Work Text:
Nicholas Joseph Fury was busy. He had a report to write on the previous week's incident in Beijing – another B to add to his collection – and the last thing he wanted was to be bothered. So when someone came knocking on his door, he continued to type without interruption. Soon enough, there was another knock.
"Come back later," he shouted. He really wanted to finish this report before any sort of interruptions happened.
However, the door to his office opened, and the familiar head of one Carol Danvers passed through.
"Hey, Fury? Got a minute?"
He sighed and looked up from his computer screen.
"Now I do."
"Cool."
She opened the door wider, and as she walked in, someone else walked in beside her. Fury instantly recognized Monica, though she had grown a few inches since the last time he had seen her.
"I need a favor. Both Maria and I have a shift today and Maria's parents are on a cruise. Can you watch over Monica for today? I promise she'll be out of your hair before tonight. And she knows not to bother you."
Fury sighed again, standing up as he looked down at both Carol and Monica with his single eye.
"Carol, you do know this is the headquarter of a secret federal organization. Not a daycare center."
Carol crossed her arms.
"Well, first, she's fourteen, not four. Second, you're the only one I trust here to watch over her. Third..."
"Alright fine. She can stay."
"Good, because I didn't have a third point."
"You seriously owe me, Danvers."
Carol smirked and stepped aside, so Monica could walk further in.
"Bye, Monica, have a good day with uncle Nick!" she shouted before closing the door.
Fury sighed and looked at Monica. She was awkwardly standing by the door, her backpack still on her shoulders.
"Just sit over here. I have a report to finish."
Monica nodded and sat in one of the chairs on the other side of Fury's desk. She opened the backpack and pulled out a book. Fury caught a glance of the cover, which read 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. He shook his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe they still made kids read this book. After one last glance at Monica to make sure she was reading, he returned to his report.
He was writing rather quickly and had almost forgotten Monica's presence when some time later he heard the zipper of a bag once again. He had to move his head to see what Monica was doing. She opened her backpack once again, placed the book back inside and pulled her Walkman, which she placed on the desk. She put her headphones on, brushing away her messy strands of hair, and pressed play on the device. The CD inside began to spin, and soon enough, Fury could make out the faint outline of pop music coming out from the headphones. It was exactly the kind of music Fury would come across on the radio from time to time and instantly change the station. He let it pass, as it wasn't very strong. Monica pulled a notebook and a pink pencil-case and began writing.
Fury continued to work, and soon enough the music had faded into the background of his thoughts, so much so that he didn't notice it anymore. He didn't move from his computer until he heard Monica pick up the Walkman and put it back in her bag. She must have grown tired of the music. She pulled out another book from her backpack, one entitled 'Flying Women: History of Air Force Women'. It didn't seem that interesting at all, but very quickly Monica was enthralled by it, and Fury smirked when he noticed Monica's nose furrowing in concentration. Like mother like daughter, he supposed.
More time passed, and Fury was almost done with his report. Really, having Monica with him wasn't as big a problem as he had first assumed. At this rate, he would be over by two, maybe three p. m. if he didn't take a lunch break.
Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. He was so focused on his computer he didn't think before saying:
"Come in."
Both he and Monica looked up from their activities as agent Coulson opened the door, and hovered by the entrance of the room.
"Sir, Director Keller wants to speak with you."
Then Coulson seemed to notice the teenager seating at Fury's desk.
"Oh, I'm sorry, sir, I didn't know you had company."
"Coulson, this is Monica... my niece. Monica this is agent Phil Coulson."
Monica turned toward Coulson more openly.
"Nice to meet you, sir," she said politely.
Coulson smiled.
"I didn't know you have siblings, sir."
Fury sighed.
"It's complicated."
He saved his work and stood up, shutting his computer screen off.
"Can you keep an eye on her while I go talk to the boss?"
Coulson stepped aside to let Fury pass, somewhat perplexed by the request.
"Uhh, of course, sir."
Fury closed the door of his office behind him, leaving both Monica and Coulson inside.
Fury came back from his meeting with Keller some ten minutes later, just enough to briefly summarize the situation in Beijing and why it had taken a turn for the worst before he could get everything under control. He walked back into his office while having completely forgotten about who he'd left inside. However, as soon as he entered the door, he found quite an unusual sight in front of him. Monica and Coulson were seating face to face in his chairs, and talking about their favorite superhero, he assumed:
"Captain Marvel is better," the teenager argued. "She would totally wipe the floor with Captain America."
"I don't think so. See, Captain America's shield is made of vibranium. It is the strongest metal on Earth, and it can protect him from anything she throws at him," he countered with a calm, analytical voice.
"Not if it's a photon blast!" Monica replied. "Nothing resists a photon blast!"
Before Coulson couldn't retaliate with an argument of his own, Fury cleared his throat loudly. Coulson jumped to his feet, taking once again a stiff, professional pose.
"Sir, you've returned."
"Thank you for keeping an eye on her, Coulson. You can leave now."
"Of course, sir. Goodbye, Monica."
He walked out the door quickly, shutting it behind him with anxiousness. Fury crossed his arms as he looked down at Monica:
"What were you doing, bothering poor Phil over Captain America?"
"He wouldn't admit that Captain Marvel is stronger!" she explained as Fury rounded his desk to sit down in his chair, her eyes never leaving his face. "Even though she totally would. I know it."
Fury shook his head with a smirk. He could see Carol's attitude shining through Monica's every word. Starforce girl was a terrible influence on the girl.
"Well Captain America's dead, so it's not like we'll ever get to know, now, do we?"
Monica shrugged.
"Just saying. No one is stronger than Captain Marvel."
Fury rolled his eye and turned his computer screen back on, to continue typing his report.
He was pulled out of his work by an unusual sound, coming from Monica. Or rather, her stomach. He looked past his computer to the teenager, who was clutching her stomach with a look of discomfort barely visible on her face. She returned to her book and tried to ignore her grumbling stomach. Nick glanced at his clock. 1 p. m. He was almost done with his report. He thought if he could just finish quickly, then maybe after that they could get something to eat. However, when the teenager's stomach gurgled again, he sighed and stood up.
"I suppose if I suggest we get some food, you won't say no."
Monica closed off her book.
"I could eat," she said as casually as possible.
Fury chuckled.
"Of course you could."
He considered his options quickly. They could go to the building's cafeteria, but chances are that at this time of the day they would have been strip bare of any good food.
"I also suppose you won't complain if we go to the nearest fast food?"
Monica shrugged.
"I like burgers."
Fury picked up his jacket from the backrest of his chair and his car keys on his desk.
"Alright, let's go, kiddo."
They had to take Fury's car because the distance from the Triskelion to the city itself was too big to walk. Fury had parked at the first sight of a fast-food restaurant he had found, and they had ordered before taking a table. Monica had ferociously dug into her food, while Fury had taken the time to drink before eating. After taking a big bite of his own burger, he said:
"That is one tasty burger! How's yours?"
Monica shrugged.
"It's alright. Not as good as mom's."
"Your mom makes home-made burgers?"
Once again, Monica shrugged.
"It's not that hard. Just don't let Auntie Carol in the kitchen while she's making them."
Fury chuckled.
"Seriously, why?"
"Because she's like a bad curse on food. Every time she's in the kitchen while something is cooking, it's messed up afterward."
"That's one hell of a superpower."
Monica seemed to agree as she nodded, though that might have been because she was so focused on her food. She'd gulped down half of it at incredible speed before she finally spoke again:
"You don't have children, right?"
"Nope."
"Why not?"
"Well, first, it's better to be married to have children. Or even be in a relationship."
Monica shrugged.
"Not really. My mom wasn't in a relationship when she had me. Plus, she's not married."
"That's because a woman doesn't need a man to have a baby. I mean, she does, but not after, you know..."
This conversation was taking an awkward turn, yet Monica's expression was extremely serious. Fury coughed and continued:
"Anyway, I was never that much into families anyway. I'm dedicated to my work. I like it, and I don't have the time to do anything else."
She nodded.
"So you don't want to have a family."
He shrugged.
"I'm a bit too old for that now."
"You know, you can always choose your family, like Auntie Carol."
After that, Monica returned to her meal, and Fury was very thoughtful.
Carol came to pick up Monica by four p. m., making good on her promise. She came knocking on the door with a bright smile on her face. She opened the door and found Fury behind his desk, still hard at work, and Monica seating in the chair across his desk, reading the book she'd given to her for her birthday.
"I see your office is still a party room," she joked.
Fury rolled his eyes.
"Monica was very nice, unlike someone I know."
Monica closed her book and placed it back in her backpack before standing up.
"I hope your day wasn't too boring, Lieutenant Trouble."
Monica shrugged.
"It was alright. I read a lot, I met mister Coulson. Oh, and we went to buy burgers for lunch."
Carol looked at Fury with a smirk.
"So, a great day I take it."
Monica nodded.
"Alright, your mom's waiting for us in the garage, we better get going."
"Going home?" Fury asked.
"Nope. We're taking a few days off to visit the city. What's the point of working here if we never take the time to enjoy the capital?"
"Have fun then."
To Fury's surprise, Monica walked up to him and gave him a hug. He was so stunned, he didn't know how to react, and he didn't have the time to hug her back before she pulled away.
"I had a great day, Uncle Nick. Thank you for letting me stay with you."
Fury was speechless, and Carol was smirking smuggling from the door.
"Bye, Uncle Nick!" she said again before leading Monica out of the room. She was so going to use this to tease him.
Fury watched as Carol and Monica walked in the corridor. Through the windows of his office, he saw Monica waving at him. He waved back with a smile.