Daisy wasn't sure what had happened, but Phil and Melinda had been acting differently for days. They were being really... careful, with her. They didn't flirt in front of her, they didn't raise their voices, hell, they were careful whenever they put anything down. She had found pages in both their search history on how to deal with abused kids, and she still wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

They were trying, for whatever reason. They really wanted her to feel safe.

Daisy still couldn't figure out why.

She tried to give them the benefit of the doubt though. When Phil offered to take her out to shop for decorations for her room, she agreed. And hey, even if it was scary being in a vehicle with them being oddly silent in the front seat of the car, Daisy tried to keep quiet too. She tried not to let on how hard her heart was hammering in her chest, and how short her breath was getting.

She felt a little better once they got to the mall. She had already made a mental list of what she was allowed. Just because Phil and May refused to tell her, didn't mean Daisy couldn't set her own limits.

The Homegoods they found was nice, and not too expensive. Daisy made a beeline for the clearance shelf, but after spending a little time there, Phil managed to convince her to look at some of the rest of the store as well.

Daisy caught sight of a fleece blanket and had just started rubbing the outrageously soft material between her fingers when she spotted the price tag, at which point she immediately moved on. She didn't get to have things like that.

Melinda watched Daisy walk away from behind a shelf. She'd seen the look in her eye.

"Hey!" Phil's voice called Daisy's attention, not too loudly though. "Check it out, a robe."

Daisy cocked her head. "I thought they only had those at hotels."

Phil chuckled. "No, you can get them anywhere. They're great in winter."

Daisy shifted uncomfortably. "It's okay." She muttered. "I don't need it."

Phil looked at her. "I know you don't, but it's nice to have, come on."

She looked down. "I- uh- I might have taken one from that hotel you got me is all."

Phil laughed. "Oh, good job." He grinned, knowing how cautious she must feel to admit that. "Melinda does that all the time."

"What do I do?"

Phil bit his tongue to hold back the playful snipe. "Take hotel robes."

Melinda shrugged, "They're comfortable." She said, noting how Daisy relaxed. This trip was doing her good.

Phil nodded to the bag in her hand. "What's that?"

"Just something for our room."

Phil caught the note in her voice not to ask more questions and stayed quiet. "See anything else you like?" He asked Daisy instead. "We haven't got much you know. How about some fuzzy socks?"

Daisy thought about it. "Sure." She said, trying not to sound too comfortable with them buying her all this stuff. Fuzzy socks were cheap. Fuzzy socks were only a few dollars a pair.

She ended up choosing a few of different colours. Melinda grabbed a couple of pairs for herself, mostly to keep Daisy from feeling uncomfortable. "Cinnabon?" She suggested.

Phil perked up. "Oohh, yes please." He grinned. "We should take a break." He looked to Daisy. "What do you think? Time for a donut?"

Daisy shrugged. "Sure." She wasn't used to being included in decisions like this. Foster families were meant to make the decisions. She just had to live with them.

Phil walked beside her, May taking the lead. "So, tea or coffee?" He asked playfully, then remembered Maria's words. "Or hot chocolate." No play fights. Right. Their tea and coffee debate had always felt so natural. Normal. Just teasing and fun. He hated that something so innocent could make Daisy feel threatened.

Daisy shrugged. "I'm good with anything." She said. These two were being so nice. Leaving the decision to them seemed like the easy option.

They sat down. "How about a pastry?" Melinda offered. "Any preference?"

Daisy shook her head and May fought not to roll her eyes. "Okay. How about I order you a black tea with milk and a cinnamon bun?"

Daisy nodded, nibbling on her lip. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." She said, then turned to Phil. "I know what you want." She said with the hint of a smirk, and went to order.

Phil smiled after her. He wasn't sure he'd seen Melinda this light in months. He noticed Daisy watching him. "What?"

Daisy jumped a little. "Nothing, I just-... you really care about her."

Phil frowned. "Well, yeah." He said. "I married her."

"I know." She murmured. "I dunno. I'm just not used to seeing it."

"Do we make you uncomfortable?" Phil asked. He didn't want to do that. They'd been deliberately keeping all PDA to a minimum around Daisy. Besides, Melinda had never been much of one for showing affection in front of others. "I'd rather you tell us if we are. That way we can work something out."

Daisy shook her head. "No. It's fine." And she meant it. It really was fine. It was good. They loved each other.

Phil smiled. "Okay." He said. "Thank you for being honest with me." He was quickly learning that Daisy only said things were okay when they weren't okay, but when she said something was fine she really meant it.

Daisy looked down, but he still counted it as a win.

A moment later Melinda returned, carefully placing a tray with three cups, two cinnamon buns, and a chocolate caramel slice onto the table. Phil smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem." She said.

That spark was still between them. Daisy almost felt like she should look away. This felt private, it felt personal. Somehow.

Daisy nibbled at her cinnamon bun. "So, what now?"

Phil tried not to show how happy he was that Daisy had asked. Had spoken without being spoken to. He was trying to count the little things. After talking to Maria, things had become that little bit clearer. He shrugged. "Up to you."

Melinda nodded across the food court. "There's a build a bear over there."

Daisy grimaced. "I-I'm kind of old for that." She muttered, a hint of attitude in her voice.

May shrugged. "Okay." She said simply. She curbed her impulse to argue against even that tiny amount of lip. She knew how difficult it must be for Daisy to say no to them.

However, when they stood and moved on, May couldn't help but notice what was in the window of the build a bear. She suppressed a grin and gently elbowed Phil in the ribs, nodding towards it.

Phil's jaw dropped, and he hurried to the store. "No way." He said, staring at the bear in the front window, on display.

Daisy and May followed, Daisy frowning in confusion. "What?" She asked, looking to May since Coulson seemed to be distracted.

The hint of a smile ghosted across Melinda's lips. "History nerd." She muttered.

"I heard that."

"Are you denying it?"

Phil was about to retort when he noticed Daisy's eyes darting between them. He sighed internally. "No." He said. "But I'm getting the bear."

Daisy cocked her head at it. "What is that anyway?"

Phil gaped. "Th-that is Captain America! What do they teach you kids in school?" Seeing how she pulled away, he held himself back once more. "World war two?"

Melinda rolled her eyes. "He's not that important to world history Phil." She said, gently shoving him in. "Minor figure in world war two." She muttered to Daisy. "Starred in some propaganda, ended up saving some POW's and dying taking down a plane with a deadly weapon."

Daisy nodded. "Oh, okay. I think I read about him once in class. I don't really remember though."

May shrugged. "That's okay. I don't remember most of what I learned at school." Offhand and casual. She hoped it put Daisy at her ease as they followed Phil inside.

Daisy couldn't help her smile when she saw the bemused look on the face of the shop attendant, but quickly turned away from where Phil was, just in case he thought she was laughing at him. Which she kind of was.

Her eyes quickly fixed on the plushie of a black Labrador, bright eyed and with a very accurate doggy kind of smile. Daisy let her hand run over it. The soft material was nice, and it's saggy ears were cute. She'd never had a pet, not really, but she liked dogs. She could see herself having a dog some day.

Some day. Not today though. She walked away, looking at something else. Something that she didn't kind of want.

Phil watched Daisy walk away, smiling crookedly. "Hey," He said in a hushed voice to the shop attendant. "Throw in one of those labradors too please."

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

Daisy wasn't climbing the walls so much on the ride back home and Phil couldn't help the triumphant feeling at that. He didn't know what kind of progress they'd made today or how, but she was that little bit more comfortable with them. She felt that little bit safer.

Phil and Melinda walked around to the trunk with Daisy to unload the bags. "Do you need a hand with those?" May asked, and Daisy nodded, though she still took far more than she left.

When they arrived back home and set the bags down, Phil sighed. "I know you said you were too old for toys." He said, "But- well, I saw this and I couldn't resist." He drew the labrador toy from the bag, handing it to Daisy, who only stared. "It's okay if you don't like it, it can just live on a shelf in here."

Daisy shook her head quietly, looking at the plush in her hand, the eyes shining back almost like it was alive. Had he noticed her looking at it?

Melinda rolled her eyes. "Of course you did." She muttered with a rueful grin. "Stealing my thunder." She placed another bag on the table in front of Daisy. "The apartment gets kind of cold in winter." She said. "So I figured you could use a blanket."

Daisy tugged at the bag to look inside. Of course it was the same blanket she was looking at. Of course it was. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn't get to have nice things, except now she did. "I promise I'll look after them." She said, looking up at them. "Thank you."

Phil smiled, and there was a softness in Melinda's eyes. "You're welcome." He said. "I'm glad you like them."

Daisy nodded and turned to take the things to her room. May followed a few steps. "Do you need help setting anything up?"

Daisy stopped for a moment, looking to her. "I think I've got it." She said, "But... thanks." She offered May a small smile. Melinda nodded, watching her go, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Phil sighed and leaned against the counter. "I think that went well." He said, softly so that Daisy didn't overhear.

May nodded. "She's settling in." She agreed. "But she still needs help. Maybe we should get her to talk to Maria."

Phil smirked. "Well, she's not a therapist, but okay."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Therapists are useless."

"Of course dear."