Epilogue

I've Got Your Love All Over Me

Daisy sat cross-legged at the highest point on the lighthouse. She liked having a quiet alone place to just think or breath or just take time to get her head on straight. Turned out being eight or nine or ten wasn't so bad. Simmons did a couple tests that didn't involve any kind of shots or pokey stuff and determined she was somewhere between eight and ten years old. Daisy decided she was nine, because it just sounded good when she said it and being ten sounded like you should be more responsible about everything. She kinda liked not being responsible or worrying about all that grown up stuff…most of the time. The problem was that sometimes her head thought like she was a grown up and other times it made sure she wasn't.

Right now she leaned back against the outer wall of the lantern room and peered out across the expanse of Lake Superior. The summer sun was warm and the sky a deep blue. Mostly she could see miles of pine trees and other arbors she really couldn't name, but if it were up to Coulson and Fitz-Simmons she'd be learning everything there was to know about every one. They seemed to think that since she was the size of a kid she should also be in school like one. And that was another reason to escape to the catwalk at the top of the tall structure. She counted the steps…seventy-two from the ground floor to the lamp room. It took almost ten minutes to go up, but it was a lot faster going down.

Daisy snapped off a strawberry twizzler she'd pulled from the open pack lying next to her and chewed loudly. It tasted better that way. She figured it was the fresh air but giggled at the fact that chewing like a kid made a lot of stuff taste better. Sticking the remaining twizz in her teeth she lifted the small but powerful binoculars to her eyes and glanced out across the water. Spies had the best stuff. These things could let her spot a fly on a horse's ass five miles away. But right now she was content to view the small town just down the coast.

She watched the people move around their little town for a few minutes then stood with the binoculars draped around her neck and moved the railing that encircled the catwalk. May had made her promise to stay away from it. It was one of the thousand promises she had to make before even one of them would let her climb up here. But up here they couldn't see her and those metal steps were pretty hard to sneak up without being heard. Anyway she wasn't stupid. She knew enough not to lean over the edge. She tugged the red licorice from her teeth and munched on the bite she took.

The lighthouse turned out to be some old abandoned base from the early seventies. Apparently the powers that be were pretty sure the apocalypse was coming soon and built the place to save humanity. The world went on and the place was forgotten. That never really made a lot of sense to her. If these guys were supposed to be the smartest smarties how the hell did they keep forgetting about their bases. There was Providence and the Playground…both obliterated…and now this…The Lighthouse, she figured. Of course with S.H.I.E.L.D. there was always that 'need to know' caveat. If the need to knowers died off so did the knowledge of the bases. That made sense.

Daisy made her way around the catwalk and stared at the spot she knew would open like a whirlpool if the Zephyr was coming or going. That took her breath away. She'd climb up here every time she knew it was doing just that…if she could. One thing she'd love to see was a nighttime landing or lift off. She could just imagine all those lights and the sound of the water swushing down that magical tube that opened to the hangar hundreds of feet below. Of course that would mean breaking curfew and sneaking up here in the dark…another promise broken. She wasn't really sure she'd test May on that point.

The girl moved quickly back against the metal wall when the sound of voices came from below. She paused for a few moments listening to two of the newer agents but not quite sure what they were saying. Breathing a sigh of relief that they had not seen her near the railing she slid back down and crossed her feet in front of her then stretched to snatch her pack of Twizzlers. She pulled one out, bit off a piece and turned her face to the sun, squishing her eyes closed.

"Damn, that feels good," Daisy smiled to herself.

Yep, another reason for her high altitude respite. She could say whatever she wanted up here and no one could hear her. That was a good thing because there were plenty of times when her adult mind overthrew her kid mouth. Another blip in Dr. Liu's hocus pocus outta focus trip across the multiverse. He managed to shrink her (temporarily, which was apparently longer than three weeks) but forgot to give her a total kid brain. So when faced with something like getting a zap from the electric panel in the command room while helping Fitz install some cables, her adult brain screamed 'Son of a Bitch!' and it poured right out of her kid mouth.

Fitz stuck his head out from where he was working, prone on the floor and gave her the ultimate stink eye. It was just dumb luck that May had entered the room at that exact moment. The result was a twenty minute lecture from both her and Coulson about how crude swearing sounded coming from a kid. Of course they threw in the guilt factor about how it made them look as parents. She pointed out that Fitz knew she wasn't a kid and it didn't seem to bother him…much. That got her a raised eyebrow and a promise that the entire team would be briefed on the no swearing rule either from her or in front of her, at least for the time being. May added that they'd also be briefed on the protocol for handling those little slips of memory. Coulson felt a reminder was enough. May promised the next time would not be so comfortable.

Listening to them lecture and shut down all of her arguments didn't seem all that comfortable.

The second time her mouth slipped past her brain was not so wordy. It fact there was very little said at all. Daisy snapped off another bit of strawberry licorice and scrunched up her nose at the thought. Mack let her explore the floor he called the garage. It was close to the surface with a ramp that led from the real garage next to the lighthouse building all the way down into the fourth level. There weren't that many cars and most of them were pretty old, but Mack liked to tinker with them. Since he was considered able to supervise her little self, Daisy spent a few hours checking out every nook and cranny on that level. All in all it was pretty boring so she ended up handing him tools while he worked under an old truck. He promised after he'd let her use the mechanic's creeper to roll down the automobile ramp. Of course he also promised to deny any knowledge of it if she got so much as a scratch. That he said with a wink that made her giggle.

So she stood next to the table full of tools and handed them to him like the chief nurse in a surgical suite. That was until he asked for some crazy heavy wrench that she dropped with a clang. The dumb thing actually bounced…who'da thought something that heavy could…hit a bucket of some kind of goo, knocked it sideways and spilled it across the floor forming an ocean of muck. Daisy didn't even think, she just growled a loud 'Damn it to Hell' and felt the sting on her backside before the last 'l' of Hell left her lips.

She almost repeated it but her brain managed to stifle the 'Damn it, May again?' comment as she rubbed both hands to her butt. The 'where the hell did you come from' got swallowed as well and that sounded more like a strangled gulp. Mack had already rolled out from under the truck and was sitting on the rolly thing he was using. His brow was raised just a bit. He was probably set to deliver yet another lecture…or sermon as his lectures tended to be…until he noticed May just give a nod and continue on her way. Instead he just gave a nod toward the exit and she never did get to try out the creeper as a full body skateboard. She also got an hour to think about it before May told her next time she would not get off so easy. The sting she was seated on did not seem like she got off that easy.

So now she sat thinking about it again and hoping her brain had a direct line to her butt because that was a scene she did not wish to repeat and definitely did not want to even imagine the consequence of anything worse. She wouldn't put anything past May and was pretty sure she'd learned a lot from Melinda in handling noncompliant daughters. The fact that grandma Lian had created that demon Wakatta was no help either. May's mom was probably no slacker when it came to discipline. Nope she wasn't going there and ended up slapping a hand over her mouth as a new habit. Anyway she could let it all out when she sat up here…by herself.

It wasn't all bad though. Having this big family was something she'd always wanted, even if it was a crazy family. Fitz was the best (he'd always been like a brother anyway). He let her help put together her own laptop then set up a net and challenged her to get through it. The first one took her about forty-five minutes so he tried again…thirty-seven minutes. After that it was an on going game. He kept making them and she kept breaking them. She'd create her own and he'd get through it. So far her time bested his but he was gaining on her. She'd gotten through every firewall he created in less than forty minutes and she was pretty sure he was doing it to keep her out of the mainframe where everything S.H.I.E.L.D. was kept. She didn't have the heart to tell him she'd gotten through that firewall about an hour after he'd created it.

Yoyo was great at helping her around little stumbling blocks, like brussel sprouts. Daisy had never been a picky eater, but those bitter stinky little cabbages were gross and the people who set up this place must have had stock in them. She was sure there was a million pounds of them frozen on the grocery floor…as she called it. At least three times a week they made it to the dinner menu and Yoyo had them gone before May or Coulson could tell her to 'just give them a try'. If they knew or suspected they never let on, but Daisy had her doubts. Elena was also great at snagging snacks like ice cream or chocolate bars, not to mention her favorite twizzlers then stashing them in the freezer or fridge on the first floor of the actual lighthouse. Nobody really lived there, but it still looked like a home with all the things a home would have. Daisy figured that was just in case someone came looking…but nobody did…yet.

Jemma kinda looked at her funny for the first week. She always seemed to have a clipboard that she was scribbling notes on. It was like she expected her to start writhing on the floor, clutching her gut and wailing like that guy in the movie where the alien thing busts out of his stomach all gross and slimy. It was weird and Daisy hated it. She got so fed up that by the end of the week when she saw Jemma approaching from the end of the hall she decided to put an end to the anticipation. Daisy grabbed her own throat and forced a cough then started to gag and bounced herself against the wall on one side then to the other before dropping to the floor and flailing all over like having a grand moll seizure. She kicked her feet and bumped her butt up and down off the floor then rolled to her stomach and tapped her forehead on the same.

Dr. Simmons raced to her side and dropped to the floor slapping a hand against her com and screaming for assistance. Alarms went off and the lights in the hallway spun like the kind on old fashioned police cars. Daisy grabbed her belly and pulled herself into a tight ball, groaning and moaning. Jemma was so serious, petting her head and telling her everything would be fine. She tried to keep it up but just couldn't hold in the laughter. She giggled a little then broke into a fit as she sat up and pointed at Jemma crying 'gotcha' as two agents sped down the hall with a gurney.

Nobody else thought it was very funny. Jemma pulled her to her feet and gave her a little shake telling her what a horrid joke it was to play on anyone. She was talking so fast, Daisy could barely understand what she was saying. She was still politely yelling at her when May dashed down the hall and around the two guys with the rolling stretcher. It only took a few minutes for her to figure out what had happened. Jemma took some really deep breaths and walked away. Daisy was pretty sure she was crying and felt awful. May stared that mom stare at her so hard she was sure she was going to melt and was pretty sure she was going to get an answer to the hide tanning question.

Instead May motioned to the guys to put her on the gurney and ordered Simmons to give her a full work up. Daisy tried to explain, she wrestled free of the young intern agents and grabbed May's hand. She told her it was just a prank, it was because Jemma kept looking at her funny and she was totally, really, absolutely honest to God sorry and would never, ever, ever pull another joke like that. She even crossed her heart. But May didn't budge, she just scooped her up, plopped her on the gurney and then pointed toward the elevator. Jemma stormed right behind them.

The full work up exam was the most horriblest thing ever. This time there was lots of poking and prodding and temperature taking with that same damn kind of thermometer Skye's mother used all the time. Jemma took blood twice then gave her not one but two what she called 'booster' shots. Guess where! When it was over she got another opportunity to sit and think about doing something stupid. Daisy remembered growling under her breath and thinking every swear word she ever heard. She even made up a few because no one could hear her angry thinking. Well, that was until May looked at her with that damn eyebrow deal and for just a minute she wasn't so sure. But later Jemma came and sat next to her. She said she understood and apologized for treating her so weird. Daisy remembered wanting to cry because she'd been such a brat and apologized too, but also grumbled at the fact that Jemma didn't have to be so doctory and give her all those damn butt shots. She even said it that way but this time Jemma just laughed and promised not to snitch on her. Turned out the blood work showed she was missing some titers for immunizations she should have had as a child. The shots really were boosters to correct that.

Things with Jemma got a lot better after that. The whole thing became something to laugh about, each of them teasing the other about their part in it. Jemma was a big help when she got frustrated because nothing really was changing. She was still a little kid with mixed up ideas bouncing around in her head. Daisy smiled thinking about Jemma measuring her every morning and telling her if she grew even a smidge of an inch they'd consider it a step in the right direction. She talked to her like an adult not like the kid she looked like. Jemma explained that the change would more than likely be gradual and that without that dopey helmet Dr. Liu had she wouldn't just burst into an adult sized body. She promised to keep track and share every bit of information with her as well as May and Coulson. It involved a blood draw once a week, but Jemma would tell her some crazy story about when she was a kid or when she was at the Academy or something wild about Fitz during the same time. Daisy normally laughed so much she forgot about the jab of the needle.

Mack was, as always, her protector and her best friend. He let her help in the garage and shared a special secret with her about a car he was restoring for Coulson. Sure it would never replace Lola but maybe it could be Petunia or Viola or even Jane. Daisy laughed remembering Mack trying to come up with names for the car. She remembered when Coulson told her about his father working on that car with him and she felt really bad about him losing it. She knew it meant a lot to him. She asked Mack if they could maybe go back and look for it. He shook his head and said he was pretty sure Lola was history. Then he showed her the car he found and there she was…not all shiny and red…but the same exact car just waiting for someone to turn her into Lola. The thought made her happier than she could ever remember. But the best thing about Mack, after new Lola and riding the creeper thing, was riding on the back of his motorcycle through the many back roads of this wilderness.

Daisy stood up and grasped the railing a second time. She closed her eyes and let the wind blow her hair around her head. She imagined how it felt to be on that bike with her arms wrapped tightly around Mack. She envisioned the trees whipping by and the roar of the engine beneath her. May didn't like the idea at all. She said it was beyond dangerous. Mack told her he would be as careful as if she were his own. That meant a lot because Daisy knew how much he had loved Hope…how he had protected her even when he knew she wasn't real. She hugged him extra hard when they rode together and followed every direction to the letter. He took her to the highest point in the area and they watched the sun set into the west side of the great lake. The sky was flooded with yellows and oranges in sprays of color she'd never even imagined. He talked to her about faith and believing in something greater than yourself in a way those crabby old nuns never did. On the way back he sat her in front of him and she fell asleep against his chest then woke in her own bed in the morning. She had no idea how he did it but there was a kid sized helmet on the nightstand and May never protested again.

Daisy drew a deep breath and leaned back with her feet against the bottom rail and her head hang so she looked at the lamp room upside down. She swung back and forth a few times then righted herself and stared down over the rail to the ground. It was a very long way down and everything looked so small from her perch at the top. Maybe she liked it up here because she felt really big looking down. She put out one hand and concentrated on moving the tops of the tallest pines. She sighed when nothing happened. Fitz explained that since she was just a kid her system was immature so, so were her powers. She would definitely grow and so would they. That was pretty scary but Fitz promised to be there no matter what. They'd get through it together and she'd learn to use her powers all over again, even the extra ones she hadn't even known about in the time she spent in Afterlife. She wondered what would happen if those powers were broken after everything that happened, if maybe she was just broken. Fitz was absolutely sure she was not. He told her about the rumbles in the base and how he and Mack got stuck in the power room when they really went berserk. From what she shared with him about Dr. Liu he honestly believed the man had no malice in his actions and meant everything he said. Besides Simmons confirmed that she was changing even if it was in miniscule steps and taking a way too long. And she trusted Fitz. He was then one who stood by her right from the start.

Daisy slid back down and munched on another twizzler. The com in her right ear crackled a little before May's voice sounded in her head, telling her she had about ten more minutes. 'Damn,' she growled under her breath then tapped the tiny nub that allowed her to answer and told May she'd start down in a couple seconds. May told her she didn't expect to wait long. Daisy smiled as she tapped the nub so May no longer heard her. She leaned her head back against the warm metal and let out a long breath. May was a great Mom even with all her rules and strict but gentle discipline.

The little girl closed her eyes and smiled at May's voice still heard in her ear. She was talking to someone else now, directing new agents to new duties, questioning the totals on the most recent inventory and having a conversation with Mack about the armory. Daisy just liked to listen to the way her voice changed depending on whom she spoke to and compared it to the 'mom voice' she used with her. She thought about the very best thing there was about being a kid…again…now…with parents who really and truly and really loved her.

The twentieth level of the new base was the beginning of housing for the whole shebang. That floor was mostly barracks meant for the military that probably would have manned and protected the place. The next floor was full of single bunks because obviously the scientists and leaders that got stuck here would also need a place to live and think. Both floors below that were filled with family units.

Daisy thought it was kinda goofy to have little houses so far under the ground, like that could ever be normal. But there they were in a bunk that consisted of a kitchen, a small living room with what had to be grandma furniture and two bedrooms. The best thing and the worst thing about it was they had their own bathroom with a real bathtub. All the other bunks and barracks shared a latrine with lines of sinks and showers and toilets inside little paneled cubicles. They didn't have to share this bathroom with anyone but each other and that was great with one small exception. Having a bathtub meant taking a bath which in itself was not a big deal, in fact soaking in a nice hot bubble bath with a tall thin goblet of wine was like a day at the spa. Unless you were stuck in a ten…no, nine year old body.

The first time May announced 'bath time' with that mother voice, Daisy's blood ran cold. She snorted just thinking about it. She'd been exploring with Fitz and Mack all day, climbing in small tunnels where screens had come lose and squeezing into small openings then flicking switches that opened doors so the men could get inside as well. By the time she returned she was covered with ash, dust and a lot of cobwebs. Coulson remarked that the only thing still clean were her eyeballs. She remembered laughing and telling him eyeballs don't get dirty. She kicked off her shoes just inside the door of their quarters and started for her bedroom when May stopped her with a hand laid on top of her head and helped her change course toward the bath.

Now it wasn't that she'd been a scumbag since they got there. She used the shared showers twice when she thought she was a little 'ripe'. That bathtub was huge with big claw feet like some freaky bird. Problem was she was a short little bitty Asian kid and no way could she climb up there over that tub in her birthday suit. She stopped just inside the door and spun around under May's hand announcing she had this…even though she didn't but figured she could run the water, scrub herself with a washcloth at the sink, wet a few towels and skip back out. May spun her right back, closed the door and joined her in the white tiled, extremely clean bathroom. Without a word May stepped around her and turned on the tap allowing the water to splash into the basin. Daisy remembered standing there like an open mouthed statue and watching until May squeaked the water off and folded her arms over her chest.

Daisy swallowed and blinked her eyes a second before informing the woman she did not need help and had been bathing herself for…well for most of her life…practically all of her life or at least since she could walk…maybe. It was a lot of blabber that May just ignored as she stepped forward and snagged the hem of her dusty T-shirt and tugged it off in one swoop. Daisy wrapped her arms around her very flat bare chest and wondered how the grime she'd crawled through got through the material to her skin. This had to be the most embarrassing part of the whole ridiculous situation. When May reached again, she just stepped back and slipped out of the rest of her filthy clothing then made for the tub hoping she could get up and over with a running start. She never made it. May lifted into the warm water in one quick move.

She was right, for most of her life she'd taken care of bathing herself. In fact, she could barely remember anyone ever giving her a bath, except for some of the older girls at St. Agnes who always scrubbed way too hard and got soap in her eyes even when they didn't wash her hair. May was different. She was gentle even with the real scummy parts, like her knees and elbows. She was real careful too when she wet her hair then added shampoo and scrubbed all the cobwebs…or were they spider webs…out of her hair. Even when she rinsed all the lather off she got nothing in her eyes. May talked to her quietly about lots of nothing like what she saw on her exploration adventure and how she'd gotten every part of her body so very dirty. By the time she was done, Daisy had totally forgotten about her lack of clothing and smiled when May wrapped her in a large warm towel and patted her dry. She didn't bounce her head when she dried her hair or pull on the knots when she combed it. May even had clean undies and PJ's handy when she was finished. She smiled at her before collecting the dirty clothing and towels and nodded toward the door.

Coulson was waiting with open arms and she obliged by diving into them. He scooped her from the floor and spun her around then dropped onto the orangey colored couch. She cuddled into his side. She'd eaten dinner with Mack and Yoyo…spaghetti (with not one brussel sprout) and brownies for dessert. Mack was a chocoholic and there was always plenty in their quarters. So now was the greatest part of the day.

Daisy stood and wrapped the cellophane tightly around her pack of Twizzlers and shoved it in her back pocket. She turned back to glance at the sunshine glimmering on the lake. It was almost supper time. They'd eat in the large common room with all the other agents. That's where they usually ate. Coulson said it was good to stay together and share stuff like that because they were all family. She wondered if it was because May was not such a good cook, but liked the thought that it was because of needing to be with all the others.

She pushed open the metal door and started down the long staircase. May would be at the bottom and they'd walk back to the very secret entrance to the base together. She'd hold her hand, even though she didn't have to, but Daisy loved it.

They'd eat dinner and clean up. Then there would be time for talk and maybe a game of cards or Monopoly or Clue and maybe she'd beat Fitz tonight. Mack would wrestle with the funny old television and maybe watch the news or a corny movie then everyone would start leaving…going back to their quarters and there would be bath time and then she'd cuddle up with Coulson on that old grandma couch. She smiled because she'd get to hear the next chapter in the book they were reading. Nobody ever read a book to her and in turn she wasn't such a great reader…well unless it was some kind of computer code. She wouldn't give up this time, no matter how tired she was and tonight they'd read the next chapter in the book about the Pevensie children. Lucy had just made her way through the wardrobe and met Mr. Tumnus. It definitely was a kid's book but that part of her couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Coulson used different voices for different characters which made May roll her eyes and smile funny. He would read really fast and furious sometimes and quiet and gentle other times, almost crying at really sad parts. It made the book almost come alive and Daisy couldn't get enough. It was like watching a movine inside her 'd force her eyes to stay open to hear the last of the promised chapter but usually closed her eyes as soon as Coulson closed the book. There was a whole shelf of books in their quarters. She wondered how many they'd get to share. Sometimes she hoped 'temporary' did last a long time.

Coulson always pulled her onto her lap and kissed the top of her head, hugging her tightly. She'd snuggle into him, smelling his cologne and feeling his scratchy beard. She would be content to sleep there all night, but he'd carry her into the second bedroom…hers…her very own never belonged to anyone else bedroom and wait for May to pull down the covers before he laid her on the cool sheets. Ling-a-ling would be waiting and she pull the little dog into a tight hug before Coulson kissed her cheek and ran his palm along it wishing her good night and always, always, always telling her he loved her more than Captain America. She'd laugh and tell him she loved him more than Thor. May would chase him out before they went any further. Then she'd tuck the blankets up to her chin and all around her and sit on the bed. She'd brush the stray hairs away from her face and kiss her forehead before she'd start singing very softly in Mandarin the same song Melinda always sang to Skye. She sing it twice then kiss her again and wish her good night, again in Mandarin and Daisy would whisper 'wo ai ni, mama' before drifting off. It was a routine that was very easy to get used to and hard to let go.

Daisy hopped down three steps then turned backward and moved down ten more. It was a game to see how many different ways she could go down the seventy-two metal steps. Tempted as she was to slide down that railing, May had promised to wear her out if she even threw a leg over it and she was not about to cross that line. She learned a while back that May didn't threaten. She just told it like it was. So she hopped, took two steps at a time, bounced, jumped, slipped sideways and ran down the stairs knowing her mother would be there at the bottom.

Jumping from the fifth step to the floor, Daisy bent her knees and absorbed the impact. She stood and smiled at May who stood in the doorway silhouetted by the sun. She walked to her slowly, grinning as May wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Great jump…one step higher than yesterday." May congratulated.

"Tomorrow I'll do six," Daisy smiled.

"Anything we should worry about up there?" May glanced up.

"Uh huh," Daisy shook her head. "All clear as far as the eye can see." She tapped the binoculars still around her neck. "And as far as the spy eye can see." She giggled then quickly added. "You think we could visit that little town across the bay?"

"We'll see." May smiled. She hugged the little girl to her as they walked across the short space to the garage.

Bypassing the ramp, May tapped the toggle on a light switch that opened a regular sized elevator hidden behind a cabinet panel. They stepped inside and shared the silence as it dropped to the first level of the bunker. Their footsteps echoed in the dim empty hallway.

"You could come." Daisy spoke quietly.

"Across the bay?" May crinkled her brow looking back at the girl as she pressed the button for the larger main elevator. "You don't think I'd let you go alone."

Daisy stopped and hung her head. She shook it slowly. "No, to my space…the catwalk…up there." She pointed up even though they were inside.

The giant door opened admitting them to the base's enormous lift. May wrapped her arm around the little girl a second time and pulled her tightly to her side. "Thank you, bao bei, but I thought it was your special private place."

Daisy shrugged. "Yeah but…there's stuff you'd really like up there and maybe we could go when it gets dark and see all the stars and stuff." Her voice trailed off as she finished.

May bit her lip and smiled. What a conniver. "Sounds like a good idea," she managed without a laugh.

Daisy looked up with a broad smile. "Really?" She was almost hopping up and down. "Tonight?"

"Well maybe not tonight, but we'll talk to Coulson and…well, if it's okay with you, we could all do some star gazing." She raised her brows in question. "Anyway we've got something else to talk about don't we?"

Daisy paused for just a moment, a bit hesitant and wondered what that might mean. Then she wrapped her arms around May's waist and squeezed. "I never thought I'd get a mom like you. You're the best mom ever."

"Hmmm," May smiled. "Well, you might rethink that after we have a little chat about all the swearing."

Daisy's eyebrows rose in questioning shock.

May tapped the tip of the little girl's nose causing her to blink. "And I thought we made a deal about that railing." She smiled a not so happy smiled.

Daisy's jaw dropped. How could she know? Were there cameras? No, she checked every possible spot. Those guys chatting down there, were they spying on her? They didn't even know she was there. How…

"Your ear com mute might be malfunctioning. You might want to have Fitz take a look at it." She grinned, lightly tapping below the little girl's right ear. "Air pressure changes when you get close to the edge." May smiled again and tucked her chin down just a teeny bit.

"But I was by myself and you said it was because people could hear and nobody heard and…" Daisy walked backward out of the elevator waving her arms in an effort to explain. "And I never got too close and anyway I'm not a dummy. I would never…"

"Mmm hmmm," May smiled as she reached for the little girl's hand and let out a fakey sigh. "A deal's a deal and we all agreed on the rules and what happens if you break 'em." She reminded the little girl with a little shake of that hand. "So how 'bout we talk about it, just you and I?"

Daisy drew a deep breath. "I don't think that's such a great idea and anyway you're not gonna do much talking." She mumbled.

"Probably not," May grinned as they walked slowly down the hall. "But what kind of a mother would I be if I didn't keep my word."

"I'd be very forgiving," Daisy smiled up at her. "Just like you, you're really forgiving."

May smiled at the little girl's ploy. "Oh, I forgive you. I'll always forgive you. But the rules and their consequences still stand." She stopped at the door to their quarters and tapped the combination into the lock.

Daisy swallowed hard and backed into the room.

xx

"One more chapter, please…" Daisy yawned.

Coulson closed the book on his lap and wrapped one arm around the little girl. "I think we need to save that for tomorrow. You'll never make past the first two pages." He grinned as he bent down and kissed the top of her head.

Daisy drew a breath and blew it out. "Are you glad I'm like this?"

"All cuddled up next to me, of course." Coulson hugged her closer.

She shook her head. "No, I mean like little like a kid."

He pulled her to his lap and lifted her chin to look in her eyes. "I can't lie, kiddo. I definitely like you like this because I think just so adorable and cuddly." Daisy rolled her eyes and shook her head. Coulson chuckled and hugged her again. "But seriously, you really need the chance to have the childhood you didn't get the first time," he leaned close and whispered in her ear, "and I really need the chance to be your dad that I didn't get." He felt her smile against him. "But the bottom line is I love you in any size."

"May might think I'm a pain," she played with the button on his shirt. "Am I?" She looked up with only her eyes not sure she really wanted an answer.

Coulson leaned forward and rested his forehead on hers. "That's your job." He whispered.

"Can we go look at the stars?" She mumbled.

He stood with her in his arms. "We will talk about it tomorrow. Now, you need to get some sleep and I think May is waiting for you."

Daisy wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled into his chest. "May's mad at me." She spoke quite remorsefully.

"I don't think so." Coulson smiled nodding toward the woman standing next to Daisy's bed.

Daisy ducked her head further into his embrace, avoiding May's glance. Coulson lowered her to the mattress and kissed her cheek. "Night, angel eyes," he smiled. "Love you."

She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled Ling-a-ling into a hug. May tucked the blankets around her and brushed the stray hair from her face. She kissed her forehead then sat on the edge of the bed and began singing quietly.

Daisy opened her eyes a little at a time until May came into focus. She listened to the end of the song.

"You still sang it and kissed me good night." The little girl's face mirrored her confusion.

"Of course, why not?" May replied, once again moving a few hairs from Daisy's face.

"Cuz I broke the rules and made you mad at me and well…" she shrugged as her cheeks blushed, "you know."

May smoothed the covers over the child. "Yep you broke the rules and paid the price, and I am not angry with you."

"Cuz this is where I get sent back." The little girl spoke to the stuffed dog, quickly swiping the tear that snuck over her cheek.

Taking Daisy's hand in her own, May smiled a weak smile. "You aren't going anywhere, except to sleep."

"Only cuz there's nowhere to send me," Daisy's voice cracked. No matter how much she tried to pull it back all of those childhood fears and memories were flooding forward. Nothing could stop the wave. Nothing except the very strong arms of Melinda May.

May pulled her up and into her arms. "You're home Daisy. No matter what, we're all home."

"Yǒngyuǎn¹?" Daisy whispered from inside the hug.

"Yǒngjiǔ de²," May kissed the top of her head, rocking gently to and fro. "Wǒ zài yě bù huì shīqù nǐ.³"

Daisy hugged back and squirmed closer. May didn't make threats or promises. She just said what was, the honest truth no matter what.

"I love you, Mom." She said quietly.

May smoothed her hair back and rested her cheek atop the little girl's head. She continued rocking and singing softly until Daisy fell asleep in her arms.

Maybe tomorrow she'd wake and everything would be back to normal. Maybe she'd still be little and full of everything there was to love about her. It didn't really matter. May had her child and the man she loved waited in the next room. For now it was quiet and safe.

And they were home.