Note: Again, took lines from the script for 'A Hen in the Wolf House'.

"You Do Know"

Phil knew who she was the moment he set eyes on her. Pictures were unnecessary; the flower dress was a dead giveaway. Raina looked him over, and he waited for her to speak.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," she said.

Shit. Please don't let it be her…

"Lucky for you," he muttered. Judging by the way her eyes widened a fraction, he was unfortunately right. Well, this complicated matters. Unless her 'Clairvoyant' had told her the words on Phil's skin? It was a fairly generic phrase, as soulmarks went.

Then they were talking, and she made no mention of it. He only hoped to hell that he could keep Simmons away from her. It was platonic between Phil and his bio-scientist, and he had no interest in Raina. If there was supposed to be a non-platonic relationship between two in the triad… no. He couldn't let that happen.

But Simmons has words in the same writing. They'll meet one day. I can't stop that. I can only hope that Simmons gets out of it alive.

Then he was being taken away, and nothing more was said. Not until they were in the helicopter – which reminded him of an old SHIELD design – and Phil and Raina were seated side by side.

"Did you already know my words?" he asked.

"No," she said. "But now I know why the Clairvoyant sent me especially to you." She looked up at him through her eyelashes. It wasn't going to work.

"I'd never bond with you," he said.

"Are you so sure about that?"

"You can't force a bond, either."

"No, but I can be very persuasive. Do you know who our third is?"

"No."

"Are you lying?"

"No. I presume it's a man, considering that my tastes run both ways. You don't know who it is, either?"

She shook her head, looking away again. Good. Sold.

As long as he got out of this – and he had faith that his team would find him – he could keep Raina away from their third.

Months later

It was the first time Phil had seen Raina since the fall of SHIELD, and he hated the date-like feel to their meal together.

"You've changed, Agent Coulson."

"Might just be circumstance, considering last time you had me strapped into your little memory machine."

"I was only trying to help."

And then she chose to threaten Simmons.

"Right now, HYDRA's looking for a spy within their ranks. I wonder what would happen to Agent Simmons if this were to fall into the wrong hands…"

It was time to weigh up his options. He needed Simmons at HYDRA for as long as possible, but every new day was just another gamble that her life wouldn't end when she was found to be a traitor. At least he had Bobbi on the inside, and she knew the procedure if Simmons was exposed.

"I don't like being threatened."

"This isn't a threat. It's a gesture of goodwill. I would like nothing more than to delete that photo."

"And in return, what do you want?" Phil asked. How did she intend to play this game?

"From you? Nothing. But I will need to take Skye with me."

"Excuse me? What in the hell is this really about? And why, also in the hell, do you think I would ever let that happen?"

Raina smirked slightly. "To prevent every HYDRA employee from receiving an automated email with that photo." She clicked something on the screen. "You have two minutes, after which there's nothing I can do."

"Where are you planning to take Skye?" Seriously, what was her end game? Bobbi would known exactly when to strike, although he wished he could get a message out to her to cut the email systems at HYDRA, just temporarily. But… he missed Simmons, and he felt better having her back on the team. It wasn't just because they were soulmates, and being close felt soothing and natural. Then Raina dropped the bombshell.

"Somewhere she's always wanted to go. To meet her dad."

Phil heard the conversation taking place in the background, but he didn't let it distract him.

"So you're, what, working for Skye's father now?"

"I'm just trying to make the best out of a difficult situation."

"By threatening the life of one of my agents?" Phil asked incredulously. How the hell had this woman ended up as one of his soulmates?

"By allowing one to find out who she really is. That's what Skye's been searching for her whole life." Phil knew that, damnit. "Ask her yourself, Agent Coulson."

He was tempted to correct her and say 'Director Coulson', but restrained himself.

As they talked, and Skye argued with him, the time ticked down. Phil knew he wasn't risking much by letting the photo get out; Bobbi was constantly on alert for threats to Simmons' safety, and as head of security she'd have to be called first anyway. Letting Skye anywhere near her father was the real danger. Bargaining with Raina was also a real danger. He had no reason to trust her, and could only assume that being one of her soulmates was an administrative error.

"You're running out of time," Raina said, gesturing towards the tablet and its timer. "Give Skye what she wants or else Agent Simmons dies."

On the other hand…

"You do know that she's our soulmate?" Phil said. He peeled the band off his wrist and showed Raina the writing that would match hers, if they shared soulmateship with Simmons. Her eyes widened and she gasped.

"It's…"

"Do you really want to let her die?"

"You… you were never going to make the deal," Raina said disbelievingly. "Because—"

"I didn't think you'd want to let your other soulmate down," Phil said. "But if I'm wrong, go ahead. Let the timer run out."

Skye began to yell at him again, but Phil heard May calming her. He tilted his head as he watched Raina warring with herself.

"No one needs to get hurt," she said quickly, her hand hovering over the tablet.

"This is your chance to pick the right side," Phil said. "I'm sure we could use your talents, but… oh, look. Ten seconds left."

"You have to know something I don't," Raina said.

"I'm taking the chance that you're not as cold-hearted as you seem."

She closed her eyes, as if she was in pain, and hesitated a second too long. The timer went off, and she looked like she'd been slapped.

"I… can't believe you'd sacrifice your soulmate," she whispered.

"Yet I can fully believe it of you. You made the wrong choice, Raina."

"I… I had no choice." She looked close to tears. Phil remained unmoved.

"Tiny violin's playing, but no one's listening, sweetheart," he said. "Who's making you do this?"

"HYDRA."

"Gee, now if only there was someplace safe from HYDRA at the moment," Phil said dryly. "I can't think of anywhere."

Raina swallowed, and met his eyes.

"You can't…?"

"After you sacrificed your soulmate? I gave you the option of saving her, and yourself, and you left it too long." He tapped his finger on the table. "None of this was necessary, Raina."

"He won't stop until he gets to her," she said, glancing around. Whether she was looking for Skye or her father, Phil didn't know, nor did he care.

"You're scared of him, and you don't scare easily," he said. One of the few things that he could admire about her.

"He's a very dangerous man," she said. "You wouldn't believe the stories."

He would. "Well, now we've established Skye's old man isn't father of the year, what's next?" Phil said, growing bored.

"Take me in. Please."

"Sorry. No vacancies."

"Once I walk out that door, Whitehall will kill me," she said, her voice shaking. Something inside Phil wavered, but Raina was the enemy, and they couldn't afford to take risks right now, at all.

"It's possible," he said. She bowed her head, and he saw a tear fall as she looked at the timer showing only zeroes.

"Jemma," she murmured. "What have I done?"

What would Simmons do?

Probably something different.

"Or," he said, and Raina raised her head. "Maybe you and I will work together after all."

"What?"

"Tag and tail it is, then."

The tracking chip was quickly implanted, and Raina gasped, staring at him.

"You're gonna use me to get to Whitehall," she said. She was quick.

"He'll be trying to find you," Phil pointed out. "Whether or not we're there to save you when he does, that's your call, depending on how useful you make yourself. You can start by telling us how to find Skye's father."

Jemma knocked at the door. Coulson looked up, and he smiled when he saw her.

"How are you going, settling back in?" he said. She shrugged.

"I wasn't able to grab my things before leaving, but I'm just glad to be back in one piece. Thank you again for sending in Agent Morse."

"You're welcome," he said.

"I wasn't sure whether she'd be our third or not."

"No, she isn't."

"Well, I worked that out when our words didn't match," Simmons said, smiling.

"I… know who it is," he admitted. She gaped.

"Really?" she said. "Who is it?"

"The woman who sold you out?" Simmons clearly hadn't been told who it was, because she chewed her bottom lip and waited for him to clarify. "Raina?"

She inhaled unsteadily. "Oh my goodness."

"Or words to that effect."

"The woman in the flower dress… who's made our lives hell on more than one occasion… and blew my cover at HYDRA…"

"Yes," he said. "Which is why I didn't tell you after you all rescued me in the desert."

"No," she said. "No, I suppose that's reasonable. But when is she supposed to say this?" She gestured to her arm. Phil knew the words there. 'Thank you for that'. "And what am I supposed to say in return?"

"Anything or nothing," he said. "She recognised the writing; clearly she has a mark. But you choose what to say when the time comes."

"Do you think I actually help her, or is she being sarcastic?"

Phil fought the urge to roll his eyes. He understood Simmons' concern. "I don't know. There isn't a font for sarcasm yet. You'll have to wait and see what happens. In the meantime, I'll try to avert fate by keeping you away from each other."

"Is that a wise move, sir?" Simmons asked. He moved his shoulders in a token shrug, but there was no real energy to it.

"We'll see what happens," he repeated. "Try not to think about it."

She nodded, and then left the office. Phil rubbed his temples, and tried to drive both his soulmates out of his thoughts.

Two pretty young women, one evil, one good. What the hell did that make Phil?

Some canon divergence later

Raina had studied the obelisk, and its fellow Diviners, which had all come from Mount St. Helen's Volcano in Washington. Every eruption led to another Diviner being released, picked up by a HYDRA agent in Washington. The obelisk everyone was after had been the last artefact created by the volcano. After weeks of being pursued by both sides, she'd flirted her way into stealing the obelisk and was now returning it to its place of origin. With any luck, the obelisk would be destroyed, rather than causing a volcanic eruption.

It was a definite risk, but one she was willing to take.

"That would not be a sensible move."

Whitehall had followed her here. Of course he had. Where was Skye's father when she needed him? He was hell-bent on killing Whitehall; it would have been the absolute best timing in the world.

She sighed.

"You'll kill me either way," she said. "I can do this for my soulmates."

"Your soulmates?" Whitehall said, and he laughed. "If you are doing it for them, they must be against me, which means they are against you. They would never accept you, Raina."

"And you would?" She continued to hold the obelisk away from her body. If she threw it into the volcano, that was it. The end of her. If she didn't, Whitehall would take her down for her attempted betrayal, and the object would fall into the wrong hands.

As far as she was aware, the tracker chip hadn't been disabled. But would Coulson's team get there in time? Was there even the slightest chance that Simmons was still alive?

"Don't we already?" Whitehall said. His sinister smile turned harder. "Didn't you already accept us?"

Raina looked away, sweating from the heat of the lava. She noticed people running towards them. Whitehall's people, or Coulson's? Everything was growing hotter, like the volcano could sense that the obelisk there. Her vision blurred, and she shook her head.

"No," she said. Then she flung the obelisk into the mountain. The roar of blood in her ears nearly drowned out Whitehall's scream of frustration. There was a gunshot – she didn't know where it came from, or who was hit – but she began to teeter backwards. She tried to steady herself, tried to reach out for the railing that was supposed to be there, and lost her footing instead. This would hurt like hell…

Just as Raina began to fall, a cold hand clasped her wrist and pulled. It wrenched her shoulder, and she hissed at the ache. Her feet still went from under her, and she lost at least one shoe to the flames below.

"Just hold on, Raina!" a voice called. She tried to reach out with her other hand, and someone gripped it.

"Come on, we've got you."

"Coulson?" she said, blinking furiously to get her sight back under control. She was led far away from the mouth of the volcano, and stood there on unsteady legs.

"Just get your breath back," he said. She nodded, and then glanced to the side. The small hand was still holding onto her.

"Thank you for that," she said.

"You're welcome." Raina's gaze sharpened, and she recognised the girl on her left side.

"You were the one who said 'Just hold on, Raina', weren't you?" she said. "Those are my words."

"Just as yours are mine," Simmons said, stroking her back. "Let's get you sitting down, shall we?"

"Ye…"

Exhausted, Raina fell into Coulson's arms, and tried to stay awake as her soulmates spoke to her, shook her shoulders. She groaned at the burst of pain from her sore one.

"Lie her down, lie her down, carefully."

"I'm being careful, Simmons."

"Why are we helping her again?"

"Be quiet, Skye. Here. Fold up my jacket and put it under her head…"

They watched her stirring awake.

"I don't like this," Phil said. Simmons shrugged.

"We have no choice," she said. "Raina knows things about the Diviners that we do not."

"Why does she look human again?"

"That's something only she can answer, I imagine."

He sighed, and grimaced when she looked over at them. She was attractive, and used that to her advantage. She would've made a good second Natasha Romanov. Well, with a bit more physical training. There was no one quite like the Black Widow. He'd once perversely imagined what Raina and Simmons would look like together, milk chocolate and white chocolate, intense and light. Bad and good, like the yin and yang. That's when he reminded himself that it was a bad road to go down, and that he was doing Simmons a disservice by even thinking about it.

"Would you want her?" he found himself asking. Then he mentally kicked himself, especially when Simmons goggled at him.

"What?" she squeaked.

"I mean… never mind. Sorry. It's… because we're soulmates. You just have to wonder."

Simmons turned her head to watch Raina again, who was trying to pretend that she wasn't looking at them while she drank from the water bottle.

"I would have, if she wasn't on the wrong side," she said.

"And if she joined the right side?"

"She's been responsible for so many deaths, so much pain." Simmons looked at him with moist eyes. "Look at what she did to you. Look at what happened to Trip!"

"And at what point would you start forgiving people?" he asked. "What about the Winter Soldier?"

She shook her head. "He didn't have autonomy. Most bad people have the choice, and they make the wrong one."

"Hey, how do you think I feel about this whole thing?" Phil asked, arching an eyebrow when Simmons looked at him. "I met her just before she kidnapped me and blew up Mike Peterson. Not exactly the best circumstances. At least you met her after she destroyed a dangerous object and nearly fell to her death."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, sir."

He squeezed her shoulder. Simmons opened the door, and he followed her into the room.

"Thank you again for saving my life," Raina began.

"Strategic," Phil said. "Clearly you have more experience and knowledge when it comes to these Diviners."

"They're dangerous. I was trying to keep you away from them—"

"Because of course we have absolutely no experience with dangerous and unstable objects," Simmons said dryly. Phil chuckled, and Raina smiled self-deprecatingly.

"Of course," she said. "Did it ever occur to you… that if you'd let me die, you might've gotten a new soulmate?"

"Yes," Phil said. "But we were able to save you. It would be negligent not to try."

"I'll do what I can to help you, but it's imprecise—"

"The location of Skye's father would also be good."

"He moves around, and he'll probably know by now that you have me."

"But if he thinks you can take Skye to him, he'll believe anything you say," Simmons said.

"Do you really want to risk losing her? He's… insane."

"We're used to dealing with insanity," Phil said. "We need information. Everything you know."

Raina frowned. "I don't like doing this. Once you start, you can never look back."

"We passed the point of no return a long time ago." He held out a notepad and a few pens. "Get started. If you need anything, ask the camera and someone will bring it to you."

"I'm good at making sandwiches," Simmons said. Raina half-smiled. Then Phil ushered Simmons out the door and closed it behind them.

"That'll keep her busy for awhile, if she does what she's promised," he said.

"Do you think she'll do the right thing?"

"She'd better. She's right. If she died, we'd probably get a new soulmate. But I can't bring myself to kill someone like that; it sets a bad precedent."

"The alternative is to jail her, and it won't do us any good," Simmons said. Phil felt her hand brush his as they walked along, and he twined their fingers together.

"We'll figure something out," he said. "There are ways. You know that."

"I know."

Author doesn't know. Author gives up on this chapter. I have no idea how I could get them all to bond in the companion piece. (Which I will start soon, I promise.)

Please don't be angry with me for this story, but I wanted to try something with Raina. At first I was just thinking Phil, and then I remembered when Raina exposed Jemma as a spy. Decided to make things a bit more interesting. But… how do I fic? I don't know anymore.

I've noted down everyone's ship requests, and will try to fill most of them. It's been hellishly busy lately, or so it feels, and I didn't get the job I interviewed for last week. But then I didn't have the necessary qualifications and experience; I only got short-listed because I've been volunteering there for a year and a half. (Yeah, that's the interview where I'm pretty sure I left everything thinking I was a nutcase.)

Please review! Author needs a boost in spirit due to terrible chapter.