Problems: From Rookies to Babies.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

They were on a mission in Canada. Nothing too bad about this one it seemed. Or so it was meant to be pretty easy. There was word of a device being set up there by some unknown group, that was putting off strange readings. For one, they had no intil on the group, for another they had no idea what kind of device. Both things they needed to know about. Why? Because it’s SHIELD and they need to know everything.

It wasn’t top priority however. A training mission, really. Scout and Scoot as Coulson would call it. Since the events in New York, (and, you know, living and all) Fury had been placing him on smaller training missions, when he wasn’t keeping an eye on the Avengers. He had been officially moved to the ‘Ambassador to the Avengers’ as Sitwell laughed.

The point being? This was a simple training mission that won't stay so simple. Because of the need for eyes from a distance, Clint was pulled along as well, which suited Coulson fine, really, and it might have suited Barton fine as well.

But as I said, the mission was simple that didn’t stay simple. One of their rookie Agents got himself into a spot of trouble, captured by a dart to the neck and dragged inside. Another Agent followed him in, tracking. Phil knew she was a good tracker, but he didn’t like the next problem that followed.

Communications ceased to function once the Agent’s stepped inside the small base set inside the hill side. Great.

“Barton. Lost Meyers. Lost Hutchinson. Do you have eyes on Jackson?” Their third rookie who was with them.

Comments

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Wow. Seriously, Barton is this your first time holding a small human? But seriously, he was doing good. Phil snapped a picture then took off, taking an agent off what ever he was doing and making him come along. They disappeared down the hill towards the opening.

The baby? She stayed still, for the most part. Bit those tiny hands had balled up, and she tried to wiggle, just a bit...

[from_a_distance]

Yes. Yes, it is his first time. Not many people are lining up to hand their babies over to an assassin.

"Oh, hey hey hey, no," Clint whispered when she started to move. "Don't...do that. Just...stay cool, munchkin..."

He shifted, then, to hold her against him instead of out away from his body.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Good point. Still, it's a cute site. Phil will have to show Natasha. She's sure to tease him too. In a good way.

Yep, stay cool. She tensed up, hands into fists, and her face was scrunching. Oh, you're not the same man, are you. That's not cool. As she got brought in closer, she wiggled more, feet kicking a bit as she started to fuss.

[from_a_distance]

"No no no no no," he said, trying to keep his voice calm as he started to rock her a little, swaying gently. "You're just...fine. You're gonna be fine. Coulson's coming right back..."

Oh, god, what were you supposed to do for squirming babies that didn't require diapers or bottles?

Yeah, he's totally gonna try singing. Very softly. Hey Jude, because his mom used to sing that to him.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

She started to scream, at first, crying and fussing and fidgeting, though the rocking helped and... once he started to sing, softly, she started to settle down a bit, crying just softly, as if she really wanted to cry a lot but his singing was so soft she couldn't cry too loud or she might miss it.

After a moment she'd let out a single loud cry, then be soft again, angry face scrunched up, fists balled up, but not loud. As long as he kept singing.

[from_a_distance]

Okay. Yep. Totally keeping up with the singing. The little angry fists can stay as long as she doesn't scream. Clint's just gonna keep singing, his swaying turning almost into dancing with her.

"Judy, Judy, Jude," he sings, wondering how long he can keep it up.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He doesn't have to keep it up too terribly long. The other Agent and Phil are returning, headed up to the car. Phil popped open the trunk and the other Agent moved for the back seat, securing something inside.

Phil? he moved over to sit a bag down, raising a brow at the man. He thought, perhaps, he heard singing as they approached. He did in fact see the dancing. Or at least the swaying.

The child was calmer. Fussing still, angry fisted but not crying as much. "How're we doing?" Phil asked with a smile at Clint.

[from_a_distance]

Clint was so very, very glad to see him right now. He headed over to Phil, holding the baby out for him, and by no means even considering stopping the singing.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Phil didn't take the baby back right away, looking at the man as he tried to pass her off. "You look like you're doing a great job, Barton." He said with an amused tone. Though as he spoke he noticed the babies head turn towards his voice. She was calming down more already.

"Don't be so upset, little bird." He whispered, leaning over the baby a bit and letting Clint hold her a moment longer. "He's not bad. He's very good. He's singing for you even." He teased as he said "He doesn't sing for me. You must be special."

[from_a_distance]

"You don't scream if I stop singing," Clint pointed out, singing his answer to the tune of the song. He tried again to hand the baby off, really worried he was going to drop her or upset her somehow.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Phil chuckles and spared the man, reaching out to pick up the bundle again and tucking her in close. He made soft shhhing sounds and rocked a moment, the child doing what she did before. She relaxed. It barely took a minute. Her fists relaxed and she stopped fussing so hard, sniffling form crying.

"You should really like him. He saved you, you know." He chided the child, then looked to Clint with a slightly exasperated look. "You alright?"

The trunk closed on the car. "Everything's loaded, Agent Coulson. Do you need an escort to base?" Phil gave Clint a look that said 'do you think we need help?' before smiling at the kid again. "We should be alright. Agent Barton knows where we are going. Continue work here and get this secured. Report in to Agent Sitwell with any findings."

[from_a_distance]

Clint rolled his eyes a little at the question. "Yeah, fine," he said, heading for the car, opening the door to the back so they could get to the car seat.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

Phil grinned at that, peeking at the baby and following. A soft humming of Hey Jude now coming from his lips as he looked her over. The child was nearly sleeping again.

With access to the cat sear, he took a moment to settle her in. The sooner they get back to a base the better, right? To Clint he asked "Hey, Jude?" As in 'you were really singing that?'

[from_a_distance]

Clint arches an eyebrow like, 'Yeah, and?'

"I didn't think Hit Me with Your Best Shot would have the same effect," he says, getting into the driver's seat.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He chuckled, closing the door and making sure she didn't wake up. He moved to the passanger seat and got in. "I like the song. Just didn't realize you could sing." He was teasing now as he added. "You never sing for me." A smirk, glancing back to the baby.

He was tired. Both physical and mental. Mostly mental. Any little bit of teasing helped him hide what he was really feeling. They lost an Agent and that was on him. He'd take the blame for that even if it wasn't his fault. He should have trained them better. Lost an Agent and another is undergoing some weird change.

Now there is a baby he stupidly volunteered to take care of. He was trying, very hard to keep himself... lighthearted. Trying very hard. Thus Clint might be the only one who would, or could notice that.

[from_a_distance]

Clint noticed, and it was that realization as much as anything that had him teasing back. "You never ask. You want me to serenade you, sir?"

He flashed Coulson a quick grin before starting up the engine to head back to the base. They could both use a little downtime after this one, he figured.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He gave a soft chuckle the the comment, smiling as he slide into his seat a bit more. "Perhaps someday." He might actually like it; after all he'd always liked the sound of Clint's voice.

As they started, he could hear the child fussing again, but not crying yet. He frowned, peeking back at her. "Never seen a little thing so angry before." Her fists were balled up once again.

[from_a_distance]

Clint glanced into the rearview mirror to look back at her.

"Makes you wonder what they were doing to her," he said, his voice low and a little dark. He shouldn't be shocked anymore at what SHIELD's enemies got up to, but every once in a while, he still was.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He turned in his seat, just a bit. They placed her so it was easy for him to reach her, so he reached back and ran a finger over one of her fists, a soft shhing sound again as he slide his finger between the closed fingers. Such a grip.

"I can't even imagine. How long have they had her? Why did they have her? It doesn't surprise me anymore..." but the words 'it makes me angry' were left unsaid. He leaned back, wiggling his finger in the grip the girl had on it.

"I want to get back and look in on the data we're pulling from that place."

[from_a_distance]

He nodded, eyes flicking to where the baby's fingers curled around Phil's finger, his expression softening a little. "I'm sure they can send the files to the base," he says with a faint smile.

[istillbelieveinheroes]

"Yes. I'll be sure to get them as soon as I can." because he wanted to know what happened to his Agent too. He leaned back and wiggled the hand softly, the child stopping her fussing. The look on his face was flat, unschooled and tired. This mission had been for training and it went down hill fast, but if they hadn't stepped in when they did would she have been hurt?

[from_a_distance]

Clint glanced over at him briefly as he drove, taking a hand from the wheel to touch Coulson's shoulder.

"It's not your fault."

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He blinked, surprised by the touch, and turned to look from the child to Barton. He let himself relax around Clint more then others, thus the man tended to be able to see or read his feelings and thoughts as if he spoke them.

It still startled him sometimes.

He pushed a smile at the comment, trying to look okay. "It's fine. I'm just worried about the little bird." He said, arm still turned back and softly waving her fist around his finger. For Phil, it was his fault. Trainees come on these missions to learn. They can't learn if he leaves them dead.

[from_a_distance]

Clint did see a lot, and he saw past that smile, but he didn't say anything about it. He knew that nothing he could say would convince Coulson he wasn't to blame, but he still wanted to say it. Just so Coulson knew that Clint didn't blame him. He pulled his hand back, nodding.

"She'll be fine. Babies are good like that. Resilient."

[istillbelieveinheroes]

He was stubborn like that, Barton. He was grateful to hear it though, because it did help. A bit. For Phil, each time one of these missions mucked up and he lost Agents, personally, he always took care of things himself. Go home after long briefings. Shower until the hot water was gone. Stretch out on the floor and stare at the ceiling, convincing himself it was alright.

He didn't drink like he used to in the older days. That was a plus. After convincing himself things would be alright and that he needed to take care of things in the morning, he'd generally be reformed back into Agent Coulson and able to presses the situation, deal with Evals and continue on. It was a method that worked well for him.

For now? He couldn't go home. This was part of the first step. Just relax, suck it up, be Agent. Take care of the mess first. "Babies are resilient. Though this one has so much anger on her little face. Even when she looks like she's sleeping." Which she was doing now, head turned to the side, fist tight on Phil's finger and with an angry scrunched up face, she slept.