Chapter Text
Agent Coulson walked up to the brunette sitting in the overstuffed beanbag on the floor. She was on her laptop, jumping between consolidating notes to checking her Tumblr account. It was easy to tell as her expression constantly switched between exasperation and a maniac like glee. He held the squirming bundle close to his chest. “Miss Lewis, a new assignment if you are interested.”
Darcy snapped her gum and stared at Coulson. She then looked at the lump of fat he was holding and snapped her gum again.
She raised an eyebrow. “Not an agent dude,” she rolled her eyes, “so don’t walk around assignmenting me. And I have a job. It’s called Jane. It’s that sad little stick of science that hisses whenever your goons mess up her work, ‘cause it delays her getting sexed up by her hunky god-cake.”
They heard Jane huff indignantly from her desk, about how this is all for science, and only science. Neither bothered to respond.
“The goons brought you that beanbag.” He pointed out casually. (It had been a peace offering for some equipment that didn’t quite make it back in its original state. Of course Darcy had been the one to smooth things over with Jane, so in reality it was more of a bribe for Darcy to face the panicky scientist. But they are government agents; they do not resort to bribing undergrads.) The calm demeanor he displayed was only ruined by the wiggling mass in his hands.
“Still not my area of expertise buddy.” Then she rolled her eye and put down her laptop and made grabby hands at the standing agent, “oh what the hell, like anything here is.”
Agent Coulson bent forward slightly and dropped it into Darcy’s hands. He straightened and stated as one would a tax report, “he has been examined and found to be approximately five months of age. He is given a clean bill of health, aside from some minor head injuries, and the veterinarian cautioned that his weight should decrease by six pounds for optimal health. He still needs to be neutered and the appointment is made for three weeks from now. S.H.I.E.L.D will cover all costs.”
“Who’s a good boy? Who’s a cutie pie?” Darcy cooed at the cream colored pug and stared into its big brown eyes. A little pink tongue darted out and licked her arm. The puppy wriggled out of her grasp, and shuffled around her lap; twisting this way and that.
She tucked the puppy against her chest and looked up at Agent Coulson. “How do you expect me to take care of him? Jane is a full time job. Now that she knows what’s in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow she’s trying to freaking recreate the rainbow.” Darcy’s eyes widened and she gestured to the tiny scientist hunched over a pad of paper, “The rainbow!”
“People have always been able to create a rainbow Miss Lewis, Dr. Foster is trying to regenerate the Einstein-Rosen Bridge.”
“Thank you!” Jane looked back at the two in exasperation, “you really need to stop labeling my work under Taste the Rainbow Darcy. The scientists from S.H.I.E.L.D did not find it amusing. That video conference was hell.”
Darcy waved a hand dismissively in Jane’s direction.
She raised her head again and man was her neck getting a work out today. “Where did you get a puppy from anyways?” The puppy in question was getting antsy again; he squirmed out from Darcy’s hold and hobbled onto the floor. He sniffed around the beanbag before plopping down on his behind and scratched at his ear with a hind paw. “You didn’t like, take him from someone you guys…offed recently did you?”
Agent Coulson chuckled. And Darcy’s eyes widened a fraction. She didn’t know the man in front of her was capable of laughing, or allowed to. She figured the rights to use humor was signed away when one reached a certain clearance level within the agency. They had to give up something. Color can't be the only sacrifice.
“No Miss Lewis, he was not.”
Darcy narrowed her eyes, there was a ‘but’ in there, and he never denied about possibly offing someone. “So…?” She prompted.
The S.H.I.E.L.D agent shifted his foot slightly and all traces of humour left his voice. “One of the agents on patrol found him in a bag near an intersection on the edge of town in…rough shape. Surveillance showed the car that dropped him off. We have traced the license plate and found his previous owner. He has generously donated a significant portion of his financial assets to the local animal shelter.”
“That’s all? You couldn’t like, rough him up a little or something?” Darcy wasn’t impressed, okay, she was a little. That was a neat trick, but as she cuddled the pug to her chest again she wished she could be there and tase the bastard’s ass.
A printed out page with a single photo was held in front of her face. “It would be a waste of resource to send someone after him just for the purpose of tasering him,” Coulson stated calmly, somehow guessing Darcy’s train of thought. “However, should you ever have the misfortune of crossing paths with him, tase to your heart’s content. S.H.I.E.L.D will look the other way.”
Darcy’s head shot up, how the hell did he do that? Then she focused on the picture, memorizing the sandy colored hair, the slim face and boney cheeks. Would’ve been handsome if not for the fact that he was a slimy no good bastard.
Her hands have been massaging the pug’s back and as she moved up to scratch behind his ears, his stubby little legs kicked out and he stretched out lazily in her lap, and made a little whiny sound in the back of his throat. Darcy looked down.
This must be what love feels like.
Darcy stood up – with some difficulty – and carried the pug with her as she sat down in her desk chair, and put him on her desk. He sniffed around and wondered to the edge. “So why not just leave him at the vet’s? This isn’t really the best place for a puppy.” Darcy lowered her voice and leaned up slightly, whispering, “Jane would freak if doggy doo ends up in one of her machines.”
“The vet said that there might be some complications stemming from his head injuries. It should only be temporary, no lasting effects once the infection clears up.” Agent Coulson leaned against her desk and absentmindedly rubbed his chin. “The clinic is short staffed at the moment, two vets are on maternal leave and one of the assistance is on vacation. You just need to keep an eye on him, make sure he is eating and taking his meds. Someone else will be able to take him out of your hand shortly. ”
They both watched as the puppy run head first into the wall her desk was shoved up against and then growled at her coffee mug. Coffee. She should probably feed Jane soon.
“You should name him, assuming you still want him. Otherwise we can find a family that is willing to take him in.”
Sneaky bastard, how the hell can she turn down something that required feeding and attention? They were her weakness, and her specialty, and Jane is perfectly good proof.
Darcy looked at the agent and asked sweetly, “so what’s your first name? After all, he should be named after his hero.”
Agent Coulson looked from the puppy to her, and lowered his head, a soft smile on his lips and said, “I was not the one who found him, however Peace is a good fit if you want a suggestion.”
Darcy looked up in alarm. “How the fuck did you know that?” She hissed. “Everything was changed when I was eight! Everything.”
“There’s always a paper trail Miss Lewis. And I have to say, it is a rather fitting name, considering who you’re working for.”
The amused smile worked wonders for his face, and Darcy itched to smack it off. Or tase it off. Definitely tase it off.
She took a deep breath.
“I repeat, not an agent, not working for you, so stop judging my parents’ bad decisions.” Darcy picked up the pug, and snuggled into his pudgy skin. “Come on Agent,” and she couldn’t help but smirk internally at the slight twitch on the standing man’s face, she might be smirking outwardly as well, “let’s get you and Jane fed.”
~~~
The sky had turned a pale blue and blotted out the stars. Darcy looked at Jane from the driver’s seat and frowned at how tired and worn the astrophysicist seemed. It had been a rough couple of weeks, false energy readings popping up left and right surrounding the initial crash site, leading them to drive out after dark for the sixth night in a row. Jane had been trying to gather data for analyzing the dimensional properties of the rainbow bridge, and was getting more frustrated as the days passed.
Darcy knows that it’s pathetically childish, but she thought maybe, just maybe, Thor had been magically sent back to Earth, to answer all the questions and make Jane a happy little astrophysicist.
But real life doesn’t work that way, so they have spent the last six nights lugging around their equipment, trying to determine how to adjust the frequencies to avoid so much false readings.
Once they arrived back at the little building, Jane absentmindedly gave Darcy directions on how to categorize the new findings and wondered back into the office with her armful of binders. It would be a good while before Jane emerged from her little bubble of science. Darcy sighed, and went about to get breakfast. Sleeping is so overrated, she thought, even as she longingly looked at her unkempt bed.
Frozen waffles in, she pressed the little plastic lever down repeatedly but nothing happened. It must be a sign. The toaster god has spoken, Jane needs real food.
Leaving the waffles to defrost in the toaster, she spun around and called out to Agent, “here boy, we need to go feed your aunty Jane!”
Gathering her hair up in a ponytail she walked to the entrance of their new RV, Agent bouncing after her. Not only was this place actually big enough to accommodate two people, they had a complete kitchen. Sure everything is miniaturized, but she no longer need to cook eggs in the lab, and Jane twitching whenever she sees the oil splatters.
S.H.I.E.L.D has its uses after all.
Taking advantage of the walk to the furthest diner from their trailer, which is still too close, Darcy considered ways to talk to Jane about something she knew the scientist was going to flip out over. She thought back to the conversation she had three days ago with the suited agent.
~~~
He had approached her when she was disoriented from Jane’s notes of science, too much coffee and a puppy that doesn’t understand the importance of science. To be fair, she doesn’t really either, at least not this type.
“I’m sorry, can you repeat that? ‘Cause it sounded like you want to bring in S.H.I.E.L.D scientists to work with Jane.” Darcy held the squirming pug in her arms and squinted up at Agent Coulson.
Ever the considerate man, Agent Coulson had grabbed her glasses from the table behind him and handed it over. He sat down in the chair in front of her desk to appear approachable. “S.H.I.E.L.D respects Dr. Foster’s wishes to remain as head of this project, and she will be. We are simply offering her more resources now that Dr. Erik has gone to New York, and you are cleared to go back to school once your internship is completed.”
Coulson knew that he was treading into dangerous territory, referencing the three things that were absolutely forbidden to be mentioned in the lab according to Darcy. Jane not being allowed to publish her work, which is in the process of being absorbed by S.H.I.E.L.D. Dr. Selvig, period. And the fact that in a few weeks, Jane will be the only civilian amongst S.H.I.E.L.D agents after Darcy leaves for university.
Judging by the glare sent his way; he knew he hit the spot.
“These scientists are some of the best in their field, and they’re not looking to take credit from Dr. Foster. I brought files for each candidate; the information has been altered slightly in accordance to your clearance level. (Which was none, but neither felt the need to mention that particular subject, seeing she was technically in one of the highest clearance areas.) I was hoping that you would read through them and make recommendations, after all, you know her best.” He offered as a balm.
Darcy rolled her eyes, easily reading between the lines. “So when Jane freaks, I’ll have to share the blame.”
“It’s in her best interest.” Agent Coulson offered, not denying the previous assessment; a light curve on his lips.
Leaning back in her chair, Darcy studied the agent in front of her. She had seen him on a nearly daily basis for the past couple of weeks, but never took the time to actually look in his eyes and listen to whatever comes out of his mouth. She took in his tidy haircut, a shade darker than her own. His face was free from any facial hair, and lines around his eyes on an otherwise boyish face. Her eyes met his, and they held a warmth Darcy didn’t think was possible. The suits he wears are always tailored and impeccable; adding to his image of a passive office man.
If she was being honest with herself, and she rarely is these days, he frightened her. She had seen the intense stares and calculating gazes, secretly glad that it was never aimed at her. Agent Coulson might appear as an unremarkable paper pusher, but Darcy wasn’t fooled. Every single agent that has appeared so far took orders from him, and only him. This was a dangerous man, and Darcy felt sorry for whoever has underestimated him in the past.
Setting Agent on the table, she reached for the pile of folders. Jane was still asleep, and shouldn’t be up for hours. The agent opposite of her grabbed the pug and relaxed in the chair, or she thought what passed as relaxing for the agent. He leaned back into the chair and his ‘earnest’ expression was dialed down a notch.
She still doesn’t know much about S.H.I.E.L.D. One of the few times Wikipedia has failed her. But despite her laid-back and careless attitude about everything that has happened, she is acutely aware of just how much shit she is in. Darcy was pretty sure that someone like her knowing about S.H.I.E.I.D’s existence is violating one of its codes. Beside ‘our men always look hot in Kevlar and suits’ and ‘five different types of weapons must be on person at all times’. S.H.I.E.L.D does not mess around. They would not send just anyone to be in charge of this freak show from hell – or heaven, depending on your perspective, and Coulson is very good at what he does.
Still flipping through the pages, Darcy frowned. “These people are seriously boring; do they even know anything besides science? I don’t think you’d want a Jane 2.0.”
Scratching the dog behind his ears, Coulson looked at her, and seemed to be conflicted with his answer. “Due to the sensitive nature of this project, only a limited number of our people was acceptable based on clearance level and field of expertise. Of course they would provide a different type of support from what you have done so far, and–.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Darcy interrupted; she leaned forward and placed her forearms on the table. She wanted him to understand this, needed him to understand this. “Academia is Jane’s life, and right now her life is about creating a rainbow bridge, okay? She took a lot of shit from other people in her department when she got funding for this project. I know a lot of them thought that this was a waste of time and resources, because there’s abstract physics, but then there’s Jane’s style of abstract physics. She had an idea that most people would scoff at, and these are the people who go around imagining lines and floating shit in the air! That’s why she works alone, because when something doesn’t work, she invents something else to make it work. Most people can’t keep up with the way she processes things. Even Erik could only relate until the formulas stopped. You can’t bring in these pretentious assholes who will scoff at her theories and formulas and rainbow crushing gods, because that’s Jane, and it’s how she works.”
Coulson studied the young woman opposite of him. Despite often coming across as reckless and brash, Darcy Lewis was caring. It might only extend to Jane and Agent at the moment, but he was sure that there were other people who received the kind treatment. “Thank you for your input Miss Lewis. I’ll be sure to put that into consideration.”
Standing up with a nod in her direction, and he was walking out of the room with the files. Agent sniffed at where the man was sitting, and plopped on to the chair.
A day later, she received an email with information on the two lab assistants Jane will be getting after she leaves. Assistants, as in people who will likely worship Jane and listen to her every command. That’s acceptable.
~~~
Standing at the glass door outside the lab with food in one hand and a huffing dog in the other - apparently walking was a challenge with short legs - Darcy squared her shoulders and walked in.
“Jane,” she called out. “I brought you food, forget Rainbow Bridge and help me eat this lasagna.”