Back From the Dead Chapter 8: I Really Hate You, an agents of s.h.i.e.l.d. fanfic

Back From the Dead

Disclaimer:
Really? Y'all really oughtta know the drill, by now.

Rating:
T

Genre:
Hurt/Comfort

Pairing:
Coulsye

Lyrics Used:
Jessie J (feat Becky G) "Excuse My Rude"

I Really _ Hate You

Bursting through the doors to the office of the Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division, Agent Phil Coulson looked positively ready to kill as he set his eyes on his target. One Nick Fury. "Phil." Fury greeted, in a friendly - if not somewhat suspicious - tone of voice. "What can I-" The SHIELD director began, only to be cut off by his dearest friend - his one good eye.

"Stop lying, Nick." Phil hissed, venomously. "You've been lying to me since the day I died." Watching the Director's eyes widen almost imperceptibly, Phil would have been lying if he said he didn't feel at least a very small sense of victory. "That's right, Nick! I know the truth! I know all about your little cover story!" The anger in Phil's voice was rising at a rate sufficient to alarm even the seasoned SHIELD director who had begun slowly backing away as Phil stalked toward him. "But, I was able to look past that…" He began, in a deceptively - and frighteningly - calm tone. "I could learn to live with that...What I can't get past, however, is you doing the same shit to Skye…" He added as the young hacker stalked into the office - looking for all the world like a lioness stalking her prey. "...and, then, lying to my fucking face about it!"

"Now, Phil-" Fury began, hoping to diffuse the situation, before Skye cut him off.

"No." The hacker interjected, viciously. "No more bullshit!" She hissed, rapidly advancing on the director until she stood no more than an inch in front of him. "I wanna know why you felt it necessary to drag Phil and myself through depths of Hell that even Satan himself actively tries to avoid!"

"And, for once in your pathetic life, just give us an honest answer, Nick!" Phil hissed, moving to stand next to the hacker and boxing Fury into place.

"I think we deserve that!" Skye insisted, darkly.

Shifting his gaze back and forth between the two operatives in front of him, Nick Fury was no idiot. He knew that more deception would likely get him killed in this scenario. Sighing lightly, he decided it was time to come clean with the two Lazarus agents. "You're right." He conceded, finally. "You do deserve to know the truth. The reason I brought you back was two-fold." He began, directing his response at Skye. "We haven't even begun to delve into your value as an 0-8-4, Skye, and we need to understand whatever we can about you in the event that more people like you start showing up." Eloquent? No. But, at least it was honest. "And, secondly…" He began, glancing over at Phil before continuing. "...Phil is one of the best damn operatives this agency has ever seen. But, more than that...He's one of my closest friends."

To that comment, Phil could only scoff. "With friends like that, who needs enemies?" The senior agent muttered to himself, knowing full-well that the director would hear it.

Deciding it best to just skip over Phil's response, Fury pressed onward with his story. "I know how much you mean to him." He spoke, genuinely. "And, I also knew that - had we lost you - we would have lost him, too."

Phil had to admit that was rather blown away at Fury's response. He couldn't deny that the director was right. He knew very well that a large of part of him had died inside when he thought Skye was dead. That still doesn't excuse what he did, though...Phil told himself.

"If I had told you…" Fury began, shifting his attention to Phil. "...would you have let me go through with it?"

Phil knew he had a point. There was no way he could have let Skye go through all that. And, he never would have gotten his beloved hacker back. "That wasn't my call to make. Nor was it yours." Phil hissed. "It should have been her decision. The same as it should have been mine when you did it to me. You had no right to make this decision for us!"

"Was it ethical?" Fury asked, rhetorically. "No." He conceded. "But, damn it, Phil, I already lost my one good eye once." He argued. "I couldn't bear it the first time – it's why I brought you back. And, I wasn't about to lose you again after Skye was shot."

Looking over at the senior agent to her left, Skye could see the storm of emotions in his eyes. Looking back at the director, she knew that there was no answer that he could give that would make this whole mess...okay for either of them. But, it did give her some semblance of peace to see him bearing this much to them. Lightly gripping his arm, the hacker looked to Phil. "I think we're done, here." She spoke warmly, but, firmly.

Staring into her eyes, Phil understood the underlying meaning behind her words. "You're right." Glaring at the director, he added "But, so help me God, Nick … If you ever pull another stunt like this … I can personally guarantee it will be your last."

Author's Note:
So sorry I took so long to update this! I can only hope it was worth the wait!

~Skye Coulson