Daisy watched the scenery speed by on her second connection, trying not to dwell on what Phil and Melinda wanted from her when she arrived. What they might do to her. It had only been two days since she had talked to them on video chat, and yet apparently that was enough time for them to talk the foster agency into giving them emergency custody and book her train tickets interstate.

It scared her a little. Everything was happening so fast, Daisy didn't know what to do. She had packed her very limited possessions, printed off her ticket at the reception of the bed and breakfast, and been on her way. Everything was organised. Was this how other people felt? Was this what it was like to be safe?

Or was this just the start of even more danger?

Daisy spotted Phil long before he saw her, and she took her time making her way over to him, trying to hide her fear. She had her backpack slung over one shoulder, ready to swing at someone's face in she needed to.

She could do this.

Daisy moved closer to where Phil was, and saw his face light up when he saw her. He waved, as if she couldn't see him, and she waved back half-heartedly. As she got closer she could see something else take over his features. Surprise. He probably hadn't realised how messed up she was. Skinny and broken.

"Hey." Phil greeted warmly. "Melinda couldn't get away from her desk, she sends her apologies." Daisy shrugged and he reached out. "Here, let me take your bag for you."

Before he even touched her bag, Daisy had retreated a few steps back, clinging to the bag.

Phil stared, surprised, but then held up his hands peacefully. "Okay." He said, "I won't. Sorry, I was just trying to be polite."

Daisy swallowed and continued to hold her bag in a white knuckled grip. "Thank you for coming to get me." She muttered.

Phil shook his head, gesturing for her to follow. "It's not problem Daisy. Come on, I'm sure you need lunch, there are leftovers in the fridge at home."

The car ride was awkward, but Phil tried to fill the silence. "You're welcome to use my computer if you want." He said. "I can probably get another work issued laptop without too much trouble."

Daisy shrugged.

"I know you don't want to, but it's really important that you go back to school." He said. "There's a few in our area. We're not going to make you go back right away, but how about at the start of next semester? That gives you a few weeks to settle in first."

Daisy shrugged again.

Phil hesitated. "Look, I know that this all happened really fast and you're a bit overwhelmed. Heck, I'm kind of overwhelmed too, but we'll figure it out, okay?"

"Okay." She said softly.

Phil raised an eyebrow. "You're not as chatty in person, you know that?"

Daisy cringed. "Sorry."

Phil groaned internally. "It's okay, I'm not mad or anything, just... surprised."

Daisy swallowed. "I'm glad things between you and Melinda worked out."

"Thank you." Phil smiled. "Sorry if she came off as a bit harsh the other night. In fairness, she'd thought I was having an affair five minutes before you called."

"It's okay."

They fell into silence after that, and Phil was grateful that the station wasn't far from home.

Daisy tried not to look curious as he pulled up next to the block of apartments, but failed. It was nice. Good neighbourhood, pretty garden out the front. She eyed up all the exits as they entered. Nice that they had fire escapes that couldn't be blocked off, and which she could easily get to. She pushed past the trepidation when Phil gestured for her to join him in the lift, watching the lights for each floor pass.

Phil caught her looking. "We're on the ninth floor." He said. "It's a little high up, but we get a good view if you're not scared of heights."

"I'm not."

"That's good then." He said, the doors opening. "I was going to make homemade pizza for dinner, do you have any allergies?"

"No."

"Anything you don't like? I was thinking I could make one with extra chillies on it for you and Melinda to try."

Daisy shrugged. "Not really."

"Okay." He said softly, reaching for his keys. "Here we are!" Phil unlocked the door, then looked at Daisy. "Do you wanna go first?"

She shook her head, and Phil nodded, pushing the door open and entering. "It's not much, but it's home."

Daisy looked around. It was even nicer in person. Wooden floors, nice rug in the lounge. A big kitchen with a counter overlooking the lounge and the TV. A big window with a park a park a few houses far below. And it was warm. A quick look around confirmed that Phil had left the heater on while he was picking her up.

Phil rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just a bit chilly out." He said awkwardly. "And I wanted to make a good first impression."

That almost made Daisy smile. "We've been talking for months."

He shrugged. "It's not the same."

Daisy had to agree with that. She faked a yawn. "I'm kind of tired. Can I like, take a nap on the couch pillows?" She couldn't sleep out here. Not when he could get to her so easily.

Phil frowned. "No, don't be silly, there's a bed in your room."

Daisy stared. "Oh. Okay." Phil showed her to the room, a regular looking bedroom with little decoration, a single bed, and a window on the opposite wall to an empty closet.

Phil stood awkwardly at the door. "We didn't want to decorate." He said. "We weren't sure what you'd like. Usually this is for emergencies, sometimes agents get stuck and need somewhere to stay. There are plenty of protocols in place for that though."

Daisy nodded and Phil smiled. "You rest." He said, "I'll be in the lounge doing work if you need anything, just let me know."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Phil said warmly. "We're glad you're here."

The words sent a thrill of panic through Daisy, but she didn't let it show. Instead she watched Phil go to start his work and she closed the door, locking it promptly.

They were glad that she was here. Why? What did they want from her?

Daisy placed her bag beside the bed, away from the door. The knife she had lifted from the hotel was still there. She wasn't going to let these people touch her.

These people. These trained secret agents.

Daisy knew deep down, if they wanted to hurt her, there wasn't a lot she could do to stop them. So she put aside her fatigue and stared intently at the door, wondering if she could survive jumping from the window to escape.

If it mattered what she did.

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

When Melinda opened the front door, she was surprised by the warmth of Phil's smile. "Hey." He greeted, and it actually felt natural, not careful and scared. "How was work?"

She shrugged, managing a small smile back. "Fine. Is Daisy here?" She asked, briefly kissing him hello.

Phil nodded. "Yeah, but she said she was tired, and she seemed kind of overwhelmed, so I thought it was a good idea to let her rest."

"Yeah." May said, "Especially since you were probably smothering her."

"I was not!"

Melinda rolled her eyes but didn't reply. "Pizzas?" She asked, nodding to the covered bowl of dough.

Phil smiled. "Yeah, it felt like a good idea."

"You always go for something showy when you're nervous." She said, looking around the kitchen. "The first time you had me over for dinner?"

"Hey, you liked that steak."

She shrugged. "Never said I didn't. Go easy on this stuff though. She's just a kid."

Phil sighed. "You're right." He said softly. "I just want her to feel welcome."

He really was sweet. "It'll be fine Phil." Melinda said. "Just relax."

"Okay." He mumbled. "I'll try." Phil looked around, seemingly having forgotten about his pizzas. "Do you mind waking her? Dinner's about half an hour away, and I don't know if she wants to shower or anything."

"Sure." When May knocked on the door she noted that it was locked. She tried not to get frustrated at that. The kid was in a new place with people she didn't know. It wasn't personal. She wasn't being bratty. She was scared. "Daisy?" She called. "Dinner will be ready soon."

There was a slight shuffling noise from inside, and a few moments later the door opened.

Melinda fought not to react to how skinny this girl was, how many faded bruises she saw.

Daisy swallowed nervously. "It's nice to meet you." She forced herself to say clearly, holding out her hand to shake.

May froze, trying not to panic. It was just Daisy. Just- some strange kid in their house who wanted May to take her hand.

She couldn't do it, and she hated herself for it. "It's good to have you here." She said, nodding. Daisy withdrew her hand and something inside Melinda relaxed. "Phil's organising the toppings if you want to choose yours, or you could shower."

Daisy shifted uncomfortably. "I-I don't have any other clothes to change into." She muttered apologetically. Like it was her fault.

May's eyes widened fractionally. "I'll find something." She said. "I've probably got some clothes that would fit you, we can go shopping tomorrow."

Daisy squirmed under her gaze. "It's fine, you don't need to-"

"You need more clothes." May said firmly. "So we'll get some."

Daisy swallowed nervously. "Okay." She mumbled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Melinda said.

Phil leaned over the counter to look at them. "Oh good, you're up. Daisy, you wanna come and tell me what you want on your pizza?"

Daisy looked between them. "Anything is fine, thanks."

Melinda walked to their room to dig through her clothes and find something that would fit Daisy. It wouldn't be too hard. They were about the same size, though Daisy was far too skinny. They'd fix that easily enough, Phil's cooking was irresistible.

Phil waved Daisy over to the kitchen, "Come on, I can show you how to make pizza."

Daisy hesitated, weighing the decision. "You mean it doesn't grow on pizza trees?"

Phil snorted. "Oh ha ha." He said sarcastically. "You and Melinda can start a club."

Daisy smiled a little. It was a nice apartment and these two seemed like nice people. There was good food and warmth and a bed. But she still couldn't shake the feeling that they were buttering her up for something.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Melinda go into her assigned room, but she came back out before Daisy could panic. She must have noticed Daisy's eyes on her, because May said, "I left some clothes on your bed."

Daisy nodded, "Thank you." She muttered.

Phil smiled. "Do you want to make one?" He asked, but Daisy shook her head. "Melinda's not allowed within ten feet of the stove."

May shot him a glare and Daisy's eyes darted between them, trying to figure out if there was any animosity. It didn't seem like it, but sometimes it was hard to tell. "I'm not that bad." May said.

Phil snorted. "Oh yeah? Tell Daisy what you did at the academy in finals week, go on."

She crossed her arms, leaning against the counter. "I passed, didn't I?" The hint of a smirk coloured her face. "Got better marks than a lot of people."

Phil huffed. "It wasn't because of that monster juice you made." He said. "And besides, different academies, different subjects. You can't draw an equivalence."

Daisy bit her lip. "What'd you do?" She asked quietly, ready to be ignored.

Instead, both turned to look at her. Phil laughed, putting the pizzas in the oven. "Go on." He said, nudging Melinda. "Tell her."

May rolled her eyes. "I had an assignment to finish, so I made a cup of coffee." She said shortly.

"That was not coffee!"

"There was coffee in there."

Phil laughed again, feeling lighter than he had in months. "She ground up energy pills from the med bay." He said to Daisy. "mixed it up with instant coffee, and loaded it with glucose syrup." He grinned. "I found her in the gym the next day trying to work it off."

Daisy smiled a little. "Did you finish the assignment?"

May nodded. "The instructor said it was well argued and reasoned."

"When intelligible." Phil finished with a smug grin.

She punched him lightly on the arm, but there was that light in her eyes that Phil had missed more than anything. "Hey, Daisy, do you want a lemonade?" He offered, going to the fridge. "Speaking of excessive sugar."

Daisy shook her head. "No thanks, I'm okay."

Coulson and May exchanged a look. "Well, at least have some water." He said, pouring her a glass. "It's important to stay hydrated."

Daisy took it. "Okay. Thanks."

The bright smile that Phil shot Melinda almost made her roll her eyes. He was so happy that Daisy had taken anything at all. Phil had always worn his heart on his sleeves like that. May would be lying if she said it wasn't cute.

Phil still had that semi-proud grin on his face when he took the pizzas out of the oven, showing them off. May shook her head, but Daisy seemed impressed.

Phil cut the pizza, serving up a couple of slices onto each plate and placing what was left on a cutting board, which he transferred to the table. "I don't know what you like." He said apologetically to Daisy, "So I thought one of each was a good way to start."

Daisy nodded, taking the plate and waiting for the other two to take their places at the table before sitting in one of the left over chairs . She watched Phil and Melinda, trying to figure out if it would be acceptable to eat with her hands. Some homes were very strict about stuff like that.

Daisy ate in relative silence, listening to Phil regale them with a story about what someone called 'Barton' got up to on his latest mission.

Melinda swallowed a piece of pizza. "Maybe Romanoff will mellow him out."

Phil laughed. "Are you kidding? She's even worse than him."

"She is not." May said. "Romanoff can feed herself."

He grinned. "Fair point."

Daisy nibbled on a crust. "Do they work with you guys?"

Phil and Melinda looked at her and she struggled not to shrink away as a flash of panic came over her. Phil smiled. "Yeah. It's an interesting story actually."

"A highly classified story." May said, and Phil deflated.

"Right." He muttered, then shook himself, noticing that Daisy was as tense as a coiled spring. "Anyway, what do you like to do Daisy? Any hobbies other than hacking government agency computers?"

Daisy shrugged. When she was a kid that question was used to gauge whether she was 'talented enough' for a family. Lately she'd stopped caring. "I dunno." She muttered. "I like... running, I guess. And soccer."

Phil smiled. "That's great! I was never very athletic myself." He immediately looked to Melinda, who had started to smirk. "Shut up."

She took another slice. "I didn't say anything Phil."

He shook his head. "Melinda was always the one who was good at that stuff."

May peered at her now empty plate. "You should have another slice." She said. "You're far too skinny."

Daisy shook her head. "No, it's okay."

Melinda rolled her eyes and dragged another slice of the spicier pizza onto Daisy's plate. "Eat."

Daisy flinched, making May realise her mistake. She sighed softly. This was going to be tricky. "Please." She added, softening her tone.

Daisy nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

Melinda's eyes narrowed as she watched the enthusiasm with which Daisy ate the extra slice of pizza. She was clearly still hungry, so why hadn't she just taken it herself? She grimaced when she remembered how Phil had first served up dinner. "You know, when food's in the middle of the table, that means you can take some more." She said, making sure to keep her voice non-threatening.

Daisy paused in her chewing, looking down. "I don't want to take too much."

Phil leaned forwards. "There's plenty of food Daisy."

She shrugged. "You guys might want more though, I don't wanna..." She trailed off.

Coulson and May looked at each other. "Your need for food isn't any less than ours, Daisy." Phil said carefully.

Daisy stiffened before giving a resigned sigh. "Look, this is all great and stuff, but what do you want from me?" She looked between them, seeing their surprised looks. Maybe they weren't used to people being this upfront about it. "I mean, it's cool if you want someone for sex or whatever, but that's not really my thing."

Horror gripped Phil's heart and his eyes darted between this kid and his wife, desperately searching for something to say.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Melinda breathed, trying not to let her disgust show.

"No- Daisy- we're not-" Phil took a breath, trying to calm down. "No, we don't... we don't want anything from you, okay? And we'd never, never, try to take in someone for sex. Much less a fifteen year old." He bit his tongue. "Have other people-"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

Given that it was one of the only things Daisy had been direct about since arriving, Phil was inclined to let it go. For now. "Look, we asked you to stay here because you're a kid who needs help. All we want is for you to be safe."

Daisy looked down. She didn't believe them, that much was clear. Melinda hesitated. "We're not going to hurt you." She said.

Daisy swallowed thickly. "Can I go?" She whispered. She didn't want to cry in front of them.

Phil balked. "Look, I don't want you back on the streets, if you don't like it here we can figure something out-" He broke off at Melinda's look.

"To your room?" May clarified, and Daisy nodded.

Phil sighed, relieved that she didn't want to leave. "No problem." He said softly. "If you want a snack later there's plenty in the fridge, help yourself." Given what had happened, he doubted that she would, but maybe in time.

"I left some spare clothes on your bed." Melinda reminded her. "Towels are in the cupboard by the bathroom if you want to shower."

"Thank you." Daisy said softly, standing.

Melinda and Phil watched her go quietly, hearing the door lock shut behind her. "We need help." Phil said the second Daisy was gone.

She nodded in agreement. "Maria?"

"Seems like a good place to start."