sixwordstories | (no subject)

[Phil's making his rounds, checking in with each department. When he sees his daughter in the lab, he stops and watches her for a moment before going in.]

How long have you been here?

Not long. Just a few hours. He seems to do better with company and well...I missed most of Eleven, so...

[She motions to where Dr. Who is playing on a nearby computer. It was Simmons favorite and so Fitz had demanded the 'three of them' watch it while waiting for some tests to load.

In reality, she's been there all night. For the past three nights.]

[Phil leans over to kiss the top of Alex's head. A rare fatherly moment outside his office or one of their rooms.]

I put in a call to your grandmother. We can only keep him here for so long before he becomes a liability.

[While normally such affection would be met with an eye roll or some other such thing, this morning she welcomes it. A small smile forms, though it quickly turns to a frown as she lifts her head to meet his gaze.] You called Grandma? About Fitz? We can't...we're not abandoning him. No way. He's fine here. He wasn't cleared for field work anyway.

I'm not abandoning him, Alex. That's the last thing I want to do. But, if he doesn't get better, I need him somewhere safer. Mum might know of a place more secure. Where lower level agents can gather.

He'll get better. He's getting better. It'll be fine.

[She feels responsible. Like they should have known. Should have seen something in Garrett and in Ward. Should have never let it get to this point. They should have seen it. SHE should have seen it.]

[The self blame thing is something plaguing the Coulson family at the current moment in time. But, HYDRA had infiltrated so well. All he could think about right now was moving forward and working with what he had been given.]

You know if circumstances were more normal, he wouldn't be able to remain active.

But circumstances aren't normal. They are actually the complete antithesis of normal. So really...all the more reason to keep him.

[HYDRA had done good. Too good. She could only imagine what her grandmother was feeling. The Coulson family...yeah. This was gonna be a thing for a while. At least for her.

There's a mutterance from Fitz about her talking during the episode and with an apology, she motions her Dad out into the hall. She could use some more coffee anyway. And possibly a nap. But coffee will have to do.]

Is Grandma calling them?

Come to my office. [Where the good coffee is. Even in a time of what can be considered war, Phil sees no excuse to not have good coffee. It keeps him sane. Once they're in his office with a cup each, he answers her question.]

They were out of contact when everything went crazy. Captain Rogers has already been in touch with Rebecca Barnes and they're currently looking for Sergeant Barnes.

The rest of the Commandos will be under your grandmother's command. I need them where they've always been. In the background.

[There's a glance back at the lab, as if she's reluctant to leave, but in the end she follows. Accepting the coffee, she settles on his couch, trying hard to stifle her yawn.]

In touch with? [She smirks.] You know they're shacking up, right? In touch with...

Oh they're gonna love that.

What the two of them do is none of our business. [He takes a sip and settles beside her.]

I'm trying to figure out how to keep things running smoothly while maintaining a sense of secrecy. Not easy right now.

I'm going to have to tell Stark and the others that I'm alive soon. Surprised Clint hasn't let it slip by now.

Oh, please. I know you ship it. Clint knows too. You've probably shipped it since the 40s. [Not that her dad was alive in the 40s, but he'd know what she meant.]

Clint's better with secrets than most people give him credit for. But it's true. You're going to have to tell them.

Natasha's going to be pissed. Especially after the whole thing with Nick.

We're not discussing...shipping during a time of crisis.

[He reaches out and smooths a hand over her hair.] I know how good he is with secrets.

I'll tell Natasha personally. I owe her that much.