love's eternal flame

Gone

Their stay in China extended indefinitely. They had become a part of the quaint town, taking on roles to fit into that society. It was coming up on two years since they'd come ashore.

"Xue!" Phil blurted out as they were walking home. "She'll be here in November. It's a snow month."

"It is pretty," May agreed as she watched a lone bird fly home. "What about pretty swallow? Yan?"

"A snow swallow? Xue Yan or Yan Xue."

"Yeah, I like that." Her belly fluttered and May gently rubbed it. "I think she likes it too!"

Phil opened the door to their house and kissed her head as she walked inside. "I can't wait till she's here."

They didn't have to wait too long. Two months and twenty two hours later, Coulson and May brought a baby girl into the world.

"She has your eyes," Phil said as he held the baby, eyes not off her for a second.

"Otherwise, she's all yours," May chuckled as Phil passed her the baby.

"Ours," he kissed May as they settled on the bed.

The nurse gave them some time together before taking the baby to the nursery.

"Can you believe we just made a baby?"

"I never thought I could fall in love with you more, but after the last 24 hours? I love you, so much Mel."

"I love you too." May responded, and took a well deserved nap.

Coulson left her to go see his daughter in the nursery. He stood outside, observing through the glass as she lay sleeping with the other babies.

"Which one?"

Phil didn't notice someone else join him. He pointed out his little one. "How about you?"

"Oh, my wife's still in labor. She's sleeping right now, so I thought I'd take a walk. It's so nerve wracking!" The other dad said.

"Oh it is the scariest thing in the world!" Phil agreed. "But also the best thing that can ever happen. It'll be worth it."

The dad to be relaxed and looked through the window again. "What's her name?"

"Snow Swallow. Or the other way around. We haven't decided yet. What about you?"

"Yeah, we're undecided too. But something flower."

"I bet it'll be beautiful," Phil dreamily said as his daughter was beginning to stir.

"She'll be perfect."

A nurse brought the baby bird out and Coulson took her back to May, who was waking up. She fed the baby and they learned all the other ways to take care of her. Her hiccups were the funniest thing to them. They kept her for as long as they could stay awake, then let her be taken to the nursery for the night.

They woke up to screams and chaos. May instinctively wanted to run out, but Coulson held her back. He made her promise to stay before he went out to see what was happening.

Someone had caused a fight, leaving the medical staff wounded. There were repeated tracks to the nursery, and Coulson broke into a run. He would have made it if a doctor hadn't stopped him.

"My daughter's in there!" Coulson argued.

"No. She's not," the doctor tossed him back, and he stumbled into May.

"Mel, what are you doing here?"

"Where is she?" May ignored Coulson. "Where's our daughter?!"

"Best hope: she's missing. Otherwise, she's dead."

May ran forward and the doctor was quick to get in her way. May began fighting and Coulson had to her back until another staff could sedate her.

"Please. If you want your sanity, you do not want to go in there. It is not pretty," the doctor advised, and left.

Coulson carried May back to their room. He fixed her on the bed and left to help the staff. There were carts and supplies trashed around the floor, and covered bodies laying about. Coulson avoided thinking about it for as long as he could, but hours later, he needed out.

Coulson ran to the bathroom and threw up in the nearest toilet. Not even twelve hours ago, he was the happiest man alive. Now? Now, he didn't even know what he felt. He flushed and went to the sink to was up, but as soon as he saw his face in the mirror, Phil broke. His baby girl was gone.

He came out only when he started hearing sounds he hadn't hear in over two years. It was all modern, and mechanical, and English. He exited the bathroom to find SHIELD agents taking command and conducting reconn. Phil inconspicuously made his way back to his room, only to find May being tended to by SHIELD medical staff. The woman, who had been so amazing, so badass, so human not even a day ago, was now a shell of a person, a blank slate.

"Phil Coulson?" Someone pulled his attention as he was making his way to her, but her turned back.

"Yes?"

"Sir, you need to come with me."

They weren't even on the same plane back. Last time he saw her, they were wheeling her away to the psych ward. Still, their story had been the same; no mention of their daughter.

He found Garrett and the others again. After clearing evals, he put his head back in the game. He even backed Fury when he went rogue with an amnesiac pilot, fighting shape shifting aliens, and other super powered creatures.

He found solace at an orchestra hall in Oregon, and got word that May had a thing with her psychiatrist.

Guess they'd moved on.

----

It was so hard to move on.

Everything was gone.

SHIELD within HYDRA within SHIELD. Aside the inception, she had to deal with literally being reborn.

She had bounced families before, but losing this one hit hard. Especially since she was the one potentially putting them in danger. She was a plague that needed to be eradicated, a threat her team needed to be protected from.

After being chased by Lady Sif of all people, Skye took a icer and knocked herself out.