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quirkysmuseFandoms: Heroes, The Avengers (Marvel movieverse)
Title: Networking
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters/Pairings: Noah Bennet, Phil Coulson, Director Nick Fury, Claire Bennet, Gretchen Berg, Tracy Strauss. Claire/Gretchen established, implied Tracy/Noah.
Rating: PG
Genre: Crossover/Adventure/Drama
Word Count: 2,965
Spoilers/Warnings: Warnings for character death and retconning. No spoilers, just general knowledge of both universes.
Notes: This is a sequel to a small ficlet called Job Interview, which you need to read to make more sense of this. This also relates to another continuation story of mine, Home Away from Home, which you don't necessarily have to know to read this.
Post-Heroes series. Written for the Heroes Advent Calendar 2012.
Summary: Director Nick Fury summons Agent Noah Bennet back to base for a special task.
Agent Noah Bennet was rustling up Russian mobsters in the bowels of Moscow when he got the call from S.H.I.E.L.D. Thinking he was getting a call from his superior Agent Phil Coulson, he was curious to find that the call was coming from Director Fury instead. His brow raised, he tightened the grips on the mobsters shackles, patted their gags and took the call.
“Yes, sir,” he said formally.
“Agent Bennet, I assume you’ve seen the news,” Fury’s voice, commanding and cold, shot through him like a blade.
“Not much news in these parts of Moscow, sir,” Bennet said.
A silent eerie pause passed through the men before Director Fury spoke again. “Good,” he said finally, and Bennet was intrigued he was happy that Bennet hadn’t yet heard this supposed news. “Wrap up what you’re doing and head back for a debriefing. You have 6 hours.”
“Yes, sir,” Bennet said, and heard the expected click on the other line.
He sighed, closing his mouth in a tense line as he shot a glance to the terrified and bound mobsters. Retrieving their information was only minutes away, and he could feel it. He smiled toothily at them, his eyes peering into theirs so full of hatred and shame for being caught and bent like this. Fear and sweat lingered over their faces, the signs of cracking evident.
“Well, gentlemen, it looks like I’m in a bit of a hurry,” he said, clapping his hands on his thighs as he bent to peer at them bound together on the floor. “Now, about that secret location...”
.xxxx.
Agent Noah Bennet had a better understanding of the widespread panic when he got to the airport. Tension was thick as stone in the air, and people were anxious, talking about the invasion and destruction of New York City. Despite some residual panic, most people were finding relief, noting a team of “Avengers”, a term that Noah Bennet was aware of, but not as privy to as higher-up S.H.I.E.L.D agents for he was still far too new.
Before he could stand in front of a TV in the airport and join in the crowds to watch the footage from New York, he saw a familiar party waiting for him in two stiff agents who ushered him to a private jet.
They briskly told him that Director Fury was awaiting him, but certain commercial flights were canceled to New York. Nodding in understanding, Bennet followed them to the jet, where he was briefed on what every S.H.I.E.L.D agent knew at this point. The Avengers, a team of special individuals with certain skills, had saved the entire world from an alien invasion, and most S.H.I.E.L.D agents were being called back to base to help the government with cleanup. The threat known at Loki, who was in charge of these aliens, was now banished back to where he’d come from, Asgard, in tow by his brother Thor along with the cube of power.
Noah sighed as he glanced out of the window of the jet to the billowing cloudy sky of white and blue, and he almost regretted missing all the action. But he was where he was supposed to be, cleaning up the Black Widow’s work so she could join the Avengers, or so he’d assumed by the recent news. He didn’t mind playing B squad for S.H.I.E.L.D, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before he rose in the ranks.
Getting a call from Director Nick Fury was definitely an indication of that.
He found Fury waiting for him when they’d touched down, and he was being ushered out of the plane with the two stiff agents behind him. Director Fury did not smile, but he peered at Bennet with some kind of hope, something hard to find in the man’s expression as long as Bennet has ever known him.
That was when Noah Bennet knew that something was wrong, and only he could fix it.
“Agent Bennet, I take it you’re up to speed?” Director Fury asked, knowing that his agent would be curious to see what the news that he’d spoken about when he’d summoned him.
“Yes, sir,” Noah answered.
“Well, then let me fill you in on the rest,” he said, and he was already turning around, his long coat flapping behind him in the wind like a cape as he expected Bennet to follow him.
.xxxx.
Realizing that they would not be shuttled to the Helicarrier, Bennet was not surprised to find them at Central, one of the land bases in New York. From his own assumption and Fury’s quick explanation, the Helicarrier was being repaired for damages from the attack, so many primary operations were moved to this land base.
Remembering his interview in the land base, Noah almost felt at home here, and while he walked behind Fury down the hallways through the more isolated rooms toward to the medical wings, Bennet looked around at the agents packed all around the base, tripling the number of employees at the base than he remembered from his first day.
It wasn’t until Fury ushered him into a room, a coroner’s room no less, that Bennet realized the gravity of the situation. And why he was really here.
Lying on the slab, Phil Coulson’s body was laid out, cleaned of some of the blood but he was still dressed. Noah Bennet noticed his former superior had a satisfied, almost serenely smug look on his face, as if he went out accomplishing what he was meant to do.
Bennet frowned. He missed the loss of this man, as he assumed many agents had at S.H.I.E.L.D, but if he could read Fury’s intentions, and he could, Phil Coulson wouldn’t be dead long. The idea made him uncomfortable, but Noah Bennet knew this was one of the realities of dealing with this organization. They knew everything about you, every minute of your life, and every red, black and white marks of your past.
Director Fury spoke, wasting no time with platitudes. “Not long ago, a failed covert private operation called The Company where you were briefly employed had you killed, and though you were dead for several hours the Company was able to revive you with your own adopted daughter’s blood.” Fury looked down at Coulson for a long grueling pause, and then shifted his tone. “The Avengers banded together today and saved us all over this man’s death. I used him to instill hope and vengeance in them. It worked.” Turning to Bennet, he met the eyes with ferocity. “However, I am not willing to lose my best man to any sort of cause yet. Phil Coulson is a hero, as you well know, and he needs to continue to be a hero for S.H.I.E.L.D. As a presumed dead agent, he can be very valuable to me.”
It was nothing that Bennet didn’t expect, and he couldn’t disagree with Fury in this. The idea of finding Claire and using her blood to revive his boss made him feel uncomfortable, and he hated the idea of the government again, sticking their noses into his family matters and using his daughter as a bargaining chip.
But he knew he couldn’t refuse.
Fury must have seen the conflicted feelings in Bennet’s hesitation, so he added, “We offer your daughter our further protection, as we promised in your hiring.”
Bennet chuckled at this, forgetting some restraint in front of his superior officer. “No offense, sir, but that’s what they all say.”
“You may not believe me, but S.H.I.E.L.D is different. We will protect your daughter from anyone else,” he said.
“They all say that too, sir, and my daughter is capable of protecting herself,” he said with a short sigh. “I’ve learned that the hard way myself. Some days she still amazes me.”
He knew he’d just conceded to agree to Fury’s proposition, no, more like an order, and he knew the next call would be to Claire once they left this cold room.
.xxxx.
“They want me to what?” Claire asked, scoffing over the phone. Lately, she’d been living in Savannah, Georgia with her partner Gretchen and Bennet’s old friend Tracy Strauss. Claire was helping Tracy with her halfway house as Gretchen looked for a job close-by, and stayed with Claire at the school for moral support. Just last week, Claire told her dad that Tracy had made her a full time teacher at the halfway house, and she was making a modest salary. Bennet couldn’t be prouder of Claire that she was doing something she enjoyed, and she no longer had to hide anymore.
Of course, he knew that Claire was safe now, thanks to his employment at S.H.I.E.L.D.
“It’s a blood transfusion, Claire-bear,” he said, trying to play it off. “That’s all.”
“I can’t believe this! Asking for my blood just to revive one of their top government cronies,” she said, snorting.
“Claire...” His voice was stern, and he hated to use this tone, especially when getting her to agree was delicate enough of a situation. “Agent Coulson is my boss. He found me, and gave me this job. Having this job is helping you too.”
“I know, I know,” she said, still not sounding happy. He heard her reluctant sigh as she consented, and he gave her instructions to wait for an agent to come to her place tonight for the blood; then, she told him she loved him before hanging up the phone.
He grunted, smiling a little that asking her had been easier than he thought it would be. He still wasn’t happy with S.H.I.E.L.D’s demands, but in perspective, he thought they were treating his daughter a lot better than the Company or Primatech ever did. He’d never fully believe this organization was any different, but until he worked for them and they kept their promises, he wasn’t going to complain.
.xxxx.
The next morning, a call from Fury surprised him out of bed. It was 5am and he wasn’t expected to wake up for another hour as this was his day off.
“I want to personally thank you for your help in saving Agent Coulson’s life. Return to base in a couple days, and we’ll debrief you for the next mission.”
“Thank you, sir. Does this mean...you’re now in charge of my missions?” he asked.
“Agent Hill will be taking over from this point on. After the invasion, we still have a lot of work to do,” he said simply.
“Understood, sir,” Bennet said, and after hearing the click of Fury’s phone, Bennet slid back into bed. He’d have to enjoy this day off as best he could. He knew that saving Coulson’s life meant really little to his value to the company, but he was grateful they were putting him back to work, and he hoped it just wasn’t wrangling thugs in Russia.
Rising from his bed, he logged onto the computer and booked the earliest flight out to Savannah, Georgia. In all of this, it was really Claire who saved Coulson. She was his connection, and S.H.I.E.L.D used that to their advantage. Still believing he was using them to protect her, Bennet was beginning to relax to the idea of them using her blood to save a fellow colleague. He only hoped they didn’t make a dangerous habit of it.
After booking his flight, he got ready to head to the airport, and he texted Claire, hoping she’d be free for dinner tonight. While he was sure his employers thanked her in some way, Bennet wanted to see his daughter himself, knowing after this crisis S.H.I.E.L.D will be keeping him busy for a long time, and he wouldn't get to see her as much.
Relieved when the message back from her came back with a “yes” Bennet headed out his apartment with his bags and I.D.’s. Finally settled on the plane, Bennet closed his eyes and thought of his daughter, and he thought of Phil Coulson, wondering what a dead man could do now that he was alive again, and what sort of special plans Fury would have for Coulson as mentioned.
.xxxx.
Noah Bennet was enjoying a quiet dinner at a local Cajun restaurant with his daughter and two tag-alongs, Gretchen and Tracy, who insisted they see him too.
He enjoyed light conversations with them, and he even subverted any teasing and prying from Tracy on his new job. She congratulated him, and she even propositioned him, which gained looks from his daughter and her girlfriend.
“What?” Tracy shrugged, and she eyed Noah with a sultry yet stern stare. “Don’t tell me you never thought about it.”
He chuckled nervously. “Well...Ms. Strauss,” he joked with formality.
She sighed with boredom. “I tell you it’s boring out here. You do...secret stuff all the time, and I try to control and teach wild kids with special abilities. It’s only fair we release some tension.” She sipped her wine and winked at him. Claire shook her head.
“I don't think I want to hear any more of this,” she said, throwing up her hands and covering her ears. Gretchen laughed jovially, leaned into Claire's arm playfully and scolded her.
“Come on, I think it’s kind of cute,” Gretchen said, and Claire groaned. Noah smiled, feeling his face slightly hotter, and Tracy chuckled at them all, drinking the rest of her wine deeply. The way she kept ordering wine; however, Noah could see such a scenario playing out tonight, and honestly, he wasn’t totally against it.
It wasn’t until an unexpected visitor joined their table that he knew maybe it was less possible. Shocked as Phil Coulson grabbed the empty chair at their five setting table, Bennet could hardly believe the man had been dead on a slab only 24 hours ago.
“May I join you?” He was already sitting down, smoothing his suit. Tracy looked slightly perturbed, but she nodded cordially. Claire, on the other hand, wasn’t as concerned with manners.
“So you’re the man I saved,” she asked him, and he met her eyes with the same leveled sincerity that her dad was good at - a look full of secrets and danger.
“Yes, and I’ve come to thank you for it,” he said, glancing at Bennet with a nod and turning back his full attention to Claire. “And... for something else.”
“Well, you’re welcome, but try to not get killed again, okay? I don’t want Dad’s coworkers making a habit of asking me for help,” she said, giving him a mocking smile with her hard stare.
Phil Coulson only laughed. “Believe me, it was a special and rare circumstance. I won’t be needing you again, Ms. Bennet according to my superiors.”
“I’m assuming you can’t tell me what they’re planning for you now that everyone is still under the impression you’re dead,” Bennet said.
“Well, no,” Phil said, grabbing the last bread stick from the basket on their table. He took a bite before saying, “Only you, Fury, and a couple of other high clearance operatives are aware of my revival.”
“And me,” Claire said. “And well, all of us.” She motioned to Tracy and Gretchen. Gretchen quickly paled at knowing such an intense government secret. Tracy, on the other hand, looked like she was plotting something devious.
“Yes, and I wouldn’t worry about your friends. No one would believe them anyway,” he said with a mouthful of bread. “S.H.I.E.L.D has a way of discrediting nuisances if needed.” He gave Tracy a pointed glance before looking at Claire again.
“But it is partially why I’m here,” he said, and cleared his throat. “Claire Bennet, what do you think about taking a job with us?”
Claire gaped, and Tracy interrupted. “Hey! She’s my employee. You can’t just come and steal her!” Tracy glared at him, and she seemed flustered that she’d lose someone as valuable as Claire.
“I don’t think so,” Claire said quickly, shaking her head. “I’ve lived enough of that crazy lifestyle. Running, fighting, trying to save the world. It’s...it’s not me anymore. I like having a normal life.” She turned to Gretchen and squeezed her hand. Gretchen smiled at her. Claire glanced at Tracy with a content expression. “And I like teaching and helping kids like me. It’s what I was meant to do.”
There was a heavy pause as Coulson stared at her, as if gauging how serious her mind was made up. Claire was definitely set in her ways and nothing Coulson was going to say was going to sway her.
“Besides, my dad’s better at that sort of thing,” she said shrugging. “You could give him a raise instead of headhunting me.” She flashed him a dazzling smile, and Phil Coulson seemed to appreciate her response.
“I see. Well, if you change your mind...” He was getting up from his chair, laying down a twenty dollar bill for what Noah Bennet assumed was for the one piece of bread he ate and the tip.
Claire tilted her head confidently, shooting her father a glance and then meeting Coulson’s eyes again. “If I do...I know where to find you.”
A wave of relief fell over their table as the once dead man walked out the restaurant door. Bennet wasn’t surprised by the job offer, and he wasn’t surprised at Claire’s refusal either. Still, he knew that when S.H.I.E.L.D wanted something, they were persistent.
And he knew above anything that this wasn’t the last time he’d ever see Phil Coulson either.
END(?)
Title: Networking
Author: Paynesgrey
Characters/Pairings: Noah Bennet, Phil Coulson, Director Nick Fury, Claire Bennet, Gretchen Berg, Tracy Strauss. Claire/Gretchen established, implied Tracy/Noah.
Rating: PG
Genre: Crossover/Adventure/Drama
Word Count: 2,965
Spoilers/Warnings: Warnings for character death and retconning. No spoilers, just general knowledge of both universes.
Notes: This is a sequel to a small ficlet called Job Interview, which you need to read to make more sense of this. This also relates to another continuation story of mine, Home Away from Home, which you don't necessarily have to know to read this.
Post-Heroes series. Written for the Heroes Advent Calendar 2012.
Summary: Director Nick Fury summons Agent Noah Bennet back to base for a special task.
Agent Noah Bennet was rustling up Russian mobsters in the bowels of Moscow when he got the call from S.H.I.E.L.D. Thinking he was getting a call from his superior Agent Phil Coulson, he was curious to find that the call was coming from Director Fury instead. His brow raised, he tightened the grips on the mobsters shackles, patted their gags and took the call.
“Yes, sir,” he said formally.
“Agent Bennet, I assume you’ve seen the news,” Fury’s voice, commanding and cold, shot through him like a blade.
“Not much news in these parts of Moscow, sir,” Bennet said.
A silent eerie pause passed through the men before Director Fury spoke again. “Good,” he said finally, and Bennet was intrigued he was happy that Bennet hadn’t yet heard this supposed news. “Wrap up what you’re doing and head back for a debriefing. You have 6 hours.”
“Yes, sir,” Bennet said, and heard the expected click on the other line.
He sighed, closing his mouth in a tense line as he shot a glance to the terrified and bound mobsters. Retrieving their information was only minutes away, and he could feel it. He smiled toothily at them, his eyes peering into theirs so full of hatred and shame for being caught and bent like this. Fear and sweat lingered over their faces, the signs of cracking evident.
“Well, gentlemen, it looks like I’m in a bit of a hurry,” he said, clapping his hands on his thighs as he bent to peer at them bound together on the floor. “Now, about that secret location...”
.xxxx.
Agent Noah Bennet had a better understanding of the widespread panic when he got to the airport. Tension was thick as stone in the air, and people were anxious, talking about the invasion and destruction of New York City. Despite some residual panic, most people were finding relief, noting a team of “Avengers”, a term that Noah Bennet was aware of, but not as privy to as higher-up S.H.I.E.L.D agents for he was still far too new.
Before he could stand in front of a TV in the airport and join in the crowds to watch the footage from New York, he saw a familiar party waiting for him in two stiff agents who ushered him to a private jet.
They briskly told him that Director Fury was awaiting him, but certain commercial flights were canceled to New York. Nodding in understanding, Bennet followed them to the jet, where he was briefed on what every S.H.I.E.L.D agent knew at this point. The Avengers, a team of special individuals with certain skills, had saved the entire world from an alien invasion, and most S.H.I.E.L.D agents were being called back to base to help the government with cleanup. The threat known at Loki, who was in charge of these aliens, was now banished back to where he’d come from, Asgard, in tow by his brother Thor along with the cube of power.
Noah sighed as he glanced out of the window of the jet to the billowing cloudy sky of white and blue, and he almost regretted missing all the action. But he was where he was supposed to be, cleaning up the Black Widow’s work so she could join the Avengers, or so he’d assumed by the recent news. He didn’t mind playing B squad for S.H.I.E.L.D, but he had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before he rose in the ranks.
Getting a call from Director Nick Fury was definitely an indication of that.
He found Fury waiting for him when they’d touched down, and he was being ushered out of the plane with the two stiff agents behind him. Director Fury did not smile, but he peered at Bennet with some kind of hope, something hard to find in the man’s expression as long as Bennet has ever known him.
That was when Noah Bennet knew that something was wrong, and only he could fix it.
“Agent Bennet, I take it you’re up to speed?” Director Fury asked, knowing that his agent would be curious to see what the news that he’d spoken about when he’d summoned him.
“Yes, sir,” Noah answered.
“Well, then let me fill you in on the rest,” he said, and he was already turning around, his long coat flapping behind him in the wind like a cape as he expected Bennet to follow him.
.xxxx.
Realizing that they would not be shuttled to the Helicarrier, Bennet was not surprised to find them at Central, one of the land bases in New York. From his own assumption and Fury’s quick explanation, the Helicarrier was being repaired for damages from the attack, so many primary operations were moved to this land base.
Remembering his interview in the land base, Noah almost felt at home here, and while he walked behind Fury down the hallways through the more isolated rooms toward to the medical wings, Bennet looked around at the agents packed all around the base, tripling the number of employees at the base than he remembered from his first day.
It wasn’t until Fury ushered him into a room, a coroner’s room no less, that Bennet realized the gravity of the situation. And why he was really here.
Lying on the slab, Phil Coulson’s body was laid out, cleaned of some of the blood but he was still dressed. Noah Bennet noticed his former superior had a satisfied, almost serenely smug look on his face, as if he went out accomplishing what he was meant to do.
Bennet frowned. He missed the loss of this man, as he assumed many agents had at S.H.I.E.L.D, but if he could read Fury’s intentions, and he could, Phil Coulson wouldn’t be dead long. The idea made him uncomfortable, but Noah Bennet knew this was one of the realities of dealing with this organization. They knew everything about you, every minute of your life, and every red, black and white marks of your past.
Director Fury spoke, wasting no time with platitudes. “Not long ago, a failed covert private operation called The Company where you were briefly employed had you killed, and though you were dead for several hours the Company was able to revive you with your own adopted daughter’s blood.” Fury looked down at Coulson for a long grueling pause, and then shifted his tone. “The Avengers banded together today and saved us all over this man’s death. I used him to instill hope and vengeance in them. It worked.” Turning to Bennet, he met the eyes with ferocity. “However, I am not willing to lose my best man to any sort of cause yet. Phil Coulson is a hero, as you well know, and he needs to continue to be a hero for S.H.I.E.L.D. As a presumed dead agent, he can be very valuable to me.”
It was nothing that Bennet didn’t expect, and he couldn’t disagree with Fury in this. The idea of finding Claire and using her blood to revive his boss made him feel uncomfortable, and he hated the idea of the government again, sticking their noses into his family matters and using his daughter as a bargaining chip.
But he knew he couldn’t refuse.
Fury must have seen the conflicted feelings in Bennet’s hesitation, so he added, “We offer your daughter our further protection, as we promised in your hiring.”
Bennet chuckled at this, forgetting some restraint in front of his superior officer. “No offense, sir, but that’s what they all say.”
“You may not believe me, but S.H.I.E.L.D is different. We will protect your daughter from anyone else,” he said.
“They all say that too, sir, and my daughter is capable of protecting herself,” he said with a short sigh. “I’ve learned that the hard way myself. Some days she still amazes me.”
He knew he’d just conceded to agree to Fury’s proposition, no, more like an order, and he knew the next call would be to Claire once they left this cold room.
.xxxx.
“They want me to what?” Claire asked, scoffing over the phone. Lately, she’d been living in Savannah, Georgia with her partner Gretchen and Bennet’s old friend Tracy Strauss. Claire was helping Tracy with her halfway house as Gretchen looked for a job close-by, and stayed with Claire at the school for moral support. Just last week, Claire told her dad that Tracy had made her a full time teacher at the halfway house, and she was making a modest salary. Bennet couldn’t be prouder of Claire that she was doing something she enjoyed, and she no longer had to hide anymore.
Of course, he knew that Claire was safe now, thanks to his employment at S.H.I.E.L.D.
“It’s a blood transfusion, Claire-bear,” he said, trying to play it off. “That’s all.”
“I can’t believe this! Asking for my blood just to revive one of their top government cronies,” she said, snorting.
“Claire...” His voice was stern, and he hated to use this tone, especially when getting her to agree was delicate enough of a situation. “Agent Coulson is my boss. He found me, and gave me this job. Having this job is helping you too.”
“I know, I know,” she said, still not sounding happy. He heard her reluctant sigh as she consented, and he gave her instructions to wait for an agent to come to her place tonight for the blood; then, she told him she loved him before hanging up the phone.
He grunted, smiling a little that asking her had been easier than he thought it would be. He still wasn’t happy with S.H.I.E.L.D’s demands, but in perspective, he thought they were treating his daughter a lot better than the Company or Primatech ever did. He’d never fully believe this organization was any different, but until he worked for them and they kept their promises, he wasn’t going to complain.
.xxxx.
The next morning, a call from Fury surprised him out of bed. It was 5am and he wasn’t expected to wake up for another hour as this was his day off.
“I want to personally thank you for your help in saving Agent Coulson’s life. Return to base in a couple days, and we’ll debrief you for the next mission.”
“Thank you, sir. Does this mean...you’re now in charge of my missions?” he asked.
“Agent Hill will be taking over from this point on. After the invasion, we still have a lot of work to do,” he said simply.
“Understood, sir,” Bennet said, and after hearing the click of Fury’s phone, Bennet slid back into bed. He’d have to enjoy this day off as best he could. He knew that saving Coulson’s life meant really little to his value to the company, but he was grateful they were putting him back to work, and he hoped it just wasn’t wrangling thugs in Russia.
Rising from his bed, he logged onto the computer and booked the earliest flight out to Savannah, Georgia. In all of this, it was really Claire who saved Coulson. She was his connection, and S.H.I.E.L.D used that to their advantage. Still believing he was using them to protect her, Bennet was beginning to relax to the idea of them using her blood to save a fellow colleague. He only hoped they didn’t make a dangerous habit of it.
After booking his flight, he got ready to head to the airport, and he texted Claire, hoping she’d be free for dinner tonight. While he was sure his employers thanked her in some way, Bennet wanted to see his daughter himself, knowing after this crisis S.H.I.E.L.D will be keeping him busy for a long time, and he wouldn't get to see her as much.
Relieved when the message back from her came back with a “yes” Bennet headed out his apartment with his bags and I.D.’s. Finally settled on the plane, Bennet closed his eyes and thought of his daughter, and he thought of Phil Coulson, wondering what a dead man could do now that he was alive again, and what sort of special plans Fury would have for Coulson as mentioned.
.xxxx.
Noah Bennet was enjoying a quiet dinner at a local Cajun restaurant with his daughter and two tag-alongs, Gretchen and Tracy, who insisted they see him too.
He enjoyed light conversations with them, and he even subverted any teasing and prying from Tracy on his new job. She congratulated him, and she even propositioned him, which gained looks from his daughter and her girlfriend.
“What?” Tracy shrugged, and she eyed Noah with a sultry yet stern stare. “Don’t tell me you never thought about it.”
He chuckled nervously. “Well...Ms. Strauss,” he joked with formality.
She sighed with boredom. “I tell you it’s boring out here. You do...secret stuff all the time, and I try to control and teach wild kids with special abilities. It’s only fair we release some tension.” She sipped her wine and winked at him. Claire shook her head.
“I don't think I want to hear any more of this,” she said, throwing up her hands and covering her ears. Gretchen laughed jovially, leaned into Claire's arm playfully and scolded her.
“Come on, I think it’s kind of cute,” Gretchen said, and Claire groaned. Noah smiled, feeling his face slightly hotter, and Tracy chuckled at them all, drinking the rest of her wine deeply. The way she kept ordering wine; however, Noah could see such a scenario playing out tonight, and honestly, he wasn’t totally against it.
It wasn’t until an unexpected visitor joined their table that he knew maybe it was less possible. Shocked as Phil Coulson grabbed the empty chair at their five setting table, Bennet could hardly believe the man had been dead on a slab only 24 hours ago.
“May I join you?” He was already sitting down, smoothing his suit. Tracy looked slightly perturbed, but she nodded cordially. Claire, on the other hand, wasn’t as concerned with manners.
“So you’re the man I saved,” she asked him, and he met her eyes with the same leveled sincerity that her dad was good at - a look full of secrets and danger.
“Yes, and I’ve come to thank you for it,” he said, glancing at Bennet with a nod and turning back his full attention to Claire. “And... for something else.”
“Well, you’re welcome, but try to not get killed again, okay? I don’t want Dad’s coworkers making a habit of asking me for help,” she said, giving him a mocking smile with her hard stare.
Phil Coulson only laughed. “Believe me, it was a special and rare circumstance. I won’t be needing you again, Ms. Bennet according to my superiors.”
“I’m assuming you can’t tell me what they’re planning for you now that everyone is still under the impression you’re dead,” Bennet said.
“Well, no,” Phil said, grabbing the last bread stick from the basket on their table. He took a bite before saying, “Only you, Fury, and a couple of other high clearance operatives are aware of my revival.”
“And me,” Claire said. “And well, all of us.” She motioned to Tracy and Gretchen. Gretchen quickly paled at knowing such an intense government secret. Tracy, on the other hand, looked like she was plotting something devious.
“Yes, and I wouldn’t worry about your friends. No one would believe them anyway,” he said with a mouthful of bread. “S.H.I.E.L.D has a way of discrediting nuisances if needed.” He gave Tracy a pointed glance before looking at Claire again.
“But it is partially why I’m here,” he said, and cleared his throat. “Claire Bennet, what do you think about taking a job with us?”
Claire gaped, and Tracy interrupted. “Hey! She’s my employee. You can’t just come and steal her!” Tracy glared at him, and she seemed flustered that she’d lose someone as valuable as Claire.
“I don’t think so,” Claire said quickly, shaking her head. “I’ve lived enough of that crazy lifestyle. Running, fighting, trying to save the world. It’s...it’s not me anymore. I like having a normal life.” She turned to Gretchen and squeezed her hand. Gretchen smiled at her. Claire glanced at Tracy with a content expression. “And I like teaching and helping kids like me. It’s what I was meant to do.”
There was a heavy pause as Coulson stared at her, as if gauging how serious her mind was made up. Claire was definitely set in her ways and nothing Coulson was going to say was going to sway her.
“Besides, my dad’s better at that sort of thing,” she said shrugging. “You could give him a raise instead of headhunting me.” She flashed him a dazzling smile, and Phil Coulson seemed to appreciate her response.
“I see. Well, if you change your mind...” He was getting up from his chair, laying down a twenty dollar bill for what Noah Bennet assumed was for the one piece of bread he ate and the tip.
Claire tilted her head confidently, shooting her father a glance and then meeting Coulson’s eyes again. “If I do...I know where to find you.”
A wave of relief fell over their table as the once dead man walked out the restaurant door. Bennet wasn’t surprised by the job offer, and he wasn’t surprised at Claire’s refusal either. Still, he knew that when S.H.I.E.L.D wanted something, they were persistent.
And he knew above anything that this wasn’t the last time he’d ever see Phil Coulson either.
END(?)