Thank you to everybody who read the last conversation. Unfortunately, there were no reviews for the previous chapter, but I did post it late in the day on a holiday.
Once again, we are in the bad timeline. The difference in how time passes in each timeline is causing some problems in that regard. However, I do promise things will speed up soon after our next meet-up between the timelines.
This is the first chapter completely written after the premier of WandaVision (as well as the first chapter proofread after Falcon and the Winter Soldier.) It's also fun that it's the first chapter I post after the end of Loki. Post-production on these chapters is longer than you think. With long stories like this, I like to write several chapters before I start posting them to be more cohesive.
There are not really specific plot point spoilers for any of the shows in this chapter. However, TFtWS and WandaVision made me think about how things should be approached regarding Simmons's mental health, operation keep away, and project restoration.
Recently, I read the Star Wars fan fiction series Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Chosen One by SorciereMystique. Which deals with Obi-Wan Kenobi's descent into alcoholism and his recovery. It definitely gave me some ideas for this story. It's a really interesting series, so I encourage everybody to check it out.
Conversation 33: Morning Truth
Agent L. Barton: I just want to say thank you for helping last night. I don't think Simmons would've agreed to work on her drinking problem if you weren't so supportive. Now that she's acknowledged that she has a problem, she really needs everybody's support.
May: I'm glad I was able to help. I have been worried about her for a while. She's the only kid I have left from the bus. I want her healthy. Even if it means her being with Hunter.
Agent L. Barton: My May loves her bus kids too. Even if they're growing up and getting married. Leo says Hunter is a wonderful husband even if Hunter still pretends that they're only married on paper for an op. There was definitely some damage done to Hunter during his first marriage.
May: I heard your Simmons is pregnant. If we do manage to create a doorway between timelines, I think we should bring her here. It's not safe for her to be there. I should have Friday send to you what happened to women who had snap-induced miscarriages. It was ugly.
Agent L. Barton: We've already been talking about that. I want to bring all the kids. Simmons can be their agent chaperone. She'll hate doing it, but she'll do it for the baby.
May: She would.
Agent L. Barton: In the meantime, Simmons and the children are relocating to the Malta compound.
May: It's a start. Although it won't help if Thanos can still get all the stones.
Agent L. Barton: I'm aware after it was pointed out by Tony Potts. This is why we're figuring out how to turn the Zephyr into a time machine instead of the suits. Apparently, your version is ready for space travel.
May: Deke and Simmons, on Steve's orders, retrofitted it for space travel in an effort to rescue Stark. Carol found him first, though.
Agent L. Barton: I am not surprised at all. We need to pass the schematics to the other team during the window.
Friday: I will add it to the package of material to transfer during the window.
Agent L. Barton: You're always the best Friday. As for the Simmons here, I talked to Tony, and he'll be her AA sponsor if she's willing to have him. She is also allowed at the cabin for sleepovers.
May: I think she'll accept. She likes Tony. Hunter will like her being able to stay over. Hunter was banned from having overnight guests after Morgan walked in on him and Simmons last year.
Agent L. Barton: It happens to every parent at least once.
May: My kid gets visions of it. She even warned me about the Instagram incident.
Agent L. Barton: I've heard.
Agent L. Barton: From my Robin. She knew that her mom and Mr. Barnes were going to get together months before they did. We chose not to tell him because he needed all the help he can get.
Agent L. Barton: I'm not even going to ask about the Instagram incident. I feel like it's better that I don't know.
May: That seems like something Robin would do. You are better not knowing about what happened.
May: When will our Simmons be leaving for treatment? She needs to be somewhere else if she really wants to make progress. She will also need to detox.
Agent L. Barton: She's not. Even though a lot of weird stuff has happened in the last decade, she can't go to a traditional treatment center. Regardless of the fact that Tony is willing to throw enough money at the institution to get her a spot instantly. Time travel monoliths are still a bridge too far.
May: Point, it's why Shield always had in-house programs before Hydra, not just for addiction but also PTSD and depression. Andrew tried to get me into treatment after Bahrain, but I wouldn't go.
Agent L. Barton: New Shield does too. The addiction treatment center is Stark's old Florida property. Stark industries donated the property to the government.
Agent L. Barton: That's what I want to do. We have a full medical center here that can help with the withdrawal symptoms. It's not Florida, but it will do.
May: Unfortunately, we have no one with a medical degree full-time. Banner has seven PhDs and not one MD. That would've been fucking useful.
Agent L. Barton: Even an OD would have been helpful.
May: Exactly.
Agent L. Barton: I've been talking to Friday about current shield medical/psych personnel from my timeline that might still be here. I think I have a few people we can bring in. At a minimum, we need an actual psychiatrist to help us plan this mission, not just to help with Simmons. I am still working on my degree.
May: It's good that you're still working on your degree. I know the Laura here always wanted to go back to school but could never find the time.
Agent L. Barton: Especially after getting pregnant with Nikki by accident. I love my baby, but that was not a planned pregnancy. That was a post "oh God, Hydra didn't kill you" accident.
Agent L. Barton: However, my Tony is really persistent. The ATCU is paying for me to go back and finish my degree. Despite the separation, Clint offered to be Nikki's primary caregiver, so I could focus on my doctorate.
May: Why do you think we need a licensed therapist for this mission?
Agent L. Barton: Psychiatrist/psychologist because we could use a medical doctor, especially one for the mine. Honestly, we could use one of each. They can help with treating Simmons and apparently Thor. Why does Thor need my help?
May: I think it would be an understatement to refer to Thor as being extremely depressed right now. He blames himself for what happened. He lost the rest of his family in a matter of days. He also went for the heart instead of the head.
Agent L. Barton: Or the hand, I read the report. So I can see how he is blaming himself for what happened. He needs help. Everybody here does.
May: If we successfully bring people back, Mack and Wanda will need to see a counselor.
Agent L. Barton: Probably Barnes as well. Tony is working on getting him pardoned as a wedding present, and therapy will be a requirement. Which is fine because he's been in therapy for a while already. Unfortunately, the DOD wants to bring their own person in, instead of letting him keep the team he already has in Wakanda. Tony's fighting the government about that. Since all of Barnes's issues happened pre-snap, this Barnes probably needs to work through them too.
May: I think some issues may have popped up. The battle of Wakanda was traumatic for everyone, even those that didn't survive it.
Agent L. Barton: I read what happened. Wanda had to kill her boyfriend to destroy the stone, and then the purple asshole just brought him back and ripped the stone out of his head in front of her. Yo-Yo tried to get the gauntlet from him, and he ripped her arms off. That's going to leave long-term scars.
Agent L. Barton: They're definitely going to need help. Actually, everybody lost is going to need help. Because there are several problems here. One, is getting the stones to bring everybody back. Two, is bringing people back in a way that doesn't cause extreme chaos. Finally, how do you deal with the trauma of missing five years of your life?
Agent L. Barton: Because if we just undo the snap, it will be chaos. You can't just bring back 4 billion people and have it be okay. Infrastructure needs to be created or rather re-created because it's obvious that society has started contracting.
May: I feel like the first is going to be easier. You're probably not aware of this, but the European countries got hit very hard and opened up immigration to help rebuild. If we bring everyone back, they may kick those people out.
Agent L. Barton: Getting the stones may definitely be the easy part. Especially because you will be able to get most of the stones from my timeline, I hope.
May: Which means you won't have to deal with this.
Agent L. Barton: No, but we're going to have to deal with the purple ass hole. He's a threat no matter what. Let's say we move the stones here. What if he finds some way to get here? Then it just starts all over again. We have to take him out.
May: With the fewer stones on his fingers, the better.
Agent L. Barton: I get that impression. We need to come up with a timeline of when he got the stones. I'm worried he might have some already. But he won't be as powerful as he was in Wakanda.
May: We're going to have a breakfast this morning to start putting that together.
Agent L. Barton: Thank you. Although I might not be there, depending on what you tell me next.
May: What do you need to know?
Agent L. Barton: I mentioned I want to bring in a therapist. One who has an actual MD.
May: You wouldn't need some with an MD, if I brought Dr. Rio Morales in. Her husband was ex shield. He was lost during the decimation. Which spurred her on to get her MD. Her son is friends with my daughter. When we have a medical emergency, we call her in.
Agent L. Barton: That makes sense because Bruce wasn't actually part of your group. If she's willing to help, let's bring her in. In my timeline, she is the Avengers on-site nurse. Or at least she was before hurricane Maria. She's actually in charge of the Jarvis foundation's relief work on the island. Oh, we definitely need her. I'm sure she has the same skill set as her counterpart.
May: I'll call her in a few minutes. So who's the therapist you want to bring in?
Agent L. Barton: Dr. Margarita Cruz, she is the number two in the ATCU psych department of my timeline. She was in charge of putting together the rehab center in Florida. It was her own passion project.
May: She's currently at Empire State after a recent stent at SWORD. She quit because the new guy was a "Xenophobic anti-inhuman ass hole."
Agent L. Barton: That tells me she's a good fit if we do get the Avengers back together again. What else do you know about her?
May: She was a friend of my ex-husband. He actually mentored her while at SHIELD before he left. She stayed on until the agency collapse. I tried to get Mace to bring her on when the agency went public again, but he refused. This was for the best since it collapsed so quickly. She was at Sword until Director Rambo died. She couldn't take the man who took over for her. I can't either, considering what his agency did to Vision and the Wakandan government in the process.
Agent L. Barton: I read. Are you still trying to get Vision's body back?
May: Pepper's lawyers are along with representatives from the Wakandan government. The situation is complex.
Agent L. Barton: I'm sure it would be. How do you know all this?
May: We had lunch last month after I ran into Cruz when Kamala took a campus tour. She's planning to do dual enrollment for her senior year. Cruz and I talked about the old days.
Agent L. Barton: Ned and Peter are doing that now at Empire State. Afia is not because she wants to keep an eye on Flash.
May: From what I heard about the kid, that's necessary.
Agent L. Barton: He's less of a dick now. It took us years of work to get him to that point. However, Afia is afraid that her foster brother will revert without her.
May: I feel like there is a long story there.
Agent L. Barton: Not one I can tell.
May: I respect that.
Agent L. Barton: Do you think if I approach her with a job offer to work with the Avengers, she would agree to it?
May: You'll have to tell her what we're trying to do. There's a reason why Rio is our default for medical care.
Agent L. Barton: Point. Is Cruz somebody I can tell this to?
May: Yes. Her daughter was lost in the decimation. Her marriage didn't last much longer after that.
Agent L. Barton: Shit. Then she'll definitely want to help with our plan.
May: Exactly.
Agent L. Barton: Then I'm going to approach her today. We need to get somebody in to help Simmons now. Rio can only do the body part.
May: I agree. You shouldn't go alone, though.
Agent L. Barton: Who should I bring with me?
May: I should be the one to come with you because she knows me.
Agent L. Barton: Don't you need to keep reading reports? I know you didn't get through that many last night because of the Simmons situation.
May: I can read on the ride there. I know you're actually a good driver. Besides, I don't think anything in here is mission-critical. I was just using this as an excuse to make my husband confront his Tony issues. I believe our plans worked.
May: [Image one attached]
Agent L. Barton: Tony being a cuddle bug is apparently a universal constant. They look very peaceful curled around one another.
May: Pepper sent that to me while we were talking.
Agent L. Barton: I'm not going to say I'm upset about seeing Steve wrapped around Tony like a blanket. But how are you handling this?
May: Looking at possible divorce attorneys. I think it's time to move forward. We will always be friends, but this marriage was an arrangement to keep the kids and ourselves from falling apart in the aftermath of the hell that was April 2018. It's not necessary anymore, especially if he's ready to be with Tony. I think as long as we're still married, Steve won't move forward.
Agent L. Barton: Open marriages are also a possibility. I've been in one for a while.
May: You're separated again.
Agent L. Barton: Because he couldn't handle me becoming an agent, especially after killing someone in the field. Not anything else.
May: You were going to say occasional hookups with Phil.
Agent L. Barton: I didn't know if I can say his name around you. I'm sure losing him was hard. It was hard on Clint the first time.
May: It was worse the second time. Because I know Phil is not going to come back. I stood there while they cremated his body and spread his ashes in the ocean. We went to Tahiti. I didn't want to leave, but Steve brought Robin and me home. Even though he was falling apart because Tony was still MIA. Steve offered to marry me when the government tried to take Robin away from me. The DOD wouldn't dare take Captain America's daughter. He helped me keep my family together.
May: Steve deserves to be happy.
Agent L. Barton: I think he's happy with you.
May: He's in love with Tony, and I'm in love with a dead man. At least one of us should get what we want.
Agent L. Barton: I get that.
May: We leave in 35 minutes.
Agent L. Barton: I'll be ready to leave by then.
Xxx
Melinda: I'm not even surprised. I forwarded the picture to Laura.
Melinda: She sees it as an encouraging development.
Virginia: I'm sure she would. I am 99% sure they are going to wake up and pretend it didn't happen. It's why I snuck in there and took a picture. Friday said they were being adorable.
Melinda: I think they're going to need evidence.
Virginia: Because they are stubborn idiots. This is why it could never work with either of them.
Melinda: Possibly. I may try to stop by and see the kids this afternoon. I have to come into the city for a mission. I'll try to come later in the day so I don't disrupt Robin's school work. Is she doing okay with that?
Virginia: She's doing well. Do I need to tell Steve you're coming by?
Melinda: No.
Melinda: I'll text him later.
Virginia: Am I getting my nanny back?
Melinda: No. I'll make arrangements.
Virginia: I trust you.
Melinda: Thank you.
Virginia: If they ever do get their heads out of their asses, you can stay here for a while.
Melinda: I will consider the offer. I'm looking for a divorce attorney. I think Steve's head will stay in his ass until we are actually divorced.
Virginia: I will ask Jennifer from legal if she has any recommendations. Don't worry, I'll pay for it.
Melinda: Thank you.
To be continued…
Remember, we have a 30-day moratorium in effect for all spoilers related to new MCU content. However, if you need more Loki, please check out my short story Love is a Dagger (My Heart Has Been Stabbed Many Times).