Author's note: This is my first fanfiction writing experience. I have been writing these "Coulson scolds" stories as a catharsis for really missing that character. I had seen Iron Man 1 and 2, Thor and The Avengers in the cinema, but it was binge watching (because I could not pace myself!) Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series when it came to Disney that led to my current obsession with Agent Coulson. I just needed more. I have always had a weakness for father figures in TV series team emssambles. Agent Gibbs from NCIS (for the first 12 seasons) was my first "crush" of this type. When I went searching for the loving paternal disciplinary "missing scenes" from that show, delievered splendidely. I still check these on a regular basis. But as I looked into the same type of story involving Coulson, I found surprisingly very little - just a handful of stories but where May or Bobbi fill the disciplinarian role. These are great stories and I enjoy them, but I always believed that it would be Coulson handling the youger members of the team (de-aged or not). So I tried to fill the gap.
Author's second note: I have not been writing these scenes in chronological order, so "The uncorfortable conversation" chapter should be seen as an alternative take on when and why Skye's first spanking takes place.
Disclaimer (applicable to all chapters): I have done my best to highlight the dialogue that is copied verbatim from the TV series. I don't own Marvel, its characters or storylines. If did, Coulson and the team would have been included in at least one of the multiverse-themed live-action films by now. I'm still hopeful - as I know at least Clark Gregg would be game if asked to do it :-)
Trust the system
Based on S1-E07
It had been quite a while since Skye had done high stakes *and* time restricted hacking. And never from inside the belly of the beast. Ever since Coulson had given her the bracelet she felt somewhat trapped - but now she felt excited. It was indeed "a little bit thrilling", as Simmons had said. This must be what is like to feel naughty i.e. when you are purposefully challenging the rules imposed by a caring parental figure. Because it had not escaped Skye's notice that Coulson was a bit of a "dad" to almost everyone on the Bus.
She only had three minutes to reveal two very different secrets - that was was cutting it very close. She should trust Coulson regarding her parents, but he had been behaving strangely in the Hub: distant, secretive, following the stupid security level-based information flow. And he was always running around, maybe he would not have the time. "It is easy to follow rules when one is a Level Eight", Skye grumbled to herself. After first peeking into the redacted files, she moved on to the current missions section and searched for anything related to South Ossetia. She was appalled - there were a bunch of attack teams to be deployed nearby, but no extraction plan for her friends! Did Coulson know about this?
In her distressed state, she didn't notice her time would be up in a matter of seconds. As if by magic, Coulson suddenly appeared in front of her and shuts the laptop. He looks properly ticked off.
Coulson (looking stern): What did I tell you?
Skye (not backing down, but with an angry tear in her eye) : You told me to trust the system. And the system sent Ward and Fitz in there to die!
Coulson didn't say a word, nor did he change his facial expression. But deep inside, some of his anger at Skye's misbehaviour shifted towards his colleague Agent Hand. She hid that secret from him. He was Level Eight and therefore had the right to know *all* the details of the missions *his* agents are called to do.
But he had to play this right. Skye should not know about his surprise, and he must make sure Skye would not risk compromising herself while in the Hub. He was grateful that May got to him on time with the details of the girls' shenanigans - noone else in the Hub would know about Skye's server breach. And since Hand will owe him, he should be abke to deal with the consequences of Simmons' "accident" internally. Of all the agents she could have shot with the Night-Night gun, at least it was Sitwell - Coulson smiled on the inside. He extended a meaningful hand for Skye to hand him all her electronic devices. Then ordered her to follow him. He would take her to May and Simmons and leave the two miscreants under his partner's watchful eye.
Walking briskly towards the Command Center, Coulson tries to Skye stop her snooping by reassuring her that he has all under control.
Coulson: I told you I'd get answers about your family.
Skye: That's not what I was looking for! I was trying to find out what was happening with Ward and Fitz.
Coulson: That's a classified operation.
Skye: It's a suicide mission! I saw it all, the troop placements, the aerial assault. Once Ward and Fitz disable that device there's going to be a huge attack on that compound, with no extraction plan, and you hid that from us.
Coulson decides that enough is enough. Skye needs to learn to respect his authority. They need some privacy, so he grabs her by the arm and they enter a nearby secluded area. If Skye is surprised by the move, she hides it well under an expression of defiance.
Coulson (in a serious tone, looking at her straight in the eye): I didn't hide anything from you. You don't have the clearance to know that.
Skye (annoyed): Is that really what S.H.I.E.L.D.'s all about? Level 5s are more expendable than Level 8? Is that all we are, just a number to you?
Coulson (now losing his cool): Are you done?
Skye (rudely): I don't know… am I?
Coulson decides to ignore her bad attitude for now.
Coulson: If S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps a secret from you it's for a good reason.
Skye: So they can hold all the secrets…
Coulson (sternly): Don't interrupt!
Skye stops talking immediately, as if the senior agent pressed a "mute" button.
Coulson: You just hacked a Level 8 secure server, saw operational plans that you have no context for. If details get out, the whole operation could be compromised. Lives could be lost, Ward and Fitz among them.
Skye (exasperated): I know! Those are two people we care about. On the plane, you're always telling me to think outside the box, so I went off book 'cause I was trying to watch their backs.
Coulson: Our team can go off book because there is a book. A Hub. An organization watching our backs. You claim you want to be a part of that, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Do you?
Skye (somewhat hurt that he had to ask,p): Yes.
Coulson: Because someday, I may have to trust you with a secret, and I need to know that you can keep it.
Skye doesn't know what to say to that. Coulson, believing this conversation was enough for now, turns away in order to go have a word with Agent Hand. But he is stopped by Skye's request in a much more subdued tone.
Skye: Can I ask you one question?
She needed to know if Coulson knew. Coulson turns and walks a couple of paces back towards her.
Coulson (impatiently): What?
Skye (more calmly but worried): Did you know there was no extraction plan for Ward and Fitz?
He stares at her for a couple of seconds, trying to decide what to say and composing his poker expression once more. He decides on a simple "That's classified", which leaves Skye none the wiser.
Coulson: Just go and find May and Simmons, Skye. And *stay* with them.
Skye nods in agreement. She does want to go and see May - maybe the Caverly is exactly what is needed now.
After seeing Hand, Coulson calls May and tells her to get the Bus ready to leave. The system is flawed, maybe because Fury is not around - and that is a bitter pill to take. His team will need to go off-book to save their own. And once everyone is safe and sound back in the Bus, he can address the behaviour of Skye and Simmons while in the Hub. How, he isn't sure. There will be considerable time between their misdeeds and any disciplinary consequences. Also, what they did was useful: if Coulson had trusted the system, they might have been too late to extract Ward and Fitz safely before the planned assault took place.
Coulson arrives just a couple of minutes before before May and the girls. As he is waiting on the walkway above the cargo bay, he hears them discussing their plans. Coulson smiles.
May: You got the information, now we react.
Skye (sounding happy): We're gonna get our guys!
May: Somebody has to.
Simmons: What about the S.H.I.E.L.D. assault?
May: We won't interfere. You don't need a battalion for an extraction. Three can pull it off.
Coulson: Four is better.
The three women look up. May has a knowing smile. Skye cheekily challenges Coulson's statement.
Skye: You're in? I thought we all have to be Level 8 to discuss this.
Coulson: We're not discussing anything.
All went as well as it could. Fitz proudly tells Simmons about his role int he mission.
Fitz: But, enough mission talk already. Anything exciting happen at the Hub?
Simmons (in a mix of pride and embarassement): I shot a superior officer in the chest.
As Fitz's grin slowly fades, Simmons quickly elaborates.
Simmons: Skye needed my help to hack into a secure server. We saw lots of agents running around ready for a large assault in the same location that you and Ward had been sent. Coulson would not tell us what was going on. I was eventually caught red-handed accessing wall panel by Agent Sitwell. He was asking a lot of difficult questions, I found the Night-Night gun in my bag, and I panicked when he started calling for a security escort. But I managed to do my part and Skye got her way into the system.
Fitz (totally flaberghasted): What. The. Absolute. Hell. Were. You. Two. Thinking?
Simmons: I then had to go and see May for help. I told her everything. Her face went from impasive to scary fast, she just picked up her phone, told me to stay put and just called Coulson! Skye found me about 5 minutes later, with May walking behind her. She told us that she had found out there was no extraction plan, and that Coulson just commented "it is classified" when challenged about it. May then said that we would be the extraction team. Now looking back, it was rather thrilling to do something naughty like this. And best of all, we seemed to have gotten away with it scot free!
At that point Coulson walked in the lab and stated, while grabbing her arm and escorting her out.
Coulson (sternly): I beg to differ, Agent Simmons.
Simmons gulped audibly and let herself be taken. Fitz just stared - what had gotten into Jemma recently?
On the way to Coulson's office, they stopped by the kitchen, where Skye had just been proudly telling an open-mouthed Ward about her time at the Hub. Using his free arm, Coulson frog-marched both young women up to the bottom of the spiral staircase to his office. There, he let them both go, and told them to head up and wait for him. Simmons heart did a flip - was he going to spank her? Deep down, she knew that if she ever deserved another spanking it would be for how she behaved at the Hub. But what about Skye? Did Coulson ever spanked her? Surely not - Coulson and Skye were not that close when Skye did a spankable offense (the hacker boyfriend fiasco). But the family dynamic of team developed fast and now it would not be unthinkable that Coulson would repond as such.
As soon as Coulson was out of earshot, Skye turned to Simmons. Taking on a "devil-may-care" tone as they stood awkwardly side by side facing his empty desk...
Skye: Ooooh dear, I think we are in trouble with *dad, Simmons. What *dreadful* S.H.I.E.L.D. punishment awaits us?
Simmons (in a dead serious tone): You have no idea.
Skye (deflating): What do you mean? Neither you nor me got called in to answer for anything at the Hub. It's all fine.
Simmons: That didn't happen because Coulson must have told Hand he would deal with disciplinary matters internally, that is off-book. It's obvious that didn't just got away with it, Skye!
Skye (now worried): Alright, alright. But what could Coulson possible do to us. I'm sure he'll just scold us for a minute or so and that'd be it. I already have a bracelet, maybe you'll be somehow grounded too.
Simmons sighed. The time had come to let Skye in on how Coulson had dealt with her when she had jumped the plane. Skye just stared at her "sister" in disbelief. Then she thought about it for a second and realized that it wasn't that surprising - this team operated as a family, with Coulson naturally filling the role of the father. She now thought back to the interactions between her and Coulson at the Hub - were he not always rushing somewhere, and had they not always been surrounded by people, maybe his reprimand would have turned physical. He certainly had made the same face Sister Maria had before she... before she...
Skye (in a panicked voice) : Holy cow, Simmons! We're so gonna get it. We better find and destroy that wooden ruler, pronto!
As they frantically in Coulson' desk, the man himself stepped unnoticed into his office. He stood there with arms crossed, a steely facial expression and the ruler dangling from one of his hands. It had been a good idea to let them be alone together. It gave the opportunity for Simmons to open up, for Skye to find out and, thank god, accept the situation. And for him to calm down and decide how best to proceed. It was true that what their actions ultimately did save the boys, but he would be damned if such outright disregard for his instructions would go unpunished.
Coulson (calmly, waving the ruler): Are you looking for this, by any chance?
Simmons jumped at his voice, and gave a little squeak of frightened surprise. She dropped whatever she had in her hand, slumped her shoulders but did not turn to face him. Skye reacted very differently: her flight-or-fight response invariably leaned towards fight.
Skye (attempting to sound menacing, but inly managing to look petulant): AC, if it were not for Simmons and I, this team would be two members short. What we did was totally justified!
Coulson (returning her mutinous stare with a stern one): What you did was totally reckless, totally ill-advised, and totally dangerous! It almost cost the whole team its future, not just Ward and Fitz's.
Skye picked up on something more than displeasure in his voice - was it apprehension? Had Coulson felt that the big wigs at S.H.I.E.L.D. would have broken up the team because of what she and Simmons did at the Hub? Because they would think he could not control his own agents?
Simmons was staring at Coulson with her mouth open and a tear running down her cheek - she could not imagine doing any other job that was not being a part of this special team. Coulson looked at Simmons, then he looked back at Skye, who also looked like a fish out of water. The glint in his eye softened when he addressed them next, but his deep displeasure was still obviously conveyed through his stiff body language and tone of voice. He told them pretty much what he had said to May not that long ago.
Coulson: I like this plane and the way we approach things here. Everyone's on the same page and there is little to no red tape in relation to missions. So far, it was working for us. I confess that I don't enjoy keeping things from any of you guys. But you need to accept that you cannot always be privy to all aspects of a mission, and this is especially when these missions are run by the Hub.
He uncrossed his arms and pinched the bridge if his nose.
Coulson: Hacking into a Level Eight server and shoting a superior officer are very, very, very serious offenses. I'm very disappointed in both of you.
Skye (interrupting): But...
Coulson: No butts, young lady. And stop interrupting me! Of course I know that Simmons did not plan to shoot Agent Sitwell, but she should not have been anywhere near that panel to begin with!
Simmons finally spoke. Her voice was surprisingly confident, considering her body language. She really looked like Oliver Twist asking for more food. Simmons had made her way next to Skye and pulled on her arm. She hoped Skye would interpret this gesture as a "just shut up and let me do the talking". It thankfully worked.
Simmons (in a resigned voice): We apologise for our dreadful behaviour, Sir. It won't happen again.
She shook Skye's arm in a gesture that clearly said that she should now apologise to Coulson to.
Skye: Ye-yes, we are very, very sorry, AC.
Simmons shook sher again.
Skye (fast): And that I will never again hack anyhting else without you saying so.
Coulson said nothing. He stood there looking from one to the other, while lightly patting his own hand with the ruler meaningfully. The two younger women focused on his gesture. Simmons uncounsciously protected her bottom with her free hand. Skye blinked everytime the ruler made contact. After what it felt like a lifetime, Coulson spoke and used the phrase that Simmons always dreaded to hear.
Coulson: I see that you both understand how poorly you behaved. But it is my unfortunate task to make sure you remember this lesson. Since you were disobedient together, you'll receive your punishment together. Jemma, come here please.
Simmons let go of Skye and walked the two paces like a convict to the gallows. Skye closed her eyes and shut her ears with her hands. She did not want *that* memory to haunt her. Coulson easily positioned Simmons under his left arm, pinned her arms and and held her close. The proximity provided emotionally support for both of them. With a resigned voice, Coulson stated "Five swats, Jemma".
Simmons did not make a sound, but more tears fell. Coulson gave her a quick hug and gestured for her to return to where she had stood before. Skye, sensing her presence, opened her eyes. Simmons watery smile did not really reassure her, but she still walked towards Coulson when he called her.
Without knowing any details about Skye's upbringing, he thought it best to ask first.
Coulson: Skye, have you ever been punished this way?
Skye (reluctantly): Yes.
Coulson sighed and got on with it. As the obvious instigator of the fiasco, Skye received three extra swats. During Skye's punishement, Simmons also scrunched her eyes shut and covered her ears.
Skye took a bit longer than Simmons to let go of the post-spanking hug she was offered. But eventually she went to stand by Simmons. Both just stood there, eyes lowered, holding hands and using their free one to rub the sting. He managed a small smile as they looked like Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the mischeivious twins from Alice in Wonderland. He told them they were forgiven and to go to bed.
He was both emotionally and physically exhausted. The tightness in his chest that had plagued him throughout the last day and a bit was finally going away. His family was safe. But now he should read the unredacted S.H.I.E.L.D. file about Skye he managed to get his hands on before leaving the Hub.