not," she said, crossing her arms. "Not in this universe or any other."

Phil grinned over at her. She felt her stomach flutter. He really had to stop smiling at her like that.

"Wait, hold on. How do we know she's just a baby?" Mack asked. The look of disbelief on his face told her he didn't share in Phil and Daisy's amusement about the situation. Melinda had expected the doubt from some and steeled herself for what was to come. "How do we know she isn't some alien ready to transform and kill us all the moment we let our guard down?"

Simmons shook her head. "No, I've triple checked all of my scans. There is no evidence to support anything of that sort. She is just as she looks. An innocent infant."

"I don't understand how this happened. You said she was from another world?" Elena asked looking at her.

Melinda nodded, but it was Fitz who answered her question. "Well, yes, and no. Simmons and I believe she came from another multiverse."

"And what the hell is that exactly?" Elena replied, not without frustration.

Fitz stepped into the middle of the room, his hands steepled in front of him. He had the attention of everyone as he began, "The easiest way to explain it is with the Director." He held out a hand towards Phil. "Let's imagine that before Loki stabbed him in New York, there was a moment where there could have been two separate outcomes. One where he lived by shooting the real Loki and one we all know, where he didn't and died." Phil frowned, Melinda could tell from his look he wasn't exactly happy to have New York brought up but didn't stop him. "Quantum mechanics suggests that every time there is a conflict such as this, the physics doesn't know what to do with the information thereby the timeline of history splits. So in theory, in this example, there's a universe where the Director wasn't stabbed at all, and then there is this one here. They are all divergences in time."

"Hold on. I thought this had nothing to do with time travel," Daisy said carefully.

Fitz held up a finger. "No, you're thinking of changing the events of the past or future and that's not what this is. Besides the only way that's even possible is with precise control over the universe… you'd have to be someone like… like..."

"Stephen Strange," Phil supplied. All eyes turned on him. His look became wistful. "I wished I could have worked with him... but that was after, you know."

Melinda bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. He was such a nerd, but he was her nerd.

"Exactly," Fitz said, continuing not allowing to be detoured which Melinda appreciated. She'd been up for most of the night and the exhaustion from everything going on was quickly sneaking up on her. "This isn't changing time because the other May didn't come from our timeline but her own."

Mack shook his head. "I'm getting a damn headache trying to wrap my mind around this. I thought multiverses were all a bunch of theoretical made-up mumbo-jumbo."

Fitz sighed loudly before pressing the tips of his fingers against his closed eyes. "They're not mumbo-jumbo… at least not all of it." When he looked around at everyone again, he did so with tired eyes. "Look when it comes down to it, the science has never been exactly proven and yes, it's sketchy at best. What I have explained barely skims the surface on the many theories of a multiverse, but it explains what happened here today better than anything else we could come up with."

"So, in other words, you don't really know for sure," Elena said. Melinda stared incredulously at her but she refused to look at her.

"Is the kid a danger to us all, yes or no?" Mack asked, bluntly, and though she knew it was for the safety of them all Melinda still bristled.

"No," Fitz assured.

Phil stepped forward. "I know you all are anxious, May and I are just as worried about why and how this happened. What we can be sure of is that this wasn't some attack as more of a drop-off situation. So until we find evidence to the contrary, Leia will stay with us and from here on out we will be operating business as usual."

Elena and Mack eyed the baby warily.

Melinda's face hardened.

She was about to tell them off when Daisy spoke up from beside her. "Guys, this isn't the strangest thing to happen to us. The other May brought the baby here to save her from a dying world. She was just trying to keep her kid safe. I don't know about you guys, but crossing multiverses to save their kid… that's something May and Coulson would do."

"Thank you, Daisy," Phil said.

Touched, Melinda reached over and laid a hand on Daisy's shoulder.

"I agree," Elena finally said, "if our world was ending and I could save my niña by taking her to another version of myself I would do it in a heartbeat."

Her words seemed to bring Mack around too. "Alright."

"We appreciate that," Phil said, and she sighed heavily beside him. He looked over at her giving her a look of reproach but she crossed her arms and held his stare making sure she conveyed her it took them long enough look. She could tell he was about to smile so he pulled his gaze away from hers. "Look, we're all tired. We've combed this place from top to bottom and come up with no sign of anything out of the ordinary. I say for some of us who need it, we get some much-needed rest."

Everyone agreed, Mack and Elena left first, followed by Fitz and Simmons. The young woman stopped beside her to tell her if she needed anything she could wake her. Melinda nodded and thanked the young scientist for all her help.

Daisy was the only one left, and she pushed herself away from the table she'd been leaning on. She approached them hesitantly as she asked, "Hey so, can I hold her?"

"Sure," Phil said, then carefully handed the baby to Daisy.

Melinda smiled as Phil came to stand next to her, placing a hand on her lower back. As tired as she was, she didn't let herself worry about what it might mean or how it might look and leaned into his touch.

"Hey Leia, it's nice to meet you. Do me a favor and take it easy on these guys. They don't have as much experience as your other parents. It might take them a while to get it together."

Melinda narrowed her eyes. "Hilarious."

Daisy grinned at her, undeterred. "When you get older, I'll teach you how to climb trees and play hide-and-seek. I know where your dad hides the good cookies he's not supposed to be eating from your mom." Melinda looked up at Phil. He looked back, shaking his head he gave her a look like he had no idea what she was talking about. She rolled her eyes. She'd known where he hid them for years now. "We'll stay up late and watch movies while they're off on missions..."

"You realize you just took yourself off the babysitter list," Phil told her but Daisy ignored him too.

"And when you're old enough to drive, we'll get your dad to let us take out Lola..."

Phil stepped over to Daisy. "Okay, holding times over. I'll take her back now."

The walk back to their rooms was eventful. When she brought the baby to the lab it had been in the middle of the night when the corridors were damn near deserted. Now, however, it was in the middle of the day, and the late afternoon had the halls filled with staff making their way to and from stations, guards on their patrols, people going on and off shifts. They must have drawn the eye of nearly everyone on base. Most of the looks they received ranged from startled to confused. It wasn't every day you got to see the Director and his second-in-command walk down the hall with a baby.

She ignored the stares and began to take a left that would lead to her quarters when she heard Phil from beside her. "Do you think it's wise to take her back to your room?"

Turning, she took the few steps separating them. "You think the other me might come back?"

"I honestly don't know what to think. We don't know what kind of tragedy brought her here. If someone might come looking for her. I just want to keep her safe."

"What are you suggesting?"

"My place?"

"Sounds good to me, but I'll need to grab a few things from mine first."

She had Phil hold Leia while she grabbed her essentials, something to sleep in, and a change of clothes for the morning. She listened with a smile while he talked to their daughter, showing her around the room while she packed her bag. Leia listened with rapt attention, about how much of a badass her mother was and how as soon as she was old enough Melinda would have her on the mat next to her, not that she understood a word he said, Melinda just liked to think she loved listening to Phil's voice. When she was ready he passed Leia back to her and offered to carry her bag which she let him do but drew the line at him taking Leia's bag from her shoulder.

Back in Phil's room, she watched as Phil dropped her bag on the bed then began picking the place up. Her lips pulled up, watching him tidying the place. A discarded pair of sweats on the bed, a pair of shoes kicked off by the bathroom door. She found it cute he thought he needed to clean the place when the place wasn't messy to begin with.

"I thought we could put her in the chair," he said, gesturing to the armchair a few feet from his bed. She raised an eyebrow, and he held up a finger. "I know what you're thinking but If we turn it," he moved over to the chair and moved it so that the front was against the side of the bed, "she can't roll out and it'll be a sort of bed until we can get her one."

"It works," she said, trying not to smile too much at how little he knew about babies. "But just so you know, she won't start rolling for a little while."

"Oh, right… Well, you can never be too safe." He smiled and her top teeth sunk into her bottom lip. "Why don't I take her? You can go put away your things or take a shower. I'll get things situated here, maybe get us something to eat."

"You sure?"

"Oh yeah. Take as long as you need. Simmons sent me some vlogs on babies and first-time parents. I'll probably watch a couple of those."

"Vlogs? Really, Phil?" They were inexperienced parents, sure, but vlogs? Whatever happened to figuring it out as you went? He shrugged noncommittally, and she shook her head. "Just let me know if she wakes up."

"I can do that."

As exhausted as they both were, after having a handful of grapes and reheated left-over Chinese they shared the night before, they got comfortable in his bed neither thinking too much about how at any other time than this it might have been a little awkward.

She picked the side next to the baby and for the longest time, simply watched her daughter sleep. Phil was behind her, his head propped up on his hand doing the same. She reached over and gently lowered her hand, letting it rest on the baby's belly. Her hand rose slightly with every little breath she took. It was still so surreal. This tiny, precious baby was and yet wasn't hers.

She felt a bond forming the moment her other self placed her into her arms but so far she had done a good job holding it at bay. She wanted more than anything to give in, but there was still a part of her heart that warned her not to get too attached.

In her mind, there were still too many knowns. She was sure the moment she gave in would be when her mother came back to take her. Melinda didn't think she could take having to give her back after letting herself get close. It would break her.

She saw the look on her other self's face. The sheer heartbreak. No, she needed to be sure first before she put her heart out there on the line. If it wasn't already too late.

"They were married," she whispered into the quiet of the room.

She felt the bed dip, and then Phil's arm around her middle. "How do you know?" he asked, his voice just as quiet, but said into her ear making a shiver run down her spine.

God, how long had it been since she let someone hold her like this?

"She was wearing a ring."

His chin settled on her shoulder. "Probably after the academy."

She rolled her eyes. Yeah, right. "The academy?"

"Sure, why not?" he asked his tone sounding mock hurt.

She twisted to look up at him. "You're telling me you think you had the courage to ask me to marry you back then?"

"I think I may have had the courage to ask you out," he said, and she could just make out a bit of color in his cheeks. "When do you think they got together?"

"My money's on Russia."

His brow furrowed. "You were just starting to date Andrew."

"I know, but I took that mission to," she paused and closed her eyes hating how vulnerable her next words would sound but they were the truth and if Leia would have resulted from that truth long ago she was tired of denying what she felt... what they felt, "I took it to be with you. If we hadn't waited…"

"We'd have been together," he finished for her. Neither spoke for long moments, she reflecting on all that was finally said, and everything they still left unsaid. His hand that had been resting against her stomach moved up beginning a soft caress up and down her side. "Who knows, the world could differ greatly from this one. Maybe we met in a bookstore or on a blind date?"

A deep feeling a want settled low in her belly. "You're such a hopeless romantic," she said then cursed herself at how breathy she sounded.

"I like to think so."

"Do you really think someone might come after her?"

He sighed before answering. "No. Nothing in her letter indicated we should expect something like that. I think if there was something that would threaten her she would have told you. Still doesn't mean I won't worry about it."

"Same." The thought alone had her wondering if this was even the best place to have her. Maybe she should take the baby and leave for a while somewhere away from here somewhere safe. She could always ask… Realizing she would sooner rather than later call her mother, she groaned. "What am I going to tell my mother?"

"That you and I got married and had a child together." Her eyes widened, and she turned to look at him. He must have realized how that would sound because he added, "I'd add in the 'in another universe' part."

She huffed a quiet laugh. "You know how well that's going to fly," she muttered.

"About as well as it would if I piloted the Zephyr. We should probably try to sleep. She'll probably be up a few times and we should think about taking a trip into town and getting some things for her. We prepare the playground for a lot of things, but a baby isn't one of them."

Phil and his need to always be prepared. It was fine but how long would they have her?

He turned toward her, his hand coming up to rest on her arm. "I know what you're thinking. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attached already." She looked away, guilt flooding her chest. "Mel, no matter if it's us or them, Leia will grow up safe and loved. As far as anyone is concerned, while she's here, she's ours. Only we'll be the ones to know we got left out of all the fun that was had in making her."

She smiled into his pillow. "God, you're horrible," she muttered, but she was sure he heard the amusement in her voice because she could feel his chest rise and fall behind her with his silent laughter. She rested back against him and closed her eyes. She could so easily fall asleep in his arms and would have but then felt Leia stir right before she heard soft sounds of her whimpering. "Hey sweetheart, I'm here. I'm here."

Phil sat up too and flipped on the light on the nightstand next to his side of the bed. "Can I help?"

She got to her feet, grabbing the black bag where Leia's things were still and placed it on the bed. "Could you grab a bottle from the fridge while I change her?"

Melinda picked up Leia, settling her against her chest and kiss her soft hair.

"Sure." He padded across the room to where he had a small mini-fridge. "Does it need to be warmed?"

"Yeah, just run it under warm water for a couple of minutes. It doesn't need to be hot, just body temperature."

"Got it."

She sat on the bed and gently lowered Leia to lie in front of her. She smiled down at the baby who was looking up at her with her dark eyes, wide awake. Leaning forward, she kissed her cheeks unable to resist how utterly adorable she was. The sleeper the baby wore was white but dotted with lavender hearts that varied from right-side-up to upside-down. It was cute, but definitely something Phil probably picked out.

"There you go baby girl, all clean," she told her little girl as she snapped the last snap of her sleeper. "She picked her up again, holding her out in front of her to give her even more kisses.

Phil returned with the bottle, he was smiling down at them when he held out the bottle for her. "Here you go."

"Thank you," she told him then turned her attention to the little girl in her arms. "Are you hungry?" she asked even though she knew the answer. She put the bottle up to the baby's lips and Leia took it, greedily sucking it down. She chuckled, rubbing her thumb over her cheek. "That's it."

Phil leaned back against the headboard and without thinking, followed so she was beside him, leaning against his side.

"You're already a wonderful mother," he said after a moment. "I don't think she knows a difference."

The baby made soft whimpering sounds while she drank making them both look down at her with soft smiles. Phil reached and ran a hand over her head, brushing her dark hair.

For a long while, they stayed like that. Watching Leia drink, talking to her when she looked up at them with her curious eyes. As her belly filled though, the drowsier she seemed to become so that when the last of her milk was drank, her eyes were closed, fast asleep again.

Melinda had Phil get her a clean hand towel from his bathroom to use as a temporary burp cloth. They would definitely need to go shopping soon.

With Leia on her shoulder, Melinda patted her back gently.

"I can't believe I missed the best part," Phil said making her tilt her head at him.

"What? Her birth?"

"Well that, too, but really," he paused giving her a bashful smile, "I'd have paid good money to have seen you pregnant." She rolled her eyes and yet felt heat creep into her cheeks. The bashfulness swiftly became something more akin to pride. He reached up and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Fearsome. Protective. Beautiful."

She scoffed lightly as not to wake the baby. "Unbelievable. You weren't even the one to get the job done and still you're smug as hell."

"No, but it was a version of me and I'll take what I can get."

"I'm sure you will." Truthfully, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a little sad she didn't get to experience that part of Leia's life. Her daughter let out a burp and stayed asleep when Melinda placed her back in her little makeshift bed of blankets. "We should get some sleep while she does."

She and Phil got settled back into their same positions. He reached back and switched off the light as he told her, "Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll be one of those babies that sleeps through the night?"

Closing her eyes, she breathed in deep. His pillow smelled like pine and laundry soap. She felt his arm as it slipped around her and she moved back until she felt his chest against her back. "I'll settle for a long nap at this point."