- Author's Note - Hey, guys!

Thank you so much to Cakeymix, NicoleR85, twinkletin24, LoveFiction2017, and MedievalWarriorPrincess for reviewing! I haven't heard from my other regulars, such as lostfeather1, AwesomeFangirlOtaku01, OriginalCharm, and diverge-ent in a while though. I hope they're still here and enjoying the story!

Here's the next Chapter. I hope you all enjoy it, and, as always, PLEASE review! Even if it's just to say, "That was awesome!", it'd mean the World to me. Reviewing only takes a few seconds, while Chapters can take me days, or even weeks.

The next morning, Destiny was awake first. She, Elena, Emma, Phil, as well as Casper and Groot, had slept in the living room, as was customary for the girls on the Full Moon.

It didn't make much sense, sure, since, after all, their bedrooms were upstairs, only a few feet away, but they wanted to be as close to the front door as possible, so they could not only help Peter, should the extremely rare occurrence arise, but so that they could be there to greet him in the morning.

Emma and Groot had slept in the faded brown leather recliner, while Casper curled up on the floor in the bed Destiny made out of pillows and blankets, and Elena and Phil had shared the couch.

They had originally started out on opposite ends of the sofa, but, over the night, had moved into the positions they were in now, which was lying next to one another on the not very wide item of furniture, causing Elena to have her silky head on Phil's chest, while the man had one arm wrapped around her slender form.

Emma awoke next, stirred from her slumber by the delicious smell of the coffee Destiny had made.

Stretching in her chair, her blue gaze fell upon her cousin and the SHIELD Agent on the couch, and a soft smile lit up her beautiful face, before she turned her eyes onto the form of their brunette friend, with her robe secured around her form, standing in the living room entrance, holding a filled mug.

"Coffee?" Destiny spoke softly to Emma, upon seeing she was awake.

"Yes, please," Emma replied quietly, before shrugging off the blanket she had over herself, while her friend turned, and padded over into the kitchen.

Getting to her feet, Emma carefully slide one hand under Groot's still slumbering form on her shoulder, then gently placed him down beside Casper on the floor, when she passed by Destiny's makeshift bed, smiling softly once more, when the cat immediately stirred enough to purr, then wrap a protective paw around the little guy, while she continued on to the living room entrance, where her friend soon rejoined her, handing her her own cup of coffee.

"Here you go," said Destiny, with a gentle grin of her own.

"Thank you," Emma answered, quickly taking the first drink of the delicious morning liquid, then breathing a sigh of relief, as the warmth of it spread throughout her slender form.

"That didn't take long," Destiny said, nodding her dark curly head at Elena and Phil's cuddling slumbering forms on the sofa.

Emma followed the brunette's gaze to her cousin and the SHIELD Agent, and a sad, soft, little sigh escaped her, as she thought about Elena losing Cullen only a few years ago, almost exactly at the same time she herself lost James. "Actually, it did."

"No, I meant, you know, since Eric," responded Destiny, having not been thinking of her friend's Mate of over 150 years.

"Oh," Emma replied, before her blond brows knitted together. "I think Eric's a more. . . ongoing thing, you know."

"Hm," Destiny agreed, shifting her gaze back onto Elena and Phil. "Yeah, you're right."

Elena was the next to wake up, gently pushing herself off her warm, sturdy, breathing pillow, and into a sitting position, where she found herself on the receiving end of knowing looks from her cousin and their friend, which she returned with a warning, albeit playful, one of her own, before the trio of girls could do anything more, as they soon heard the familiar screeching roar of the Dragons from outside, causing Phil to stir, and, seconds later, the front door opened, revealing a dirty, hunched over Peter, shielded only from complete nakedness by the towel he clutched around his waist, that Emma had left on the porch for him, something she does every Full Moon.

The young man came to a halt in the foyer, his tired blue eyes sweeping over the familiar female occupants waiting for him, as well as Casper and Groot stirring awake on the floor at his arrival, before his gaze fell upon Phil, sitting up next to Elena on the sofa, a sight which caused the brilliant orbs to widen a bit in shock, as, to be honest, he hadn't expected the man to stick around after seeing him turn into his Wolf, let alone not have an army of SHIELD Agents here, ready to take him away.

The girls offered Peter a soft smile, a gesture Phil did as well, before the young man tore his eyes away from them, and made his way upstairs to get dressed.

"Morning," Destiny said to Phil, as she turned, then padded back across the foyer into the kitchen, while Emma went over to sit on the floor with Casper and Groot, coffee still in hand.

"Quite a fun tradition you ladies have," Phil spoke, rubbing a hand over his face. "Sleeping down here in the living room."

"Well, we want to be close," replied Emma, leaning across the coffee table, to pass Elena her mug, so that they could share the drink. "Just in case. Plus it helps Peter, knowing we're here waiting for him."

"And you didn't have to sleep down here with us, A.C.," Elena pointed out, raising her brow at him, while she handed her cousin back the coffee, after getting a sip from it.

"Well, I guess I wanted Peter to know I was still here too," Phil said, smiling softly. "That he hadn't scared me off." Shrugging, he went on. "Though I've yet to find out if that's good news or bad to him."

"It's always a gamble when he lets someone watch the turn," spoke Emma. "Uncle Bill probably had the greatest reaction. Though I think him almost falling back onto the ground had to do with Peter putting a little too much emphasis into it once he was fully the Wolf."

Elena laughed softly, as she thought back to the Full Moon her Vampire Father had watched her Werewolf friend transform, it having been quite a momentous moment, given Vampires and Werewolves have always, for some reason, naturally hated each other, which was the reason Bill always stayed away on the Full Moon, and therefor hadn't been with them the night before.

Peter came back downstairs then, wearing grey sweatpants, and pulling a green t-shirt down into place over his torso, getting it done in time to accept the glass of water Destiny handed him, before returning to the kitchen.

"Thank you," he said to his cousin, quickly downing the drink, while he padded into the living room, and walked over to the reclincer, which he gratefully sank into, with a heavy sigh.

"So. . . " Phil began, breaking the silence that, to him at least, felt somewhat awkward, especially as all eyes followed the young man, seemingly waiting for him to talk. "How was it?"

Peter flicked his blue eyes over onto the man, while Emma turned at the waist, in order to fetch the decorative glass dish off of the TV and media stand, that held all of their friend's jewelry, then leaned over to pass it to him.

"Thanks, Em," Peter said, offering her a soft smile, as he took the item, then placed it, in addition to his already empty glass, on the coffee table, before he started plucking out the rings, one at a time, and placing them back on his fingers. "Something was out there. A scent." He flicked his gaze between Elena and Emma, then to Destiny, who appeared back in the living room doorway with her mug. "Something bad."

"Something left over from Drew Marshall?" Elena suggested, truly not wanting there to already be a new threat, when they haven't even recovered from the last, evident by her still bruised and scraped hands, wrists, neck, and torso, though she could feel her strength, including her magic, returning, it was just taking longer than she'd like.

"Maybe," Peter replied. "I hope so." Finishing with his rings, he fetched his necklace, as he shifted his gaze onto Phil. "Look, what you saw last night, there are only three other people in this World, outside the ones in this room right now, who know. My Mom, Elena's Dad, and Sam Merlotte." Undoing the clasp on the chain, he fastened it into place around his neck, while firmly meeting the older man's gaze with his own. "I need you to keep it that way, Agent Coulson."

Phil nodded, taking the matter completely seriously, but unable to help trying to make light of the somewhat tense situation, by holding up one of his large hands, the three main fingers extended on it, while his pinky and thumb folded over his palm. "Scout's Honor, I promise."

Peter nodded in response, then leaned back in the recliner, moving himself into a more comfortable position in it.

"Were you actually a Scout?" Elena asked, her brow furrowing, as she gazed questioningly at Phil.

"I was," Phil replied, smiling softly over at her.

"Why does that not surprise me?" Elena said, giggling sweetly, before she rose to her feet, holding her arms up over her head, then stretching. "All right. I've got to get ready for work."

"Yeah, same," Emma sighed softly, setting her mug on the coffee table, then waiting for Groot to climb up onto her slender shoulder, before she too stood up.

"D?" Elena inquired, looking over at their curly brunette friend.

"Yeah, I'm gonna open the shop today," Destiny replied, since she didn't have a shift at Merlotte's today, so she was going to do her Pyschic thing back at her and Peter's apartment.

"Elena, can we talk?" asked Phil, getting up from the couch. "Before you leave."

"Yeah, of course," Elena said, nodding, then turning to lead the way from the living room, while Destiny and Emma cleaned up a bit.

Phil looked over, as he followed her to the staircase, and saw that Peter was completely passed out in the brown leather recliner, causing Emma to throw one of the blankets from the couch over him, before she and Destiny folded up the rest.

"The turn really takes it out of him," explained Elena, upon seeing what Phil was. "Poor thing."

"I can only imagine," replied Phil, thinking about to all he witnessed the night before.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Elena asked, as she stepped inside her bedroom once they were on the second floor, and, without thinking, pulled her top up right off of her slender, but curvaceous, upper body, which was still clad in a bra, though Phil, upon seeing this, quickly turned to face the open doorway, despite every inch of his mind, body, heart, and soul doing its best to will him to look back.

"I need to report back to SHIELD," Phil explained, hearing the beautiful brunette moving about behind him. "I've been here a few days now, and Director Fury expects a briefing."

Elena paused in her actions at this, having just thrown her t-shirt onto her bed, her brow furrowing, as she looked over at him, only to find herself looking at his back, and she bit away the smile his gentlemanly actions caused her, then reached out to quickly re-done the item of clothing she'd just shed, so they could talk face to face.

"Phil?" she said, going on when he flicked a glance over his shoulder, and saw she was dressed once more, allowing him to turn to look at her. "So, you're leaving?"

"For a little while, at least," Phil responded, shrugging lightly, as he walked over to where Elena stood. "Like I said, I need to report to Fury. I need to check on my Team, make sure they haven't blown up the plane." He paused, during which she laughed softly at his words about his Agents. "But I can always request I come back."

Halting once more, he took another step closer to her, meeting her rich brown gaze with his own gentle blue-green, before going on. "Or I could ask if you could come with me."

Elena's dark brow furrowed at his words. "You want me to come with you?"

"Well, for a few days, at least," answered Phil. "I think it'd make the most sense. You could meet Director Fury, meet my Team, go on the BUS with us." He once more lightly shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe go on a mission with us, should one arise."

Elena couldn't help but smile softly, before flicking a glance down at herself, holding up her hands in front of her, indicating her obvious still healing injuries, as she spoke. "I wouldn't be much use to you right now. No magic yet."

"We wouldn't leave until tomorrow, at least," Phil responded. "I have to get in contact with Fury and get permission for you to come along. But I'm guessing with three Dragons in tow, you'd be fine."

"You'd want the Dragons to come?" Elena asked, with a quirked brow.

"Of course," shrugged Phil. "Why wouldn't I? They're the reason I came here, after all. Besides, they're your children. I'd never ask you to go anywhere without them. Especially on a plane full of SHIELD Agents when you're not 100% yet." He quickly realized how that must've sounded, and held up a hand to her. "Not that you won't be safe on the BUS, that anyone would hurt you."

"I know, A.C.," Elena reassured him, smiling softly once more, before a gentle sigh escaped her. "But I don't know if I'd feel right, leaving Emma, Destiny, Peter, all of my friends, without the Dragons to protect them, especially if Peter did sense a new, oncoming threat out there last night."

"I respect that," Phil nodded, then smiling softly himself, as he offered a possible solution. "What if I could provide them with protection? It'd be in the form of another Agent, and I can't promise he's as powerful as three full grown Dragons, but he's still pretty badass."

Elena couldn't help but giggle sweetly at his words, before she slowly licked her lips, keeping her bottom one between her perfect straight white teeth, as she thought over his suggestion. "I take it you trust this other Agent?"

"He's probably one of the only ones, aside from Fury, I'd trust my life to," answered Phil.

"Okay," Elena said, reaching out to touch one of his arms with her slender hand. "If you trust him, so do I. And, if you can get him here, and get permission from your Director, I'd be happy to go with you, A.C."

Phil smiled softly in return, warmth spreading throughout every inch of his body, beginning from the point of contact, where her delicate limb rested on his much larger and, right now, stronger, one.

"Are you sure you don't want to come too, Em?" Elena asked her cousin, as the two of them carried trays of readied food out onto the floor of Merlotte's from the counter that looked into the kitchen, where Lafayette and Big John were, music blasting, as usual, mostly for the former, who danced along as he cooked.

"Someone has to stay behind and keep an eye on our little town," replied Emma.

"I told you," Elena called to her, since they had to go to opposite sides of the sitting area to deliver orders, but not worried about anyone caring, or even hearing, what they said, as everyone was so wrapped up in their own conversations, which they were somehow managing to have over the music playing on the jutebox. "Phil's going to bring someone in to take his place while we're gone."

"Sweetie, it's fine, really," Emma reassured. "Destiny and Peter would love to stay at the house a little while longer. Why they don't just move in is beyond me. Plus we already have a lot of repairs and upgrades planned out, so, even if they didn't, someone would still have to be at the house to make sure everything goes okay."

"Are you sure?" Elena asked, meeting up with her cousin over by the bar, once they'd delivered all of the food.

"Yes, I'm sure!" replied Emma, reaching out to wrap an arm around her waist. "Elena, go, please! Have fun. I think this is a great opporunity for you. For all of us."

"Okay," Elena said, before holding up a single finger on her free hand. "But I'm at least staying to meet and pass judgement on this new Agent."

"I wouldn't expect any less from you," Emma giggled, hugging her cousin, who was truthfully more like her sister, up against her side, and Elena smiled back, before the two parted ways.

While Emma went back to the kitchen, Elena walked behind the bar, where Sam was acting as bartender, since they were busy, and needed all hands on deck. Otherwise, one of the waitresses, or even Terry, would be manning the drinks, and he'd be able to handle things in his office.

"Take a break, Sam," Elena said to him, lifting a hand to touch his bicep.

"What? No, I'm good," he replied, even as she got a look at the still bandaged cut on his forehead, while, beneath his plaid shirt, were his bruised ribs. "I have my own advanced healing, you know."

"Yeah, but you had a busy night last night," Elena answered, speaking of how Shapeshifters have to turn on the Full Moon too, though, unlike Werewolves, they can also do it anytime they want. "That I'm betting put a slight halt in your recovery."

"You got me there," Sam said, as she fetched a tall glass mug from under the counter, then filled it at the beer center for someone who just ordered one. "I swear I can actually feel my bones moving and scraping against each other beneath my skin."

"So, take a break!" Elena called over the noise, but, before either could say or do anything more, their attention was drawn to several customers suddenly running out of the resturant.

"Oh, what the Hell?" Sam sighed, setting down the drink he'd been preparing, then heading out from behind the bar, Elena following him, as the pair headed outside.

Outside, in the parking lot, Elena and Sam found said customers gathered around where two young men were fighting, while their hysterical girlfriends stood nearby, pleading with them to stop.

"All right! All right!" Sam called, making his way toward the brawling pair, and reaching out to attempt to seperate them. "Come on now, y'all! It ain't worth it! Stop it! Come on, break it up!"

Terry and Lafayette came outside just then, and the former raced into the frey to help Sam, while Emma soon joined them, followed by Arlene, leaving Big John the only employee inside with the rest of the crowd.

Sam grabbed at one of the boys, while Terry easily clamped his arms around the other, but the first had far too much strength and adrenaline over the bar's owner, and swiftly knocked the injured, tired man away with one shove.

"Hey!" Elena called, anger flaring up at seeing her friend, who's already nursing some serious wounds, flinch in pain at the young man's actions. "Hey, come on, that's enough!"

But she'd forgotten she was not only still injured herself, but nowhere near her full strength, and she only managed to reach out, then grab the boy's muscled, pulsing bicep, before he reacted, pulling his arm from her grip, then swiftly placing his hand on her stomach and chest, using the hold to shove her back, and, unlike Sam, she couldn't stay on her feet.

Falling backward, Elena tripped, and, instead of landing on the grass and dirt part of the parking lot that the fight was taking place on, she hit the concrete, hard.

"Elena!" Emma exclaimed, rushing forward to her cousin's aide, as did Lafayette.

"You all right, gorgeous?" he asked, falling into a crouch beside her, while Emma got to her knees next to her.

"Yeah," Elena sighed in response, even as she looked at her scraped up elbow, and matching palm of her hand.

Lafayette straightened up, and marched toward the two young boys, Terry still holding the other, while Sam had recovered, and now at least had him at arm's length away from the other one.

"What the Hell is wrong with you, boy?" Lafayette said, reaching out to shove the one who'd done the same to Elena. "Is that how your Momma raised you? To push on women?"

"Well, she sure as Hell didn't raise me to take shit from some queer nigger," the young man quickly snapped back, getting as in Lafeyette's face as he could.

"Motherfucker!" Lafayette exclaimed, reacting in a split second, and taking a swing at the boy, who's jaw his fist swiftly made contact with, causing the fight to be on one more, this time with he, Sam, and Terry thrown into the mix.

Phil pulled up just then in Lola, with someone no one recognized in the passenger seat. It was a handsome man, looking to be in his 30s, with wavy shoulder length brown hair similar to Peter's, blue eyes once again that resembled the Werewolf's, a light layer of scruff, and a muscled build, which was clad in boots, dark jeans, and a deep red Henley that had a black t-shirt underneath it, while his left hand had on a black glove.

Phil swiftly brought his car to a halt at the sight of the scene playing out, then climbed from Lola, the man he was with doing the same, and the two rushed into the fray.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Phil exclaimed, spotting Elena on the ground, nursing fresh wounds, a sight that sent anger and adrenaline throughout him, before he focused on grabbing the nearest fighter. "Break it up! Come on, break it up!"

The man he'd brought with him grabbed the one who'd first pushed Sam, then shoved Elena, and, without showing any effort at all, secured him into a bear hug type hold, locking his arms around the boy's upper body from behind in a vice-like grip, but, any struggling the young man put up in response was only met with the continued firm, unyielding hold of the other male, who didn't even flinch at the flaying of limbs, as well as angry curses and slurs the boy uttered, and it allowed Phil, Sam, and Terry to get the second initial brawler, as well as Lafayette, under control.

"I think we just met the new Agent," Elena said, while she and Emma watched the fight end as quickly as it'd started.

"I think you're right," replied her cousin, whom it didn't take the brunette long to notice was admiring the mystery dark haired man in more than a passing fancy, and she had to press her lips together in order not to laugh.

"All right, folks!" Sam called to all of the customers gathered, while he and the Agent who'd arrived with Phil passed the boys off to their girlfriends. "Show's over! Either get back inside and return to your food, or head on home!"

There was a grumble from the crowd over the ceasing of the entertainment, but all went back into Merlotte's, while the boys left with their girlfriends in different directions, and Phil rushed over to where Elena sat on the ground with Emma.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his handsome face etched with concern, as his eyes, wide, scanned first her beautiful face, then over her body.

"I'm okay," Elena replied, before showing him her elbow, the palm of her hand, then leaning back to lift her shirt up, showing him a small bruise on her hip from where she'd landed. "Just more marked up than I already had been."

Sighing softly, Phil gently took her one hand, then carefully wrapped his other arm around her waist from behind, and, with Emma's help, got Elena to her feet.

"Looks like the new Agent arrived just in time," she said, nodding at the man, who calmly walked over to them, followed by an out of breath Sam, while Lafayette and Terry headed back inside as well, though the former was noticably eyeing the newcomer up and down.

"Yes, I suppose he did," replied Phil, flicking a glance over at him as well. "This is James Buchanan Barnes."

"My friends call me, 'Bucky'," the man said, offering Elena and Emma a smile, as well as his black gloved hand.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Agent Barnes," spoke Elena, shaking the man's offered limb with her own.

"Bucky," he replied, with a fresh smile.

"Bucky," Elena said with a nod and a soft smile of her own, while he turned his hand on Emma, who shook it.

"That's a heck of a grip you got there, Bucky," the blond spoke, as she found her delicate limb enveloped in a tight grasp she wouldn't expect from a man, even one as well built as the Agent.

"Oh, sorry, Ma'am," replied Bucky, retracting his hand, in order to pull off the black glove, revealing, not a flesh and blood limb, but one brightly silver, and clearly made of something other than skin and bone. "I sometimes forget my own strength with this thing."

"You have a robotic arm?" came Sam's voice, causing the Agent to turn his attention onto the man.

"Yes, Sir," Bucky said, before offering the limb to the bar owner.

"Sam Merlotte," he responded, shaking the Agent's hand.

"What happened to your real arm?" asked Emma, and Elena bit back a fresh smile, at the concern and curiosity so evident in her cousin's voice.

"Train accident," Bucky answered simply, with a light shrug of his broad muscled shoulders.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Emma said, before she flicked a glance at Elena, and laughed softly, while returning her sparkling blue eyes to the Agent. "You should've sent us your medical bills."

"I'm sorrry, Ma'am?" Bucky inquired, even as he was unable to help but chuckle himself, though mostly in question.

"We helped build the railroad," Emma explained, gesturing at herself and her cousin. "So, any train accident you were in could've been our fault."

Bucky laughed more genuinly this time, now that he understood, even as amazement at the realization the two women were alive in the 1800s, let alone old enough to have been on the Railroad, sent him into a bit of shock. "Well, I can promise you, Ma'am, the accident had nothing to do with the track."

"Okay, good," Emma replied, giggling sweetly, and Elena had to turn her head to bury her beautiful face slightly into Phil's shoulder, in order to hide the bright smile that was beginning to become impossible to bit back, at the interactions between the Agent and her cousin, which weren't hard to deciver, not for her, at least.

"Well, now that we've all met," Phil spoke up, before looking down at Elena. "Why don't I take you home, and Bucky can stay here and get to know Emma?" He shifted his gaze onto the Agent, before he went on. "Is that all right with you?"

"Yes, Sir," Bucky nodded at the man who was a higher level SHIELD Agent, his Boss, and, he was proud to say, his friend.

"I'll see you later, sweetie," Emma said, reaching out to gently hug Elena. "Take it easy, okay?"

"I will," Elena replied, nodding at Sam, when she and her cousin pulled back. "Make sure he does too."

"I will," Emma answered herself, even as their own Boss and friend sent them a look, before the two of them, accompanied by Bucky, headed inside, as Phil led Elena to Lola.

"So, 'Thank you.', for bringing my cousin a new Mate, I guess," Elena said, as she and Phil sat on the couch in the living room back at the house, while he tended to her new injuries.

"What?" Phil replied, accompanied by a sound that was a mix of a laugh and a scoff of disbelief, going on when she nodded. "You can tell that quickly?"

"Of course," answered Elena, while he gently dabbed some of Emma's healing salve onto her scraped elbow, which she held upright for him, her hand nearly touching her shoulder, and silence fell upon the two of them, though she didn't need her mind reading ability to know what he was thinking.

Phil was wondering if that's what he and Elena were meant to be, Mates, and, if so, if she already knew, but she merely smiled back at him, then licked her lips. She wasn't going to tell him, even if it was true, which it was. Faes always felt that it took some of the excitement and even some of the choice out of it, when they found themselves face to face with a Human meant to be their Mate, though said Human had to have at least a bit of Fae in them, even if it was just 1%.

It had been late afternoon, when the fight had broken out at Merlotte's, so, by the time Elena and Phil got back to the house, evening had fallen, and now as was night. Outside, they could hear the sounds of the Dragons, all three of which had been waiting in the front yard for the two of them when they'd returned in Lola, since they knew something had had happened to their Mother, and, now that they knew she was all right, they weren't going anywhere, so therefor would be spending the night there, rather than in the sky, as usual.

Peter was passed out in his room upstairs, Casper curled up, asleep, beside him, meaning he'd woken up sometime during the day, and dragged his tired self up the stairs, to freshly collapse in a bed, and Groot sat on the coffee table in front of Elena and Phil.

Destiny had the evening shift at Merlotte's, as did Emma, so Elena knew neither girl wouldn't be back home until later that night, which meant the same for Bucky. She was also well aware that he wouldn't leave her cousin's side anytime soon.

"Well, I guess you have no objections in him staying here, while you come with me on the BUS for a little while," Phil finally spoke up, after a moment of silence between them.

"I guess I don't," replied Elena, still smiling softly at the man, who was tending to her new injuries in a way that reminded her so much of Cullen. "Though, to be honest, I may take my Father up on a bit of his blood, after the events of this afternoon. I doubt your Team would be impressed by the 165 year old Fae and Mother of Dragons covered in cuts and bruises."

"Oh, I'm sure they would," Phil said. "After all, I met you like this, and I'm still very impressed with you." He paused upon realizing what he'd said, which only made her smile brighten, and cleared his throat. "But, it's your choice."

As if on cue, Elena and Phil heard the Dragons rising up slightly outside, chittering softly in greeting, seconds before the front door opened, and Bill entered.

"Hey,Dad," Elena said, offering her Father a soft smile, guessing the reason he didn't knock, as he usually does, is because he could smell the fresh blood, however minimul it was, from her wounds.

"Elena," Bill breathed in relief, upon seeing her all right, and pausing only to close the front door, before he strode swiftly across into the living room, sitting down in front of her on the coffee table, avoiding Groot, even in his state of concern, who gave the Vampire room, and walked over to fetch the top of the jar of his Mom's healing slave, then offer it to Phil, who took it with a soft smile of thanks. "Sweetheart, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," answered Elena, as Bill gently lifted one of his cool pale hands to gently touch one side of her beautiful face. "It was just some assholes at Merlotte's this afternoon. I made the mistake of getting in the way with what little strength I have back, while they fought over, I don't know, who has the bigger dick." Smiling sweetly, she reached out to grasp her Father's other limb, where it rested on his thigh. "But I'm fine. Really."

Breathing a soft of relief, Bill smiled back at her, then turned his hand over beneath hers, in order to grasp it, then lift it to his lips, where he pressed a kiss to its knuckles, while the thumb on his other limb began to gently stroke her smooth sun kissed cheek.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Elena asked, taking both he and Phil, as well as Groot, slightly aback, with her swift, sudden change in tone, since, again, she didn't need to be able to read his mind, to do so with his body language, and the still scrunched up look on his handsome face, to know worry over her newest scrapes and bruises was the only thing bothering him.

"What?" Bill asked, his brow furrowing, before he gently shook his raven hued head, attempting to reassure her with a fresh smile that didn't quite reach his blue eyes. "Nothing, my darling."

"Bullshit," Elena quickly responded, rolling her eyes with her Father, ever the Southern gentlemen, gave her an instinctive disapproving look at her using a curse word. "Sorry. But, seriously, bullshit nothing's wrong. What is it?" She tightened her hold on his hand, which he'd returning to grasping on his thigh, and met his gaze with her own.

"Sweetheart, it's nothing," Bill replied, admitting there was something, but doing his best to promise her it wasn't anything serious, or anything she needed to concern herself with, and therefor offering her a fresh smile, while renewing his stroking of her cheek with his pale cool thumb. "I promise."

Sighing softly, Elena fell silent for a moment, before speaking up. Again, no mind reading was needed to be able to know who was at fault once more. "What did Eric do this time?"

"Eric?" Phil inquired, looking up from his cleaning of the medical supplies strewed across the coffee table. "You mean, Sheriff Northman?"

"The very same," answered Elena, flicking a glance at the SHIELD Agent, before looking at her Father once more. "So, what did he do now?"

"He did come to see me last night," Bill finally admitted, causing Elena to nod, roll her eyes, then slump back against the sofa. "I guess he's put it together that I stay home on the Full Moon."

"What did he want?" Elena asked, resting her scraped and bruised hands on her own slender thighs, still dressed in her work uniform of the white t-shirt with the green and white Merlotte's logo, black skinny jeans, and black, red, and white Nike Air Jordan 1 Retro High OGs, her long honey blond kissed dark chocolate hued tresses down.

Bill gazed back at her for a moment, soon sighing softly, as he knew he wouldn't be able to get out of this subject until he told her everything. "He wants your help."

Elena scoffed softly, looking away from her Father, while Phil's brow furrowed in confusion, as this was really the first he's heard of what he could tell was a complicated relationship between Elena, Bill, and the Sheriff of Area 5.

"He wants my help, but he went to you to ask for it?" Elena said, lifting one of her hands to point at her Father.

"Well, to be fair, you told him you don't want to see him," replied Bill.

"Why would Sheriff Northman need Elena's help?" Phil was unable to help but ask, as she sighed softly once more at her Father's words. "Because of her. . . abilities?"

"Yes," Bill answered with a nod, before shifting his gaze onto his daughter. "Elena made a deal with him, when he first asked her to help him find out who was stealing money from his bar, that if he didn't hurt anyone, and turned the guilty party over to the proper Authorities, she would help him whenever he needed."

"That's something he could've asked the Vampire Authority for assistance with," responded Phil. "Or even SHIELD. Elena's a civilian. If she'd been hurt helping Vampire business, Sheriff Northman would've faced very serious consequences. He needed permission to bring her in on that."

"Well, if turned out to be one of his own employees," Elena spoke up.

"Who then turned to kill her," Bill added on.

"And what happened to this employee?" Phil asked, knowing showing any concern for Elena would be pointless, in a manner of speaking, since she was clearly all right, so, obviously, the Vampire hadn't succeeded in his attempt.

"He's dead," Elena replied. "Dead dead. I killed him when he threw himself at me." Sitting forward, she carefully rested her forearms on her thighs. "So, what does he want my help with on this time?"

"He wouldn't go into detail with me. All he'd say was that his business was in Dallas," Bill sighed. "But I told him you'd refuse." Pausing, he sent his daughter a soft smile, as he reached out to gently pat her leg. "Come on. Enough about Eric. Let me make you something to eat."

Elena's brow furrowed at this, and she watched her Father quickly rise from the coffee table, then head toward the kitchen.

"Hang on there, soldier!" Elena called to him, getting to her feet, then swiftly following after him, managing to catch his bicep in her hand, when he reluctantly came to a halt in the foyer at her words. "What did he say?"

"Nothing, sweetheart," Bill tried to reassure with a smile, turning to lift his cool pale limbs to her own slender upper arms. "Don't worry about it."

"Dad," Elena said in her warning tone that he was becoming all too familiar with. "What did Eric say?"

Sighing softly, Bill flicked a glance over at Phil, who'd gotten up from the couch, and followed a bit after them, though coming to a halt in the entrance to the living room, while Groot climbed down from the coffee table, then walked over to stand beside the man's leg, which he lifted one of his little hands to, touching the material of his suit pants, while gazing curiously up at Bill with his wide brown eyes.

"He said that he was only asking my permission to take you to Dallas out of respect, because you're my daughter," Bill spoke. "He said that if he wanted, he could simply take you." He paused, watching Elena's eyes widened in anger. "Especially since, right now, you wouldn't be able to fight him."

Elena's eyes slowly slipped closed, and it was a good thing she wasn't at her full strength, because, with the sheer amount of anger and rage flowing throughout her at this moment, the house would most likely be shaking as if hit by a powerful Earthquake.

Placing her hands on her hips, she turned away from her Father, and took a few steps away, closer to the staircase, before turning to face he, as well as Groot and Phil, once more, all three of which visibly jumped when, from outside, the Dragons, sensing their Mothers' distress, roared slightly.

"Okay," said Elena. "Now I'm pissed."

"Elena, sweetheart, please don't do this," Bill said, about ten minutes later, as Elena came back downstairs, having gone up to her room to change out of her work uniform. "It isn't necessary. And you need your rest."

"Clearly, it is necessary, Dad," Elena replied, while she settled her white t-shirt in place over her slender torso. "And I'll get plenty of rest once I put Eric in his place once and for all."

"Then at least let me come with you," Bill answered, lifting a large cool pale limb to her upper arm, once she stepped down fully into the foyer.

"Eric may be a son of a bitch, but I don't really believe he'd try to forcefully take me," Elena said. "Besides, the Dragons will be with me."

"But the Dragons can't come inside with you," responded Bill.

"No, but they can burn Fangtasia to the ground if they so much as hear me raise my voice," Elena pointed out, and it was obvious her Father didn't like that suggestion.

"I'll go with you," spoke up Phil, and Elena and Bill looked over just in time to see the man, before he disappeared back into the living room to fetch his shedded suit jacket, soon returning to their line of sight, as he donned it. "Sheriff Northman is, if nothing else, under the Vampire Authority, and I'm an Agent of SHIELD. We have a professional relationship he will not want to jeopardize, and I have to believe he'll respect my presence."

Bill sighed softly, but sent the man a grateful nod, before turning to look at Elena, who's slender upper arms he gently grasped with both hands. "All right. Do what you have to. I'll be here waiting for you."

Elena nodded, raising one of her hands to grasp her Father's forearm in return, then offer him a smile, before she brushed past him, and met Phil at the front door.

"I am Groot," came Groot's little voice from the living room entrance.

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Elena said to her Nephew, as Phil opened the front door for her, and she nodded at Bill. "Your Grandpa will keep you company. And I'll be fine, I promise. Your cousins will keep Phil and I safe. Okay?"

Groot nodded, and Elena watched while Bill walk over to him, leaning down to pick him up, before she and Phil headed outside, the latter closing the door behind them, while the former moved down into the front yard, where all three Dragons were up, on their feet, ready to take off.

Elena and Phil arrived at Fangtasia in Lola, while the Dragons, who were hidden from all Human eyes, soared above.

"Sorry this is how you're seeing the place for the first time," Elena said to Phil, as the two climbed from the modified bright red 1962 Chevy Corvette.

"If you've seen one Vampire bar, you've seen them all," Phil joked, causing Elena to smile, while the two met in front of the car, then headed toward the entrance, where Pam, as usual, was seeing people inside.

"Well, well, well," the female Vampire said, upon looking over, and seeing Elena joining the line, accompanied by a handsome older man in a suit. "Look who it is."

"Please don't act like you're surprised to see me, Pam," Elena replied to her.

"Can't say that I am, sugar," Pam answered, flicking a glance upwards, since she could perfectly see and hear the Dragons, before returning her gaze to the young woman. "What seems to be the trouble?"

"We're here to see Eric," said Elena.

"And who's "we"?" Pam asked, moving her dark blue gaze over onto Phil.

"Agent Phil Coulson," he replied, procuring his badge from within his suit jacket, and holding it up to her. "I'm with SHIELD."

"Agent Coulson," responded Pam. "Right." Stepping out of the way of the entrance to Fantgasia, she nodded her blond head at it. "Go on in, honey."

"Thank you," Phil said, tucking his badge away, before lifting a hand to Elena's back, and using the gentle hold to guide her inside.

"Wow, I'm impressed," Elena spoke to him. "I've never seen Pam move or drop the attitude that fast."

"It's the badge," Phil said. "Chicks dig the badge."

Elena smiled softly at his words, before leading the way through the crowd, and to the hallway that led to Eric's office, the door to which they found open.

Stepping inside, the pair found Eric behind his desk, while Chow stood nearby, hands held in front of him, one limb holding the wrist of the other, and both Vampires looked up, then over, at the sound of the two entering the office.

"Elena," Eric said, even as his brow furrowed slightly at the sight of the suit clad man with her.

"Here we are again, Eric," Elena replied, shrugging with her slender arms.

"Except with a third party," answered Eric, nodding at Phil.

"Sheriff Northman," Phil began, showing his badge once more. "I'm Agent Phil Coulson with SHIELD. I'm here on Elena's behalf."

Elena could tell Eric didn't at all like the man's presence, especially once he showed his identification. "Chow, leave us."

Chow nodded, then walked from the office, closing the door behind him.

"I didn't know you had friends at SHIELD, Elena," said Eric, rising from his chair behind his desk.

"He's new," Elena answered. "Though I apparently can't be too careful. Seeing as how easily I could taken somewhere against my will."

Eric sighed softly. "You've spoken with Bill."

"I have," Elena said, before she marched a few feet closer to Eric, while Phil stood back, in much the same position Chow had been, very much like a bodyguard. "What the Hell is wrong with you, Eric? One second, you tell me you'll give me space, the next, you're going behind my back, and running to my Father."

"I regret it had to come to that," replied Eric. "But I needed to get a message to you, and I knew your Father would be the best bet."

"And did threatening me better your odds?" Elena asked, quirking a dark brown brow. "Telling him how weak his daughter is right now? How powerless? How easy she'd be to kidnap and take to Dallas?"

"I am sorry I said those things," Eric said, lowering his blond head like a child in trouble with their parents. "It was in the heat of the moment. I was desperate."

"And what in Dallas is so damn important that you'd say such things about me?" Elena inquired. "Someone you claim to care about."

"I do care about you!" Eric responded, before he caught himself, and cleared his throat slightly, stepping out from behind his desk, then walking a few steps closer to Elena. "The Vampire Sheriff in Dallas, his name is Godric, has gone missing."

"Isn't that something your Vampire Authority should handle?" asked Elena, once more shrugging with her slender arms.

"Everyone is doing everything that they can," Eric replied.

"So, what could I do?" Elena inquired. "Especially if I'm as weak and helpless as you think."

"Elena-" Eric began with a sigh, but she swiftly cut him off.

"No, you listen to me, you bastard!" Elena yelled, marching closer, as she lifted a hand to point a warning finger at him. "If you had come to me, even though you said you'd given me space, I'd have heard you out. I may have even agreed to help you, to honor the deal we made the night Longshadow tried to kill me. But instead of coming to me, and asking me for help, like a man, you went behind my back, to my Father, and you threatened me. The second it benefited you, you chose to take advantage of me, of my fragile state. To prove right everything I've always thought about Vampires. You're cowards, hiding behind your strength and your speed, using it to frighten those unable to fight you into doing what you want. I thought you had more respect for me, at least. I thought you knew never to do that to me. But I was wrong. You're just like the rest of them. And I can guarantee, if you didn't know I had three fully grown Dragons protecting me, you'd have come into my house, and snatched me out of my bed, like some fairytale monster."

Eric remained silent as she spoke, his blond head once more lowered, causing him to resemble a child being yelled at by their elder.

"So, now, you can take whatever deal we had, and shove it up your 1,000 year old ass, Eric," Elena continued. "And I swear, if I find out that you've hurt anyone. . . Well, you can see what happened to Drew Marshall to know what'll happen to you."

Turning on her heel, she began over to where Phil stood, but Eric soon called out to her, and what he said brought her to a dead halt halfway across the office.

"Are you aware that your friend Lafayette is a buyer and seller of Vampire blood?" Eric said, his voice now gone of any of the usual gentleness he used toward her, and completely, 100% Eric Northman.

Elena slowly turned, meeting Phil's gaze for a second, before facing Eric once more, and she felt anger began to seep through every inch of her body, when she saw the Vampire was actually smirking.

"I've been aware of this for quite some time," Eric continued. "But I've kept quiet about it, out of respect for our. . . relationship. Now, however. . . " He gently shook his blond head. "Now I may need to investigate it."

Before Phil could react, Elena had marched back across the distance she'd walked, balled up one of her slender bruised, scraped up hands, and put all of her weight and her strength behind the punch she threw at the Vampire's firm jaw.

The SHIELD Agent's eyes widened when he saw light brilliant scarlet swirls surrounding the limb, a split second before the cracking of bone filled the office, as the blow broke Eric's jaw, and his mouth filled with blood, while his head snapped to one side under the impact.

"Elena!" Phil exclaimed, recovering, and rushing forward, in order to gently grasp her slender upper arms from behind, just firmly enough to keep her from going anywhere, all while mindful of her wounds, and he saw her rich chocolate eyes fading from a matching deep crimson color back to their usual dark brown from around the side of her head, before he looked up at Eric, watching as his split lip healed, and his jaw reset, his own injuries healing in seconds due to his Vampire state.

"You bastard," Elena breathed as Eric, her chest rising and falling a bit heavily, from the adrenaline running through her veins, in addition to the sudden surge of renewed strength, showing her hexes to Phil for the first time, and for the first time period since Rene drugged her days prior.

"I'm guessing she's not as weak and fragile as you thought, Sheriff," Phil said to Eric. "And I hope I'm mistaken about this, but it sounded an awful lot like you were threatening her. Attempting to blackmail her even."

"Of course you're mistake, Agent Coulson," replied Eric, as he looked back over at the two of them, truly stunned Elena had not only struck him, but been able to do so with such force that she broke his jaw. "I would never do such a thing."

"Good," Phil answered, releasing his hold on Elena, in order to step forward, between her and Eric, whom he gazed firmly up at. "Because I'd hate for the Vampire Authority to learn from a reliable SHIELD source such as myself that one of their Sheriffs threatened a civilian he's already been illegally putting in harm's way for his own gain."

Despite her current state of fury, Elena was unable to help but smile at Phil's words to Eric, feeling pride in him overlapping her anger, while, truthfully, finding it incredibly attractive, a major turn on.

Eric looked like he was using every bit of self control he had not to talk back, or even physically lash out, and he merely nodded at Phil.

"Good," repeated Phil, before he turned, and lifted a hand to Elena's upper arm, using the hold to gently urge her to leave, something she happily did, allowing him to lead her from the office. "Have a nice night, Sheriff."

Reaching out, Phil opened the door, and stood back to allow Elena out first, before he followed himself, after giving Eric a nod, then closing it behind him.

Coming to a halt outside of the bedroom door, Phil lifted a hand to knock lightly on the ajar entrance with his knuckles, as he peered through the crack at Elena in her quarters.

Looking over, a bright smile lit up Elena's beautiful face at the sight of the man, and she paused in her task of packing to call to him. "Come in."

Pushing open the door, Phil stepped inside the bedroom, and walked in several feet. She had some pieces of luggage open on her bed, and was filling them with things from her bathroom, her closet, and her dresser. "How's the packing coming?"

"Good, I think," Elena replied, before laughing softly. "Emma and I have been here for two years now. It's the longest we've ever been in one place. Even when we were on the Railroad, we were constantly moving. So, I'm a bit rusty when it comes to packing."

"Well, I'm here if you need advice," Phil said, causing her to laugh softly.

When he and Elena had arrived back at the house, Bucky and Emma had been home, as had Destiny, while Peter was awake now with Bill, and all had been waiting for them to return.

Emma had quickly enveloped her cousin into a hug, and asked if she was all right. Elena had reassured her she was, and after giving everyone a brief summary of what had happened with Eric, the crowd had dispersed.

Bill insisted on staying the night, something Elena didn't argue with, and Emma had made up the couch for Bucky, since they were out of guest rooms, at least until Elena and Phil left the next morning, while Destiny went to bed, and Peter, who'd been asleep all day, decided to stay up with Bill, joined by Casper, Groot naturally with his Mom, while the Dragons had resumed their earlier positions in the front yard.

"Hey, um. . . " Elena began, as she stood by her bed, placing the clothes she'd just fetched from her dresser before Phil had arrived into the open Louis Vuitton suitcase, while she had a matching bag for her toiletries and such, and a backpack from the same brand for her immediate stuff, such as her phone, keys, wallet, etc. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course," answered Phil, moving closer to her, his handsome face etched with curiosity over what she wanted to know.

"The other night, when you were having a nightmare, I heard what you were saying, in your sleep," Elena went on, seeing his expression fall and dim at her words. "And then, when you were in the bathroom, I grabbed your clothes to put in the washer with the sheets, and I saw you, through the crack in the door. I saw. . . your scar." She gently shook her head, when she saw him lower his gaze to the floor. "Phil, what happened to you?"

"I died," Phil said, lifting his gaze to her, a sad smile pulling ever so lightly at the corners of his lips.

"What?" Elena asked, her dark brow furrowing in confusion, even while she immediately completely believed what he said.

"We, uh. . " Phil began, looking away from the beautiful brunette, who gave him her full attention. "We had a prisoner, at SHIELD. He wasn't a Vampire, but we didn't know what else he could be at the time. He got the better of us, and he escaped. I tried to stop him, but he. . . He stabbed me, through the back, with this Scepter that he had."

Elena's eyes widened at the man's words, despite him basically revealing the scenario she'd thought of upon first seeing his scar to be the truth, it was quite different to hear him actually tell it. Him, the man who went through it.

"Director Fury found me, but it was too late," Phil went on, lifting his gaze back to her, and offering her a fresh sad smile. "The next thing I remember is waking up. Fury told me I'd been dead for eight seconds, before they managed to bring me back. They sent me to Tahiti for a while to recover." He chuckled softly, before continuing. "It's a magical place."

Elena's dark brow furrowed a bit further at his last words, as they just seemed out of place, but she nonetheless didn't question them, and remained silent, until he sent her a final smile that told her he was done.

Unable to think of what to say, she did the only thing she could think to do, and moved around to where he stood by the foot of her bed, where she came to a halt in front of him, lifting her slender arms, then wrapping them around his neck, as she drew him into an embrace, hugging him against her warm, soft body.

Phil was taken aback slightly at first, upon finding this incredible, beautiful young woman in front of him, pulling him into her arms, but it didn't take him long to recover, and he soon lifted his own limbs to embrace her in return, wrapping them securely around her slender torso, then splaying his large hands flat over her back, as he allowed himself to enjoy and lose himself in the feeling of holding her, and being held by her, her scent of honey and rose petals enveloping him, all of which sent a wave of contentment and warmth throughout him that he's never felt before in his life, and knew nothing to come would ever feel as good, at least anything from anyone but her.

- Author's Note - All right, guys. There's the newest Chapter. I hope you enjoyed it! If you don't know who Bucky is, I've added a picture of him to my Profile. Also, don't worry, just because Elena said, "No." to going to Dallas doesn't mean she won't. Some other stuff just needs to happen first. ;)

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the Chapter, and, as always, PLEASE review!