A/N: Hey guys! So, here's the next chapter, and in this chapter you'll meet a new character, that you've probably met if you follow my story "Operation: Team Bonding" and her name is Emily! You will also meet the Avengers, but they will be minor characters, only in the story for a few chapters. Although, if you'd like them to be regular characters, just let me know and I might just do that! At this point in this chapter it is May...the month, not the person lol. Oh and Skye found out she was Coulson's daughter a couple chapters ago when Marco had a gun pointed at her head, sorry for the confusion.
True to her word, Agent Hill greeted them as soon as Coulson and his team landed.
"Aunt 'Ria!" Lili shouted, running up to the woman who chuckled and picked her up.
"When did you arrive back?" Coulson asked, hugging the woman tightly, careful not to hurt her as he pulled away and looked at the scar that was just above her right eye brow and the cut along the side of her neck that stopped just above her collar bone.
"About an hour ago. I had to go pick up Emily from school along with Agent Andrews son." She explained, clenching her teeth at the last part.
Emily was Agent Hill's seventeen-year-old half-sister, who was dating Agent Andrews eighteen-year-old son, Ryan, and it was safe to say that Maria hated the boy, especially when Emily would come crying to her about him on a daily basis. Maria loved her sister dearly and hated to see her hurting, be it emotionally or physically. Emily was probably the only exception for being aloud in SHIELD's base aside from the avengers and Pepper Potts.
"So I take it you haven't been to your office yet?"
Maria shook her head, "No, I haven't, why?"
"There's a surprise waiting for you there."
"You know how I feel about surprises." Agent Hill said as they walked into the base, Skye following closely behind.
"Well, you'll like this surprise." Coulson said, giving a slight nod of his head before he turned and walked in the direction of the infirmary, Agent Ward in tow while FitzSimmons went in the direction of the lab.
Skye looked at the older woman, who appeared increasingly tired..almost distressed as they walked.
"Are you okay? You look kind of..." Skye started, trailing off as she tried to think of the word, trying not to look at the cuts Maria must have gotten while in Romania.
"In pain? Distressed? My head just hurts because last night before Romanoff, Barton, and I had to leave I hit my head in an explosion. Natasha wasn't harmed, but I got some shrapnel lodged in a few places that she was able to get out when we arrived back to the hotel."
"Shouldn't you be in the infirmary then?"
Maria sighed, "I'll be fine, i've had much worse."
"I thought the mission was low-risk?"
"It was, but even with those missions things can go wrong."
Lilith tugged on the collar of Maria's uniform.
"Where are mommy and daddy?"
"Your mommy and daddy are in the infirmary, Lili, because your daddy got hurt pretty badly. He's going to be okay, though. Your mommy isn't hurt, but she needs to be with your daddy right now and will come get you when he's better." Maria said, trying not to scare the child as they rounded the corner where Skye saw a teenage girl and a teenage boy seemingly having an argument. The boy who she assumed was Ryan, had light brown hair and a pale complexion, but his face was red from yelling at the girl, who looked petrified. Skye couldn't see what she looked like except for the fact she had dark brown hair.
Maria handed Lili to Skye and began to approach the boy from behind.
"My God, Emily! You're such a worthless waste of space! Hard to believe anyone loves you, just do me and your family a favor and go die you whore!"
Skye and Maria both cringed at the words, Maria clenching her fists as she approached them, both seemingly not knowing she was there.
"Oh yeah? If i'm such a whore then why are you dating me? Oh wait, you're just dating me because you want_" Emily started, only to be cut off when Ryan slapped her across the face, about to hit her again when Maria grabbed his hand in a bone crushing grip.
"I suggest that you leave right now and find your father." Maria said, her voice cold, not releasing her grip as she twisted the boys arm behind his back and pressed him against the wall.
"Why_" He started, but Maria twisted his arm even more, causing him to cry out in pain.
"Because I can easily break your arm and unless you want that I suggest you leave. I will inform Director Fury of this along with your father and as of now your relationship with my sister is over. If I find you anywhere near her or you ever think about touching her ever again, in any way, shape, or form, we're going to have a problem. Do I make myself clear?" She asked, her voice dangerously low as she slightly loosened her grip for Ryan to answer her.
"Yes, ma'am! Now can you please let go of me? You're hurting me, miss!"
Maria let the boy go, watching as he nearly ran to the elevator, mumbling something about her being a psycho bitch, before she turned and took Lili from Skye and continued walking.
Skye looked at Emily, finally able to get a good look at her and was shocked at how much Maria and Emily looked alike despite only being half-sisters. Both had the same dark hair and tan complexion, walked the same, almost acted the same, but the only difference was that while Maria had grey eyes, Emily had dark green and was a good five inches shorter than Maria.
"You've got a badass older sister." Skye said in a desperate attempt at starting a conversation as they followed Maria down the corridor.
"Thanks. I've also got a badass brother, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law. My dad and nephew are the only ordinary people in our family. Not surprising though seeing as our dad had to retire and our nephew is only a year old."
"Do they work for SHIELD? Or did your dad work for SHIELD?"
Emily shook her head, "No, my dad used to be a doctor until Maria was my age and she went to join the marine corps before joining SHIELD. My brother, Danny, and his wife, Anna, are police officers. My brother-in-law kind of works for SHIELD but not really. I'm Emily by the way. Emily Hill." She explained, holding her hand out for Skye to shake.
"I'm Skye...do you want to be a SHIELD agent?"
Emily shrugged, "I want to but Maria wouldn't let me go to the academy, said something about how I should enjoy being a teenager while I still can. She said I could train to be an agent when I turned eighteen."
"Why are you allowed on the base?"
"For safety I guess. With all the enemies SHIELD makes, families of SHIELD agents will be the first ones targeted by them...that's what my dad said. Only our family and a select few know that Maria is a SHIELD agent."
"Can others know?"
Emily shrugged, "I think they can, Maria just chose not to tell any friends or our other family, such as our cousins and everyone, for their own protection...nor does she or Nick want a mass panic to deal with or something like that, so when people ask us what Maria does we just say she works for the government. Besides, we kinda found out by accident," She explained as they arrived at Maria's office, sighing before addressing her sister, "Thanks for what you did back there, 'Ria."
"No one messes with my family and gets away with it, Em," She started, giving a soft smile to the teen before she said, "Now, let's see this surprise that Coulson told me about." She said, not noticing Emily's smirk as she moved Lili to the floor and unlocking the door before picking her up once more.
"Surprise? Is it her birthday?"
"Nope, but you'll see."
They followed Maria into her office, watching as the agent stopped dead in her tracks, looking at a blonde haired man who stood up from where he had been sitting at her desk along with three other people that Skye recognized all too well.
"Steve, when did all of you get back? You weren't supposed to be back for another two weeks." She said, hugging the super soldier with her free arm.
"Can't a man surprise his wife? We got done with our mission early, but it wasn't an easy fight to win when we're missing two members." Steve said, giving her another hug.
"Yeah, so while you, Spidey, and Legolas were in Romania, we were getting our butts kicked...i'm surprised we escaped with our lives, but after we completed the mission, capsicle wanted to surprise you, so we called Agent. I'm surprised he kept it a secret." Tony said, getting up from where he sat in the corner of the room.
Each one of them had various cuts and bruises all over them, except for Bruce and Thor anyway, and Tony had a dislocated shoulder.
"Do Pepper, Betty, and Jane know?"
"No, but Tasha and Clint do. Where are they?" Bruce asked, raising an eye brow as Maria put Lili down, signaling for Emily to distract the little girl as not to frighten her.
"Clint got shot twice and is in surgery right now as we speak, we actually had to work in the helicopter to keep him from bleeding out and stabilize him. Tasha is waiting for him to get out of surgery and as far as I know she and the baby are both fine." She explained, lowering her voice so Lilith wouldn't hear.
"I am sure our bird friend will pull through, lady Maria." Thor said, enveloping her in a bone crushing bear hug before he let go and turned to look at Skye with curiosity.
"Who's this?" Bruce asked, speaking for Thor.
"This is Skye, Agent Coulson's daughter, and she's training to be a SHIELD agent. Her S.O is Agent Ward, her boyfriend," She said, nodding her head at Skye, who stood there with wide brown eyes, shocked, as Maria added, "Anymore questions?"
"Agent has a daughter?" Tony asked, earning a cold glare from Maria, which clearly said, 'stop talking if you know what's good for you.'
Thor was the first to break the tense silence.
"Aye, and she is with child...how far along, lady Skye?"
Skye gulped, finally composing herself before answering.
"I-I'm almost f-four months...Thor." She stuttered, sighing in relief when Thor nodded and turned back to Maria.
"Where are lady Jane and lady Betty?"
"I believe Jane and Betty went out to lunch. They'll be back shortly if you and Dr. Banner would like to wait in the lab with FitzSimmons after your debriefing with Director Fury and Phil," She answered, "Now, can all of you leave? I have to speak with Skye about important matters." She said, nodding to the door, thankful that they got the hint and left.
Maria stopped Steve, gently grabbing him by the arm.
"I'll see you back at the tower?" Steve asked, blue eyes boring into Maria's grey ones as Emily went ahead and followed the others.
Maria nodded, "Yes, I might be home a little late though. Will you take Lilith back to the tower or down to the break room or something? Keep her amused while I talk to Skye? I'll head down to the infirmary to let Nat know where she is."
Steve nodded, giving Maria a hug and a quick kiss before he picked up Lili and left the room, allowing for Maria to close the door behind him before turning to look at Skye.
"Skye...we've got some talking to do."
A/N: Let me know what y'all think! Please review :)