It was two weeks before Phil heard from Daisy again. When he saw the message his heart leapt into his throat. She was okay. No. She was alive. He didn't know how he could ever have thought that she was okay after Maria had shown him Daisy's agency file.

He should have known. He should have helped her.

'Hey.' Daisy's message read. 'Sorry if I scared you, I'm okay, I've just been on the streets for a while.'

Phil knew that. What he didn't know was where. After he and Maria had confirmed that she wasn't at the foster home she was last appointed to, they had run facial recognition on all the cameras in the city but gained no ground. 'Are you okay? Where are you?'

Daisy swallowed, looking around the internet cafe. 'I can't tell you.' She typed. 'I can't go back.'

'I won't make you.' He promised, 'But please, I want to help you.'

Daisy swallowed. 'Look, nothing personal, but I don't want any more help from agencies and people who say they can fix my life. They only ever make it worse.'

Phil hesitated. He knew that it made sense for her not to trust him, or anyone for that matter. 'Okay.' He typed. 'But I want you have have a roof over your head. Let me book you a hotel where you are, then you can at least have a bed, a shower and some food.'

Daisy bit her lip, knowing that she would be kicked out of the internet cafe soon. She didn't trust him. She didn't trust anyone anymore. But she had grazes on her back from sleeping on the ground and she'd barely showered in weeks and she was so so hungry. Maybe just one night in a hotel would be okay. Before he had time to hunt her down. She swallowed. 'I don't want you to try and save me.'

'I won't come and find you unless you're in danger or you want me to. I promise.' Phil looked down. 'I know that my word doesn't mean a lot to you, but it's all I can give you.'

Daisy hesitated, catching the looks a staff member was shooting her. She knew that her fading black eye, dirty clothes, and age singled her out. They'd call the police soon. 'One night.' She typed, feeling her heartbeat increase and her hands start shaking at just the thought. 'And if anyone who's not from the hotel tries to talk to me, I'm gonna stab them with a steak knife.'

Bluster. Just like when she had first hacked his computer. But that threat felt disturbingly real. 'Okay.' Phil agreed. 'Just tell me where you are, I'll sort out the rest.'

It took Daisy a few hours after that to pluck up the courage to actually go to the hotel. When she finally did, she was greeted by the receptionist who claimed that her 'dad' had 'explained everything'. Whatever that meant. Fed her some story.

The second she arrived in her room, Daisy locked the door, jammed a magazine underneath, and collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to take her shoes off. As hungry as she was, as scared as she was, the bed was so comfortable. God, why did she have to live like this? Why did the fact that she had a comfy bed have to be so surprising, the feeling of the soft pillows overwhelm her to the point that she wanted to wrench herself away?

Daisy wasn't sure how much later it was when there was a knock at the door, but she immediately seized the knife she had shoplifted a few days after running away. "Yeah?" She called, trying not to sound scared.

"Room service." A kind sounding voice said back. "I brought your dinner."

Daisy's hand tightened on the knife. "I didn't order any food."

"I know," The voice replied, "But your dad did, and he wanted us to make sure you ate."

Daisy swallowed. She knew that she couldn't be scared forever. She was though. She was scared. She took a breath and opened the door. "Thank you." She mumbled, reaching for the tray.

The woman who had brought it was small, with short brown hair. She had that matronly look to her, but Daisy knew that that didn't mean she couldn't hurt her. She cocked her head when she saw Daisy. "That's one heck of a shiner you've got." She said, nodding to Daisy's eye.

"It's nothing."

"We've got a first aid station downstairs." The woman said gently. "If you need it. Your dad was pretty mad that your school left you behind, I promised you were in good hands." She offered a small smile. "I know it's scary to be by yourself for the first time."

Daisy gritted her teeth, making no reply. "Thanks for dinner." She muttered, then turned to go back inside, jamming the magazine under the door again. The smell of the steak and roast vegetables made her mouth water, and she reminded herself that she shouldn't eat too quickly.

In an attempt to keep herself from getting sick, Daisy ate half the vegetables and half the steak, then took a shower, changing into the hotel provided pyjamas and the fuzzy robe. The soap had stung at her grazes, and her bruises ached a little from the steam, but she felt good. Clean, and clear headed. She glanced at the hotel computer as she picked at the remainder of her dinner, then opened up the emails.

'Hey.' She typed into the IM feature. 'These robes are the best.'

Phil smiled across the country. 'Aren't they? Melinda and I once went to a hotel like that one after a rough mission, I didn't think she'd ever let go of that robe.' He paused. 'I'm sorry I told them I was your father, it was the only way I could confirm a minor for a room by themselves.'

'Okay.' Daisy typed. 'Dinner was a bit much though. I can feed myself.'

'I know.' Phil typed back. 'But I wanted to make sure you didn't miss out. I can't imagine how tired you must be.'

'I'm okay.'

'You don't have to keep saying that.'

Just seeing those words on the screen cracked her open, and Daisy sucked in a shaking breath, the bottled tears finally starting to break free. She hissed in pain as her eye stung, and wiped them away before they reached her cut lip. Yes I do. She thought. Cos if I stop I won't even convince myself. 'I'm tired.' She typed instead. 'Might call it a night.'

'Okay.' Phil typed back. 'You've got the room for another night at least, if you want it, so don't worry about oversleeping.'

'Okay.' Daisy typed. She wanted to say thank you, but part of her was still waiting for this man to show up. To try to hurt her, or worse, take her back to the foster system.

Daisy flipped off the lights, opening the window so that the sounds of traffic would keep her awake, and fixed her eyes on the door. The yellow glow of the streetlight made her knife shine on the bedside table, and she fought sleep.

No matter what anyone tried to tell her, she wasn't safe here.

She wasn't safe anywhere.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Daisy stayed at the hotel for two more days after Phil had booked her into a room. After that she left. She knew that she couldn't stay for much longer. The staff were already suspicious, and she couldn't let anyone take her back to the foster system. She was never going back to another foster family again.

'I'm leaving now.' She typed to Phil before she left the room, looking longingly at the bed. It would be so easy to just stay, take another nap. She couldn't though. She knew that deep down.

She could sense Phil's disappointment even though the impersonal words on the screen. 'Okay.' He typed. 'But stay safe.'

It hadn't even been a week before Daisy went back to an internet cafe and found another offer for a hotel, or, as Phil said, even a B&B, if she'd be more comfortable with that. She hesitated. It was hard. It was scary, and she still wasn't sure if he was some creep who was trying to butter her up or groom her or something, but she was so hungry and cold, and... she'd promised herself that she would never let anyone lay a hand on her again. It didn't matter what this man did, she would never let him touch her.

She surrendered then, though stipulated that it only be a bed and breakfast place, which she chose.

Phil didn't comment on that, nor did he comment that the only thing that place really had going for it was security. He knew that she needed to feel safe, but he also knew that he couldn't provide that right now. If asked what he planned to do, he wouldn't be able to say. He just wanted to keep this girl safe, as much as he could.

It was easier for Daisy to stay at a B&B. There were less staff, less questions, and she could stay for over a week without anyone getting suspicious. Her black eye had started to fade, and she had shoplifted some concealer to hide it and keep people from staring.

Every day was a little easier than the last, and having at least one guaranteed meal a day definitely helped. Sometimes she would get away with swiping an extra bread roll and then there would be dinner too.

Phil looked up when the door to his and Melinda's apartment opened and minimised the email screen, smiling in greeting. "Hey." He said. "How was work?"

Melinda shrugged. "Fine. Barton's trying to get funds for a crossbow again."

Phil chuckled. "What does he need that for anyway? Isn't that betraying his precious bow?" He hesitated. "How's Romanoff? Do you know?"

"Still under surveillance." Melinda said softly. "But it looks like she'll be cleared to work with Barton within a month or so."

"They'd be great together."

"In the field."

"Sure, that too."

Melinda shot him a glare and Phil grinned. "You aren't going to interfere with them."

"Of course not." He said. "It's not like they need the help."

"Phil."

He chuckled. "Okay, fine." That glimmer of fire in her eyes was victory enough. Maybe he was fooling himself, but Melinda did seem to be improving, day by day, in little pieces. He knew he should tell her about Daisy, but at this point he didn't know how. And Phil didn't want to add any more stress onto her plate.

She must have noticed the unease on his face. "What's up?"

Phil shook his head. "Nothing." He said, standing to wrap his arms around her and gently kiss her. "Just- a long day. Don't worry about it."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Phil knew that he had spoken too soon when he'd thought about how much better Melinda had been doing. He hadn't realised how quickly she could regress though. When she had gotten home she'd seemed fine, but by the time they went to bed she had gone back to not speaking and barely looking at him.

"Hey." Phil said, gently cupping her face. "I love you."

As expected, she didn't meet his eyes, but there was something different on her face, past all the quiet and hurt. Something he couldn't quite identify.

Phil would have been lying if he said that he didn't hope that this was just a phase. That maybe Melinda was just a bit tired, and that she'd have gained back that ground by the next morning.

When he woke up she was already gone, and something about that felt wrong. They had always communicated and usually talked out their problems if they could, but Phil felt like he had done something wrong. Something to make Melinda mad at him.

He shook off the thought, like he had shaken off every thought of that nature since Bahrain. This wasn't about him. It was about Melinda, and she was dealing with a lot. All Phil could do was try to help.

And he did try. He did everything he could to show her that he was there for her, but every time he found himself being pushed away. She no longer tolerated his touches, she didn't look at him when he told her he loved her, she barely responded when he asked how her day had been or asked if she'd taken her medication.

Phil wasn't sure if she was even still taking it. He almost checked several times, but restrained himself. He couldn't invade her privacy like that.

He tried to hide his worry. Tried to hide that broken feeling, the knowledge that he wasn't enough. Even with everything he had tried, with how much he loved Melinda, he wasn't enough to help her. Maybe nothing was. If Phil thought that someone else could help her, he would make them.

Phil wished that it could be easy. That he could hold her until her broken pieces stuck back together. He couldn't though. He couldn't do anything to help his wife.

He managed a week before mentioning it to Daisy. Another person he couldn't help, another person who had enough to deal with without him adding to it. 'I'm worried about Melinda.' He typed one night, when she had taken an early night.

Daisy cocked her head from across the country. 'Aren't you always?'

'She's acting different.' Phil replied, glancing at their bedroom door. 'She's blocking me out, she's regressed, badly.' He swallowed the lump in his throat. 'I don't know how to help her.'

Daisy paused. 'Are you sure she's regressed?' She asked. 'Maybe she's just pissed at you.'

'About what?'

'I don't know.' Daisy typed. 'She's your wife. Maybe cos you've been spending money on hotel rooms in other states.'

'It's not a lot of money Daisy.' Phil tried to assure. It was clear that she was waiting for him to ask for something. 'If it means you're off the streets then it's worth it.'

Daisy didn't type for several minutes after that. She didn't believe him, but hey, if he wanted to pretend that he wasn't going to try to get something out of this, she wasn't going to make him confess otherwise. She already had a fake ID and enough cash stashed away to get her to another state if she needed to. She shook herself from the thought. Phil hadn't done anything to her yet. She would wait until he did before shutting him out. 'Still. She might not think so.' She typed. 'What if she saw you booking hotels in other states and got the wrong idea?'

Phil stared at the message, but frowned and shook his head. 'No, I don't think so.'

'Why not?'

'We communicate.' He typed. 'She'd talk to me if she was thinking something like that.'

Daisy shrugged, knowing no one could see. 'I don't know then.' She hesitated. 'Are you okay?'

Phil laughed softly, humourlessly. Daisy was homeless and alone, Melinda was dealing with things he couldn't even imagine. And yet Daisy was worried about him. 'I'm fine.' He typed. 'Just worried about her.'

'That's gotta take a toll though.'

Tears welled behind Phil's eyes and he bowed his head. 'I just miss her so much.' He confessed, weak and afraid. 'I know she's here, I see her every day, but it's like she's not really in there.' He swallowed, wiping his eyes. 'I can't lose her.'

Daisy didn't know what to say. 'I'm sorry.' She typed, feeling woefully ill-equipped for this. 'Maybe you should tell her that. Talking's meant to be important, right?'

Phil sighed, getting himself under control. Daisy was right, communication was important, and in the weeks and months that he had spent trying to help Melinda, he had lost the core of that. They talked, but he didn't say much. He'd been treating her with kid gloves, and he had to stop that. Maybe that was why she had started shutting him out. He'd stopped acting like her best friend.

He should fix that.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Melinda closed her eyes, feigning sleep, when she heard Phil enter their room. She waited until he had settled next to her and fallen asleep before she opened her eyes again, letting herself look at him.

Phil. Her best friend, her partner. Her husband.

She was trying to get better. She wanted to stop seeing that little girl's face whenever she closed her eyes, hearing her voice around every corner, seeing accusation in the eyes of people who had no idea what she had done. She wanted it to have never happened.

Phil didn't deserve someone like her. She didn't deserve him always trying to look after her, telling her he loved her, promising everything would be okay. She knew that he deserved better than her, so why did it hurt that he'd realised that too?

The hotels were one thing. She could accept that. But all those emails and messages from this woman called Daisy... She hadn't read them. She didn't need to, didn't want to see how much more he loved this woman, how easy it was for him to talk to her, how she listened and could relate to his love of all those nerdy things he loved so much. She didn't want to read those messages.

The volume of the messages and the bookings gave Phil's intentions away. He had always been a romantic, wearing his heart on his sleeves. Of course when he met someone he liked he'd send her messages every day, book hotel rooms every other weekend so that he could see her.

She should be happy, Melinda reminded herself. She should be glad that Phil had realised that she was a lost cause, that he had someone else who made him happy, that he didn't need her.

She wasn't happy though. It hurt in a way she never thought it would. Maybe she'd let his hopeful smiles get to her. Maybe she'd let herself think that she could recover some day.

It wasn't going to happen though. The only person who had always stood by her had finally given up.

And that was fine.