Let's do this.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

"I thought you said they were coming today," Natasha stated flatly to Coulson.

"They were. The fact that they didn't worries me a little bit. They would be useful allies. Did you read the information I gave you?" The last question could almost be labeled rhetoric: Natasha was thorough in everything she did – of course she read the file.

Natasha nodded nonetheless and asked, "What is Fury's plan here? I can't see the Board of Directors getting behind any decision like this."

Coulson acknowledged her statement with a tilt of his head and motioned for Natasha to sit with him at the table he was currently drinking Earl Grey Tea and doing some inconsequential work on. "Fury thinks the Horsemen, and whoever is backing them, will take a deal."

"We offer amnesty for their crimes in exchange for their allegiance?" Natasha asked, quickly catching on as she gracefully sat across from Coulson in the helicarriers recreational room which was currently empty except for the two of them.

Coulson tilted his head again as he continued marking papers and reading reports, "Something like that. Fury seems to think that the chances of keeping them in any sort of prison very long are too low to even attempt it and instead thinks there is something to be gained from them and their…talents."

Natasha hummed in agreement and leaned back in her chair as she watched Coulson work. She liked Coulson: he was loyal and persistent but he always stood up for what he believed to be right and true. If he wasn't that way Nat would not be here today. Sure it was Clint who originally stayed his arrow from piercing her skull but when he reported back to Coulson that he wanted to give her a chance it was Coulson who really made the decision. If Coulson had told Clint to forget and just kill her Clint wouldn't have hesitated again. For this she owed Coulson.

After a comfortable pause Natasha asked, "Why are you not in your office doing work?"

"A change of scenery was needed," came the quiet reply.

Page Break*I'M SO FAB*Page Break

merritt

Shortly after Daniel had stormed from the room Henley stood as well from the arm of the couch and stalked out the living room. The slam of the back door signaled her departure into the cold winter day. Merritt could practically taste the depression rolling off of the kid slouching in the chair across the room and refused to look at him. Merritt really did feel for the kid; he was smart, funny, and knew his way around a poker face better than Henley or Daniel did – he just picked horrible people to look up to. This wasn't why Merritt wouldn't look at him though.

Merritt's ability to read body language and the story behind it was amazing and almost always spot on but he sometimes felt guilty about it. Sometimes people just need a little privacy. He felt like if he looked at Jack now, after obviously being hurt by Daniel so constantly these past few months, he would be barging in on the boy when he had no right to. Everyone knew Jack grew up on the street and in the slums and they all knew he had some pretty twisted stuff he wasn't sharing with anyone. As a result Jack had a shield around him at all times – a mask. He laughed and made jokes and acted lighthearted and everybody bought it – everybody but Merritt. He could see the laughter was always a little too forced, the smile after his jokes were always a little delayed, his smile was always a little too shallow to convince Merritt that Jack was as happy as he portrayed. Merritt felt that if he looked at Jack now the mask would be cracked and Merritt will find out more than Jack would ever want and it would break Jack.

So Merritt kept his head beneath his hat and said, "Well, since we're not goin' anywhere right now…you want to learn something?"

jack

"…you want to learn something?" Merritt asked.

Jack looked up from his hands where he was twisting a card over and over, the corners getting dog eared and ripped. Jack, though young, was very observant and had known that Merritt wasn't asleep but had also known Merritt's eyes were not on him and so had allowed himself to slip into a moment of self-pity. Jack grunted a bit and put the card up his sleeve, straightened up and shook his head a bit. That was quite enough of that. "Uh, sure why not?"

"Alright, check this out," Merritt said as he sat up and pulled a square piece of paper from his jacket. "We're going to do a little origami."

Jack didn't say anything and watched carefully as Merritt folded the paper in meticulous angles and smiled genuinely; this was amazing, this was art, this was learning – and it distracted him.

Merritt saw the smile and was satisfied.

henley

Henley grumbled to herself as she walked towards the woods behind the cabin and angrily kicked a rock into the gloomy shadows the trees cast. Daniel was so efficient at getting under her skin it made her feel like bashing her head against a wall – or his. Usually she could handle it and let his stupid comments slide but when he started tearing into Jack it really set her off. Not that she had been any better: she had snapped at Jack as well. She felt horrible about it but shrugged it off as Daniel getting under her skin for the billionth time.

Henley figured that they really needed to figure out how to operate as a team because the Eye had recruited them as a team, not individually, and as long as they weren't acting like a team she doubted the Eye would be very forthcoming with them. She needed to get through to Daniel and tell him to lay off of Jack and start being a team player – even though his whole life he had always acted for his gain and his alone. She needed to get Jack to grow a pair and start standing up for himself against Daniel. Sure Daniel had been his hero while growing up but now he had to face the truth: Daniel's a dick and probably isn't going to change anytime soon. She needed Merritt with her on this because he was her rock in this whole mess. She could always fall back on him for a good laugh. Henley also knew she too, like Jack, just needed to stick it to Daniel and tell him how it is.

With a final scathing glare in the general direction of the forest Henley turned and walked back into the house to find Daniel.

While on her way upstairs where she had seen Daniel disappear Henley happened to glance into the living room again and caught Jack with his head thrown back in a delighted laugh – like a little kid – and Merritt smiling at the kid as he sarcastically held out a tiny origami rose.

Henley smiled and was glad that she wasn't the only who felt like Jack could use a friend.

She shook her head to break herself out of her musings to walk upstairs and to Daniels room where she knew she would find the brooding man. When Henley came to the door she didn't bother knocking and just walked in.

"Why?" she asked flatly.

"Be more specific," Daniel said from his perch on his windowsill, one leg hanging out into the void between the ground and him. The room was frigid with the cold air he was letting in.

Henley glared even though Daniel wasn't looking and convinced herself he could feel it. She flicked on the lights to reveal the rooms' immaculate mien. The hardwood floor was spotless and the rugs were angled from each other just so, the books he kept in his room stacked neatly on his nightstand and his many decks of cards arranged on the table in some pattern indiscernible to Henley. "Why are you doing this?" she asked as she waved her hand vaguely in Daniel's direction. "Why are you acting like this?"

"How am I acting Henley? Surely not any differently than before," he shot quickly as he hopped off the windowsill and stalked towards her. Henley held her ground and lifted her chin. In her four inch heels she was currently wearing Daniel wasn't much taller than her and she refused to be intimidated. She had known Daniel too long now to still be intimidated.

"Not that you're any gentleman but you've really been extraordinarily vicious lately and it is going to tear us apart," Henley stated coolly. She needed to keep her cool with this. If she revealed how frustrated she really was Daniel would use it to goad her into a useless argument that would get them nowhere.

"Tear us apart?" Daniel parroted. "Tear us apart? Surely you mean 'us' as in the Horsemen. Well, newsflash Henley: we're not exactly a good team. We were never really a good fit. While we were actually working and moving it was fine but now it's clear that we are not a team."

"But that's how the Eye wants us, Daniel," Henley replied a little exasperated. "They didn't recruit you! They recruited us: the Horsemen."

Daniel shook his head and replied with a quick, "They should have."

He walked over to his bed and fell onto it with a dramatic swing of his arms.

"But they didn't. Why can't you at least try to make this a little easier on everyone and stop being such an insufferable prick all the time?" Henley continued in her rant. She wasn't going to let this go easily. She was getting irritated with her situation and was determined to change it because she knew no one was going to do it for her.

Daniel didn't answer and instead rolled over to face the wall instead of Henley. He dragged a hand through his dark hair and ignored her.

Henley continued without a pause, "Especially with Jack. Why are you treating him like this? All he does is look up to you and you tear him down again and again. I'm surprised he hasn't just up and left yet. He admires you, Daniel!"

"I never asked him to!" Daniel replied, suddenly sitting up in his bed and returning the evil eye Henley was giving him from across the room.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Henley demanded.

Daniel sneered at Henley to cover his slip in composure and said, "Never mind. Just forget it – and leave my room before you break something."

"Daniel," Henley protested but Daniel had stopped paying attention and grabbed a book from his nightstand. "You know, you're going to end up sad and alone Daniel Atlas," she stated in a calmly threatening voice as a last ditch effort.

Daniel didn't look up.

Ok, so you know who I like? Natasha. Yup. It's true. Ok, so no reviews yet but what can I do but keep writing? I appreciate the one favorite/follow combo from one dude. I can't find your name right now but you know who you are. Go you, my friend, go you.

Zai jian, wo de peng yo