Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Phil Coulson walked home in the warm spring air, stopping by the grocery store and smiling at the cashier as he left. It was a nice day. He wished he could feel it.

When he reached home, he looked at the bag with a sigh. Part of him wondered why he kept trying. Nothing worked, nothing got through to her. He hated that he wasn't enough. That nothing he did was enough to help her.

He wouldn't leave though. Wouldn't let her leave, even when it seemed like all she wanted was to be alone. Phil didn't care. It wasn't what she needed. Coulson knew that this one little thing wouldn't make a difference really. None of the little things would, on their own. But maybe all the little things stacked up together would.

Phil had just turned the sauce on to simmer when he heard the door open. “Hey!” He greeted. “How was work?”

May shrugged, shucking off her bag by the door and kicking off her shoes. “Fine.”

“I'm making your favourite pasta for dinner.” He said, “The one with the mushrooms.”

May sighed softly and made a non-committal noise in the back of her throat.

“Melinda-” Phil took a few steps forwards, not quite touching her though. “I love you. You know that, right?”

Though she made no response, her eyes met his briefly and as always there was a glimmer of something behind them. Sadness, guilt, love, he could never tell. But he thought he knew what it meant.

Phil took a step forwards and gently wrapped his arms around her. “I love you.”

Melinda didn't move. She never did. But the fact that she didn't push him away had to mean something, right? Phil pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes.” He murmured, drawing away “Don't forget your medication.”

The barest twitch of annoyance in her face made him feel lighter. No matter how much she wanted to pretend, Melinda was still in there. The woman he had met at the academy, who he had trained with, worked with, laughed and lived with. He'd always known he could get under her skin. It had only become an achievement over the last few months.

After a moment, Melinda sighed. “Okay.” She murmured, walking away to shower and take her medication. She had to try. For Phil.

Phil sat on the couch with a cup of tea, finishing his paperwork on his laptop. Even now, Melinda got the hint of a smug grin when she saw him drinking tea instead of coffee. He'd used to get revenge by drinking an espresso right before he got home, then kissing her just to see the look of disgust on her face. Once he did it at work and had almost gotten reported by a well meaning aide for sexual assault. He'd never forget the look on the guys face when May had told him that they were married.

Part of him was still convinced the kid had been eyeing Melinda up.

He had just hit save and closed his last document when something strange started to happen. The document didn't close. The mouse scrolled down it rapidly, despite his inaction, then closed the document, moving to other files.

The implications hit Phil too late.

He was being hacked.

He watched helplessly as the hacker scanned all of his files, his clearance, his pictures. The hacker went for his SHIELD login and he dove for the internet router, disconnecting it just in time.

Phil grinned smugly when the connection went dead and the mouse jolted, almost as if someone had hit their computer in frustration. After a minute of waiting in a tense silence, he moved his mouse to open the previous document. Most of it had saved, and he typed, 'Couldn't find what you were looking for?' at the base, even knowing that the hacker was long gone.

To his surprise, the text box jumped a couple of lines and then typed, 'Shut up old man.'

Phil narrowed his eyes. A smartass. 'Maybe you're the one who should shut up,' He typed, 'Young lady.' Bound to at least piss off this person. Especially if they were a twenty-something year old man.

There was an even longer pause before they replied. 'How the hell do you know who I am? Come and get me if you know so much, throw me in jail, I don't care'

Coulson raised an eyebrow. 'That was actually a total stab in the dark, but thanks for confirming your gender and age bracket.' When there was no reply, he smiled. 'You're new to this, huh?'

'Shut up.'

Phil sighed. 'Look, if you're just some kid in her parents basement there are better things to do than hack government agencies. You could get in real trouble.'

'Bring it on.'

'I'm serious.' Phil typed. 'How old are you anyway? Seventeen?'

'Maybe, maybe not.' Huh, the kid learned fast. 'Why do you care anyway?'

Phil shrugged, 'I know what can happen to kids with your skills who get in over their heads. I know that it feels like no one can touch you, that you can't get hurt, but believe me, you can.'

'You don't know anything about me.'

'I know you're too smart for your own good. That you think hacking agencies like mine is a ton of fun.'

'That's not why I'm doing this.'

'Okay, then because you think we're the bad guys and you're trying to protect people. You get why we're called SHIELD, right?' More silence, and Phil sighed. 'Isn't it too late for you to be awake? I'm sure you've got school in the morning.'

'You wish.'

Phil balked. 'You have to go to school. Everyone needs an education.'

'Hacking a secret government agency here.'

'I'm sure you're top of your CS class.' He typed, 'What about history? Can you name three of America’s founding fathers?'

'Oh my God.'

Phil couldn't help but think that this kid was laughing at him. 'I'm just saying, if you don't get your education you could end up on the streets.'

It took two minutes before the response formed. 'Sometimes it works the other way around.'

Phil gaped. 'Please tell me you’re not on the street.'

'No.' He sighed, 'Not right now.' Just as Phil was about to reply, the girl typed again, 'Look, I don't want your sympathy, it's just kind of a rough time, okay?'

Phil bit his lip. Another person he couldn't help. 'Okay.' He typed sadly. 'My name's Phil by the way.'

The longest pause yet before a single word appeared on his screen. 'Daisy.'

Phil smiled. 'Nice to meet you, Daisy.' He typed. 'I hope your situation improves.'

'I'd say the same but it looks like you've got it made.'

'I guess some would say that.'

'What, you wouldn't?

Phil sighed again. 'I'm worried about my wife.' He confided. 'She's suffering from severe PTSD, and I don't know how to help her.' He wasn't sure why he was telling this to some kid. Maybe it was just easier. Screaming at the darkness, crying in the night. No one ever had to know he was feeling like this.

'What, you shield guys don't have shrinks?'

'Oh, we do. She just refused to talk to any of them.'

'Why?'

'She's stubborn, and quiet. Doesn't like sharing.'

'Sounds like you guys have a great relationship.'

'We do.' Phil typed on reflex, 'We did. Now I'm just not sure if I'm enough to help her. I try, all the time, but I'm just really scared that I'm losing her.' He swallowed the lump in his throat. 'I love her so much.'

'I'm sorry.'

'Thank you.' Phil wiped his eyes and laughed softly. 'I'll be honest, it's nice to talk about it. Thank you for listening, Daisy. If that is your real name.'

'It is.' She typed, then paused. Phil could only imagine her hesitating, looking at her own screen. 'To be honest it's one of the only things I know about myself. I don't have a family.'

Phil stared at the screen. 'That's terrible, I'm so sorry.'

'I said no pity.'

'Right, sorry.' Phil bit his lip. 'Are you in foster care?'

'I don't wanna talk about it.'

'Okay. What do you want to talk about?' Phil grinned. 'Do you watch The Walking Dead?'

Phil crawled into bed half an hour later and Melinda looked at him curiously. “Up late.”

“Yeah.” He murmured. “Paperwork was a killer.” No need to tell her about Daisy. She was just a kid, and she hadn't gotten any real intel. Melinda had enough on her plate. “Go to sleep.”

“I'll try.”

“Hey,” Phil caught her eye. “Promise you'll wake me if you have a nightmare.”

She looked away. “I'll try.”

“Thank you.” He murmured, resisting the urge to take her hand. “I'm here, no matter what.”

He could tell that she wanted to say 'I love you'. Phil kissed her gently, offering a small smile. “I'll see you in the morning.”

Daisy crawled into bed and immediately curled up into a ball to warm up. She was tired of foster families. She was tired of feeling relieved when they didn't hit her, or being used to there being no food on the table, the responsibility being placed firmly on her to feed herself. She was tired of feeling like thinking that made her a brat. She wasn't a brat, she was fifteen.

She bit back the frustrated tears and tried to slow her mind down enough to sleep. This family was really into rules, and she wasn't going to give them any reason to believe that she was up late. Much less hacking the computer of a government agent.

That thought made her smile. She'd done it. Useless, unwanted orphan, but she'd done it. And that agent guy was... funny. Maybe she'd message him again some time.

For fun.

Chapter Text

A week after her virtual chat with Phil the SHIELD agent, Daisy found his email. Really easily. Man, SHIELD really needed to upgrade their security. She sat on her single bed in the upstairs bedroom. This family wasn't so bad as long as you followed all the rules; at least she got her own room, and the old laptop that was about to be thrown out. It took her some time to get it working, but still.

'Fun day at work?' She typed into the instant messaging feature, expecting there being a week before he replied. Old guys sucked at the internet.

Daisy was surprised a few minutes later when she received a reply.

'Daisy?'

She grinned. 'The one and only. You really need to fix your security old man.'

Daisy could imagine him rolling his eyes. 'You need to stop staying up so late young lady.'

She snorted. 'Make me.' She typed, then hesitated. 'How's your wife?'

There was a pause before he replied. 'The same. She's trying though.'

'It must be so hard to live with that.'

'She's not a burden' He typed back quickly, 'She's my wife and I love her.'

'I can tell.' Daisy typed. 'Can't see you bothering otherwise.'

'People can help people without knowing them. It's called altruism, didn't they teach you the word in English class?'

Daisy laughed. 'I wouldn't know, it's not like I pay attention.' Or attend, She mentally added on.

'You should.' He typed back. 'I know you don't want me nagging, but you're a smart kid, and that shouldn't go to waste.'

Daisy sighed. 'I'll be fine.' She typed, 'I don't need you worrying about me.'

'Sorry.' He replied, 'My wife says I'm a nagger.'

Daisy smiled. 'The nagging husband and the closed off wife? Sounds like your relationship's backwards.'

'It's exactly what it needs to be.' He replied, ‘She's always been the one saving my ass.' A moment later he sent another message. 'I shouldn't have said ass, please don't use that word.'

Daisy burst out laughing, hurriedly shoving her face into a pillow so as not to disturb her foster parents. ‘Oh my God, do you even have kids?'

The length of the pause that followed told her that maybe she'd said the wrong thing. 'No.' Phil eventually replied, and Daisy bit her lip.

'Sorry.' She typed shortly. She wanted to say more, but she didn't know what she should say. What if his wife had miscarried? What if that was why she was so messed up?

'It's okay.' He replied quickly. 'We were thinking about it for a little while, but Melinda hasn't mentioned it since the incident.' Melinda. So that was his wife's name. Not that Daisy couldn't have found that out. 'Anyway, what have you been up to?' Phil typed, 'Done your homework?'

Daisy snorted. 'Wouldn't you like to know.'

'I would, actually.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Yes, I've done my homework, can I have my dinner now?'

She waited a fraction of a second longer than usual for a reply. 'Good. Learning's important.'

'Maybe it's time you learned to secure your computer.'

'This is an email conversation.'

'Like I couldn't get in anyway.'

'I'd rather you didn't try.'

Daisy sniggered. 'Scared of what I'll find?'

'Scared you'll get caught.'

'They won't find out.' Daisy typed, knowing that her foster parents were asleep and totally technologically inept.

'SHIELD are better than you think.'

Right. SHIELD. 'I'll be fine. I can look after myself.'

'You're a kid, you shouldn't have to.'

Daisy bristled. 'I don't need another man telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing, okay? Mind your own business.'

It was several minutes before Phil responded, but Daisy refused to feel bad. He didn't know anything about her, her life, what she had to do. What she had survived. When the message finally popped up, Daisy hesitated before clicking on it.

'I'm sorry.' It said. 'I didn't mean to overstep. I guess I'm still on work brain.'

Daisy clenched her hands into fists, trying to figure out what to do now. No one ever apologised to her, not really. The odd shrink, sometimes a counsellor would after they found out what had happened in a home they had sent her to. But it never meant anything. They never meant it. She got the feeling that Phil did mean it.

She swallowed. 'Don't do it again.' Daisy typed, then immediately after, 'What's your wife like?' An olive branch.

A longer wait still for that reply, but when it arrived Daisy could see why. 'She's amazing, we've known each other for years. She's one of SHIELD's top field agents, can take down men twice her size without breaking a sweat, and she's so graceful and funny. I think you'd like her, she doesn't take anyone talking down to her.' Daisy could just picture the lovesick grin as he typed. 'And she loves pranking people, she gets this grin when she's done something, it's the cutest thing.'

'She sounds great.'

'She is. No one expects the tiny little Chinese woman to be the muscle on missions, but she could kick my ass five ways from Sunday.'

That pulled Daisy up short. 'She's Chinese?'

'Is that a problem?'

Daisy bit her lip. She didn't know if she should say this. It would help SHIELD track her down if they wanted to. And yet... 'I'm Chinese.' She confessed. 'At least that's what they think. Half Chinese, half not.'

'You'd definitely like her then.' Phil typed, and Daisy let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding. 'I know connecting with your heritage is important.' He was toeing the line, that much was clear. Testing the waters.

'Not high on my list of priorities right now.'

'Maybe some day then.'

'Yeah.' Daisy typed. 'Some day.' Some day when she was older. Some day when she was safe and stable and not a total mess.

Some day felt like a dream. A dream that would never happen.

Phil was on his work computer when he saw another email pop up a week later. He moved it to another folder, resolving not to talk to Daisy at work. He didn't want her to get in trouble. She wasn't really doing anything wrong.

After dinner he and Melinda sat down on the couch together, her watching some game show with blank eyes, him finishing his paperwork. After an hour he realised that she had fallen asleep against him, and Phil smiled. “I love you so much.” He murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

His paperwork complete, he checked the email from Daisy.

'Hey, do you know anything about world war 2?' She had typed, 'I've got a history assignment.'

Phil couldn't help but smile. A school assignment. So she was going to school, doing her homework, asking for help because she wanted to do it well. 'Melinda didn't put you up to this, did she?' He typed. 'She's always making fun of me for being a “nerd”.'

'So is that a yes?' Phil could imagine her laughing at him.

He rolled his eyes. 'What do you need to know?'

After an hour of failing to reign his history nerd side in, Phil insisted that Daisy go to bed, noting that wherever she was, it was past midnight, and she had school in the morning. He counted it as a win that she surrendered, even wishing him goodnight first. He closed his laptop, setting it aside and gently combing his fingers through Melinda's hair in an attempt to rouse her. “Hey.” He said softly, watching as she became instantly awake. “Time for bed.”

“You're the one who woke me up.”

Phil smiled. “I know.” He murmured. “But you hate sleeping on the couch. You know what it does to your neck.”

“I don't need you worrying about me.”

“I know.” He said again. “But I like to anyway.” He stood with a groan. “Come on, I'm tired.”

May rolled her eyes when he took her hand and helped her up, but there was the hint of a smile under it all. The barest trace of the woman she had used to be. Phil hated how much he missed her sometimes. His wife was still there. Melinda was right there.

Phil sighed. “You know I love you, right?” He asked as he changed into his pyjamas.

Melinda hesitated in brushing her hair to look at him, lips slightly parted in surprise. After a moment she nodded, looking away. She bit her lip and Phil knew what she was thinking.

“Good.” He sighed. “I- you don't have to say it. I just... I never want to lose you.”

“What's this about?”

Phil smiled, forcing the emotion back. He didn't know why he was being so sappy tonight. “I don't know.” He muttered, settling into bed, her joining beside him. “I guess... you just looked so peaceful on the couch. It reminded me of our first mission, remember? You fell asleep in the car on our way back.”

“Only because of the hypothermia.”

Phil scoffed. “It wasn't hypothermia.” He muttered.

“I'm still here.” Melinda murmured softly, resting one hand on his chest, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “I'm sorry I'm not...”

Phil was shaking his head before she finished speaking. “You don't have to be sorry for anything.” He said firmly. “I'm the one who's meant to be helping you through this.”

Melinda looked away, pulling her hand back. “This isn't something you can just fix Phil.” She whispered. “I wish it was. If I could go back to being-” She broke off, throat working.

“Hey.” Phil put a hand on her shoulder. “I don't want you to go back. I just want you to be happy again.”

She swallowed. “I don't know if I can Phil.”

“That's okay.” He promised. “I'll be here every day until you do. And every day after that. I promise.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I love you.”

She managed a nod this time, as well as the barest hint of a smile. It was enough to warm Phil's heart. He loved his wife. So so much.

Phil continued to get messages from Daisy over the weeks following their initial encounter, and he replied studiously. It was clear that this kid needed someone, and she was a great kid. Smart, funny, wit sharp as a knife. He wasn't sure if Melinda would love her or hate her. The two were very similar.

He found out that Daisy liked history, but not school history, that she hated stories with orphans going on magical adventures, which he hadn't pressed her about, and that any time she had the money she would journey to chinatown to get a meal for herself. She claimed that the spiciness made her feel alive. Phil pointed out that nothing made him feel alive like almost dying from too much chilli.

He got the impression that that had made her laugh, and that made him happy. From what little he knew about Daisy, it was clear she needed some happiness in her life.

Phil didn't question why he was doing this. He just told her about the first time Melinda had taken him home to meet her mother and he had ended up in tears from the chilli she had snuck into his bowl, told her about his car, about how Melinda had driven like a maniac the first and only time he'd given her the keys. He told her about Sausalito and how Melinda had been trapped in the bay, how she had thoroughly chewed out their commander once they got back.

Daisy teased him for having Melinda in all his stories, but Phil shrugged it off. 'She's part of my life.' He had typed. 'My family. I love being with her.'

Reading those words, simple and honest on her screen, gave Daisy pause. She knew that loving relationships existed, but she hadn't really accepted it before. That there were couples who weren't at each other's throats, who weren't bonded solely through whatever form of evangelism made foster families punish her for every indiscretion. People who actually cared about the people they lived with. Included them in their lives. 'I can't imagine trusting someone that much.' She confessed, fully expecting him to be surprised or pitying.

Instead, Phil replied, 'Well, maybe someday you will.'

I hope not. Daisy thought, but only typed, 'Yeah. Maybe.' Trust got people hurt. It got her hurt. She shifted, the bruises on her arm starting to ache.

She couldn’t risk trusting people.

ABUSE TW UNTIL END OF CHAPTER

It had been a little over two months since her first conversation with Phil when Daisy felt scared enough to try to get something from him. She didn’t want anything really. Just reassurance, a promise that she’d be okay. A lie.

Her left arm was tied up in a makeshift sling using an old shirt. She could feel a black eye forming and tried not to cry from the fear and the pain, knowing that it would only sting more. She couldn't do this. She didn't deserve this.

'Hey.' She typed, hoping that Phil was awake, hearing the loud ranting from downstairs, knowing that her dollar store padlock would never hold. There was no other way out of her room. Her heart hammered in her chest. It felt like there was a huge weight on her head.

She couldn't keep doing this. Daisy knew that. She couldn't handle them sending her to another home like this, another home where they promised that this time would be different, that this would be a good family. It didn't matter. It never mattered. Either they sent her away in pieces, or they sent her away whole. In the end the result was the same.

Her IM bounced. 'Hey.' Phil replied. 'What's up? Rough day at school?'

Daisy shivered. 'Sure.' She replied. She couldn't tell him. She knew that. An hour from now she could be dead or homeless. What could she even say to him? This guy who might still be some creepy pedophile, but who had made her feel a little more normal. 'How was your day?'

There was another pause and Daisy jumped when there was a thump from downstairs. 'Fine.' Phil typed. 'Paperwork mostly, for every day of missions there's a week of paperwork.'

'They don't tell you about that in training, huh?' Somehow the joke didn't even feel genuine when expressed in text. When Daisy pulled her hands back she noticed that she was trembling violently. 'Have you been on a lot of missions?'

'Some, yeah.'

Footsteps. The worst sound in the world. Daisy typed quickly, needing something. 'When it goes bad, how do you deal with it?' She typed, feeling the thump of the footsteps vibrating through the ground, her bed-frame, her bones. 'How do you not get scared?'

Phil felt a thrill of fear go through him as he read those words. 'Daisy, is everything okay? Are you safe?' When minutes passed and there was no reply, Phil started to panic. 'Daisy, what's happening, tell me what's going on and I can help you. Just tell me where you are and I'll send someone to get you right now, but you have to give me something.'

An hour passed and there was still no reply, so Phil reached for his phone. “Maria? I know it's late, but I need you to do me a favour. Now.”

Chapter Text

It was two weeks before Phil heard from Daisy again. When he saw the message his heart leapt into his throat. She was okay. No. She was alive. He didn't know how he could ever have thought that she was okay after Maria had shown him Daisy's agency file.

He should have known. He should have helped her.

'Hey.' Daisy's message read. 'Sorry if I scared you, I'm okay, I've just been on the streets for a while.'

Phil knew that. What he didn't know was where. After he and Maria had confirmed that she wasn't at the foster home she was last appointed to, they had run facial recognition on all the cameras in the city but gained no ground. 'Are you okay? Where are you?'

Daisy swallowed, looking around the internet cafe. 'I can't tell you.' She typed. 'I can't go back.'

'I won't make you.' He promised, 'But please, I want to help you.'

Daisy swallowed. 'Look, nothing personal, but I don't want any more help from agencies and people who say they can fix my life. They only ever make it worse.'

Phil hesitated. He knew that it made sense for her not to trust him, or anyone for that matter. 'Okay.' He typed. 'But I want you have have a roof over your head. Let me book you a hotel where you are, then you can at least have a bed, a shower and some food.'

Daisy bit her lip, knowing that she would be kicked out of the internet cafe soon. She didn't trust him. She didn't trust anyone anymore. But she had grazes on her back from sleeping on the ground and she'd barely showered in weeks and she was so so hungry. Maybe just one night in a hotel would be okay. Before he had time to hunt her down. She swallowed. 'I don't want you to try and save me.'

'I won't come and find you unless you're in danger or you want me to. I promise.' Phil looked down. 'I know that my word doesn't mean a lot to you, but it's all I can give you.'

Daisy hesitated, catching the looks a staff member was shooting her. She knew that her fading black eye, dirty clothes, and age singled her out. They'd call the police soon. 'One night.' She typed, feeling her heartbeat increase and her hands start shaking at just the thought. 'And if anyone who's not from the hotel tries to talk to me, I'm gonna stab them with a steak knife.'

Bluster. Just like when she had first hacked his computer. But that threat felt disturbingly real. 'Okay.' Phil agreed. 'Just tell me where you are, I'll sort out the rest.'

It took Daisy a few hours after that to pluck up the courage to actually go to the hotel. When she finally did, she was greeted by the receptionist who claimed that her 'dad' had 'explained everything'. Whatever that meant. Fed her some story.

The second she arrived in her room, Daisy locked the door, jammed a magazine underneath, and collapsed onto the bed, not even bothering to take her shoes off. As hungry as she was, as scared as she was, the bed was so comfortable. God, why did she have to live like this? Why did the fact that she had a comfy bed have to be so surprising, the feeling of the soft pillows overwhelm her to the point that she wanted to wrench herself away?

Daisy wasn't sure how much later it was when there was a knock at the door, but she immediately seized the knife she had shoplifted a few days after running away. “Yeah?” She called, trying not to sound scared.

“Room service.” A kind sounding voice said back. “I brought your dinner.”

Daisy's hand tightened on the knife. “I didn't order any food.”

“I know,” The voice replied, “But your dad did, and he wanted us to make sure you ate.”

Daisy swallowed. She knew that she couldn't be scared forever. She was though. She was scared. She took a breath and opened the door. “Thank you.” She mumbled, reaching for the tray.

The woman who had brought it was small, with short brown hair. She had that matronly look to her, but Daisy knew that that didn't mean she couldn't hurt her. She cocked her head when she saw Daisy. “That's one heck of a shiner you've got.” She said, nodding to Daisy's eye.

“It's nothing.”

“We've got a first aid station downstairs.” The woman said gently. “If you need it. Your dad was pretty mad that your school left you behind, I promised you were in good hands.” She offered a small smile. “I know it's scary to be by yourself for the first time.”

Daisy gritted her teeth, making no reply. “Thanks for dinner.” She muttered, then turned to go back inside, jamming the magazine under the door again. The smell of the steak and roast vegetables made her mouth water, and she reminded herself that she shouldn't eat too quickly.

In an attempt to keep herself from getting sick, Daisy ate half the vegetables and half the steak, then took a shower, changing into the hotel provided pyjamas and the fuzzy robe. The soap had stung at her grazes, and her bruises ached a little from the steam, but she felt good. Clean, and clear headed. She glanced at the hotel computer as she picked at the remainder of her dinner, then opened up the emails.

'Hey.' She typed into the IM feature. 'These robes are the best.'

Phil smiled across the country. 'Aren't they? Melinda and I once went to a hotel like that one after a rough mission, I didn't think she'd ever let go of that robe.' He paused. 'I'm sorry I told them I was your father, it was the only way I could confirm a minor for a room by themselves.'

'Okay.' Daisy typed. 'Dinner was a bit much though. I can feed myself.'

'I know.' Phil typed back. 'But I wanted to make sure you didn't miss out. I can't imagine how tired you must be.'

'I'm okay.'

'You don't have to keep saying that.'

Just seeing those words on the screen cracked her open, and Daisy sucked in a shaking breath, the bottled tears finally starting to break free. She hissed in pain as her eye stung, and wiped them away before they reached her cut lip. Yes I do. She thought. Cos if I stop I won't even convince myself. 'I'm tired.' She typed instead. 'Might call it a night.'

'Okay.' Phil typed back. 'You've got the room for another night at least, if you want it, so don't worry about oversleeping.'

'Okay.' Daisy typed. She wanted to say thank you, but part of her was still waiting for this man to show up. To try to hurt her, or worse, take her back to the foster system.

Daisy flipped off the lights, opening the window so that the sounds of traffic would keep her awake, and fixed her eyes on the door. The yellow glow of the streetlight made her knife shine on the bedside table, and she fought sleep.

No matter what anyone tried to tell her, she wasn't safe here.

She wasn't safe anywhere.

Daisy stayed at the hotel for two more days after Phil had booked her into a room. After that she left. She knew that she couldn't stay for much longer. The staff were already suspicious, and she couldn't let anyone take her back to the foster system. She was never going back to another foster family again.

'I'm leaving now.' She typed to Phil before she left the room, looking longingly at the bed. It would be so easy to just stay, take another nap. She couldn't though. She knew that deep down.

She could sense Phil's disappointment even though the impersonal words on the screen. 'Okay.' He typed. 'But stay safe.'

It hadn't even been a week before Daisy went back to an internet cafe and found another offer for a hotel, or, as Phil said, even a B&B, if she'd be more comfortable with that. She hesitated. It was hard. It was scary, and she still wasn't sure if he was some creep who was trying to butter her up or groom her or something, but she was so hungry and cold, and... she'd promised herself that she would never let anyone lay a hand on her again. It didn't matter what this man did, she would never let him touch her.

She surrendered then, though stipulated that it only be a bed and breakfast place, which she chose.

Phil didn't comment on that, nor did he comment that the only thing that place really had going for it was security. He knew that she needed to feel safe, but he also knew that he couldn't provide that right now. If asked what he planned to do, he wouldn't be able to say. He just wanted to keep this girl safe, as much as he could.

It was easier for Daisy to stay at a B&B. There were less staff, less questions, and she could stay for over a week without anyone getting suspicious. Her black eye had started to fade, and she had shoplifted some concealer to hide it and keep people from staring.

Every day was a little easier than the last, and having at least one guaranteed meal a day definitely helped. Sometimes she would get away with swiping an extra bread roll and then there would be dinner too.

Phil looked up when the door to his and Melinda's apartment opened and minimised the email screen, smiling in greeting. "Hey." He said. "How was work?"

Melinda shrugged. "Fine. Barton's trying to get funds for a crossbow again."

Phil chuckled. "What does he need that for anyway? Isn't that betraying his precious bow?" He hesitated. "How's Romanoff? Do you know?"

"Still under surveillance." Melinda said softly. "But it looks like she'll be cleared to work with Barton within a month or so."

"They'd be great together."

"In the field."

"Sure, that too."

Melinda shot him a glare and Phil grinned. "You aren't going to interfere with them."

"Of course not." He said. "It's not like they need the help."

"Phil."

He chuckled. “Okay, fine.” That glimmer of fire in her eyes was victory enough. Maybe he was fooling himself, but Melinda did seem to be improving, day by day, in little pieces. He knew he should tell her about Daisy, but at this point he didn't know how. And Phil didn't want to add any more stress onto her plate.

She must have noticed the unease on his face. “What's up?”

Phil shook his head. “Nothing.” He said, standing to wrap his arms around her and gently kiss her. “Just- a long day. Don't worry about it.”

Phil knew that he had spoken too soon when he'd thought about how much better Melinda had been doing. He hadn't realised how quickly she could regress though. When she had gotten home she'd seemed fine, but by the time they went to bed she had gone back to not speaking and barely looking at him.

“Hey.” Phil said, gently cupping her face. “I love you.”

As expected, she didn't meet his eyes, but there was something different on her face, past all the quiet and hurt. Something he couldn't quite identify.

Phil would have been lying if he said that he didn't hope that this was just a phase. That maybe Melinda was just a bit tired, and that she'd have gained back that ground by the next morning.

When he woke up she was already gone, and something about that felt wrong. They had always communicated and usually talked out their problems if they could, but Phil felt like he had done something wrong. Something to make Melinda mad at him.

He shook off the thought, like he had shaken off every thought of that nature since Bahrain. This wasn't about him. It was about Melinda, and she was dealing with a lot. All Phil could do was try to help.

And he did try. He did everything he could to show her that he was there for her, but every time he found himself being pushed away. She no longer tolerated his touches, she didn't look at him when he told her he loved her, she barely responded when he asked how her day had been or asked if she'd taken her medication.

Phil wasn't sure if she was even still taking it. He almost checked several times, but restrained himself. He couldn't invade her privacy like that.

He tried to hide his worry. Tried to hide that broken feeling, the knowledge that he wasn't enough. Even with everything he had tried, with how much he loved Melinda, he wasn't enough to help her. Maybe nothing was. If Phil thought that someone else could help her, he would make them.

Phil wished that it could be easy. That he could hold her until her broken pieces stuck back together. He couldn't though. He couldn't do anything to help his wife.

He managed a week before mentioning it to Daisy. Another person he couldn't help, another person who had enough to deal with without him adding to it. 'I'm worried about Melinda.' He typed one night, when she had taken an early night.

Daisy cocked her head from across the country. 'Aren't you always?'

'She's acting different.' Phil replied, glancing at their bedroom door. 'She's blocking me out, she's regressed, badly.' He swallowed the lump in his throat. 'I don't know how to help her.'

Daisy paused. 'Are you sure she's regressed?' She asked. 'Maybe she's just pissed at you.'

'About what?'

'I don't know.' Daisy typed. 'She's your wife. Maybe cos you've been spending money on hotel rooms in other states.'

'It's not a lot of money Daisy.' Phil tried to assure. It was clear that she was waiting for him to ask for something. 'If it means you're off the streets then it's worth it.'

Daisy didn't type for several minutes after that. She didn't believe him, but hey, if he wanted to pretend that he wasn't going to try to get something out of this, she wasn't going to make him confess otherwise. She already had a fake ID and enough cash stashed away to get her to another state if she needed to. She shook herself from the thought. Phil hadn't done anything to her yet. She would wait until he did before shutting him out. 'Still. She might not think so.' She typed. 'What if she saw you booking hotels in other states and got the wrong idea?'

Phil stared at the message, but frowned and shook his head. 'No, I don't think so.'

'Why not?'

'We communicate.' He typed. 'She'd talk to me if she was thinking something like that.'

Daisy shrugged, knowing no one could see. 'I don't know then.' She hesitated. 'Are you okay?'

Phil laughed softly, humourlessly. Daisy was homeless and alone, Melinda was dealing with things he couldn't even imagine. And yet Daisy was worried about him. 'I'm fine.' He typed. 'Just worried about her.'

'That's gotta take a toll though.'

Tears welled behind Phil's eyes and he bowed his head. 'I just miss her so much.' He confessed, weak and afraid. 'I know she's here, I see her every day, but it's like she's not really in there.' He swallowed, wiping his eyes. 'I can't lose her.'

Daisy didn't know what to say. 'I'm sorry.' She typed, feeling woefully ill-equipped for this. 'Maybe you should tell her that. Talking's meant to be important, right?'

Phil sighed, getting himself under control. Daisy was right, communication was important, and in the weeks and months that he had spent trying to help Melinda, he had lost the core of that. They talked, but he didn't say much. He'd been treating her with kid gloves, and he had to stop that. Maybe that was why she had started shutting him out. He'd stopped acting like her best friend.

He should fix that.

Melinda closed her eyes, feigning sleep, when she heard Phil enter their room. She waited until he had settled next to her and fallen asleep before she opened her eyes again, letting herself look at him.

Phil. Her best friend, her partner. Her husband.

She was trying to get better. She wanted to stop seeing that little girl's face whenever she closed her eyes, hearing her voice around every corner, seeing accusation in the eyes of people who had no idea what she had done. She wanted it to have never happened.

Phil didn't deserve someone like her. She didn't deserve him always trying to look after her, telling her he loved her, promising everything would be okay. She knew that he deserved better than her, so why did it hurt that he'd realised that too?

The hotels were one thing. She could accept that. But all those emails and messages from this woman called Daisy... She hadn't read them. She didn't need to, didn't want to see how much more he loved this woman, how easy it was for him to talk to her, how she listened and could relate to his love of all those nerdy things he loved so much. She didn't want to read those messages.

The volume of the messages and the bookings gave Phil's intentions away. He had always been a romantic, wearing his heart on his sleeves. Of course when he met someone he liked he'd send her messages every day, book hotel rooms every other weekend so that he could see her.

She should be happy, Melinda reminded herself. She should be glad that Phil had realised that she was a lost cause, that he had someone else who made him happy, that he didn't need her.

She wasn't happy though. It hurt in a way she never thought it would. Maybe she'd let his hopeful smiles get to her. Maybe she'd let herself think that she could recover some day.

It wasn't going to happen though. The only person who had always stood by her had finally given up.

And that was fine.

Chapter Text

Phil fiddled nervously with his hands, sitting in the living room. He had take-out menus lined up in the kitchen. Something gave him the feeling that he wouldn't feel like cooking. He just hoped that Melinda wasn't going to leave him. He knew what would happen if she did. He was the last person she'd let in. He didn't know if or when she would let anyone else in too.

He recognised her footsteps climbing the stairs to their apartment and swallowed when he heard her key turn in the door. Their eyes met when she entered, and there was a hint of resignation in her gaze. Like she'd been expecting this.

“Hey.” Phil said, voice rough. “We should talk.”

Melinda didn't move though. She stood by the door looking at him, her throat working. Finally her mouth set in a determined line. “Look, Phil, if we're done we're done, okay?” She said forcibly. “Don't beat around the bush.”

Phil recoiled, heartbreak taking over his features. “What are you talking about?” He asked. “I- Melinda I've been trying to help you- I've been trying so hard-”

“I get it.” May interrupted, crossing her arms. “I do. You didn't marry this. Just-” She sighed. “Call it how it is. You owe me that.”

“I love you.”

“Sometimes that isn't enough Phil.” She murmured, looking down. “You deserve better, you know that now.”

He stood, going to her. “I don't care.” Phil said softly, barely refraining from touching her. “I don't care what I deserve. I want you. I don't care what that means. If it means I stay with you for years, trying to help you get better, then that's what I want.”

Melinda swallowed. “No, it's not.” She said shortly, looking at him. The tenderness in his eyes made her want to just let it all go and fall into his arms. She couldn't though. “And we both know it.”

“What are you-” Phil broke off. Damnit, Daisy was right. “You saw the emails, didn't you?”

May stiffened, refusing to feel like she'd done anything wrong. “You left your laptop open on the counter.”

Phil cursed internally. “Melinda, it's not what you think, I swear.”

“I don't need excuses Phil.”

“I'm not making excuses!” He exclaimed, “Look, just give me a chance to prove it, ten minutes?”

Melinda crossed her arms, but nodded. If he wanted to pull some reasons out of his ass that made this okay, it was fine by her. She didn't care though.

Phil typed rapidly on his computer, Melinda watching him from across the room. 'Daisy, are you there?'

'Well I'm not at school.' Daisy replied.

Phil bit his lip. 'Look, I need a favour. You were right about Melinda, she saw that I had messages from you and had booked hotels and now she thinks I'm having an affair. I know you don't trust me, but please, can we do some kind of video chat? I don't know how else to prove that I'm not having an affair.'

Daisy stared at the message. He seemed so desperate. But, she reminded herself, he could just be desperate for whatever underaged girl he could find. She was still partly convinced that that was what this guy was. Some pervert. But he might not be. He might be some innocent, sweet man whose wife was about to leave him for no good reason. Besides, she'd had a GPS track on his computer since the day she had first hacked it. He was nowhere near her.

Worst case scenario, she found herself looking at some sweaty creep jerking off on her computer. But she was safe. She could block communications with Phil in seconds in necessary. Daisy swallowed nervously. 'Fine.' She typed, regretting it immediately.

Daisy wasn't sure if relief was the right word when it turned out that he wasn't some sweaty naked dude jerking off to her face on the screen, but it was all she could come up with. Actually, the best word she could come up with to describe Phil was dad. He just looked like a cartoon dad, fading hair, lines on his face, kind eyes which immediately tinged with worry when he saw her.

Daisy became aware that she probably didn't look like he expected her to. She cleared her throat. “Hi.”

Phil's concern cracked when he saw how nervous she looked. He smiled. “Hi. Nice to finally see you.” He waved to someone off screen, and a woman came to sit next to him. Not too closely though, Daisy noticed.

Phil's wife wasn't like she had expected. She knew that Phil had said that she kicked ass, but she looked far more intimidating than Daisy had imagined.

Melinda frowned when she saw the person on the screen. She looked to Phil. “What is this?”

Phil wove his fingers together. “This is Daisy.” He said softly. “We've been emailing for the last few months.”

May raised an eyebrow. “What, you found her on one of those 'cute teenagers want you' places?”

Daisy recoiled, but spoke. “I-I kind of hacked your husband's computer.” She said. “And I guess he thought trying to talk me to death was the way forwards?”

May said nothing, but Phil caught the subtle clench of her jaw.

Phil stayed quiet as Melinda regarded the girl on his laptop. “Do your parents know about this?” She asked.

Phil winced, and Daisy hesitated. “Well, I don't have parents, so... no.”

“Your guardians then.”

Daisy bit her tongue. “I ran away from them a while ago.” She admitted, knowing that these two could get her sent back now. They knew what she looked like. She hadn't thought of that. Stupid. “So same drill I guess.”

“Who's looking after you then?”

Daisy shrugged. “I am.” She said. “And- he is too.” She added, nodding to Phil.

Phil put a hand on Melinda's shoulder, counting it as a victory that she didn't shrug him off. “She needs help.” He whispered, hoping Daisy didn't hear. He knew that she thought she could look after herself, but she did need help.

Melinda turned to him. “This is what the hotel rooms were for?” She had noted the fading bruises the second she had seen Daisy. It was clear why she run away.

Both of them nodded. May set her jaw. “And you never thought to invite her to stay with us?”

Daisy froze and Phil's eyes darted between them. He didn't know what to say. His main reason for not offering was a certainty that Daisy would refuse.

Thankfully, Daisy spoke. “I don't need another foster family.”

May refrained from rolling her eyes. “Then we won't be. Just call us temporary guardians so that you won't be living in hotels and homeless shelters.”

Phil put a hand over hers briefly, “I'll make some tea.” He murmured, standing and going to the kitchen.

Daisy watched him go, curiously leaning to see more of the apartment. Sensing weakness, Melinda lifted the laptop, turning the camera so that she could look around. “There's plenty of space.” May said.

Daisy bit her lip. She wanted this to be real. She wanted to have a safe roof over her head and a kitchen that had food in it. And these people hadn't lied to her yet.

Melinda could see the kid's hesitation. She could understand why, but sometimes people needed a push. Daisy wanted this, that much was clear. “Look, come stay with us or I'm cancelling any and all hotel bookings, got it?”

Daisy froze, the iciness in this woman's voice enough to bring up some bad memories. “I- okay.” She said quietly. She couldn't help the feeling that Melinda didn't like her. That scared her, but not enough to make her want to run. Plenty of nuns hadn't liked her, and they hadn't given her any broken bones. She could live with that. It was just a little disappointing. She'd hoped that Melinda would like her, at least a little.

May nodded, softening a little. “Good.” She said, turning to Phil as he returned with her favourite tea. “Daisy's going to come and stay with us.”

Phil struggled to hide his surprise. “Oh, really? I- good.” He smiled at Daisy. “I'll sort out transport tonight. Don't worry.”

Daisy swallowed, wrapping her arms around herself. “Thank you.” She murmured, but there wasn't a lot of happiness in her countenance. There was trepidation though.

Phil hesitated. “We won't let anyone hurt you.” He said softly. “I promise.”

Daisy shrugged and said nothing. It occurred to Phil that a lot of people had probably promised her that over the years. He hesitated. “And we have to organise temporary legal custody.” He said carefully. “Which means I'll need to contact your foster agency.”

Daisy froze momentarily. They could find her. The agency could try to send her back to that home, the ones who had hurt her so much and made her so scared, all because they probably lied and claimed she'd tripped down the stairs.

So then what? That steely voice inside said. What would you do then? She thought about it. Run away. She said. And keep running until they can never find me. Daisy nodded. She could do that. “Okay.” She said, trying not to regret this immediately. She didn't trust these two, but they had a nice apartment and food and they both worked, so they wouldn't even be around much.

Perfect.

The two terminated the call with Daisy not long after confirming that she would stay with them. A moment after the screen went black, both of them let out a long sigh. May bit the inside of her lip. “Why didn't you tell me?” She asked softly.

Phil looked down. “I don't know.” He admitted. “At first it felt like it wasn't important, but then... well, it got serious fast.”

“Did you tell anyone else?”

“Maria.” Phil hesitated. “Daisy messaged me one night, asking what I do when missions go south, how I stay brave when everything's going wrong. Then she didn't reply.”

“The night she ran away.”

“Yeah.” He said. “They hurt her, I know they did. Maria found her file, then found the family.”

A flash of anger came across Melinda's face. “They won't have any kids soon, will they?”

“No.” Phil sighed again, leaning back on the couch. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you.” He murmured, daring to lean closer to her. “You've just been dealing with so much lately. I didn't want to put more stress on you.”

May turned to face him fully. “I'm not made of glass Phil.” She said firmly. “I'm dealing with this, but I'm not going to fall apart. I don't need you treating me with kid gloves.”

Phil looked away. “You're right.” He said. “I'm sorry. I'm just... I've been really scared that you're gonna leave me.”

Melinda let herself get close enough to rest her head against his shoulder. “I didn't mean to make you feel like that.” She murmured. “I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I'm not getting better.” Just saying it hurt.

“What? No, Mel, don't say that.”

“It's true though.” She muttered, not looking at him. “I've been trying so hard, and I can't go back to being who I used to be.”

Phil kissed her cheek. “You don't have to be that person.” He said. “You just need to keep going, day by day, and you do. You get up every morning and go to work and do your job, and you still protect everyone. Even random kids on the other side of the country who have no one else.” He smiled, pulling her closer still. “I love you.”

“I know.”

Phil snorted and the tension broke. “Star Wars, really?”

Melinda shrugged, smiling, and Phil grinned too. “I've missed seeing you smile.” He said, and she ducked her head, the smile fading.

Phil whined playfully. “No, don't stop, come on!”

She buried her face in his chest. “Shut up Phil.”

Phil grinned into her hair, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “I'm glad you're here.”

Melinda sighed against him. “Me too.” She murmured.

Chapter Text

Daisy watched the scenery speed by on her second connection, trying not to dwell on what Phil and Melinda wanted from her when she arrived. What they might do to her. It had only been two days since she had talked to them on video chat, and yet apparently that was enough time for them to talk the foster agency into giving them emergency custody and book her train tickets interstate.

It scared her a little. Everything was happening so fast, Daisy didn't know what to do. She had packed her very limited possessions, printed off her ticket at the reception of the bed and breakfast, and been on her way. Everything was organised. Was this how other people felt? Was this what it was like to be safe?

Or was this just the start of even more danger?

Daisy spotted Phil long before he saw her, and she took her time making her way over to him, trying to hide her fear. She had her backpack slung over one shoulder, ready to swing at someone's face in she needed to.

She could do this.

Daisy moved closer to where Phil was, and saw his face light up when he saw her. He waved, as if she couldn't see him, and she waved back half-heartedly. As she got closer she could see something else take over his features. Surprise. He probably hadn't realised how messed up she was. Skinny and broken.

“Hey.” Phil greeted warmly. “Melinda couldn't get away from her desk, she sends her apologies.” Daisy shrugged and he reached out. “Here, let me take your bag for you.”

Before he even touched her bag, Daisy had retreated a few steps back, clinging to the bag.

Phil stared, surprised, but then held up his hands peacefully. “Okay.” He said, “I won't. Sorry, I was just trying to be polite.”

Daisy swallowed and continued to hold her bag in a white knuckled grip. “Thank you for coming to get me.” She muttered.

Phil shook his head, gesturing for her to follow. “It's not problem Daisy. Come on, I'm sure you need lunch, there are leftovers in the fridge at home.”

The car ride was awkward, but Phil tried to fill the silence. “You're welcome to use my computer if you want.” He said. “I can probably get another work issued laptop without too much trouble.”

Daisy shrugged.

“I know you don't want to, but it's really important that you go back to school.” He said. “There's a few in our area. We're not going to make you go back right away, but how about at the start of next semester? That gives you a few weeks to settle in first.”

Daisy shrugged again.

Phil hesitated. “Look, I know that this all happened really fast and you're a bit overwhelmed. Heck, I'm kind of overwhelmed too, but we'll figure it out, okay?”

“Okay.” She said softly.

Phil raised an eyebrow. “You're not as chatty in person, you know that?”

Daisy cringed. “Sorry.”

Phil groaned internally. “It's okay, I'm not mad or anything, just... surprised.”

Daisy swallowed. “I'm glad things between you and Melinda worked out.”

“Thank you.” Phil smiled. “Sorry if she came off as a bit harsh the other night. In fairness, she'd thought I was having an affair five minutes before you called.”

“It's okay.”

They fell into silence after that, and Phil was grateful that the station wasn't far from home.

Daisy tried not to look curious as he pulled up next to the block of apartments, but failed. It was nice. Good neighbourhood, pretty garden out the front. She eyed up all the exits as they entered. Nice that they had fire escapes that couldn’t be blocked off, and which she could easily get to. She pushed past the trepidation when Phil gestured for her to join him in the lift, watching the lights for each floor pass.

Phil caught her looking. “We're on the ninth floor.” He said. “It's a little high up, but we get a good view if you're not scared of heights.”

“I'm not.”

“That's good then.” He said, the doors opening. “I was going to make homemade pizza for dinner, do you have any allergies?”

“No.”

“Anything you don't like? I was thinking I could make one with extra chillies on it for you and Melinda to try.”

Daisy shrugged. “Not really.”

“Okay.” He said softly, reaching for his keys. “Here we are!” Phil unlocked the door, then looked at Daisy. “Do you wanna go first?”

She shook her head, and Phil nodded, pushing the door open and entering. “It's not much, but it's home.”

Daisy looked around. It was even nicer in person. Wooden floors, nice rug in the lounge. A big kitchen with a counter overlooking the lounge and the TV. A big window with a park a park a few houses far below. And it was warm. A quick look around confirmed that Phil had left the heater on while he was picking her up.

Phil rubbed the back of his neck. “It's just a bit chilly out.” He said awkwardly. “And I wanted to make a good first impression.”

That almost made Daisy smile. “We've been talking for months.”

He shrugged. “It's not the same.”

Daisy had to agree with that. She faked a yawn. “I'm kind of tired. Can I like, take a nap on the couch pillows?” She couldn't sleep out here. Not when he could get to her so easily.

Phil frowned. “No, don't be silly, there's a bed in your room.”

Daisy stared. “Oh. Okay.” Phil showed her to the room, a regular looking bedroom with little decoration, a single bed, and a window on the opposite wall to an empty closet.

Phil stood awkwardly at the door. “We didn't want to decorate.” He said. “We weren't sure what you'd like. Usually this is for emergencies, sometimes agents get stuck and need somewhere to stay. There are plenty of protocols in place for that though.”

Daisy nodded and Phil smiled. “You rest.” He said, “I'll be in the lounge doing work if you need anything, just let me know.”

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” Phil said warmly. “We're glad you're here.”

The words sent a thrill of panic through Daisy, but she didn't let it show. Instead she watched Phil go to start his work and she closed the door, locking it promptly.

They were glad that she was here. Why? What did they want from her?

Daisy placed her bag beside the bed, away from the door. The knife she had lifted from the hotel was still there. She wasn't going to let these people touch her.

These people. These trained secret agents.

Daisy knew deep down, if they wanted to hurt her, there wasn't a lot she could do to stop them. So she put aside her fatigue and stared intently at the door, wondering if she could survive jumping from the window to escape.

If it mattered what she did.

When Melinda opened the front door, she was surprised by the warmth of Phil's smile. “Hey.” He greeted, and it actually felt natural, not careful and scared. “How was work?”

She shrugged, managing a small smile back. “Fine. Is Daisy here?” She asked, briefly kissing him hello.

Phil nodded. “Yeah, but she said she was tired, and she seemed kind of overwhelmed, so I thought it was a good idea to let her rest.”

“Yeah.” May said, “Especially since you were probably smothering her.”

“I was not!”

Melinda rolled her eyes but didn't reply. “Pizzas?” She asked, nodding to the covered bowl of dough.

Phil smiled. “Yeah, it felt like a good idea.”

“You always go for something showy when you're nervous.” She said, looking around the kitchen. “The first time you had me over for dinner?”

“Hey, you liked that steak.”

She shrugged. “Never said I didn't. Go easy on this stuff though. She's just a kid.”

Phil sighed. “You're right.” He said softly. “I just want her to feel welcome.”

He really was sweet. “It'll be fine Phil.” Melinda said. “Just relax.”

“Okay.” He mumbled. “I'll try.” Phil looked around, seemingly having forgotten about his pizzas. “Do you mind waking her? Dinner's about half an hour away, and I don't know if she wants to shower or anything.”

“Sure.” When May knocked on the door she noted that it was locked. She tried not to get frustrated at that. The kid was in a new place with people she didn't know. It wasn't personal. She wasn't being bratty. She was scared. “Daisy?” She called. “Dinner will be ready soon.”

There was a slight shuffling noise from inside, and a few moments later the door opened.

Melinda fought not to react to how skinny this girl was, how many faded bruises she saw.

Daisy swallowed nervously. “It's nice to meet you.” She forced herself to say clearly, holding out her hand to shake.

May froze, trying not to panic. It was just Daisy. Just- some strange kid in their house who wanted May to take her hand.

She couldn't do it, and she hated herself for it. “It's good to have you here.” She said, nodding. Daisy withdrew her hand and something inside Melinda relaxed. “Phil's organising the toppings if you want to choose yours, or you could shower.”

Daisy shifted uncomfortably. “I-I don't have any other clothes to change into.” She muttered apologetically. Like it was her fault.

May's eyes widened fractionally. “I'll find something.” She said. “I've probably got some clothes that would fit you, we can go shopping tomorrow.”

Daisy squirmed under her gaze. “It's fine, you don't need to-”

“You need more clothes.” May said firmly. “So we'll get some.”

Daisy swallowed nervously. “Okay.” She mumbled. “Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” Melinda said.

Phil leaned over the counter to look at them. “Oh good, you're up. Daisy, you wanna come and tell me what you want on your pizza?”

Daisy looked between them. “Anything is fine, thanks.”

Melinda walked to their room to dig through her clothes and find something that would fit Daisy. It wouldn't be too hard. They were about the same size, though Daisy was far too skinny. They'd fix that easily enough, Phil's cooking was irresistible.

Phil waved Daisy over to the kitchen, “Come on, I can show you how to make pizza.”

Daisy hesitated, weighing the decision. “You mean it doesn't grow on pizza trees?”

Phil snorted. “Oh ha ha.” He said sarcastically. “You and Melinda can start a club.”

Daisy smiled a little. It was a nice apartment and these two seemed like nice people. There was good food and warmth and a bed. But she still couldn't shake the feeling that they were buttering her up for something.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Melinda go into her assigned room, but she came back out before Daisy could panic. She must have noticed Daisy's eyes on her, because May said, “I left some clothes on your bed.”

Daisy nodded, “Thank you.” She muttered.

Phil smiled. “Do you want to make one?” He asked, but Daisy shook her head. “Melinda's not allowed within ten feet of the stove.”

May shot him a glare and Daisy's eyes darted between them, trying to figure out if there was any animosity. It didn't seem like it, but sometimes it was hard to tell. “I'm not that bad.” May said.

Phil snorted. “Oh yeah? Tell Daisy what you did at the academy in finals week, go on.”

She crossed her arms, leaning against the counter. “I passed, didn't I?” The hint of a smirk coloured her face. “Got better marks than a lot of people.”

Phil huffed. “It wasn't because of that monster juice you made.” He said. “And besides, different academies, different subjects. You can't draw an equivalence.”

Daisy bit her lip. “What'd you do?” She asked quietly, ready to be ignored.

Instead, both turned to look at her. Phil laughed, putting the pizzas in the oven. “Go on.” He said, nudging Melinda. “Tell her.”

May rolled her eyes. “I had an assignment to finish, so I made a cup of coffee.” She said shortly.

“That was not coffee!”

“There was coffee in there.”

Phil laughed again, feeling lighter than he had in months. “She ground up energy pills from the med bay.” He said to Daisy. “mixed it up with instant coffee, and loaded it with glucose syrup.” He grinned. “I found her in the gym the next day trying to work it off.”

Daisy smiled a little. “Did you finish the assignment?”

May nodded. “The instructor said it was well argued and reasoned.”

“When intelligible.” Phil finished with a smug grin.

She punched him lightly on the arm, but there was that light in her eyes that Phil had missed more than anything. “Hey, Daisy, do you want a lemonade?” He offered, going to the fridge. “Speaking of excessive sugar.”

Daisy shook her head. “No thanks, I'm okay.”

Coulson and May exchanged a look. “Well, at least have some water.” He said, pouring her a glass. “It's important to stay hydrated.”

Daisy took it. “Okay. Thanks.”

The bright smile that Phil shot Melinda almost made her roll her eyes. He was so happy that Daisy had taken anything at all. Phil had always worn his heart on his sleeves like that. May would be lying if she said it wasn't cute.

Phil still had that semi-proud grin on his face when he took the pizzas out of the oven, showing them off. May shook her head, but Daisy seemed impressed.

Phil cut the pizza, serving up a couple of slices onto each plate and placing what was left on a cutting board, which he transferred to the table. “I don't know what you like.” He said apologetically to Daisy, “So I thought one of each was a good way to start.”

Daisy nodded, taking the plate and waiting for the other two to take their places at the table before sitting in one of the left over chairs . She watched Phil and Melinda, trying to figure out if it would be acceptable to eat with her hands. Some homes were very strict about stuff like that.

Daisy ate in relative silence, listening to Phil regale them with a story about what someone called 'Barton' got up to on his latest mission.

Melinda swallowed a piece of pizza. “Maybe Romanoff will mellow him out.”

Phil laughed. “Are you kidding? She's even worse than him.”

“She is not.” May said. “Romanoff can feed herself.”

He grinned. “Fair point.”

Daisy nibbled on a crust. “Do they work with you guys?”

Phil and Melinda looked at her and she struggled not to shrink away as a flash of panic came over her. Phil smiled. “Yeah. It's an interesting story actually.”

“A highly classified story.” May said, and Phil deflated.

“Right.” He muttered, then shook himself, noticing that Daisy was as tense as a coiled spring. “Anyway, what do you like to do Daisy? Any hobbies other than hacking government agency computers?”

Daisy shrugged. When she was a kid that question was used to gauge whether she was 'talented enough' for a family. Lately she'd stopped caring. “I dunno.” She muttered. “I like... running, I guess. And soccer.”

Phil smiled. “That's great! I was never very athletic myself.” He immediately looked to Melinda, who had started to smirk. “Shut up.”

She took another slice. “I didn't say anything Phil.”

He shook his head. “Melinda was always the one who was good at that stuff.”

May peered at her now empty plate. “You should have another slice.” She said. “You're far too skinny.”

Daisy shook her head. “No, it's okay.”

Melinda rolled her eyes and dragged another slice of the spicier pizza onto Daisy's plate. “Eat.”

Daisy flinched, making May realise her mistake. She sighed softly. This was going to be tricky. “Please.” She added, softening her tone.

Daisy nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”

Melinda's eyes narrowed as she watched the enthusiasm with which Daisy ate the extra slice of pizza. She was clearly still hungry, so why hadn't she just taken it herself? She grimaced when she remembered how Phil had first served up dinner. “You know, when food's in the middle of the table, that means you can take some more.” She said, making sure to keep her voice non-threatening.

Daisy paused in her chewing, looking down. “I don't want to take too much.”

Phil leaned forwards. “There's plenty of food Daisy.”

She shrugged. “You guys might want more though, I don't wanna...” She trailed off.

Coulson and May looked at each other. “Your need for food isn't any less than ours, Daisy.” Phil said carefully.

Daisy stiffened before giving a resigned sigh. “Look, this is all great and stuff, but what do you want from me?” She looked between them, seeing their surprised looks. Maybe they weren't used to people being this upfront about it. “I mean, it's cool if you want someone for sex or whatever, but that's not really my thing.”

Horror gripped Phil's heart and his eyes darted between this kid and his wife, desperately searching for something to say.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Melinda breathed, trying not to let her disgust show.

“No- Daisy- we're not-” Phil took a breath, trying to calm down. “No, we don't... we don't want anything from you, okay? And we'd never, never, try to take in someone for sex. Much less a fifteen year old.” He bit his tongue. “Have other people-”

“I don't wanna talk about it.”

Given that it was one of the only things Daisy had been direct about since arriving, Phil was inclined to let it go. For now. “Look, we asked you to stay here because you're a kid who needs help. All we want is for you to be safe.”

Daisy looked down. She didn't believe them, that much was clear. Melinda hesitated. “We're not going to hurt you.” She said.

Daisy swallowed thickly. “Can I go?” She whispered. She didn't want to cry in front of them.

Phil balked. “Look, I don't want you back on the streets, if you don't like it here we can figure something out-” He broke off at Melinda's look.

“To your room?” May clarified, and Daisy nodded.

Phil sighed, relieved that she didn’t want to leave. “No problem.” He said softly. “If you want a snack later there's plenty in the fridge, help yourself.” Given what had happened, he doubted that she would, but maybe in time.

“I left some spare clothes on your bed.” Melinda reminded her. “Towels are in the cupboard by the bathroom if you want to shower.”

“Thank you.” Daisy said softly, standing.

Melinda and Phil watched her go quietly, hearing the door lock shut behind her. “We need help.” Phil said the second Daisy was gone.

She nodded in agreement. “Maria?”

“Seems like a good place to start.”

Chapter Text

Daisy jolted awake suddenly the next morning. It was quiet, and sunlight streamed in through her window. Shit, how long had she slept? She knew that she'd stayed up, waiting to listen for Phil and Melinda to go to bed and continuing to listen even after that. She couldn't remember when she stopped listening for them to come for her. She didn't know if she had.

She stood with a slight groan. Her arm still ached, and she'd slept right on it. At least the clothes Melinda had leant her were comfortable. Daisy would have to remember to go to the laundromat to wash them for her.

She carefully got changed, remembering to fold Melinda's clothes before she pulled on her own from the day before. They didn't smell that bad really. She'd definitely had worse.

Daisy listened for movement, but was surprised to find none. Those two didn't seem like the type to sleep in. Maybe they'd gone to work?

She slowly unlocked her door, taking special care to keep it from clicking open. It had taken her a long time to develop a hand for that. Daisy stepped one foot outside the bedroom, looking around. No one seemed to be home. She cleared her throat. “Hello?” She called, fighting every instinct she had in order to speak.

No reply. Daisy couldn't decide whether that was good or bad. Before she had the time to decide, there were footsteps outside and the sound of a key in the door.

She stood in the doorway, watching the front door open and Phil come through first. He smiled when he saw her. “Hey!” He greeted. “We weren't sure when you'd be up, so we went out and got you some clothes.” Phil held a bag triumphantly. “Melinda guessed your sizes, but she's good at that.”

May shoved past him, elbowing him in the ribs when she saw Daisy's deer in headlights look. “Sleep well?”

Daisy was surprised to find herself nodding.

Melinda nodded back, satisfied. “Good. Have you had breakfast?”

Daisy shook her head. “I- I just got up.”

May nodded again. “Guess you've got a job then.” She said to Phil, taking the bag from him and walking towards Daisy. “You try those on while Phil makes breakfast. Do you like omelettes?”

Daisy stiffened at the proximity, but she took the bag. “I don't know.” She said. “I've never had one before.”

Phil grinned. “Well then you're in luck.” He said. “I make great omelettes.” Sure, he might be laying it on thick, but who cared? Sometimes that was needed.

Daisy swallowed. “I'm not really hungry.” She said softly.

Phil's smiled became tinged with sadness. “You need it though.” He said, trying not to sound demanding. “You're dangerously thin.”

Daisy bit her lip to keep from arguing. She looked down at the bag in her hand, tilting her head to see the clothes inside. She picked out the top item, a plain red t-shirt.

“We weren't sure what you'd like.” Melinda said. “So it seemed like a safe bet.”

Daisy rubbed the material between her fingers. It was new. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had new clothes. She swallowed. “I-I've got some cash, just let me-” She turned to leave but Melinda's hand stopped her.

Daisy flinched away and May took a step back. She hadn't meant to scare her.

“Don't be silly.” Phil said, in response to her offer. “It's a gift.”

Daisy bit her tongue. She wanted to argue, but she couldn't. A gift. She could never see a gift without seeing the strings attached. Be good. Do as we say. Don't tell anyone about what happened. No one gave away something for nothing. They wanted something from her, she knew it. They couldn't just be good people. It couldn't be that simple.

Phil must have noticed something on her face. “Hey, are you okay?” He asked softly.

Daisy shrugged. “I-I'm fine.” She said, cursing herself when the tears broke free.

Phil and Melinda looked at each other. “It's okay.” Phil said hesitantly, approaching. He stopped when Daisy took a step away from him.

Daisy gasped for breath, trying to calm down. “Please, will you just- tell me what you want from me?” She said quietly. “I-I can't- just tell me!” She couldn't take this. She had to know. Why were they being this cruel and not just coming out with it?

“Daisy, I swear, we don't want anything from you.” Phil said, trying to sound calm and make her calm down too.

“Then why am I here?!” She burst out, heart pounding in her ears.

Phil looked at her helplessly and Melinda knew she had to speak. “Because,” She murmured, “For all it's failings, SHIELD exists to protect people. We're SHIELD agents, so we'll protect you. It's our job.”

Melinda knew that Phil didn't like that answer, but it seemed to calm Daisy down. “Then- what do you want me to do?” She asked, hanging her head.

May thought for a moment. “We want you to go to school.” She said. “Starting next semester.”

Daisy swallowed. “What else?” She asked. That couldn’t be it. They didn’t get anything out of her going to school.

“Let's say that's all for now.” Phil said softly. “Do you want a tissue?”

Daisy wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “I'm fine.”

“Okay.” He murmured. “I'll make omelettes, you can go change if you want.”

Daisy sniffled. “Sorry.” She muttered. “For...”

Now May shook her head. “It's okay.” She said. “This is a new place. You don't know us.”

Daisy looked down. “I'll go try these on.” She said quietly. “I promise I'll be careful with them.”

“So.” Maria said, flopping down onto their couch. “You've got a kid now.”

Melinda looked down and Phil hesitated. “She's fifteen.”

“That's a kid.” Maria looked around. “Where is she?”

Melinda sipped at her tea, sitting across from Maria. “She wanted to go to the library. Alone.”

“That's okay.” Maria said. “Sometimes people need a change of scenery.” She smiled at Melinda. “You look good, by the way.”

May shrugged and Phil spoke from his perch on a stool. “Look, we need some help.” He said. “You saw her file too. She's been here for less than three days and she's already locking herself in her room constantly, she's had two breakdowns, and she won't let us near her.”

Maria frowned. “Yeah... why wouldn't she be acting like that?” She asked frankly. “She's stuck in survival mode.”

Phil looked between them. “But- we're trying to help her.” He said, that helpless feeling rising again. How could he help someone who didn't believe a word he said? How could he get her to trust him when she never let him prove that she could?

Maria shrugged. “She doesn't know that.”

May raised an eyebrow. “We told her.”

Maria snorted. “You think you're the first people to tell her that? As far as I can tell, no one's ever just wanted to help this kid. There's always been something else they’re after.”

Phil looked to Melinda. “That's why she kept asking.” He said, eyes widening in realisation. He hadn’t really thought about why Daisy kept asking what they wanted from her. Now he could imagine it. Like if he walked into a grocery store and the cashier wouldn’t take his money. Of course she was confused.

Maria nodded. “Look, I know you guys had good childhoods and parents who loved you, so when she freaks out you're gonna want to fall back on that.” She said. “Don't. It's only gonna make it worse.” She hesitated. “She doesn't think of family like you do, okay? Family doesn't make her feel safe or happy or anything like that. It's like...” Maria thought for a moment, then sighed. “It's like Bahrain.” She said softly, noting the looks on their faces when she mentioned it. “That's how she feels when she thinks of family.”

Phil moved to sit beside Maria. “Is that how you feel?” He asked softly. “When you think of family?”

Maria's hands balled into fists. “My story isn’t the same as hers… but yeah, sometimes.” She murmured.

Phil put a hand on her shoulder. “I'm sorry.”

Maria swallowed. “Thank you.” She said, then paused. “And this?” She gestured to his hand. “Don't do this with Daisy.” Phil pulled his hand back and she continued. “Don't touch her unless she touches you first. And don't act like you feel sorry for her, she doesn’t need your pity.”

Phil looked down. He didn’t know why, but he felt guilty admitting what Daisy had said. “She- she asked if we got her for sex.”

Maria winced. “Goddamn.” She muttered. “Look, you have to wait for her to come to you. I know you want to just make everything better, but right now you can’t. It'll take a lot of time to get her to trust you.”

Phil met May's eyes. “We only have temporary custody right now.” He said hesitantly.

Maria smiled. “Yeah, but you wanna keep her.” She said, giving them a knowing look.

Crap. They hadn't talked about it yet. Everything had just happened so fast, it was hard to even think about it. But Maria was right. Phil sighed and turned to his wife. “I want her to stay.” He said softly. “But that's a long road, and... I know we haven't talked about it. What do you think?”

Melinda stared at the floor. “She needs help.” She said. “So we'll help her.”

“But do you want her to stay?”

May looked up, frustration and helplessness written all over her face. “Phil, I didn't even know that this kid existed a week ago.” She said. “I don't know.” Part of her hated that she couldn't make this decision as easily as Phil. That she couldn't follow her heart enough to just invite this girl into their lives. The memory of Katya huddled behind some crates as she’d fought her mother surfaced in her mind, and she shuddered.

Maria looked away. It hurt to see May like this, and she knew that May didn't want her to. “That doesn't matter right now.” Maria said. “What matters is proving to Daisy that she's safe with you.”

“How do we do that?”

Maria leaned back. “That's hard. Right now she's looking for any sign that you're gonna hurt her. Crowd her too much and she'll get cagey, but if you're totally hands off then she'll think you want her gone. Just be there for her. And make sure she knows that you're there.”

“That sounds contradictory.” May said.

Maria grimaced. “Yeah, it'll feel like that sometimes, but there isn't a guidebook for this. But trust me, it’ll be really easy to scare her off. Don’t raise your voice, even as a joke, or have any of those dumb arguments that we all know neither of you actually care about. Anything like that will freak her out, Daisy’s taking everything seriously.”

“Thank you, Maria.”

“Hey, any time.”

Melinda’s eyes met Phil’s, and both saw the helplessness reflected there. Daisy needed help, that was true. She needed a family who were patient and loving and knew what they were doing. Could they really be enough?

Though the rest of the evening passed by without incident, Melinda couldn't get the thought out of her head. Did she want to keep Daisy? Was that even a fair question to ask? Daisy was a human being who could make her own decisions. She might not want to stay.

But, if she did... then what?

She knew that Daisy was a kid who needed their help, and despite everything, Melinda wouldn't stop trying to help people.

Was she meant to want Daisy to stay by now? How could Phil make it look so easy? She'd always envied how easily he could follow his heart, how he could just know that this was the right thing to do. Sacrifice was one thing, but knowing what needed to be saved?

That hadn't always ended well for her.

The TV was on some drama as Phil finished his paperwork and she sat next to him. Daisy was sitting on the edge of the other couch, jumping at every sound they made. Melinda watched her out of the corner of her eye. She wanted it to be an easy decision. She wanted to be able to say that keeping Daisy was a good thing, something she could handle.

She didn't know though.

It was probably all the thoughts of Daisy that caused her inevitable nightmare. Katya smiling and telling her how happy she was that Melinda was taking her home. Phil hugging Katya. Her manic smile.

May woke up in a cold sweat to a loud crash and Phil's voice. “Melinda, hey, wake up!”

She shook herself, realising too late that she'd been crying in her sleep. She wiped her eyes and looked around. “I broke the lamp.” She said in a raspy voice. It was true, she must have hit it in her struggling.

“It's okay.” Phil murmured. “Do you want to talk about it?” He didn't hold her. He'd learned from experience that that just made it worse.

She shook her head. “No.”

A moment later there was a thump from the other room and the sound of a door opening. They looked at each other. “I'll get her.” Phil said, standing and all but running out of the room.

When he saw Daisy with her bag over one shoulder, going for the front door, he panicked. “Daisy, wait!”

By the time she had turned to look at him with wide, frightened eyes, Phil had already reached her, grasping her arm to keep her from running out the door. Daisy let out a strange whimpering yelp and the contact and twisted away. Phil cursed. “Crap, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, just- please, don't run away, nothing's wrong.”

Daisy eyed him hesitantly, trying to think of another exit. “You're lying.”

“I'm not.” He promised. “It was just a lamp, okay? Melinda accidentally knocked it over.”

She swallowed. “How.”

“I had a nightmare.” Daisy looked over to see May standing in the doorway of their room. She looked... small. Smaller than Daisy thought she could be.

“You?” The question escaped before Daisy could stop it. She knew that Melinda had her own trauma. She had just seemed so tough, right from the moment they had met. Tough people didn't let things like that get to them. Right?

May shrugged, still looking so very small. “Flashback.” She muttered to the ground. “I'm sorry I scared you. Everything's okay, go back to bed.”

Daisy's hand on her bag loosened. No one was hurt. No one was after her. Maybe it really was just an accident. She swallowed. “Okay.” She turned, resolving to hurry to her room, just in case.

Before she reached her room, Phil spoke. “Daisy.” He said, keeping his voice quiet. “I'm sorry I grabbed you. I panicked and I shouldn't have done that.”

“It's okay.” She mumbled without turning to look at him, then pushed the door closed, the lock clicking behind her.

Phil sighed, feeling utterly useless. “I'll get the vacuum.” He murmured. “Go back to bed. I'll be there in a minute.”

May shook her head. “I'll grab the larger pieces.” She swallowed. “Thank you.”

The overtones came across loud and clear. Thank you for putting up with me. Thank you for not leaving me. Thank you for not making a big deal out of this. Phil shook his head. “It's no problem.” He murmured. “I love you.”

She managed the tiniest of smiles. “I know.”

Chapter Text

Daisy wasn't sure what had happened, but Phil and Melinda had been acting differently for days. They were being really... careful, with her. They didn't flirt in front of her, they didn't raise their voices, hell, they were careful whenever they put anything down. She had found pages in both their search history on how to deal with abused kids, and she still wasn't quite sure how to feel about that.

They were trying, for whatever reason. They really wanted her to feel safe.

Daisy still couldn't figure out why.

She tried to give them the benefit of the doubt though. When Phil offered to take her out to shop for decorations for her room, she agreed. And hey, even if it was scary being in a vehicle with them being oddly silent in the front seat of the car, Daisy tried to keep quiet too. She tried not to let on how hard her heart was hammering in her chest, and how short her breath was getting.

She felt a little better once they got to the mall. She had already made a mental list of what she was allowed. Just because Phil and May refused to tell her, didn't mean Daisy couldn't set her own limits.

The Homegoods they found was nice, and not too expensive. Daisy made a beeline for the clearance shelf, but after spending a little time there, Phil managed to convince her to look at some of the rest of the store as well.

Daisy caught sight of a fleece blanket and had just started rubbing the outrageously soft material between her fingers when she spotted the price tag, at which point she immediately moved on. She didn't get to have things like that.

Melinda watched Daisy walk away from behind a shelf. She'd seen the look in her eye.

“Hey!” Phil's voice called Daisy's attention, not too loudly though. “Check it out, a robe.”

Daisy cocked her head. “I thought they only had those at hotels.”

Phil chuckled. “No, you can get them anywhere. They're great in winter.”

Daisy shifted uncomfortably. “It's okay.” She muttered. “I don't need it.”

Phil looked at her. “I know you don't, but it's nice to have, come on.”

She looked down. “I- uh- I might have taken one from that hotel you got me is all.”

Phil laughed. “Oh, good job.” He grinned, knowing how cautious she must feel to admit that. “Melinda does that all the time.”

“What do I do?”

Phil bit his tongue to hold back the playful snipe. “Take hotel robes.”

Melinda shrugged, “They're comfortable.” She said, noting how Daisy relaxed. This trip was doing her good.

Phil nodded to the bag in her hand. “What's that?”

“Just something for our room.”

Phil caught the note in her voice not to ask more questions and stayed quiet. “See anything else you like?” He asked Daisy instead. “We haven't got much you know. How about some fuzzy socks?”

Daisy thought about it. “Sure.” She said, trying not to sound too comfortable with them buying her all this stuff. Fuzzy socks were cheap. Fuzzy socks were only a few dollars a pair.

She ended up choosing a few of different colours. Melinda grabbed a couple of pairs for herself, mostly to keep Daisy from feeling uncomfortable. “Cinnabon?” She suggested.

Phil perked up. “Oohh, yes please.” He grinned. “We should take a break.” He looked to Daisy. “What do you think? Time for a donut?”

Daisy shrugged. “Sure.” She wasn't used to being included in decisions like this. Foster families were meant to make the decisions. She just had to live with them.

Phil walked beside her, May taking the lead. “So, tea or coffee?” He asked playfully, then remembered Maria's words. “Or hot chocolate.” No play fights. Right. Their tea and coffee debate had always felt so natural. Normal. Just teasing and fun. He hated that something so innocent could make Daisy feel threatened.

Daisy shrugged. “I'm good with anything.” She said. These two were being so nice. Leaving the decision to them seemed like the easy option.

They sat down. “How about a pastry?” Melinda offered. “Any preference?”

Daisy shook her head and May fought not to roll her eyes. “Okay. How about I order you a black tea with milk and a cinnamon bun?”

Daisy nodded, nibbling on her lip. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem.” She said, then turned to Phil. “I know what you want.” She said with the hint of a smirk, and went to order.

Phil smiled after her. He wasn't sure he'd seen Melinda this light in months. He noticed Daisy watching him. “What?”

Daisy jumped a little. “Nothing, I just-... you really care about her.”

Phil frowned. “Well, yeah.” He said. “I married her.”

“I know.” She murmured. “I dunno. I'm just not used to seeing it.”

“Do we make you uncomfortable?” Phil asked. He didn't want to do that. They'd been deliberately keeping all PDA to a minimum around Daisy. Besides, Melinda had never been much of one for showing affection in front of others. “I'd rather you tell us if we are. That way we can work something out.”

Daisy shook her head. “No. It's fine.” And she meant it. It really was fine. It was good. They loved each other.

Phil smiled. “Okay.” He said. “Thank you for being honest with me.” He was quickly learning that Daisy only said things were okay when they weren’t okay, but when she said something was fine she really meant it.

Daisy looked down, but he still counted it as a win.

A moment later Melinda returned, carefully placing a tray with three cups, two cinnamon buns, and a chocolate caramel slice onto the table. Phil smiled. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” She said.

That spark was still between them. Daisy almost felt like she should look away. This felt private, it felt personal. Somehow.

Daisy nibbled at her cinnamon bun. “So, what now?”

Phil tried not to show how happy he was that Daisy had asked. Had spoken without being spoken to. He was trying to count the little things. After talking to Maria, things had become that little bit clearer. He shrugged. “Up to you.”

Melinda nodded across the food court. “There's a build a bear over there.”

Daisy grimaced. “I-I'm kind of old for that.” She muttered, a hint of attitude in her voice.

May shrugged. “Okay.” She said simply. She curbed her impulse to argue against even that tiny amount of lip. She knew how difficult it must be for Daisy to say no to them.

However, when they stood and moved on, May couldn't help but notice what was in the window of the build a bear. She suppressed a grin and gently elbowed Phil in the ribs, nodding towards it.

Phil's jaw dropped, and he hurried to the store. “No way.” He said, staring at the bear in the front window, on display.

Daisy and May followed, Daisy frowning in confusion. “What?” She asked, looking to May since Coulson seemed to be distracted.

The hint of a smile ghosted across Melinda's lips. “History nerd.” She muttered.

“I heard that.”

“Are you denying it?”

Phil was about to retort when he noticed Daisy's eyes darting between them. He sighed internally. “No.” He said. “But I'm getting the bear.”

Daisy cocked her head at it. “What is that anyway?”

Phil gaped. “Th-that is Captain America! What do they teach you kids in school?” Seeing how she pulled away, he held himself back once more. “World war two?”

Melinda rolled her eyes. “He's not that important to world history Phil.” She said, gently shoving him in. “Minor figure in world war two.” She muttered to Daisy. “Starred in some propaganda, ended up saving some POW's and dying taking down a plane with a deadly weapon.”

Daisy nodded. “Oh, okay. I think I read about him once in class. I don't really remember though.”

May shrugged. “That's okay. I don't remember most of what I learned at school.” Offhand and casual. She hoped it put Daisy at her ease as they followed Phil inside.

Daisy couldn't help her smile when she saw the bemused look on the face of the shop attendant, but quickly turned away from where Phil was, just in case he thought she was laughing at him. Which she kind of was.

Her eyes quickly fixed on the plushie of a black Labrador, bright eyed and with a very accurate doggy kind of smile. Daisy let her hand run over it. The soft material was nice, and it's saggy ears were cute. She'd never had a pet, not really, but she liked dogs. She could see herself having a dog some day.

Some day. Not today though. She walked away, looking at something else. Something that she didn't kind of want.

Phil watched Daisy walk away, smiling crookedly. “Hey,” He said in a hushed voice to the shop attendant. “Throw in one of those labradors too please.”

Daisy wasn't climbing the walls so much on the ride back home and Phil couldn't help the triumphant feeling at that. He didn't know what kind of progress they'd made today or how, but she was that little bit more comfortable with them. She felt that little bit safer.

Phil and Melinda walked around to the trunk with Daisy to unload the bags. “Do you need a hand with those?” May asked, and Daisy nodded, though she still took far more than she left.

When they arrived back home and set the bags down, Phil sighed. “I know you said you were too old for toys.” He said, “But- well, I saw this and I couldn't resist.” He drew the labrador toy from the bag, handing it to Daisy, who only stared. “It's okay if you don't like it, it can just live on a shelf in here.”

Daisy shook her head quietly, looking at the plush in her hand, the eyes shining back almost like it was alive. Had he noticed her looking at it?

Melinda rolled her eyes. “Of course you did.” She muttered with a rueful grin. “Stealing my thunder.” She placed another bag on the table in front of Daisy. “The apartment gets kind of cold in winter.” She said. “So I figured you could use a blanket.”

Daisy tugged at the bag to look inside. Of course it was the same blanket she was looking at. Of course it was. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn't get to have nice things, except now she did. “I promise I'll look after them.” She said, looking up at them. “Thank you.”

Phil smiled, and there was a softness in Melinda's eyes. “You're welcome.” He said. “I'm glad you like them.”

Daisy nodded and turned to take the things to her room. May followed a few steps. “Do you need help setting anything up?”

Daisy stopped for a moment, looking to her. “I think I've got it.” She said, “But... thanks.” She offered May a small smile. Melinda nodded, watching her go, closing the bedroom door behind her.

Phil sighed and leaned against the counter. “I think that went well.” He said, softly so that Daisy didn't overhear.

May nodded. “She's settling in.” She agreed. “But she still needs help. Maybe we should get her to talk to Maria.”

Phil smirked. “Well, she's not a therapist, but okay.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Therapists are useless.”

“Of course dear.”

Chapter Text

It was a week later when Phil first breached the topic with Daisy. “We'd like you to talk to a friend of ours.” He said over dinner. “Her name's Maria.”

Daisy eyed them both wearily. “A shrink?”

The distrust in her voice made Phil roll his eyes. Great. He thought. Now I have two of them. “No.” He assured. “A friend from work. She's an agent.”

She clearly didn't trust that answer. “Why?” Not a shrink. Oh God, were they finally sending her back? Was this how they did it? Trick her into talking to a stranger who turned out to be an agent from wherever she was going now? Daisy tried to push past the thought. They didn't seem like the type to do that.

“I think she could help you.” Phil said carefully, watching for her reaction. “She had a difficult childhood, and it could help for you to have someone to talk to.”

Daisy chewed on her lip. “What do you think?” She asked, looking to May.

Melinda struggled not to look surprised. She paused. “Some people say that it can help.” She said. “So it's at least worth a shot.”

Daisy swallowed and nodded. “Okay.” She said. “I'll do it.”

Daisy ended up going into work with Coulson and May, and she struggled not to gape at the size of their base, the Triskellion. She picked up a visitors badge with May at the reception desk, Coulson excused himself, and May walked her to a higher floor. Almost the top floor, actually.

She almost balked when she saw the sign on the door. 'Maria Hill – Deputy Director.' Daisy felt suddenly nervous when May knocked on the door, but fought to hide it.

She wasn't sure what she expected from Maria Hill. Maybe some old woman with a stack of papers to process, maybe a strict, principal-like figure. Daisy didn't quite expect the youth to her, brown hair tied up, uniform neatly buttoned, yet she smiled brightly at the sight of May. “Agent May.” Maria greeted warmly, shaking her hand. “Long time.”

May nodded, “Phil says hello.” She said briskly. “He's busy with the strike teams.”

“I know, he's doing a great job.” Maria said. “I knew he would.” She looked at Daisy. “Nice to meet you.” Maria said, extending her hand. “I'm Maria.”

Daisy shook her hand. “Hi. I'm Daisy.” She said, somehow refraining from stuttering.

Maria smiled. “I think we've got it from here.” She said to May. “We'll meet you at lunch.” She turned to Daisy. “Come on kid, let's go raid the level seven kitchen.”

Daisy looked back at May as she followed Maria. “So- uh, what do you do here?”

“Lots of stuff you're not allowed to know about.” She said seriously. “And paperwork.”

Daisy smiled weakly. “Can't get rid of the paperwork, huh.”

Maria shrugged. “We need it. That's what May does.”

“That's not what she always did though, right?”

Maria eyed her wearily as they entered the kitchen. “Why do you ask?”

She looked up. “I just- Coulson hasn't said much about it, and I guess... I don't really know what she used to do, or... what happened.”

Maria poured each of them a coffee in silence, sitting and watching Daisy dump several sugars into her cup. “May used to be a specialist.” She said finally. “Basically the muscle. Specialists are strong, well trained and kick ass.”

Daisy nodded slowly, absorbing the information. “So... what happened?”

“Mission went south.” Maria said. “She hasn't been the same since. Didn't tell anyone what happened.”

“Do you know?”

“Maybe.” Maria said, a hint of steel in her voice. “But I'm not telling you. Don't think I don't see you trying to distract me. I'm a spy; I do this for a living.”

Shame rose in Daisy's chest and her heart thudded in her ears. “I-I wasn't trying to- I just- I'm sorry.” She mumbled, looking down.

Maria grimaced. She'd scared her. She hadn't meant to. “It's okay.” She said, nudging Daisy's cup closer to her. “I'm sorry I scared you.”

“It's okay.” Daisy said, taking a sip. It did help her feel better. She wished she wasn't so stupid. That she could listen to someone raise their voice or sound mildly strict without being terrified of what they might do to her.

Maria leaned back with a sigh. “I know you're probably tired of people telling you that they understand what you're going through,” She said awkwardly, not even sure what she was supposed to do, “And... well, I can't say that I do. But I can kind of relate.” Daisy looked curious and was at least paying attention, so she continued, ignoring the weight of decades of experience telling her to be quiet. “My mother died while giving birth to me.” She murmured. Not looking at Daisy made it easier, made it a little less unsettling. “And my dad- well, he took his pain about that out on me.” She laughed bitterly. “For a long time I thought he was right to. I thought that there was something- something wrong with me. How else could I have killed my own mother?” Maria sighed. “I was angry, in pain, and alone in a lot of ways. So... that much, I can understand.” She finally stopped speaking, feeling like a total moron.

Daisy swallowed. “I-I'm sorry.” She muttered, not sure what she was supposed to say.

Maria shrugged, absent-mindedly stirring her coffee. “It's better now.” She said. “It does get better, sometimes.”

Daisy bit down on the inside of her lip, trying to force herself to say it. Her heart hammered in her chest at the thought of voicing it out loud. She knew what happened when she tried to tell people, but for whatever reason she wanted to tell Maria. She seemed like the kind of person who wouldn’t tell anyone. “They hurt me.” She whispered finally. “And- I just let them.” Tears welled in her eyes. “It's my fault they did- cos I didn't follow their rules.”

Maria was silent for a moment, waiting for Daisy to gather herself a little. “Do you really believe that?” She asked, for a moment remembering how long she had grappled with that same question, that same shame. That voice inside that said it only happened because she let it. Because the alternative was that she had no control whatsoever, and that was far worse.

Daisy shrugged. “I dunno.” She muttered, clearly not willing to discuss it more. Clearly regretting what she had already said.

Maria bit her lip. “It was a hostage situation.” She said quietly. “Phil and Melinda were sent to bring in a dangerous individual, but things escalated and Melinda was sent in to save the hostages. She got badly hurt, and one of the hostages didn't make it. A little girl.” She hesitated. “She doesn't like to talk about it. Strong people can get hurt too.”

Daisy swallowed. “I don't think she likes me much.” She mumbled, hating that it hurt to admit. She wanted May to like her, and she hated that too. She'd never had a family with a Chinese parent before though, and she felt like that should mean something.

Maria smiled. “Yeah, I didn’t think she liked me either, back when we first met. Melinda doesn't really do big shows of emotion, but that doesn't mean she doesn't care.”

Daisy nibbled on her lip. “How did you guys meet?”

“I was at the academy.” Maria said, a distant look on her face. “May was assessing one of our classes, scaring everyone to death with that glare she puts on. Everyone was convinced they were gonna fail.”

The hint of a grin touched Daisy's face. “Did you?”

Maria laughed. “No, and a week later she asked to be my S.O.” She said, then clarified, “Supervising officer.”

“Oh, cool.” Daisy said, taking a sip of her now lukewarm coffee. “How was that?”

“Great.” Maria said warmly. “Once I got past the trial by fire. She's really big on pranks. Or she was.”

“What about Coulson?” Daisy pried. “How'd you meet him?”

Daisy's eagerness made Maria happy. “Oh, they were partners back then. Work partners.” She clarified with a smirk. “Not that they were that hard to read. A lot of us had money riding on when they'd get together.”

Daisy smiled. “How long did it take?”

Maria laughed. “Years. I was so mad it took them that long with the way they were always looking at each other. And- and they kept it a secret for two months before anyone here found out.”

A brief laugh escaped Daisy's lips before she could catch it. “No way.”

“Yes!” Maria exclaimed. “I was so mad when I found out, and May just thought it was hilarious.”

Daisy couldn't remember the last time she had smiled so easily. “So- uuh, what was the wedding like?”

Maria snorted. “Overdue.”

“Really?”

She smirked. “It took Phil years to ask her out, how long do you think it took him to propose?”

“Oh no.” Daisy grinned, imagining him tripping over his words, trying and failing to make some perfect proposal. “How long have they been married?”

“Only a few years.” Maria said. “It was a nice ceremony though. First and only time I've seen Melinda wearing white. I was bridesmaid.”

Daisy perked up. “You were? Awesome!” She snickered. “Was he nervous?”

Maria laughed. “Worse than I've ever seen. I had an ambulance on speed-dial in case he passed out.”

Daisy giggled. “I can so see that.” She said. “Did you think he'd run?”

“Nah.” Maria said lightly. “He wouldn't do that to Melinda. He's way too whipped.”

“What about May?” Daisy asked. “Was she nervous?”

“Yeah.” Maria said, smiling, “She just doesn't show it like Phil. She did scare the ringbearer half to death. Poor kid.”

“Kid?”

“Yeah.” Maria said. “Can't remember whose kid it was, just some eight year old, but it was pretty funny to watch him try to give Melinda lip.”

Daisy smiled weakly. “Did- uh- did they want to have kids?”

Maria hesitated, the humour immediately fading. “I don't know.” She finally said, forcing herself to be honest. “They didn't really mention it.”

Daisy swallowed. “What do you think?”

Maria shrugged. “Phil's always been kind of a dad.” She said. “Ever since I've known him. He looks out for newbies, tells dumb jokes, all that.”

Daisy toyed with her hands. “And- May?”

“She's... different.” Maria said hesitantly. “But not that much. Look, going through specialist training is hard, and she was this tiny Chinese girl surrounded by massive guys who thought they were tough. She had to grow a thick skin.” A warm smile touched her features. “But she's pretty protective too. Just in a different way.”

Daisy bit the inside of her lip. She knew what that was code for. “Okay.” She said softly. “Hey, thanks for... talking, I guess.”

Maria smiled. “No problem. You can call me any time. I might not always be around, but I'll call you back. I really hope you stay with Phil and Melinda. They really care about you. They're just not sure how to help, but they're trying.”

“Okay.” She mumbled.

The rest of the day passed quickly. Maria even showed her around the base a little, and managed to dig out some old pictures of Phil and Melinda, laughing at the bangs May had had when she started training Maria.

It was nice. Really nice. To the point that, when it came to the end of the day and it was time for Daisy to go back with Phil and Melinda, she hugged Maria in farewell, not caring about the surprised looks that the three of them thought she didn't see.

Daisy just felt lighter than she could remember feeling in a long time by the time. This felt good. This felt like home.

It wasn't until they were driving back that the dread started to set in.

This felt like home, and home was hard to lose.

Chapter Text

Phil and Melinda lay back in bed, looking at the ceiling. “Natasha trained with Clint today.” He murmured.

Melinda turned to look at him. “How did it go?”

Phil smiled at the memory. “First time I've seen him get his ass kicked in a while.”

“I bet he loved that.”

“He did, actually. He's really happy that she's allowed out, possibly joining us.”

May hummed. “Speaking of happy, Daisy had a good day.”

“Yeah.” Phil murmured, but his brow furrowed. “Does it... bother you?”

Melinda raised an eyebrow, rolling onto her side to look at him. “What?”

Phil sighed, rubbing his eyes. “I don't know, I just- the way she hugged Maria goodbye. She won't even let us touch her.”

“You know why.”

“Of course I do, I'm just scared, okay? I'm scared she likes Maria better than us.” He hurried the words out before they stuck in his throat. The silence that followed them made Phil's cheeks flush. “I know I'm being stupid.”

“Yep, you are.”

He snorted. “Thanks.”

Melinda shrugged. “What do you want me to say?” She asked. “We can't relate to her like Maria can. Besides, every kid likes their cool aunt more than their parents.”

Phil smiled, turning to look at her. “Have you thought about it?”

“A little.” She murmured. “I'm not like you Phil, I can't just decide to change my life like this.”

“I know.” He said softly, gently kissing her. “Hell, the only time I've seen you say 'yes' on the spot was when I proposed.”

Melinda smiled. “That's only because I knew you were going to do it.” She said. “Saw it coming a mile away.”

Phil shrugged. “You still said yes.” He said, then hesitated. “What if Daisy doesn't?” There. He said it.

“She's happy.” May said softly. “She had a good day and she's happy because of what you've done for her. Don't turn this into a competition over who she likes best.”

Phil sighed. “You're right.” He said. “I love you.”

“I know.”

It was two days after that, on a Saturday afternoon, when Phil went into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, that he found one of their mugs smashed on the floor. He frowned. It seemed unlikely that it had fallen on it's own.

He swept up the mess, then knocked on Daisy's door. “Daisy? Did a mug break?”

“Yeah.” She called back, not opening her door. “It was an accident.”

Phil nodded. “Okay. Next time let me know, and if you're wearing shoes it'd be nice if you could sweep it up.”

“Whatever.”

He almost got mad at the sarcasm, but let it slide this once. Daisy had probably been scared about accidentally breaking something. Maybe she'd thought that they'd send her away, so Phil didn't think much of it.

The first time.

When it kept happening, he started to get suspicious. What really got him was Daisy's lack of apologies. For someone who had said sorry for everything at first, now she wasn't apologising for anything. He could accept that, he could. She didn't even seem sorry though, and so many things were getting broken by 'accident' lately.

At first it was little things. Mugs, a plate, a picture from the shelf. Every time he or Melinda tried to talk to Daisy about it there was a pause. Like she was waiting for something. Given how much more difficult she got after every time, Phil guessed that they weren't giving her what she expected.

Or what she wanted.

“What if she's acting out because she doesn't want to live with us?” He asked Melinda when they were driving home from work.

She sighed. “I don't think that's it.”

“But what if it is?”

May's hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Then we'll deal with it.”

“Maybe we should call Maria. You know she's doing this on purpose.”

“Of course she is.” Melinda said, the frustration bubbling in her chest. “I just don't know why.”

Phil swallowed. “It's not our fault, okay?” He said, half trying to convince himself. “If we're not a good fit for her then that doesn't mean we did something wrong or... she's allowed to need a different home.”

“I know.” Melinda murmured, surprised at how disappointed she felt. “I've been trying though. I know that doesn't mean much, but...”

Phil put a hand on her shoulder as they pulled in to park. “It means everything.”

“It's not enough.” She said softly, pulling away from him and taking the keys out of the ignition. Melinda hated not being enough. She always had. In everything she did she fought to be good enough, because when she wasn't...

Things happened.

Bahrain happened. So she had to be better.

May made an effort to talk more during dinner, even though it was hard. She stopped trying when Daisy only gave her sullen looks and sarcastic comments. She might like this kid, but she wasn't going to grovel for anyone.

Immediately after she finished eating, Daisy stood and left, leaving her dirty plate on the table and not saying a word. As she moved, her hand caught Phil's glass, sending it crashing to the floor. “Oops.” She said flatly, and Melinda could see it, the way she was waiting for them to react, goading them.

She didn't react. “Careful of the glass.” May said, standing to get the broom to clean up the mess.

She didn't miss the annoyed look on Daisy's face, or how she slammed her bedroom door behind her.

Phil sighed. “We should call Maria.” He said softly.

“Yeah.” May said, tipping the glass into the bin and reaching for the phone. “We need backup.” She hesitated. “Do you want to do it?”

Phil shrugged. “Might as well.” He said, taking the phone to step into the hallway where there was no chance of Daisy hearing.

Maria picked up after three rings. “Phil?” She asked. “Is everything okay?”

Phil sighed and leaned against the wall. He just felt tired. Deeply tired. “I don't know.” He said. “I was hoping you could tell me.”

“Is Daisy okay?”

“I-I don't know.” Phil said again, turning his head to look at the front door. “She's acting differently. She keeps breaking things, and she says it's an accident but I know it isn't. And she never apologises for it, which I know, I told her she didn't have to apologise all the time, but it's like she's not even sorry. I know she's doing it on purpose, but I just don't know why.”

Maria was silent for a long moment. “Has she said anything? Did anything happen?”

The questions sent a feeling of dread coursing through Phil. If she had to ask those questions, Maria didn't really know why Daisy was acting like this. “No.” He said quietly. “I thought- part of me thinks it's because she'd rather live with you.”

“No, that's not it.” Maria said immediately. “That kind of acting out isn't her.”

Phil groaned internally, frustrated. “Then why is she doing it?”

Maria bit her lip, sitting in her own apartment. “I'm sorry Phil, I don't know.” She hesitated. “We're not the same. I told you that.”

Phil sighed. “I know.” He muttered. “It's not your fault, I just- I thought we'd made progress.”

“Maybe this is progress though.” Maria said, looking out of the window at the sky, darkened by clouds. “You know how after undercover missions, when you're in deep, how long it can take to process that? Remember how many weeks May tried to just keep going after Bahrain?”

“You think she just... feels safe enough to process it?” Phil asked, looking at the ground.

“Maybe.” Maria murmured. “I don't know. I wish I did.”

“Me too.” Phil said softly. “I don't know what to do about discipline. I mean, she can't keep doing this, but I don't want to scare her.”

“Give her a little time.” Maria said. “Once she's cooled off a little talk to her. Just be calm about it, explain.”

“Okay.” Phil said. “Thanks for your help Maria. You should come over for dinner some time.”

Maria smiled sadly. “That sounds nice. Let me know how things go with Daisy.”

“I will.”

It was another two days before Daisy finally cracked. Two days of long silences and sarcastic remarks, glares and never leaving her room. Melinda and Phil did their best to keep their worries in check. After all, they were spies. They would never have graduated from the academy if they could be goaded by a fifteen year old girl.

Melinda couldn't stop the frustration though. Daisy needed time, she knew that, but she hated that she couldn't just understand that she was safe now, that they wouldn't hurt her. May knew that it made her a hypocrite, given that she was still hiding in administration. She didn't care though.

She just wanted Daisy to be happy.

That said, she couldn't help the flare of anger when, one evening after dinner, Daisy stared them both down and very intentionally pushed a framed picture off of the bookshelf.

Daisy continued to stand there and Phil and Melinda processed what she had just done, continuing to watch them, waiting as usual.

“It’s okay.” Phil said after a long pause. “We can get another frame.”

Daisy snapped. “What do I have to do?!” She shouted, accidentally knocking a book off the shelf and jumping when it thumped to the ground. “G-get mad at me! DO something!” Blood pounded in her ears and somewhere inside she wished she could just shut her mouth.

Phil and Melinda looked at one another. “Daisy...” He started carefully, but was immediately interrupted.

“No!” She snapped, her hands clenching into tight fists. “Just get it over with! Get rid of me, I know you're going to so just- just DO IT!” Tears burned her eyes and she cursed them, hated herself for being so afraid. “What's it take to get kicked out of this place?!” She exclaimed, her voice raw.

Before either of them could say anything, Daisy turned and left, hurling a book behind her.

Melinda caught the book before it could hit her and watched Daisy slam the door behind her. When Phil stood to go after her, she put a hand on his arm. “Give her some time.”

There was an anger to Phil that she didn't usually see. “She could have hurt you.”

“I know.” She murmured. “But she didn't, and you're both upset. Let her get ahold of herself before you talk to her.” Phil sat down and she relaxed a little. “Besides,” Melinda said slyly, “We both know no one in this apartment can get the upper hand on me.”

Phil smiled, despite everything. “That's true.”

May stood, picking up the shattered picture frame with a sigh. “We'll need to get a new one.”

Phil came up behind her. “The picture's still good?”

“Yeah.” She murmured, looking down at it. Their academy graduation. The two of them had been there with a group of friends, laughing, happy. Half of them were dead now.

Melinda swallowed. “We're not sending her away.” She said firmly. “Not ever.”

Phil gently kissed her cheek, wrapping his arms around her. “I know.”

“She's the one who needs to know that.”

“I know.”

Daisy sat on the floor next to her bed, her head buried in a pillow that she hugged close to her chest while useless tears flowing from her eyes. She hated this. Hated it. Why couldn't they just get rid of her already? Phil and Melinda were nice people with a great apartment and good friends who understood what Daisy was feeling. They could cook, they bought things just because she'd stopped to look at them and they thought that those things would make her happy.

And she was happy. She was so happy that she felt like it could choke her.

Happiness like that never lasted. Every time she felt like she was at home, every time she felt like she might be allowed to stay, that family sent her away just like every other. Every home begged her to believe that they were different from the others, but in the end they never were.

In the end there never was a home.

Every sound from outside sent a thrill of fear through her. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay with Phil and Melinda in their nice apartment and hang out with their weird friends and hear about missions she wasn't meant to know about. She wanted to go to school and learn to cook from Phil, maybe learn some Chinese from Melinda. She wanted all of that.

But how could she even ask for it now? After everything she had done?

The knock at her door made Daisy look up. She swallowed. There was no way out of this room but the door. No way to just run and save them the trouble.

“Daisy?” It was Phil. Of course it was. He was probably more angry with her than Melinda. He'd put way too much faith in her. “It's me. I'm not angry, can I come in?”

Daisy swallowed. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to look at Phil and see how disappointed he was with her, have him give her the awkward speech about how maybe they just weren't a good fit. She couldn't do it, she knew that much. If she did, she would break.

Phil sighed, looking at the door. “I'm coming in.” He said softly. “I just need to talk, I promise.”

Seeing Daisy like that, curled up on the floor, her bag hastily half-packed and her eyes red with tears, broke Phil's heart. He didn't even know what to do or say for a moment, and he simply stood, frozen.

Daisy sniffled. “Please don't kick me out.” She whispered.

The words broke through Phil's trance. “Oh,” He breathed, “No, Daisy...” He crouched down to be on her level. When he reached out one hand for her, Daisy flinched away. “It's okay.” Phil tried to comfort, sitting near her. “We're not going to send you away.”

Daisy bit down hard on her lip. “Wh-why not?” She asked, feeling her heart jumping in her chest, her breath becoming hiccupy from the excessive crying.

Phil let out a sigh, wishing he could just hold Daisy until her fears went away. He hated that he was one of her fears. “You're going through a rough time.” He said. “That doesn't mean you deserve to be alone.”

Daisy shuddered, bowing her head. “I'm not your problem though.” She said.

“You are,” Phil said, “If we decide that you are. And we have. You're allowed to have bad days, but they don't change who you are. You're still the same kid who hacked my computer.” He tilted his head to catch her eye. “You never did tell me why you were doing that in the first place.”

Daisy sniffed, wiping her eyes. She shouldn't tell him, but she wanted to. “I was looking for my family.”

Phil paused, taking the information in. “Well,” He said softly. “Maybe you found it.”

Daisy finally looked up, biting her lip hard to keep from sobbing. When Phil held her gaze steadily, she shuffled closer to him, eventually leaning against his side ever so slightly. “I-” She swallowed, “I'm sorry- f-for...” She couldn't finish.

“It's okay.” Phil soothed, swallowing the lump of emotion in his throat. He fought to keep still, to keep his breathing slow and calm, not to touch her. It was like a bird had come to rest on his hand. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away. Daisy had never reached out to him like this before. Never sought comfort from him.

“I-I've got- I can replace the stuff.”

Phil shook his head. “You don't have to. That's not how our family works.”

Daisy clung more tightly to the pillow. “Are you sure you- want me?” She whispered.

Phil smiled gently. “Of course we do.” He murmured, then hesitated. “Actually, we've been talking about starting the adoption proceedings.”

Something inside of Daisy froze at those words. She should feel something, she should say something, but all that she could do was sit there with a strange numbness permeating her entire being. She coughed, clearing her throat. “I- now?”

“Well, now right now, but yeah.”

Daisy's shoulders shook. “After- after everything I did?”

Phil looked at her seriously. “Daisy, I promise you, it doesn't matter what you do, we're never going to send you away. You could burn this building to the ground and we wouldn't send you away.” She looked like she might going to break down, so he joked, “Of course, I'd rather you didn't burn the building down.”

Daisy gave a wet laugh, which made Phil smile.

He paused, not wanting to ruin the moment, but knowing deep down that he had to. “We're not mad at you,” He started. “And we're not going to hurt you or kick you out, but... try not to act like this in the future, okay?”

She took a deep breath. “Okay.” She said quietly.

Phil sighed. “Here's what I'm thinking.” He murmured. “When you're feeling a bit better, you have to apologise to Melinda. And to make up for this... how about you promise you'll start therapy and try to make it work. Does that sound okay?”

Daisy's eyes burned again and her nose stung. “I-I'm not that good at apologising.” She whispered. “I- usually they decide what I did- and then...”

For the billionth time, Phil cursed everyone who had hurt her. “When you feel ready.” He said. “You shouldn't apologise because I'm telling you to, you should do it because you feel bad for upsetting her.”

“You guys didn't look that upset.”

Phil rolled his eyes before he could stop himself. “Daisy, we're spies. Hiding emotion is lesson one.”

“Oh.” Daisy mumbled. “I-I didn't... is she mad?”

Phil shook his head, wishing he could pull her closer. “She's not mad at you. She's just confused and hurt.”

Daisy didn't expect that to hurt more. Didn't think anything could hurt more than them being mad at her. She still hadn't really found a lot of common ground with May. Sure, they both had nightmares, but that wasn't really the makings of good conversation. And yet she wanted May to like her, wanted to impress her. Wanted to be part of her life. Daisy swallowed. “I-I didn't mean to...”

Phil took a chance and put one of his hands over hers. Her skin was slightly cold, and he felt her grow still at the contact. “Good start.” He said softly. “Maybe sleep on it, talk to her tomorrow.”

“Okay.” Daisy said, heaving an inward sigh of relief when Phil pushed himself up and was no longer touching her.

Phil extended a hand to her. “Come on. You've been sitting like that for too long, it'll hurt your back.”

Daisy, however, stood on her own. She looked down shyly, ashamed of her behaviour. “Sorry I'm such a drama queen.” She muttered.

Phil smiled crookedly. “Don't worry, I am too.”

Daisy returned the smile hesitantly, and Phil moved to the door. “Get a good night's sleep.” He advised. “I'll make waffles for breakfast.”

For some reason that hurt too. That after everything she'd broken and how much of Phil's time she had wasted with her dumb baggage, he was going to make breakfast. “You don't have to.”

Phil shrugged easily. “I want to though. We've got muesli though, if you're not in the mood for waffles. See how you feel.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

Phil smiled, opening the door to leave. “Goodnight Daisy.”

“Goodnight.”

Chapter Text

Daisy tried to sleep. She really did. Hell, sleeping was the only thing Phil wanted her to do right now. She wanted to be good. She wanted to be a good kid for him and Melinda.

They wanted her. Like, really wanted her, for whatever reason. They deserved a better kid than her, but they wanted her. So Daisy had to be better for them.

But even though she wanted to do what she was told and just go to sleep, she couldn't stop thinking about May. Even though she hadn't asked for Daisy to be in her life, she had still tried to help her. And Daisy had broken her things, done everything she could to goad the both of them into anger.

Let them think that she hated them, because it hurt less to try to convince herself that she did.

Daisy had already said sorry to Phil. She couldn't sleep until she apologised to May too.

She'd hurt her. Even if May didn't show it, Daisy knew that she had.

Melinda was sitting in bed reading a book, listening to the sounds of the water run down the shower drain when there was a tentative knock at the door.

She looked up. Daisy, of course. It couldn't be anyone else since Phil was still in the shower.

The kid didn't look very good. Her eyes were red and swollen, her hair messed up, her pyjamas hanging from her frame. There was a vulnerability there that May didn't usually see so clearly. She cocked her head. “You should be asleep.” She murmured.

Daisy shuffled her feet nervously. “I-I know- I just... I'm really sorry for how I acted.” She said to the floor. May was different to Phil. She didn't want to impress Phil like she wanted to impress May. “I- I wanted this to end- cos...” She trailed off. Couldn't say it.

“I know.” Melinda said softly, which made Daisy look up sharply. She couldn't help the tiny smile at how much more interested Daisy suddenly looked. “I did the same. Almost divorced Phil, ignored calls from my parents, tried to push everyone away.”

Daisy swallowed. “Wh-why?”

“You first.”

She bit her lip and clenched her fists. “Cos- everyone always sends me back.” She confessed, but no tears came. Daisy wasn't sure she had any left right now. “So I wanted you to get it over with- cos it'd hurt less.”

“We're not going to send you away.”

Daisy nodded quietly. “Okay.” She said softly, but waited. Needed to know why May had done what she'd done.

Melinda crossed her arms around her waist, feeling oddly vulnerable. She'd never talked about it before. “Because I'm a monster.” She said softly. “And I didn't want anyone else to know. Every second they spent with me was another second that they might see, and... I couldn't take them looking at me and knowing what I am.”

Daisy swallowed the lump in her throat. “You're not a monster.”

May shrugged. “Maybe one day you'll think differently.”

“Maybe one day you'll change your mind about keeping me around.” Daisy challenged.

“We won't.” May said firmly, and when Daisy shrugged, she sighed. “But I see your point.”

Daisy wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. “I'm sorry I'm not- good.”

God, of all the times for Phil to take a shower. “You're fine.” May said, wishing she knew what to say to make this better. “You're not bad, you're just...” She thought, trying to find the word. “Angry. You're allowed to be angry at what's happened to you.”

Daisy was quiet for so long that Melinda was certain she'd messed up and upset her. Just as she was about to apologise for it, Daisy said. “I am?” Her face was painted with confusion. Like no one had ever told her that before.

Something inside of Melinda stilled. Oh. The poor kid. “Yes.” She said, “You just need to learn how to use it, not let the anger use you.”

“I don't know how to do that.” Daisy muttered apologetically.

A hint of a smile touched Melinda's lips. “Well maybe I can show you some time.”

Daisy looked up, disbelieving. There it was again. She'd done something wrong, something bad, and they were giving her things. A home, forgiveness, a teacher. She smiled. “I'd like that.”

“Then it's a deal.” May said, “But for now you should sleep. Okay?”

“Okay.” Daisy murmured, the fatigue suddenly wracking her body. “Thank you.”

“No problem.”

Phil could tell by the way that Melinda cuddled up to him that something had happened. Not that he minded. He loved it when she was close. When she sought him out. “Daisy talked to you?”

She nodded against his shoulder. “She couldn't sleep, wanted to apologise.”

Phil smiled into her hair. “I'm glad that we got to the bottom of it.”

“By letting her destroy things until she snapped.”

“Don't knock it, it worked.” Melinda only smiled and Phil kissed her gently. “You know, she leaned against me?” He said, trying to bottle his excitement. “She wasn't scared, she even let me hold her hand when she was upset.”

May rolled her eyes. “I'm happy for you.” She said, only half sarcastically.

Phil chuckled. “You're just jealous.” He said, poking her in the ribs.

“I'm going to teach her tai chi.”

Phil froze, staring. “You are?” Melinda rolled her eyes and he scolded himself, “I mean, that's great!”

“Don't.” She said firmly, noting the artificiality in his voice.

Phil sighed. “I'm sorry... I- I haven't seen you do your tai chi since...”

“I know.” May murmured. “It just feels right. Daisy- she needs us. She needs someone to show her how to handle her emotions.”

“I'm proud of you.” Phil said softly.

Melinda shook her head. “Don't be.” She said. “I'm not better. I don't feel any different than I did yesterday or last week. I'm not doing it for me.”

“So what?” Phil asked, letting his fingers comb through her hair. “You're doing it. Just cos you're doing it for her doesn't take away from that.”

May sighed. “She deserves better.” Better than her. Better than some useless parent who could only help her feel better with things, because emotions were so foreign to her as to be another language.

Phil smiled. “She thinks the same thing about us.” He murmured. “Maybe we just all deserve each other.”

“Maybe.” That was a comforting thought. They were all their own mix of messed up, but they had each other. They deserved each other, and none of them were going anywhere soon.

Chapter Text

The next few weeks passed with little incident, and the school semester approached with an ominous kind of certainty, crawling up to Daisy like a shadow. School wasn't so bad. Often it was an escape from parents, from the foster family's cold, empty house. Still, she had promised. And she couldn't just not go to school. Not while she was living with Phil and Melinda.

Phil drove to school and Daisy sat in the passenger seat, fiddling with the straps on her backpack.

“Are you nervous?”

“No!” Daisy exclaimed, much too quickly to be convincing.

Phil glanced at her and she sighed. “A little.” She conceded. “I don't know, I- school's never been that bad. I shouldn't be nervous.”

Phil smiled. “Hey, it's a new place with new people. Anyone would be nervous about that.” He stopped at a red light. “You can tell us all about it tonight, okay? I'll make something nice for dinner.”

Daisy forced a smile. “Okay. Thanks.” She was trying to be better. She'd gone to therapy like Phil had asked, and she'd talked even though she hated it. In the end she still couldn't say she liked therapy, but that tied with May teaching her tai chi, helped her control her emotions. Sometimes.

Phil pulled into a parking space. “Okay, have a great day.” He said. “I'll see you later.”

Daisy nodded. “Thanks.” She said, feeling a little better. “Have fun at work, old man.”

Phil grinned, delighted. “Don't get into too much trouble young lady.” He said cheekily, remembering how they had first 'met'.

Daisy smiled, opening the door. “See you later.”

Phil nodded, “Have fun.”

Daisy closed the car door, hiking her bag up onto her back. She approached the main entrance and took a deep breath.

She could do this.

Daisy tried not to hurry to get out of school at the end of the day. She didn't want to seem desperate. No one had yet picked up on how she didn't call Phil and Melinda Dad and Mom, and she hoped it could stay that way, at least for a while. Everyone thought she was normal. For now.

She looked around through the crowds of people and eventually caught sight of their car. On approaching it, however, she found something unexpected. “May?”

Melinda looked up from her phone, that smile that wasn't really a smile coming across her face when she saw Daisy. “Hey.” She greeted. “Phil had to go out on a mission, he won't be back until tomorrow.”

“Oh.” Suddenly the sun didn't feel so warm. Phil had just... left?

“He sends his apologies.” May tried, seeing how unnerved Daisy was at the news. “It was last minute.”

Daisy shook herself. “Yeah, of course, I-I get it. Duty calls and all.”

She tossed her bag into the back seat and found that May was still watching her. “You good?” May asked softly, and Daisy nodded.

“Yeah.” She said, “I'm fine.”

“Good.” May said, sliding into the drivers seat. Daisy was noticeably silent as they drove home. “How was school?” She asked. She was meant to ask about that, right?

Daisy shrugged. “It was okay. How was work?”

May's eyes narrowed, not sure if Daisy was trying to deflect or if she was just being polite. “Fine. Denied a lot of specialists' requests.”

“Like what?” Daisy asked, only half paying attention.

“Like a pair of mechanical wings. What classes did you have?”

“What?” Now she had a bit more animation to her. “Mechanical wings? You have those?”

May raised an eyebrow and Daisy sighed in frustration. “I had English, Math, Geography, Chemistry, Spanish and History. It was boring.”

Melinda hummed in acknowledgement. “Did you make any friends?”

Daisy groaned. “I- no? I don't know.”

“We have mechanical wings.” May said, relenting in the face of Daisy's frustration. “But they're experimental.”

“Cool.” Daisy muttered. “So, uuh- what should we do tonight? I mean, Phil usually cooks, what do we do?”

They stopped at a red light and May took the opportunity to look at Daisy. “Can you cook?”

Daisy stuttered. “I-uh, not really.”

She nodded. “Take-out it is.” Daisy smiled tentatively and May moved the car forwards. “I usually get a lot of spicy Chinese food when Phil's out of town, does that sound okay?”

Daisy beamed. “That sounds awesome.”

For the first time, a genuine smile came across May's face. “Good. I never get it when Phil's around, just looking at the food makes his eyes start watering.”

Daisy sniggered. “I can so see that.” She grinned. “I can seriously eat anything though, anything.”

“Challenge accepted.”

Daisy passed off the ordering duties to May, knowing that she probably had some kind of favourite order, but she was surprised that she checked with her on everything first. Daisy reiterated her claim about being able to eat anything, May rolled her eyes, and they made their order.

Melinda noticed that Daisy seemed to open up more as time passed. School had probably just drained her. “So what other electives are you taking?”

Daisy leaned back into the couch, her eyes flickering to the door every now and then, clearly waiting for the food to arrive. “Computer Science.” She said with a grin. “And Art.”

May raised an eyebrow. “I don't think there's much they can teach you in Computer Science.”

“Yeah, but they let me take it.”

May rolled her eyes. “Well I'm sure it'll be fun. Besides, they let me take P.E. when I was at school. Didn't matter that I was a black belt.”

Daisy's face lit up. “You were? I mean, you are?!”

Melinda shrugged. “Sure.” She said, surprised that Daisy was so excited about it.

“Awesome.” Daisy grinned. She knew that May could defend herself, but being some kind of epic ninja was something else entirely.

“I could teach you some time.” May suggested innocently. “You've been picking up tai chi pretty well.”

Daisy's eyes widened. “I- yeah, totally!” She said, and before she could say anything else there was a knock on the door.

Melinda stood, went to the door, and handed the delivery kid the money, as well as a generous tip. She turned back to Daisy, holding up the loaded bag. “This is how I make dinner.”

Daisy beamed. “I love it.”

May put the bags down on the little table and nudged Daisy. “Come on, help with plates. You want a drink?”

“Gin?” Daisy asked jokingly, and then when May gave her a hard stare, muttered, “Okay, lemonade. Jeez, I was just joking.”

A grin cracked through Melinda's facade and Daisy realised that maybe she was joking too. That was a nice thought.

Daisy carried the plates over to the living room, sitting down just as May appeared with chopsticks and two lemonades.

“Movie?” May suggested innocently.

Daisy shrugged. “Sure.”

She was surprised but not displeased to find that the movie was entirely in Chinese, with English subtitles. Daisy wondered if May had only added them for her benefit. It was nice though, it was good. She'd never had anyone to show her anything about Chinese culture, and it was supposed to be part of her. That was what people said, at least.

Unfortunately, it was really hard to concentrate on trying to use chopsticks while at the same time trying to read subtitles on the screen.

It didn't take May long to notice. She cocked her head. “You can't use chopsticks?”

Daisy shrugged. “No one ever showed me how.” She muttered, spearing a piece of chicken on one.

May winced internally. Of course no one had. She paused the movie, “I'll get you a fork. That'll be easier.”

“No!” Daisy exclaimed, then shrunk, realising that she had raised her voice. “I mean, I wanna learn.”

“Okay.” May said softly. “I'll show you.” She bit the inside of her lip. Maria said to apologise when they got things wrong, to prove to Daisy that everyone made mistakes, to prove that they didn't want to hurt her or make her feel stupid. She'd never been good at that. “Sorry for assuming.”

Daisy looked startled. “It's okay.” She said. “I guess most people my age know how.”

May grimaced and shook her head. “No way. Phil didn't know how until we met.” When Daisy smiled, she held up her hand, empty. “Okay, so first get your hand like this,” May said, demonstrating. “First chopstick you can hold here, like a pen, then the other goes like this.”

Daisy tried, getting the feel of it. “Okay, I think I get it.”

May nodded. “Not bad. Try moving that one a little further up.”

Daisy did so and immediately nodded in satisfaction. “Oh yeah, that's way better. Thanks.” She said a little shyly.

“No problem.” May said, starting up the movie.

She noticed the attention Daisy paid to certain words and phrases, mouthing them along afterwards, trying to get a feel for the language. She chose not to comment, but did note bitterly that Daisy's school didn't offer Chinese. She needed this. At first Melinda thought it was just Daisy trying to score points, but that wasn't it.

“You know,” She said. “When I was a kid I didn't understand why my parents wanted me to eat with chopsticks.”

Daisy looked up. “Really?”

Melinda shrugged, the movie droning in the background. “All the other kids had sandwiches for lunch. I had noodles with chopsticks and a lot of them made fun of me.”

Daisy hesitated. “You don't seem- I mean- you're not...”

“Weird?” May filled in, knowing that Daisy wouldn't say it. “I was though. It was the late sixties and I was a little Chinese girl in a mostly white school. I was different.”

“Not in a bad way though.”

May chewed thoughtfully on a spring roll. “No kid is different in a bad way.” She eventually said. She wanted to say more, but she didn't know how.

Daisy shook herself. “I mean, I know that we're not supposed to say that, but-”

“No.” May interrupted firmly. “I spent too long as the only woman in the specialist training course to think of being who I am as something that's a problem to be fixed. If I'd have listened to my classmates when they laughed at me for being five foot three I'd have never kicked all of their asses.”

Daisy's fists clenched and she looked down. “But you're strong.” She muttered. “You're allowed to be different- if you're strong.”

“You're strong too.” May said, aware that this conversation was veering directly into territory that she wasn't good at dealing with. She had to try though. “And no one gets to tell you what you can and can't be. Got it?”

Daisy nodded. “Okay.” She said softly, putting down the food. She suddenly felt quite full.

May decided not to push and instead fell silent, watching the movie. The tension vanished a few minutes later when she heard Daisy whispering phrases under her breath again. This was nice. Nowhere near as awkward as she'd expected.

She was feeling so heavy and tired by the time the movie wrapped up that she didn't immediately pause it when the credits rolled, instead letting them go on into blackness. Just as Melinda was about to suggest ice cream, Daisy broke the silence. “What's in your nightmares?”

It took less than a second for that terrified, clammy feeling to clutch at her chest and her breath to catch in her throat. May swallowed. “What's in yours?”

Daisy looked down. She didn't know if Phil and Melinda knew she had bad dreams. Though she was becoming more and more convinced that May knew everything. “I asked first.” She said weakly.

May caught herself from clamming up. From snapping and getting angry so that Daisy would drop it. She liked this kid, and if the two of them were ever going to bond, Melinda knew that she needed to trust her.

Still. That didn't make it easy. “I-” May started, immediately breaking off. “I see myself... hurting people I care about.” She paused. “Missions, but then I look back and...” There. Done. Definitely enough to satisfy Daisy, and she didn't have to tell her about Bahrain. Didn't have to face that.

Daisy tried to think of something to say, but could only find it in her to say, “I'm sorry.”

The warmth of May's smile struck her, sending a warm kind of peace inside of her.

“Thank you.” Melinda murmured. She did feel a little better, for whatever reason. She watched Daisy silently, waiting for her to speak.

Daisy spent a few moments evening out her breathing like May had taught her. “They come back for me.” She whispered after a long minute of silence. “They come and take me away like me being here was all just a mistake and... I'm back with them.” She felt stupid saying it, selfish even. May was scared for other people. Daisy was just scared for her own skin. Shouldn't she worry about the people she loved too?

That said, when she thought of the people she loved, she mostly drew up a blank.

Mostly. “They won't come for you.” May said.

Daisy swallowed. “I know.” But what if they do? That scared voice inside asked.

May seemed to sense the fear, illogical and stupid though it was. “And if they did,” She continued. “I would stop them.” There was a steel in her voice and in her eyes that Daisy hadn't seen before. A steel that she knew would fight for her.

“I believe you.” The words slipped out before Daisy even noticed. She shook herself, “I-I mean, thank you.”

“No problem.” Melinda murmured. “Ice cream?”

Daisy smiled. “That sounds great.”

Chapter Text

Phil got back home not long after sunrise. He opened the front door carefully, to avoid possibly waking the girls. Melinda was probably awake already, but Daisy had proved to like sleeping in whenever she could get away with it.

He was surprised to find the apartment silent when he entered, no noise of Melinda trying to make breakfast, or even the almost silent sounds of her tai chi. However, he was even more surprised at what he found on the couch.

Daisy. And Melinda. Both sound asleep, sitting side by side. They both looked so peaceful that it made Phil's heart ache.

Before he could stop himself, he leaned quietly over Melinda's sleeping form, gently combing his fingers through her hair. “I love you.” He murmured.

She stirred, mumbling senselessly as she blinked herself awake. “I know.”

Phil smiled. “You two had a girls night, huh?”

Melinda smiled back sleepily. “Something like that.” She said softly, glancing to Daisy.

Both realised at the same time that they had never seen Daisy asleep before. “She looks so calm.” Phil said softly. “You both do.”

May kissed him gently. “It was a good night.”

“I'm glad.” He murmured, “But she does have school today.”

“Eh, she could skip it.” Melinda teased with a smirk. “She's a smart kid.”

Phil glowered and she leaned over to gently nudge Daisy. “Hey.” May said softly. “Daisy.”

Daisy jumped back into consciousness, recoiling back from May's touch with wide eyes before she remembered where she was and relaxed. She smiled. “Morning.” She said. “You're back.”

“Just got home.” Phil smiled, liking how happy and relaxed she seemed. “But you've got school soon.”

“Oh yeah.” Daisy pushed herself up so that she was sitting straight. “How long until we have to go?”

“Enough time for breakfast.” Melinda said, dramatically batting her eyes at Phil.

He groaned. “You're lucky I love you.”

“Mmhm.” She hummed, and Phil shucked off his jacket, rolling up his sleeves as he went to the kitchen.

“Any requests?” He asked, looking around.

May looked to Daisy, who tentatively said. “Pancakes?”

Phil beamed. “Coming right up.” He said, rifling through the cupboards. “Go and get ready for school, give me fifteen minutes.”

Daisy smiled and she seemed a lot less hesitant than she had before. “Okay.” She said.

When the door to her room closed behind her, Phil turned to Melinda. “What did you do?” He asked, astonished. “She's- I don't know, she's just... she asked for pancakes! She's happy!”

May rolled her eyes, moving to wrap her arms around him. “Later.” She promised. “I'll tell you everything later.”

Phil smiled crookedly, pulling her closer for a kiss. “I missed you.”

She cocked her head, looking at him reproachfully. “You were gone for less than a day.”

“Yeah, and I missed you.”

Melinda rolled her eyes again, but looked away. “I missed you too.” She muttered.

Phil laughed softly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “How did you ever get through your vows?” He teased.

“Force of will.”

Melinda emerged from the shower a few minutes before Phil returned from dropping Daisy off at school. She had just changed into her jeans and a black T-shirt, damp hair brushing her neck, when the front door opened.

Phil smiled. He looked like he was bouncing, actually. “She's got Computer Science today.”

“I know.” She said, dragging a brush through her hair. “She was excited about it.”

Phil huffed, leaning against the bathroom door. “She tells you things.”

Melinda smirked. “Are you jealous?”

“No.”

“Good.” She said shortly. “She needs both of us. She needs all the support she can get.”

“I know, I know.” Phil said. “I just... She'd never fall asleep in the same room as me.”

May put the brush down and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “You know why.” She murmured.

“Of course I do.” He sighed. “I hate that I know why, I-I hate that I scare her like that when I'd never hurt her.” He stopped for a beat. “I just want her not to feel that way ever again.”

“You can't fix her Phil.”

“I know.” He murmured, noting the double meaning. “I just want her to be happy.”

“She is.” Melinda said softly, with the hint of a smile.

Phil watched her, eyes soft, until she approached. He let his hands rest on her hips, smiling at her. “I love you so much.”

She shook her head, the smile growing. “You always say that.”

“It's always true.”

Melinda scoffed, burying her head in his chest. “You're a sap.”

“You're the one who's blushing.”

“Am not.”

Phil laughed softly, tugging her into the living room. “Come on, you need to tell me everything about your little girls night.”

The two fell onto the couch and Melinda snorted. “Well, first we braided each other's hair-” She teased, getting a poke in the ribs.

“Nice try.” Phil grinned, an arm around her shoulders.

May smiled and shrugged against him. “We just talked.” She said softly. “I ordered Chinese food, we watched a movie and... talked.”

“What, all evening?” Phil said, feigning concern. “I didn't know you could talk that much.”

She snorted, punching him gently. “Shut up.” When he obeyed and was quiet, Melinda continued. “I showed her how to use chopsticks.” She said softly. “She kept trying to say the Chinese phrases from the movie, and... she asked me what I see in my nightmares.”

Phil's arm tightened around her. He'd spent a long time trying to keep from asking her that question. May continued. “I asked her what she sees in hers.” She murmured. “And after I told her, she told me what she dreams about.”

Phil was silent for several seconds, processing, imagining, realising how very similar the two of them actually were. After a minute of silence he curled closer to her, resting his head against hers. “I'm proud of you.” He said softly. “I know it's hard to talk about.”

“I had to though.” May said. “For her."

Phil hummed in agreement, “Still.” He said. “It's good.”

When Melinda was silent, he asked, “Have you got work today?”

She shook her head. “No. You?”

“No. They gave me the day off after the mission.”

A smirk grew on May's face. “So we've got the house to ourselves all day?”

Phil grinned. “Yep.” He stretched, going to stand. “Well, I think I need a nap.” Before he could take a single step, Melinda had pulled him back by the arm. He stumbled, lost his balance, and landed half on top of her, both of them laughing even as their lips crashed together.

It was several hours later when Phil went to pick Daisy up from school, but he still had that smile on his face. His girls were doing good. He watched as kids spilled from the main school entrance, heading for busses and cars, waiting until he saw Daisy emerge.

With others. Friends. Phil wasn't surprised that she had made friends, but he was relieved. She was a great kid, she deserved to have some friends.

Making a decision, Phil got out of the car. “Daisy!” He called, waving, “Over here!” He knew he was pulling a majorly embarrassing move, but he didn't care. Maybe she needed an embarrassing dad for once.

He walked over to her and her friends, watching some of them disperse. “Hey!” He greeted. “Let me get your bag.”

Daisy looked down, clearly embarrassed. “It's fine.” She muttered.

Phil grinned. “Hi.” He greeted the remaining girls, “I'm-” In that split second he realised the hole he'd dug himself. Daisy wasn't comfortable calling him 'dad', that much was clear. But introducing himself as Daisy's guardian would out her as being a foster kid. “I'm Phil.” He settled on, shaking one girl's hand. “What's your name?”

The girl smiled. She had bright blonde hair and glasses. “I'm Felicity.” She said, “Nice to meet you.” She caught sight of her mom across the car park. “I'll see you tomorrow Daisy!” She said brightly, hurrying over to them.

Phil grinned at Daisy, walking to the car with her. “How was school?”

She smiled in a way he had never seen before. “Really good.” Daisy said warmly, eyes darting back to the car park. “I had Computer Science, that's where I met Felicity.”

“You had fun?”

“Yeah.” Daisy grinned, climbing into the car. “We're both way better at it than the teacher.”

Phil gave her a reproachful look. “Don't tell your teacher that.”

“He'd never believe it anyway.” She said, waving a hand. “He said that girls aren't good at computers.”

Phil grimaced, annoyed. “I think I've got five feet of proof to the contrary right here.”

“Five feet two inches.” She muttered.

He smiled thinly, pulling away from the school. “I've got half a mind to complain about that guy.”

“Please don't.” Daisy said quietly.

The fear and timidity there made Phil's anger at the teacher melt away. Daisy didn't need him making a fuss. For now all she wanted was to pass under the radar, be ordinary. “Okay.” He said. “As long as you know that that's not true.”

“I hacked a government organisation from a broken laptop.”

“Did you?” Phil asked, feigning surprise. “When was that?”

Daisy snorted and he smiled. He was getting better at cheering her up. “But other than that guy, school was good? It looks like you made some friends.”

“Yeah, me and Felicity had lunch, CS was right before break.” Daisy said, looking off into the distance. “She's really funny. But kind of a dork.”

“Not that there's anything wrong with being a dork.” Phil said, gently nudging her.

“Sure.” Daisy grinned. She was surprised at how happy she felt. She'd had a passable first day of school, a really fun night with Melinda, eating really spicy food and watching movies, and now she'd had her first CS class, where she'd met Felicity. There was a deep contentment settled in her stomach, but also this voice inside that said this could be normal. That it was already becoming normal.

Maybe someday, this kind of thing wouldn't even warrant a thought, let alone that bubbly happy feeling inside. For now, though, that feeling was there, and she would savour it for as long as she could.

Melinda tried to keep from smirking as she listened to Daisy babble about school. It was good that she had fun, that she'd made friends. School could be a nightmare for some, and Daisy had more than enough nightmares as it was.

Though given how much she talked about this Felicity and the look in her eyes as she did, Melinda doubted that Daisy was just happy to have made some friends.

She hoped that Daisy knew that they didn't care what her sexuality was. But it was probably a little early to have that conversation. Well, to make Phil have that conversation. Not that he seemed to have noticed.

No. For now Daisy should just enjoy her little crush, and they would have the conversation later, when the time was right.

They were all happy now, Daisy was laughing at Phil as he dramatically lip-synched into a wooden spoon, dinner simmering on the stove. It had been a good twenty-four hours. For the first time since Bahrain, she genuinely felt like things were getting better.

After dinner, Daisy excused herself to her room to do her homework. Half an hour later, Melinda decided to make some tea. “Daisy, do you want some tea?” She called.

“Sure!” Daisy said back. “Thanks!”

May couldn't help shooting Phil a smirk as she made two cups of tea and one of coffee. He rolled his eyes and grinned, but said nothing. He didn't need to.

She stirred in Daisy's sugar, removed the bag, and blew gently on the cup before taking it to her room. Melinda knew that something was different from the moment she entered, but it wasn't until she put the mug down on Daisy's bedside table that she realised what it was.

Daisy had the blanket Melinda had gotten her all those weeks ago wrapped around her. The blanket that had, until now, been left sitting, carefully folded in the wardrobe, along with the stuffed dog Phil had got her.

May masked her surprise and instead of commenting on the blanket, said, “Need any help with your homework?”

Daisy looked up. “No, I've got it.” She said with a smile. “But thanks.” She hesitated, seeing in May's eyes that she'd noticed the blanket. “And... thanks for this too.” She said, pulling it more tightly around herself. “I was kind of cold, and it's really nice.”

“I'm glad it helps.” She said softly.

“It does.”

“Good.” May said, “Now get on with your homework.”

Daisy grinned. “Yes ma'am.”

Daisy continued with her homework, wrapped in her blanket with her bedroom door open, for another twenty minutes. After she had drained her cup and read a book for a little while, she felt her limbs growing heavy from fatigue, and stood to wish Phil and Melinda good night.

“Hey.” She greeted softly, and the two both looked up from their work. “I'm kind of tired, so I thought I'd hit the hay.”

Both nodded. “Shower in the morning?” Phil asked, noting that she hadn't that evening.

“Yeah.”

He nodded. “Night night Daisy.”

She smiled sleepily. “Goodnight.” She said softly, turning to go back to her room. She closed the door behind her, but when her finger found the lock she hesitated, and after a moment, left it unlocked.

Both Phil and Melinda stopped their work when they heard no click of the lock on Daisy's door. Their eyes found each other, surprised yet hopeful. “Did she...” Phil asked.

Melinda nodded. “Yeah.” She said, knowing that Daisy had been under the belief that they couldn't hear her locking the door at all. She wasn't doing this to prove something to them. She was doing it because she felt safe.

She felt at home.

Chapter Text

The next time one of them went on a mission, Daisy knew it was happening. Melinda had finally taken the first step in getting back into action, and Daisy was happy for her. If a little worried. Okay, she was a lot worried, but she tried not to let on. She knew how hard it was to keep going after trauma.

It wasn't even a real mission, Daisy reasoned. May was just going to be on comms while three other agents did the actual mission. She wasn't really worried that May would get hurt though. She just wanted it to go well for her.

Phil was staying home, and he was going to make his home made pizzas for a treat. Daisy was starting to wonder if they were each using any time the other was away to butter her up. What for, she couldn't figure out.

She was surprised when, after school, Maria picked her up and told her that Phil was at busy at home.

“Is everything okay?” Daisy asked, nervously bouncing her foot.

Maria smiled, trying to put her at her ease. “Everything's fine kiddo. It's just...” She chewed on her lip, trying to work out whether to tell her. Screw it. “Your social worker's there. Surprise visit.”

Daisy's heart leapt into her throat. “B-but Melinda's not home.”

“It's okay.” Maria said gently. “They know that both of them work. No one's in trouble, it's just a check up, part of the adoption proceedings.”

Daisy took a deep breath, calming herself like May had taught her. “Okay.” She said quietly. “Thanks for telling me.”

“You guys will be fine.” Maria assured. “Try not to worry.”

“I can't help it.” Daisy mumbled as she caught sight of their apartment building at the end of the street. “What if they take me away?”

“They won't.” Maria said, looking at the road ahead. “I promise.”

Even though they both knew it was an empty promise, it did make Daisy feel a little better. “Thanks.” She said again as they slowed to a stop. “For the ride and... everything.”

“I'll see you soon.”

Daisy forced a smile. “Yeah.” She muttered, climbing out of the car and gathering herself before going upstairs.

She took a deep breath before unlocking the front door, and plastered on the best smile she could. “Hey!” She greeted, seeing her old social worker first. The same one who'd left her with her last 'family'. “Nice to see you!”

Mary smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to see you too Daisy. It's been a while.”

Phil's head emerged from the kitchen, nervousness painted on every inch of him. “Daisy! I was just making coffee, Maria got you back okay?”

Just seeing him and knowing he was just as scared eased her nerves. “Yeah.” Daisy said, “Everything was fine. Can I have some tea?”

“Coming right up.” Phil smiled. “How was school?”

“Fine.” Daisy said, starting to relax. “I'm getting better at Spanish.”

“Aah, mucho bueno.” Phil said, and she snorted, dumping her bag in her room.

Though they continued to chat from across the apartment, both were keenly aware of Mary silently looking around, poking her head through various doors to see inside. She said nothing, and Daisy prayed that that was a good thing. She still couldn't get a read on this woman.

Phil placed three mugs on the kitchen table and she looked around at the appliances and the space. “You and your wife both work?” She asked.

Phil grimaced. “Yeah, we work for the government, but one of us is always home to look after Daisy. A lot of our work is paperwork, and our supervisors have allowed us to do that from home.”

Mary hummed. “And your wife?”

“Working late tonight I'm afraid.” Phil said. “If we'd known you'd be coming...”

“Well yes.” She said. “For the next visit you'll be given two weeks notice, so we'd prefer you both be home.”

Phil got the distinct impression that she disapproved of both of them working. Or maybe it was just Melinda she disapproved of. Before he could say anything, Mary had approached Daisy's room, knocking gently on the door. “Would you mind showing me around your room Daisy?” She asked sweetly.

Daisy looked up from where she had been unpacking her bag. “Oh, yeah, sure.” She said, gesturing around. “This is... kind of it. I've got clothes in the drawers there, uuh, blanket on the bed...” She trailed off, not sure what to say.

Mary nodded to the toy, still on her shelf. “Cute dog.”

“Yeah.” Daisy smiled. “Phil got it for me.”

“That was nice of him.” Mary said, then hesitated. “How are you feeling here?” She asked. “Your transfer was... unusual to say the least.”

Daisy bit the inside of her lip. “I-I... I like it here.” She said firmly. “I wanna stay.”

Mary smiled. “Okay.” She said. “Let's go and have some coffee.”

They talked for some time, beginning with easy things, small talk even. How she was doing at school, how she liked the neighbourhood. After a little time and some cookies, Mary politely asked Daisy if she could speak to Phil alone.

He nodded, reassuring her that things would be okay, and Daisy went to her room to do her homework, trying to bury the feeling of dread in her stomach.

“So,” Said Mary, “The case that Daisy was required to be in your custody for?”

“Completed.” Phil said, expecting her to bring up his lie. “We finished it weeks ago.”

She hummed. “And you still want to adopt her?”

Phil smiled. “Well, yes.”

Mary sighed softly. “Mister Coulson, if I might ask, why? You and your wife were never registered as foster parents before this. You lead busy lives. Why bring a child into it?”

Phil shrugged slightly, the answer ready on his tongue. “She needs us.” He said softly. “She's just a kid, but she's been through so much.” He nodded to Mary, “Well, you know.” He hated that this woman had the power to take Daisy away. Hated it.

Mary bit her bottom lip. “Yes, but as I'm sure you've realised, Daisy is... challenging. Especially for first time parents.”

“Respectfully, ma'am.” Phil said, trying to hold back his frustration. “My wife and I are both trained agents. We've proven that we can handle Daisy.”

“Yes...” Mary consulted her notebook. “I see you got her to attend therapy. She was never cooperative to that in the past.”

The unspoken question hung between them, and Phil took a moment to formulate the right answer. “We made an agreement.” He said. “She was... a bit of a mess when she got here. Wanted to know what she was here for. We told her that she was here to go to school, and do some therapy.”

“Well, she seems healthy at least.” Mary noted, “And happy. The proceedings will take time, but everything seems to be in order.” She grimaced. “Do make sure your wife is present for our next visit, won't you?” She said, standing. “We’ll be in touch to schedule future interviews.”

Phil bit back his retort, that she had arrived unannounced, and smiled. “Of course.” He also stood.

Mary approached Daisy's room. “Hello Daisy,” She smiled. “I'm leaving now, but I'll see you again soon.” She left a card on her drawers. “If you need me, please call.”

Daisy smiled. “No problem.” She said weakly, worn out from stress. “Thanks.”

“I'll see you soon.” Mary promised.

“Great.”

They ate dinner in relative silence, the weight of Mary's visit hanging over them. Though neither Phil nor Daisy felt it had gone badly, it terrified the both of them. The visit was a reminder that no matter how much they wanted her as part of her family, Daisy could still be taken away.

When Daisy started to get the pain around her stomach, she assumed it was just nerves. That or too much pizza. As the pain grew, she wondered if she needed to use the bathroom, and when she did she noticed the red stain on her underpants.

Great.

She couldn't say she hadn't been expecting this. She'd been expecting it for months, years really. But seriously? Now? The first time Melinda was away since she'd gotten here?

That really was just her luck.

Daisy briefly considered not telling Phil, just stuffing her underpants with toilet paper, but discounted it. All she needed was for him to point her in the right direction, and he had a ton of girl friends. He'd be able to help. Right?

She walked nervously into the living room, wringing her hands. She felt like a little kid who'd wet the bed. Phil looked up, immediately concerned at the sight of her. “Hey, is everything okay?” He asked, setting his paperwork aside.

“I- uh...” Daisy shifted from one foot to the other until a stab of pain in her abdomen willed her into speaking. “I think I've got my period.” She muttered, slightly red in the face.

Phil stared for a long moment, eyes wide and face flushing. After a moment he shook himself. “I-... oh. Right. Uuh, what does Melinda usually do when this happens?”

Daisy shrugged, looking at the floor. “It's- actually the first time.”

“Oh.” Of course it was. “It's okay, we'll deal with this, it'll be fine.” Phil stood, hurrying to the bathroom. “Okay, first you should change into some cleaner, comfier clothes, and...” He dug around in the bottom drawer, finding what he was looking for after a moment. “Take this. Just take the label off the back and it'll stick.”

Daisy looked around. “I thought tampons were smaller.”

Phil grimaced and shook his head. “That's a sanitary pad, I don't want to explain how tampons work.”

Daisy smiled a little despite herself. “Okay.” She said quietly.

Phil smiled reassuringly. “You go change.” He said, passing her the pad. “I'll make you some hot chocolate and get a hot water bottle and some painkillers.”

“The pain's not that bad.”

He shrugged. “It could get worse though. And even if it doesn't, best to have no pain.”

“I guess.”

It turned out that the pain did get worse. And that tied with her anxiety from their meeting with Mary made Daisy feel a little pathetic. She ended up curled up on the couch, wrapped in her blanket, hugging a hot water bottle to her abdomen and moaning as Phil brought her more and more ice cream. He was being so nice to her. No one had ever treated her so well.

Daisy swallowed a lump of caramel chocolate chip. “Wanna watch a movie?” She asked quietly.

Phil smiled gently, moving to sit beside her. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”

“I dunno.” She muttered sullenly. “Something... nice.”

“101 Dalmatians?”

“I haven't seen that before.” Daisy shrugged. “But sure.”

It was a good movie, Daisy decided. She'd always liked dogs. The puppies were cute, and something about the parents fighting so hard to get their children back made her feel... warm. Though that could just be the hot water bottle.

Phil was being nice too. He made no comment when she cuddled up to his side, no acknowledgment except to wrap a lazy arm around her. Still, something was eating away at her, and Daisy knew that she'd have to say something eventually.

As the film was wrapping up, she quietly asked. “Is Mary gonna take me away?”

Phil tightened his arm around her. “I hope not.” He murmured. “We've got a lot stacked on our side, you know that, right?”

“But she could still say no.” Daisy said, the fear creeping up her throat. “She could-” She broke off, feeling the lump in her throat, knowing that she was a hair away from crying.

“She could.” Phil agreed softly. “But only if she thinks we're not good for you. I think we're pretty good, don't you?”

Daisy swallowed. “They thought that my last family would be good for me.”

Phil let his thumb rub gentle circles on her arm. “I'm sure they never wanted you to get hurt.” He murmured. “I'm not excusing what they did, sending you there, but just think, if they approved them, then we won't have a problem.”

Daisy bit her lip. “What about that case you were talking about?” She whispered, the real question finally coming out. “That you need me for?”

Phil smiled a little. “Sneaky.” He noted. “We'll make a spy out of you yet.” When he noted how confused and upset Daisy looked, he sighed. “That was a lie, Daisy. There never was a case.”

Daisy swallowed. “What if they find out?”

“They won't.” He said firmly. “Trust me. You might have noticed that we're pretty good at paperwork. And Maria's very high up in SHIELD. She helped.” Phil hesitated. “Look, it wouldn't have sounded good to tell them how you and I really met. That would have raised some eyebrows and could have gotten us both in trouble.”

A tiny smirk grew on Daisy's face. “So... you lied?”

Phil groaned. “Yes, we lied. That doesn't mean you get to, got it?” He teased, gently mussing her hair.

Daisy spluttered, batting him away. “Fine.” She whined, then clutched her stomach in pain. She whimpered. “It really hurts.”

Phil grimaced, rubbing her arm. “I know honey, I'm sorry I can't make it stop.”

“You're here.” She murmured, resting her head against his chest. “Close enough.”

Phil smiled, her words causing warmth to blossom in his chest and make his heart twinge. “I'm glad I could help.” He murmured.

Daisy yawned, but the sound was quickly clipped. “I-I don't know how well I'll sleep tonight.” She muttered miserably.

“Well,” Phil said, “How about we see how you feel in the morning, and it you're still tired or in pain, you can have the day off school.”

“Suck up.” She teased sleepily. “I know what you two are doing you know.”

Phil grinned. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Daisy snorted. “Yeah right.” She scoffed. “I can tell when people are buttering me up. Families used to do it right before they kicked me out.”

Oh. Ouch. “We're not kicking you out.”

“I know.” The conviction in her voice calmed Phil's dread. “But you are setting me up for something.”

Phil rolled his eyes fondly. “We just want you to like us Daisy. We want you to like it here.”

“I do like you guys.” She mumbled, hugging the hot water bottle closer to her abdomen. It was easier to say now. Now that she was tired and in pain and so so relieved. “You don't have to keep being so nice.”

Phil lay his hand over hers. “Maybe making nice food for dinner, watching movies together, helping when you're not feeling well... maybe that can just be our normal. Not special treatment.” He said softly.

He could see Daisy's grip on consciousness was slipping. “I'd like that.” She yawned, her head turning so that it could rest in the crook of his neck. “'Sounds nice.”

“I think so too.” Phil murmured, noting that her eyes had flickered shut. Though he wasn't quite sure whether Daisy was asleep now, he would never try to move her. All he'd wanted since before she'd arrived was for her to trust him. Now she was asleep against him, letting his arm wrap around her after a night of movies and talking.

No, he wasn't moving. A few tears slipped from his eyes, trickling down his cheeks as he watched Daisy sleep. She was so young. She deserved so much better than what she'd been through.

She deserved everything.

Chapter Text

It had felt like a step forwards at the time, but Phil hadn't anticipated how much of a step it was. It took him close to a week to notice the change.

It was a few days after their movie night when he noticed that Daisy was constantly cuddling with her toy dog around the house, when she was doing her homework or playing on his computer.

A week later he noticed that she had started falling asleep anywhere and everywhere around the apartment. On the couch, curled up on the carpet, once with her head on the dining room table.

Occasionally it was annoying, but mostly it was adorable. And it meant something, something important.

It meant that Daisy trusted them, totally.

Melinda slid into bed beside him, their new lamp still on. “She's on the couch again.”

He smiled. “Did you kick her off?”

She looked scandalised at the idea. “Of course not. She's asleep.”

Phil laughed softly, happy. “I'm glad she trusts us.” He murmured. “I'm glad she's here.”

May noticed the undercurrent concern. “But?”

He sighed, bowing his head. “I'm just so scared that she could be taken away from us.” He admitted. “I don't want to lose her. I don't want her to lose us.”

“We won't.”

“You don't know that.”

“We won't let anyone take her away.” May said firmly.

Phil scoffed. “What, if they try we'll just... take her and run? Disappear, change our names, leave our jobs, our friends?”

“Yes.” There was no hint of humour in her voice, and Phil smiled.

“I'm on board.” He said. “But I don't know if it'd be best for Daisy.”

May snorted, clearly not buying it.

Phil took her hand, feeling the thrum of rage in her muscles. “If she gets sent somewhere else.” He murmured. “We give her our contact details. And we tell her that if she ever needs us, we'll be there.” He paused. “Maria's applied to be a registered foster parent?”

Melinda nodded. “Yeah. It'll take some time though.” They might not have much time. She despised the thought of Daisy being all alone. Of her needing to wait until the system that had already hurt her so much would let her go. Before she could live with them. Daisy would be safe if she was with Maria, and that was good, that was great. But she wouldn’t be with them. “We have to keep her safe Phil.” What if Maria wasn’t approved? What if Mary decided that Daisy needed to be moved far away from them?

“We are.” He said. “We have. This isn't going to go badly, we both know that. We're government employees, we've got a nice apartment in a good part of town, we make more than enough money to look after her, and Daisy loves us.”

“And we love her.”

“Well yeah.” Phil smiled. “I figured that went without saying.”

Phil and Melinda's second meeting with Mary was much less stressful than the first. It was easier to have an appointment made, rather than having a woman come to their door out of the blue to judge whether they were worthy of the child in their care. Phil baked cookies, May maintained conversation, and Phil felt a lot better when they waved Mary goodbye.

“Not so bad.” Melinda said.

“No.” He agreed. “She should be picking Daisy up from school next week though.”

“We can talk to her about it tonight.” She said. “She'll be fine.”

“I hope so.”

The day of Daisy's individual meeting with Mary rolled around quickly, so quickly that she'd almost entirely forgotten about it until she saw Mary waiting for her after school. A creeping sense of shame crawled up her spine as Felicity noticed her too. “Hey, that's not your mom.” She said, nodding to Mary.

Daisy bit her lip, trying to come up with a believable lie. Screw it. “That's- my social worker.” She muttered, eyes fixed on the ground. “Melinda and Phil aren't- they're not my parents. Mary's organising the adoption.”

Felicity stared, her mouth forming a small 'oh'. “I- well... I hope it works out.” She said with a smile and, after a moment, squeezed Daisy in a tight hug. “I really like having you around.”

Daisy squeezed back just as firmly. “Thanks.” She muttered, surreptitiously wiping away a rogue tear before they separated. “I'll see you on Monday.”

“Definitely.” Felicity beamed, “Good luck this afternoon! I wanna hear all about it on Monday.”

“Okay.” Daisy mumbled, watching her hurry to her mom, smiling. She turned, going to Mary. “Hi. Sorry, I almost forgot this was today.”

Mary smiled, gesturing to her car. “Don't worry.” She said. “This is just a chat. I thought we could go for ice cream, do you know any good places around here?”

It didn't take long to drive to the ice cream place, and Daisy remained silent in the car, trying to think of the best way to say everything. Knowing that the wrong word could send her right back to where she'd started all those months ago.

Mary glanced at her. “Is everything okay, Daisy?” She asked.

Daisy panicked for a second, then remembered what she had learned in therapy and from Melinda. How to breathe when she was scared. How to address that fear. How to admit it. She took a moment to calm herself, then let out a sigh. “I'm fine.” She said softly. “Just... nervous.”

Mary pulled the car into park and turned to look at her. “I know you might not believe me,” She said, “But I'm on your side. If this home is good for you then I want nothing more than for you to stay.”

Daisy nodded, but the nerves remained. Buried. “Okay.”

Daisy ended up getting a cup that contained one scoop each of raspberry and chocolate ice cream. She fiddled with her plastic spoon, watching Mary taste her own mango sorbet. “This is good.” Mary said with a smile. “You come here a lot?”

Daisy hesitated. “Sometimes.”

Mary had another spoonful of her ice cream. “Why don't you tell me about Phil and Melinda?” She asked kindly. “In your own time.”

Daisy swallowed. “I- uh... well, they're always really nice to me.” She started, wincing at how artificial her words felt. “They- um, when I first moved in, Melinda gave me some of her clothes, cos I didn't have any, and then they went out and got me some new ones.”

She forced herself to pause, taking another spoonful of ice cream. Think about normal stuff. She willed herself. The special stuff that Phil said was normal. “Phil cooks.” She said quietly. “He's always making something for dinner. When he's nervous he tries to make something really fancy.” A smile crept across her face. “When he's working late, Melinda orders Chinese food, cos Phil hates spicy stuff but we both love it. She's been teaching me tai chi, and how to speak Chinese.”

“That sounds lovely.” Mary said genuinely. “How do you three cope, with two working parents?”

“Fine.” Daisy said, not even stopping to think about it. “I mean, at least one of them picks me up from school, and they're always around.”

Mary hummed. “What if there was an emergency?” She asked, “And they were both indisposed at work?”

The question pulled Daisy up short. What if something did happen? Who would look after her then? The answer presented itself almost immediately. “Maria.” She said. “She's a friend.”

“And you'd be happy to stay with her if it were an emergency?”

“Sure!” Daisy grinned, “Maria's great!”

Mary smiled and nodded to Daisy's hand. “Your ice cream's melting.”

“Oh, right.” Daisy tipped the cup up to her mouth to drink some of the melted ice cream, wiping her mouth with a paper napkin.

Though she tried to be objective, Mary had to admit that Daisy looked good. Happier and healthier than she could remember ever seeing her. It was rare that a kid her age got adopted. She would be very happy if Daisy could be one of those few. “Have you picked up any hobbies while you've been here?”

Daisy let the ice cream in her mouth melt before she answered. “I've been doing really well at school with computer science.” She said, refusing to downplay her own skills. “And there's a soccer team down the street from us that play every Saturday, we usually go down and watch, and I was gonna sign up when the season starts again.”

“You like soccer?”

“Well yeah.” Daisy muttered, finishing off her ice cream. “It's fun.”

Mary hummed. “Last question.” She said softly. “Why do you want to stay with them?”

Daisy opened her mouth to speak, but found she couldn't. “I-...”

“It's okay.” Mary said. “Take your time.”

She looked down, trying to think of an answer. “They help me.” Daisy murmured. “They-they're good to me, they... provide.” She'd heard people use that word about family. Now it felt like it fell very far short. Like the only reason she wanted to stay with Phil and Melinda was that they were well off.

She bit her lip. “I like talking to them, I-I feel like they understand what I'm saying, they...” She trailed off and thought about them. Phil's understanding eyes and kind smile, always there to listen. Melinda's steady hands and calm voice, soothing her through even the most terrifying of thoughts. “I love them.” Daisy said to the floor. “I-I know that's not important, but...”

“Of course it's important Daisy.”

Daisy looked up and saw the compassion shining in Mary's eyes. “It is?”

“Of course.” Mary said again, resisting reaching out for her. “It's the most important thing.”

Daisy could feel her heart in her throat. “So... does that mean I can stay?”

Mary sighed. “We're not done yet.” She said, regret tinging her voice. “And it's not just up to me. I need to give my recommendation to the judge. They make the decision.”

Daisy bit her lip. “Your recommendation?”

Mary grimaced. She really shouldn't tell Daisy what she was thinking. Shouldn't give her hope in case it went badly, if her last interview went badly, if their day in court went badly. But Daisy was so scared. “So far I haven't seen anything that wouldn't make my recommendation anything but positive.” She pushed herself to her feet, gathering their rubbish to throw in the bin.

Daisy stood too, processing everything. It wasn't over. There were way too many qualifiers in Mary's words to let her think otherwise. But so far everything was good. They were good. If they just kept going like this, Daisy would be able to stay with Phil and Melinda.

Forever.

Chapter Text

“What about this?”

Daisy squinted at the dress. “It's a hearing, not a funeral.” She muttered, looking at some other shelves. “I thought you guys said we have nothing to worry about.”

“We don't.” May said, eyes scanning the store. “But it doesn't hurt to have something nice you can go out in.”

“Right.” Daisy pulled an outfit off the rack at random. “Well, what about this?”

Melinda grimaced. “I don't think the cut will work.”

“What am I, an old woman with twenty cats?”

“No.” May said. “But the judge might be.”

Daisy deflated. “Fair point.” She muttered, putting it back.

May took a moment to break the situation down a bit more. “Would you feel more comfortable in a skirt or pants?”

Daisy looked up from another rack of clothes. “Uuh... pants, I guess.” She didn't have a problem with skirts and dresses, but in court she knew she'd feel vulnerable enough without creepy old men leering at her legs.

“Got it.” May said, going off to search.

“Hey, what about this?” Phil called, holding up a pair of black pants and a suit jacket. “With a nice shirt?”

Daisy cocked her head. It was nice, she had to admit. She'd never worn a blazer before, but it seemed like the kind of thing a judge would like. She shrugged. “I'll try it on.”

When Daisy closed the curtains in the dressing room, she let herself start shaking, staring at the outfit. It was happening. They were buying clothes that she would wear on their day in court. When some judge would decide her life for her, because it didn't matter what she wanted her life to be.

Daisy changed quickly, pulling the blazer on over her shirt. She shifted around. The material felt odd and slick against her skin, but she liked how she looked in the mirror. The novelty T-shirt she wore under the blazer only slightly undercut it.

There was a soft knock on the wall. “Daisy?” Melinda. “What do you think?”

Daisy swallowed and slipped out. “It's nice.”

May nodded, watching her turn. “It is. Do you feel comfortable?”

“I guess.” Daisy muttered.

She'd been so sullen all day that Melinda had to say something. “It'll be okay you know. You don't have to be nervous.”

“I can't help it.” Daisy shrugged, looking down. “Sorry I can't just not be scared like you guys, I-I just... I am.”

She looked up when May put a hand on her shoulder. “You think we're not scared?”

Daisy swallowed. “Aren't you?” She asked. “You're both being so calm about everything, it's like...” Like you don't care what happens.

Melinda sighed. For once, emotional control was the opposite of what Daisy had needed from them. “We're terrified.” She murmured. “That's the truth. I've been staying up every night trying to come up with contingency plans. Phil's been getting references from everyone he can think of.”

Daisy bit her lip. “You just- you guys don't act like it much.”

“I know.” She murmured, her thumb rubbing circles on Daisy's arm. “I'm sorry we made you feel like we weren't worried.”

“It's okay.” Daisy mumbled, tugging at her sleeve. “I'm just being dumb about it.”

“It's not dumb.” May said. “It means you care.”

Daisy laughed softly. “It'd be easier not to.” She joked half-heartedly. Partly wishing she could stop caring, if just for a moment.

May shook her head. “Life's better when you do.” She said quietly. “Even if it sometimes hurts.” She gave Daisy a gentle shove back to the dressing room. “Come on, we need a shirt to go with that if you want it.”

“Okay.” Daisy mumbled, then before she could stop herself, gave Melinda a quick hug. She tried not to think about how few of those she could have left. “Thanks.”

May's arms came up automatically to hug her back, feeling the tension Daisy held, the fear. She let one hand gently stroke her hair. “Everything's going to be alright.” She murmured, but quickly let go. Phil was meant to be the clingy one, not her.

Daisy ended up settling on the same blazer, but in a different colour which worked better with the shirt she chose to complete it all. She also got a new pair of shoes, leather boots not unlike what she saw Melinda wearing from time to time. May herself had thrown on a leather jacket as well as a pack of socks, but Daisy still winced when she saw the total.

It was okay, she reminded herself. They wanted to do it. Daisy was still caught up convincing herself not to demand the clothes be returned when the shop assistant spoke to her. “Ooh, I wish my mom and dad would come shopping with me.” She said with a smile.

The words caught Daisy off guard. Her head whipped up and she opened her mouth to correct the woman, but found there were no words. “I- we're- I mean...” She bit down on her tongue, realising that there was no good way to respond to that. They were almost a family, but she didn't feel like Phil and Melinda were mom and dad.

“Thank you.” Phil said, nodding to the woman in farewell, and the three of them left.

Daisy refused to look at either of them, but a glance from Melinda told him that this wasn't the time.

Instead he let Melinda carry the bag of clothes and stopped to get them all milkshakes. By the time they all sat down at a table, Daisy seemed marginally better, and before she was even halfway through her shake, she looked to have bounced back entirely.

Phil would never cease to be impressed with her resilience.

“There is something else we need to talk about before the hearing.” He said, noting that Daisy paused in drinking her milkshake. “Your name.”

Daisy swallowed. “What about it?”

“Your surname.” Melinda clarified, stirring her milkshake with a straw. “Assuming everything goes well in the hearing you''ll have a few options.”

The decision hadn't even occurred to Daisy. Would she keep her last name? The only thing she had from her birth parents? If she took Phil and Melinda's surnames, which would go first? How would she hyphenate? Or would she use all three just to confuse people? She took another gulp of her milkshake to stall for time. “What do you think?”

Phil hesitated. “You don't have to decide right now.” He said. “We've got time for you to think it over. I know it's a big decision to have to make.”

Daisy nodded slowly, staring at her glass. She was silent.

Phil continued. “For what it's worth, neither of us will be upset if you want to keep your name. We just want you to be happy.”

Daisy looked to May, who nodded silently. Daisy bit the inside of her lip. “I don't want things to change.” She said softly. “I-I love how we've been living, I love just... being with you guys.” That was the closest she could get to saying it to their faces. She tilted her head back to keep any tears from escaping. “No matter what happens next week, things are gonna change.”

Phil and Melinda's eyes met and, after a moment, Phil leaned forwards to cup Daisy's hand in his. “Yeah, you're right.” He said softly. “Some things are gonna change. But we won't, okay? Whatever happens, we'll still want you at home, with us.” Daisy didn't move. “We'll still want you to be happy, no matter what.”

Daisy swallowed. “What if they don't approve it?” She asked quietly, finally saying it. “What if they take me away?”

Now May spoke. “We'll keep your room ready for you.” She murmured. “And we'll have friends keep an eye on you to make sure you're safe.” She bit her lip, not sure if she should tell Daisy. Screw it. She needed to know things would be okay. “Maria's applied to be a registered foster carer.” She said. “Even if you get taken away from us, she'll look after you until you're old enough to come home.”

Something about that struck a chord. Suddenly the hearing didn't really matter in the long run. No matter what happened in court, Daisy would have her room and her family here. They would wait for her, protect her.

She blinked heavily to keep from crying in a food court. “Thank you.” Daisy ground out, her voice rough from emotion. She felt like she should say something more, but it was all she could think of. There was a gentle nudge at her free hand, and Daisy saw that May was offering her a napkin.

She laughed tearfully and wiped her eyes. “Okay. Let's go.”

The night before the hearing was a quiet one. None of them felt like doing work, and one by one they ended up sitting side by side on the couch, Daisy's blanket draped over them. Daisy clutched her plush dog to her chest, staring at the blank TV screen. “I'm still scared.” She whispered, her head resting against Coulson's chest. “I know that I shouldn't be, but I am.”

Both shook their heads, and Melinda gently stroked her fingers through Daisy's hair. “Me too.” She admitted.

Phil smiled sadly. “Me three.” He mumbled, relishing in their tandem groans. He laughed quietly. “What should we do about it?”

Daisy shrugged. “Is there something I should say tomorrow?” She asked. “Should- should I call you mom and dad?”

She felt Melinda's hand pause in it's soft movements. “Do you feel comfortable doing that?” May asked carefully.

Daisy shrugged. “Does it matter?” She felt them both open their mouths to give the obvious answer, and cut them off. “I mean- tons of foster parents made me call them that, I-I thought it was important I guess.”

She could feel Phil's chest rise and fall with his breath. “What's important,” He said, “Is that you feel comfortable with us.”

Daisy groaned and hit him in the face with a pillow. “Yeah, I get it, just- what's gonna sound good to a judge?” She asked, getting slightly agitated. “I'm most comfortable without them sending me to some other crappy home where they...” She trailed off. She knew she didn't need to say it.

“No one needs you to fake anything tomorrow.” Phil said, “Just do your best to stay calm and everything will be okay.”

“It's hard.”

“I know.” May murmured, “But you're good. Best tai chi student I've ever had.”

Daisy looked up. “Really?”

Phil snorted, poking Melinda. “Only cos you traumatised those academy kids.” He teased. “They all said you were a terrible teacher.”

“Not my fault they weren't good at it.”

“I think you're a good teacher.” Daisy said quietly, and Melinda smirked smugly.

“Thank you Daisy.” She said pointedly, with a hint of sincerity mixed in.

Daisy smiled, but then looked down. “I'm sorry I don't call you mom and dad.” She mumbled. “I- it just feels wrong.”

Phil's arm tightened around her and May shifted closer. “No, it's okay.” He assured. “It's not important.”

“It is though.” Daisy said quietly. “You guys took me in, you- you do everything for me, and I can't even call you what you are.”

“We're a family.” Phil said. “It doesn't matter what else we call each other. We're a family first, and family means nobody gets left behind.”

Daisy snorted. “Are you seriously quoting Lilo and Stitch right now?”

“It's a great movie.” He said stubbornly, but was mostly grateful for making her laugh. “And it's the truth. We're a family, nothing you can do will change that. Okay?”

Daisy looked up at Melinda, who nodded, brushing her hair away from her face. “You're stuck with us.” She teased gently.

Daisy smiled. “Okay.” She mumbled, “Thank you.” She bit her lip, trying to force her decision into words. “I-I think I wanna keep my name. Sorry.”

Phil shook his head. “You don't have anything to be sorry about.”

“Yeah.” May said. “I didn't change my name for this guy either.”

Despite their words, Daisy still felt like she had to explain. “I just- it's the only thing I have left of my birth parents.”

“We understand.” Phil murmured, gently kissing the top of her head. “You don't have to be ashamed of that.”

“But they left me.” Daisy said, not sure whether she was sad or angry about it. “And you're here.”

“This doesn't have to be permanent.” May reminded. “If you decide later in life that you want to change your name, you can.”

“Okay.” Daisy murmured again, burrowing further into their joint embrace. She suddenly felt exhausted.

Melinda smiled fondly at the girl in their arms. “We're not moving tonight, are we?”

“Nope.” Two voices answered.

Chapter Text

Melinda woke first. Despite the stress of the situation she had slept quite well.

She squirmed slightly, being careful not to rouse Daisy, and winced at the pain in her shoulder. No matter how fit she was, sleeping on a couch just wasn't good for her muscles. Uncertain of what to do, knowing that she couldn't get up without waking them, Melinda contented herself with watching Phil and Daisy sleep. They both looked so peaceful. Even in the face of the day to come.

Melinda was also keenly aware that neither she nor Daisy had had a nightmare. Nor had any of them woken in the night. That had to mean something, right?

After several minutes, sunlight started to creep through the window, and Phil started to wake. He hummed, shifting. “Mel?”

She shushed him, looking at Daisy. “Let her rest a little longer.” May murmured.

Phil blinked his eyes open, his vision clearing. He smiled and leaned forwards a little to kiss his wife. “Morning.” He greeted with a smile.

Melinda smiled too. “Morning.” She said warmly. “Sleep well?”

Phil hummed. “Yeah, surprisingly.” He shifted and stifled a groan when his back clicked. “Ow.”

“Gonna feel that later.”

“I'm feeling it now.” He grumbled, but then looked down at Daisy with a gentle smile. “Totally worth it though.”

“Definitely.”

Surprising them both, Daisy groaned and rolled over. “Oh my god, you guys are such saps.” She said with a grin.

Phil and Melinda both glared playfully, and May reached over to muss up her hair, getting spluttering laughter and half-hearted protests.

“Come on.” May said, smiling. “Breakfast.”

With a start, Daisy remembered what day it was, and her laughter immediately faded. “Pancakes?” She requested weakly.

Melinda gave Phil a gentle shove. “You heard her, pancakes, stat.”

Phil rolled his eyes, groaning as he stood up. He stretched. “With berries?” He asked Daisy.

Daisy nodded, suddenly on edge. “Please.”

“Coming right up.”

Daisy noticed Melinda slip into their room and assumed that she was going to shower. She did, emerging from the bathroom some minutes later. However when she came back out for breakfast, hair damp against her shoulders, she held something else.

A large wrapped gift.

May placed it on the table in front of her just as Phil put down a large plate of pancakes in the middle of the table. Daisy swallowed. “What's this for?”

Phil nudged her. “It's for you.” He said. “I thought that was obvious.”

“You didn't have to get me something.” Daisy muttered. “I-it's not my birthday or anything.”

“We talked about it.” May said. “And it's important to us that you have it. No matter what happens today.”

Daisy sucked in a nervous breath. More and more it was feeling like this could end badly. “Okay.” She said softly. “Thank you.” She looked at the box, not even sure where to start.

“Open it.” Phil said in a stage whisper. “The pancakes are getting cold.”

Melinda scoffed and Daisy smiled. They were always so nice to her. She hoped the judge would decide that she deserved them. Carefully, Daisy peeled the tape off one piece at a time, letting the paper fall away.

She stared at the contents of the present, stunned. “I- no, you can't, I- this is too much.”

“It's not.” Phil said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “We've been talking about it for ages. You're great with computers, and we want you to have the opportunity to practice.”

“But it's so- I don't deserve it.” Daisy mumbled, crossing her arms around her waist and looking at it. It was brand new, top of the line, so clean and perfect. She didn't do clean and perfect. She did scrappy junk that was barely held together.

“You do.” Melinda said. “And look at it this way. No matter what happens today, you'll still be able to talk to us to this.”

Daisy swallowed, seeing past the laptop and instead looking at what it represented. Their faith in her. Their promise that they'd be a family no matter what. Their belief in the person she could be. She bit her lip and forced herself not to cry. “Thank you.” Daisy mumbled, throwing herself into May's arms.

Melinda immediately returned the hug, grabbing Phil's arm to drag him into it too. “Any time.” She murmured. “Now come on, it's time for breakfast.”

The drive was mostly silent. Phil could feel the tension in the air, their worries combined. He knew that this was mostly a formality, that the odds of them not being approved were outrageously small, but he was still scared. He tried to start a conversation a few times, but knew even before he did it that it wouldn't work.

He couldn't wait for this whole hearing to be over already.

They were early to the courthouse, which Phil had thought was a good idea. Now he wasn't so sure, watching Melinda pace back and forth while Daisy wrung her hands.

He sighed and went for a walk down the corridor. It didn't take long for Phil to find what he was looking for.

He walked back. “There's an empty room down there.” He said, nodding. “Maybe doing some tai chi would help your nerves.”

Melinda raised an eyebrow. “And what's going to help your nerves?”

Phil shrugged. “You know I love watching you.” He said.

“Gross.” Daisy muttered, but there was the hint of a grin there.

May narrowed her eyes playfully. “Come on.” She said, taking Daisy's hand. “It'll kill the time at least.”

Daisy followed. “Yes ma'am.” She muttered. “As long as I don't tear my shirt or anything.”

Melinda rolled her eyes. “Oh please, you couldn't tear a piece of paper with those muscles.”

Daisy gasped in mock offence, and the two entered the room, closing the door behind them. Phil smiled, watching them go. As long as Daisy wasn't hyper-focused on what was to come, he felt better.

Twenty minutes later the door opened and another family left, looking shaken but happy. Phil offered them a smile. After they had passed, he walked down the hall to where Melinda and Daisy were doing their tai chi. “I think they'll be ready for us soon.” He said softly.

Daisy looked up, but was proud that she didn't immediately drop her stance. Instead she and Melinda completed their current form and came to a stop together. “Okay.” Daisy said, taking a deep breath. “Okay.”

“We're in this together.” Phil reminded, helping her put her blazer back on. “Always.”

Daisy closed her eyes and gathered herself. “Let's go.” She said, walking out into the hallway. “We can do this.”

“Hell yes we can.” May said, following to walk beside her.

Daisy came to a stop at the door, taking a moment to compose herself. She looked to them. “Ready?”

“Ready when you are.” Phil nodded.

Heart in her throat, Daisy pushed the door open and entered.

It wasn't as imposing as she had thought. There was no towering desk where the judge sat, no huge jury of people. Just her, Phil and Melinda, the judge, an attorney, and Mary, who waved at her. Daisy smiled and nodded in greeting.

Phil stepped forwards first, placing his hand on the bible. “I swear that the evidence that I shall give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.” He said calmly. Like he did this every day.

Well, he'd definitely done it more than Daisy.

May went next repeating the same words. Daisy's hands began to sweat. What if she said it wrong? What if she messed this whole thing up with the first words out of her mouth?

Melinda came back, and Daisy took a shaky step forwards. She tried to surreptitiously wipe her hand on her pants before she put it on the bible. She swallowed. “I swear,” Her voice cracked, “That the evidence I give, shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” There. Done. An instant before she pulled away, she remembered. “So help me God.”

Daisy let out a long breath when the judge nodded and she tottered back to where Phil and Melinda sat with their lawyer.

“All be seated.” The judge said, stoic. He seemed almost bored.

As they sat, the judge shuffled through the papers he had. Daisy was struck by the fact that those papers contained as much of her life's story as she'd ever know. She felt Phil's hand grip hers reassuringly and squeezed back.

“Will the adoptive parents please step forwards.” Phil's hand slipped from hers and Daisy watched them walk away from her.

The attorney followed, standing by the judge. “Please state your names.”

“Agent Phillip J. Coulson.”

“Agent Melinda Qiaolian May.”

“You both consent to this adoption taking place?”

“I do.”

“I do.” Daisy wondered numbly if this was what a wedding felt like.

Their lawyer nodded to Daisy. “Will the adoptee please step forwards.” Daisy did so, ignoring the fear seizing every muscle in her body. It was at least good that she was standing with them now. They were together. “You consent to this adoption taking place?”

“I-I... yes.” Daisy said, caught by surprise.

“You all understand that this is a lifelong commitment, with little chance of appeal?”

“Yes.” They all said at the same time.

“You understand that if your marriage were to separate that you share equal responsibility for the child?”

“Yes.” Phil and Melinda said.

Their attorney nodded. “Do you both swear to give this girl a loving home?”

“Yes.”

“Of course.”

The judge moved slightly in his seat, looking at the three of them. “You got the day off school for this, huh?” He asked Daisy.

Daisy stared for a moment before stuttering out, “Yes your honour.”

He smiled. “Well, it beats faking sick I'll bet.”

Daisy swallowed. “I don't know your honour.”

Something in his eyes softened as he realised how nervous this kid was. She wasn't in the mood for chatting. She just wanted to go home with her family. “Okay. Given the recommendation of your social worker and the testimony I've heard here today, I have no reason not to sign the decree of adoption. Do you have anything else that should be disclosed?”

Daisy shook her head and heard both Phil and Melinda say, “No your honour.”

She hurriedly echoed them, not sure what happened now. The judge scribbled his signature on a piece of paper that Daisy couldn't see. He looked back to them. “I'll have two copies of this made.” He said, “One for your attorney and one for yourselves. In a few weeks the issue of a new birth certificate will be processed.”

Phil and Melinda both sagged in relief. “Thank you your honour.” Phil said.

Daisy looked back and forth between everyone in the room. “That's it?!” She exclaimed, not even caring that their attorney stared at her.

The judge smiled patiently. “That's it.” He said. “You're free to go.”

The words echoed in Daisy's head as her legs automatically walked her out of the courtroom. Free to go. Free to go. They weren't going to take her away. She was getting a new start, a new birth certificate. A new life.

“Daisy?” Phil's voice cut through her thoughts. “Are you okay?”

She noticed, belatedly, that she was shaking. She nodded.

“We have to come back tomorrow to sign some forms, but we can go home now if you want, or we could get some lunch first.”

The word struck a chord. “Home.” Daisy repeated. “I- we can go home.” Something about that had tears burning her eyes.

The truth hit Phil too. “Yeah.” He said, pulling her into a hug and failing to bottle his tears. “We can sweetie. It's okay.”

Daisy snagged Melinda's arm, dragging her into the embrace too. “I-I love you guys.”

Melinda pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “We love you too.” She murmured. “And we're never going to leave you.”

“Never.” Phil echoed, and, for the first time, Daisy knew that it was true.

“Let’s go home.”