A/N: Making up for everything by updating as many chapters as I can before 2015 ends. Advance happy new year, everyone!
The clock reads 11:43 PM on Phil's clock. Audrey had just left and he is left alone in his apartment, cleaning up the dishes from their dinner. It's cheaper and besides, he makes good dishes. Audrey loves the food he cooks, most especially in rare times like these when Audrey's in New York for their tour.
A month in their relationship and Phil just simply loves and adores Audrey. The stories they share together are longer, and they have had a lot of catching up to do. Last they've met, it was during their high school graduation and since then, they've never really seen each other. He shared his stories about his days in the Academy, and she had been telling him stories of her days in Juilliard, and how she went back to Portland to at least try to pursue a seat in the Portland Symphony.
When she asked him about Melinda, he told her everything. How Melinda had pranked students and professors in the Academy, how she would always kick his ass during sparring, how she would ask Phil to help her do her papers, but in the end would have Phil do her papers for her. Audrey had listened to every story he had to tell about Melinda.
Audrey had asked Phil where Melinda was assigned, and he had to reply that she's assigned in another state, although there is no other S.H.I.E.L.D. base apart from New York, but she didn't need to know that.
"Sounds like you really loved Melinda, huh?" she had commented earlier that night. His smile faded when he didn't know how to honestly respond to that. He did, he loved Melinda. But does he still love her?
His thoughts are disturbed when he hears a knock on his front door. He sets down the dishes he is washing and wipes his hands on the towel. He walks over to the front door and opens it.
"Director Stoner." he greets, surprised, seeing his boss in a grey shirt and denim jeans sporting a black cap and sunglasses.
"Don't call me that, Coulson, look at me, I look like a hobo." Stoner tells him, removing his cap and sunglasses. "Let me in, I need to talk to you." Phil opens the door wider and closes it as Stoner walks in his apartment. He sees the frames of Phil's diplomas and certificates he received from the Academy and framed pictures of him and his family. Stoner narrows his eyes when he picks out the framed picture of him and Melinda at the farthest back of all the framed pictures.
"Agent May and I are over, sir, if that's what you're thinking." Phil says, looking over at the frame Stoner had picked out from his deck of framed pictures on a table. The picture was taken during their graduation day at the Academy. Both Phil and Melinda have the same copy of the picture.
"I'm not here to discuss about your relationship with May, Coulson," Stoner says, putting the picture back on the table, putting it in front of the rest. "I'm here, however, to discuss something about May."
"M—Melinda May, sir?" Phil asks. "Is this about what happened to her in mission earlier?"
"Connected to that, yes," Stoner answers. "I don't know if anybody, Hill, Hand, May, had told you something but Agent May is pregnant with your child."
"What?" is Phil's immediate response. "I…Is the baby okay? When did she know? She went into mission earlier and—"
"May suffered from fatigue and nausea, Coulson, two signs of pregnancy," Stoner explains. "And while she was being checked in the infirmary, her blood sample did confirm that she is pregnant, five weeks, just before you got in S.H.I.E.L.D."
Phil doesn't know what to say. "Melinda just knew it…earlier?"
"After the mission." Stoner answers. "Now, I'm not here just to deliver the news. It seems like she never spoke to you about it."
"She was here earlier, and we talked…" Phil trails off. Stoner looks back at the pictures on Phil's table.
"Seems like you've moved on pretty fast for her to even tell you." Stoner says. Phil looks up and meets Stoner in the eyes.
"Have you seen her before you went here?"
"No, I went straight to you to explain to you everything that will happen to May," Stoner says. "I know she may not be your anything, but she's carrying your child, Coulson, so I say you listen to me."
His child. "Yes, sir, what will happen to her?"
"She will be relieved off of field assignment for a full year," Stoner starts. Coulson's eyes widen. "She'll be replaced by Romanoff for the moment, but May will come back in the field. For a few months from now she can work on overseeing ops and giving briefings, but she can never go in action on the field."
"Where will she go? I mean, once she can't oversee ops and brief agents any longer?"
"To her apartment or a S.H.I.E.L.D. safe house in Long Island, either way S.H.I.E.L.D. will be protecting and taking care of her and the baby, part of protocol."
"Can I…perhaps take a leave to take care of them once the baby's born?" Phil asks tentatively, knowing he's testing dangerous waters here.
"We'll take care of the rest once the baby is born." Stoner says, leaving no more room for argument or further discussion. He walks over to Phil however, and tells him, "I hope this baby won't be a hindrance to your work in S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson, to both you and May. Both of you are one of the best agents I have."
"Understood, sir." Phil says, nodding his head.
"Good," Stoner says, putting his cap and sunglasses back on. "Agent May is in her apartment, you know where it is, if you want to do anything about what we just discussed." Before Phil could thank him any further, Stoner leaves Phil's apartment and when Phil looks out the hall, he's no longer there anymore.