Work Text:
“I thought you’d gone?”
Darcy turned from where she was inspecting the contents of her backpack, making sure all her equipment had been suitably de-clownified (which should definitely be a word after the last 24 hours). She’d slunk away from Westview once an FBI agent had take custody of Hayward, bumping briefly into Monica as she made her way back to the S.W.O.R.D tent. Honestly, she’d mostly been joking when she begged out of the debrief, but she was also a professional and knew the smartest move for her right now would be to check for any lingering radiation in the aftermath of the Hex coming down.
She smiled a little guiltily at Monica and Jimmy, who were mirroring each other with folded arms as they stood near the entrance to the original S.W.O.R.D based. They were so cute when they acted all authoritative.
“Had my own loose ends to wrap up.” She shrugged.
She turned the computer monitor to face them as they crossed the grate ramp to join her.
“Radiation levels back to normal. You know, for New Jersey.” She joked. “There was a lot of cosmic energy being thrown around – literally. I wanted to make sure none of it seeped out, but Wanda… well, she kept it contained. I don’t think anyone in Westview needs to worry about radiation poisoning or developing any unexpected superpowers anytime soon, though I don’t think it would hurt to monitor them for a while.”
“Good thinking.” Monica nodded. “I’m setting up a team nearby.”
“And the FBI is working to get everyone in the town back on their feet.” Jimmy added. “Speaking of which – did you crash a van earlier?”
Darcy winced slightly under his stare. “Maybe a little bit?”
Monica quickly looked away. Darcy was pretty sure she was snickering.
“All right, I’m going to need you to go to medical and get checked out.” Jimmy instructed.
“Uh, hard pass.” Darcy twisted the monitor back towards her to set up a couple more scans. Jane might have taught her to run headlong into an idea, but Erik had instilled the ethic to triple check her work before confirming her findings. She’d pass the data onto Monica’s team as soon as it had processed so they could keep an eye out for any irregularities or lingering effects.
Jimmy was undeterred as he crossed over to her, gently putting a hand to her cheek and turning her face away from the monitor. The gesture was unexpected to say the least, although he didn’t seem to notice her slowly going pink as he focused intently at gazing into her eyes. Seriously? They’d had how many late nights when they were the last two still awake on the base, sharing snacks as they watched Wandavision – a literal love story – and now he chose to make a move? With Monica right there?
“You might have a concussion.”
Oh. Well, that made more sense.
“He’s right, Darcy.” Monica interjected, almost managing to look serious apart from the smirk flickering at her lips. “You are looking a little… flushed.”
Darcy gave her a death stare and then redirected it at Jimmy just for good measure. “I’m fine. Vehicular assault is kinda my thing.”
Jimmy took his hand from her face so he could squeeze the bridge of his nose, eyes slamming shut. “You did not just say that to a federal agent.”
“What, you got jurisdiction over alien gods now?”
Jimmy glared at her. “Doctor Lewis. Medical. Now.”
Darcy’s retort died on her lips. Quirking her eyebrows, she glanced from Monica, to Jimmy, then back again. “Is it me, or was that kinda hot?” She asked Monica, who admittedly looked pretty impressed that Jimmy hadn’t succumbed to her goading.
Monica snorted. “Maybe you are concussed.”
“Hey!” Jimmy’s authoritative tone melted away into a grumble. “I’m standing right here.” He caught Darcy’s elbow and tugged her away from the computer station, gentle but firm.
“Fine.” Darcy huffed, looking longingly back at her screen. She could leave the scan running and come back to it once she had medical clearance. She scowled at Monica who caught up on her other side as Jimmy steered her out of the base and back towards Westview where the medical tent had been set up. “When I’m done proving I’m fine, we’re going to need to do some tests.” She informed her.
“Tests?” Jimmy glanced over at Monica. “For what?”
“Monica has superpowers now.” Darcy announced flippantly.
“Darcy!” Monica cried.
“What?” Darcy whined defensively, trying not to trip over her feet to keep up the pace of the two agents. “You do! And if they were caused by exposure to the radiation, we need to make sure they’re not causing you harm or, you know, rewriting your genetic code. I saw those bullets go through you!”
“Bullets?!” Jimmy squeaked.
Monica waved them both off impatiently. “I’m fine. I feel fine, good even.” At the twin disbelieving looks she received, she scoffed. “I’d tell you if it felt dangerous, but it feels… right. Like it was always a part of me.”
Darcy pressed her lips together as they crossed the town border, the crumpled bandstand now in sight. “Fine. But I still think we should run some tests.” When Monica looked like she was about to protest, Darcy held up a hand. “Just between us, to make sure you’re safe and to understand exactly what happened to you. Better I do it than some crackpot villain or an evil organisation with bad intentions.” She eyed a S.W.O.R.D truck that trundled past them. “You’d be surprised how often that happens.”
Monica softened slightly. “Okay, some tests. But it stays between the three of us.”
“Pinkie promise.” Darcy said solemnly. Jimmy nodded in agreement.
As they approached the FBI’s makeshift medical centre, a S.W.O.R.D agent slipped into step beside Monica and muttered something in her ear. She nodded and stopped at the entrance.
“Someone wants to talk with me in the theatre.” She told them. “I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
“Go ahead.” Jimmy smiled. “I’ll make sure Darcy gets checked out.”
Darcy rolled her eyes, but pulled away from Jimmy’s steadying hand to throw both arms around Monica. She stumbled back a step, surprised, then chuckled and hugged her back.
“If you’re not done by the time I have to go, I just want to say it was an honour working with you.” Darcy gave her an extra squeeze. “And I will call you to arrange these tests and if you avoid me, I will hunt you down, Liam Neeson style.”
Monica rolled her eyes, catching Jimmy’s fond expression over the top of Darcy’s head. “You got it.” She promised. Releasing Darcy, she held out a hand to Jimmy who shook it firmly. “Agent Woo.”
“Captain Rambeau.” He nodded.
“I’ll see you guys soon.” She promised.
Darcy saluted. Monica laughed properly this time before disappearing into the old movie theatre on the heels of the agent.
Jimmy ushered Darcy into the medical centre, weaving through to find a free medic. Once she was being seen to, he hovered nearby, watching as she followed the medic’s finger with her gaze and winced as they flashed a light in her eyes. When she was given the all-clear, she glared pointedly over at him.
“Told you.” She snarked as the medic sent them back out into the town.
“Sue me, I’m a worrier.” Jimmy deadpanned.
“Yeah.” Darcy agreed. “It’s cute.”
When he stayed silent for a beat too long, she glanced over at him.
“Sorry, I was just waiting for the backhanded part of that compliment.” He explained drily.
Darcy elbowed him in the ribs and he grinned. They both sobered a little as they emerged into the town square, FBI agents still corralling Westview residents into various buildings to have them medically examined or to give witness statements. Darcy hated to think what they would be saying in them; Wanda had been in a lose-lose situation, one she wasn’t always in control of. She couldn’t blame the townspeople for hating her after the pain she’d put them through, a pain that Darcy herself had drowned in for a brief time, but she hoped they understood that in the end she’d done the right thing.
Jimmy must have noticed her expression fall because he nudged her gently. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Darcy mustered up a half-hearted smile. “Being in the Hex, it was… it was horrible. Like reliving the worst parts of your life on a loop while having no control over your body. It felt like those first few seconds after the Snap, when you couldn’t quite comprehend what was happening but you just knew it was devastating.”
They stopped at the edge of town, the Welcome to Westview sign a marker between domestic normality and the S.W.O.R.D camp. The roads in and out were still quiet, allowing them to straddle the boundary without disturbance.
“I was in my lab when it happened.” Darcy continued, turning back to gaze over the buildings, looking at them free of Wanda’s influence for the first time. “We were testing some old Asgardian tech that had been found in Portugal a couple of years before, when half my team just… disappeared. I called my mom, Jane… no one picked up. I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”
Jimmy didn’t say anything, but she felt the back of his hand brush against hers.
“I guess what I’m trying to say is that I wouldn’t have left without saying anything to you guys.” She said finally. She attempted her trademark smirk. “I just really didn’t want to have to do any paperwork.”
“Debriefs are for the weak?”
She nodded, tearing her gaze away from Westview and flexing a bicep jokingly. “And I am strong.”
“Yeah, you are.” Jimmy agreed without an ounce of humour.
Darcy let her arm fall limply to her side as the comment hung in the air between them like a static charge. She kind of wished Monica was there to bridge the tension, but was equally glad her friend was otherwise occupied to save her from the merciless teasing she was sure would follow. Barrelling through life was the Lewis way of doing things and quiet moments like this one usually made her skin itch with the need to go somewhere or do something. Standing still was not her speciality, but she found she didn’t mind it so much as the seconds ticked by under the weak Fall sun with Jimmy.
“I should get back to the scans.” She eventually said. “I’ll have to pack up and get back to my lab before the end of the day. Make sure my interns haven’t gone wild without me. I've got, like, seventy missed calls from them.”
Jimmy nodded and she pretended not to see the flash of disappointment cross his face. She felt pretty blue about it too, last to arrive first to leave and all that, but she didn’t work for S.W.O.R.D or the FBI and she needed to return to the responsibilities she’d dropped when the case had come knocking.
“I should get back to…” Jimmy waved back towards Westview. “Telling people what to do.”
“Hot.” Darcy jibed. He shook his head at her.
“It was a real privilege to work with you, Doctor Lewis.” He held his hand out, just as Monica had before.
“The pleasure was all mine, Agent Woo.” She grasped his hand and shook it firmly, feeling slightly silly as she did. She wasn’t really a handshake kinda gal. Jimmy also looked like the gesture didn’t sit with him completely, the up and down motion slowing to a halt and leaving them stood in the middle of the road with their hands clasped like idiots.
“I’m sorta bad at goodbyes.” Jimmy admitted sheepishly.
It was the endearing straw that broke the camel’s back.
"Lets not call it goodbye then."
Darcy gave his hand a swift tug to bring him stumbling towards her, unlocking their hold so she could grasp the collar of his FBI jacket and use it to pull him to her level. She surged up to kiss him, swallowing the noise of surprise he made as she planted her lips firmly on his. There was no hesitance as he quickly regained his steadiness, arms that had previously been flailing for balance wrapping tightly around her waist as he responded with a truly charming level of enthusiasm.
When she pulled back, Jimmy looked more than a little dazed, swaying towards her like he was magnetized to her presence. Darcy mentally congratulated herself as she used her thumb to swipe the lipstick she’d left on his mouth. She couldn't quite make out what he said in response, but it sounded suspiciously like 'good golly'.
She smoothed down his collar from where she'd rucked it up with her hands. "How about we call it a 'see you later'?"
“That’s a heck of a see you later.” Jimmy mumbled approvingly, dipping his head to kiss her again sweetly. She smiled against him.
“Just giving you an extra reason to say hello again.”