Avengers The Captain's Secret

Part 5: Coulson's Memorial

I am sorry this is so long, but I did not want to break up this scene. I mean seriously, who interrupts a funeral? Thanks for the support...

CAP POV

I woke up with a start. Most of the time I was up before my watch chimed, but not this time.

I fell asleep on the couch with Evie. Fury had left sometime during the night. Her head was on my chest. She had managed to eat something, and had two cups of tea before falling asleep last night, still telling stories of the father figure she lost in half sleep. I looked down at her, and she was looking up at me. She got up slowly, her eyes full of sadness.

"I'll get dressed."

I went to my quarters to get dressed to find Tony already there and standing by my door.

"And where were you last night?"

He sounded like some of my old buddies back in the barracks when we snuck in from a long night. I shrugged. "I have to escort someone to Phil's memorial." I watched him quirk his brow inquisitively. "Turns out Coulson had someone he raised as his own. She needed to know she wasn't alone."

"Ah, so you comforted her."

I caught the implication of his words and felt the need to correct him even though it was really none of his business. "I stayed and fell asleep on her couch, yes."

"Aha," Tony walked off. "See you there."

An hour later, we were all on the helicarrier rising to the skies. It was a beautiful morning. I knew we'd all be reminiscing about him, trying to remember the good times and friendship he gave us, so we wouldn't feel so bad. I invited Evie along, giving her a chance to meet us all. She was dressed in a flowing black dress that was shorter in front but trailed in the back. Her sleeves were also flowing, with her hair loose and giving her the look of some dark angel. She sat on the couch next to me, almost as if she needed protection from everyone.

"I--" she whispered. "I want to thank you for all you've done, and especially for avenging Uncle Phil. In the ways that counted, he was my father. It helps to know the one who hurt him won't hurt anyone else. "

We all looked at each other. Suddenly, we all were softened, I could see it. Tony cleared his throat. Thor looked sorry; it was his brother, after all.

She was quiet as we all told her about our histories with Phil, how we were all recruited. She laughed at some of the things we told her he said, and even agreed that was how he was, how she knew him to be, too. She also said she knew about us to a degree.

"So..." Tony trailed off.

"Uh..." Clint blinked at us.

"Look, we didn't know you existed," Tony said. That was when I noticed Natasha and Clint sharing a glance and looking neutral. Hmmm....

Evie looked at Fury. "He found me and basically adopted me as his own. I wouldn't have made it without him."

"So, what do you do now?"

She was choosing her words carefully. "I work for SHIELD."

"Doing what?"

She glanced at Fury again. "Diagnostics."

Tony quirked a brow at me; we decided there was more. "Okay." I gave him a warning look and he rolled his eyes. "Maybe we'll get a chance to work together."

She smiled at that. "That would be...really something."

I held her hand or had my arm around her the whole time. It was a pretty nice service, complete with 21 gun salute, fly by, and a eulogy delivered by Fury. Finally it was time for Evie to step forward to spill the ashes into the atmosphere. I stood behind her to show support.

"Hi," she said softly. "I know of all of you, but I'm pretty sure you may not know me. I'm Lesedi Evelyn Munroe. I'm Phil Coulson's daughter." She paused to compose her self. "He was a wonderful father. We loved each other very much. We were a real family." She cleared her throat. "He was like that, you know, he was always reaching out to pull people in, or to catch you when you were falling or to keep you steady. He was always someone you could count on, someone who would be there to believe in you. He believed in SHIELD. He believed in the Avengers. I hope he knows how much we believed in him, respected him and loved him. I can't express how grateful I am for his love and protection. I couldn't repay that debt if I tried. When he went on missions, I was always afraid..." She swallowed hard. "He wasn't coming back." Her voice faltered. "So he would send me playlists of songs to cheer me up. One that helped me sleep was this:

"I remember tears streaming down your face

When I said, "I'll never let you go."

When all those shadows almost killed your light

I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone,"

But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound..."

She sounded so soulful, at times sounding like a child, but then sounding like a woman, but the sadness was throughout. When I saw she might break down, I rushed to her side. I walked with her to the end of the deck and she spilled the ashes. It floated off into the air, and for a moment I thought I saw the SHIELD symbol in the sky, but it faded quickly. I held her as she cried.

"What will I do without him?" she whispered into my shirt as she clutched one of the lapels of my jacket. "I know I'm old enough to know, but I don't."

"For now, breathe." I whispered, rubbing her back. "I'm right here." Her arms encircled me under my jacket, and mine went around her. We stood there for awhile, holding each other tightly. She looked off to the skies as if she was watching him go. I stroked her hair, and looked up to see the others respectfully take their leave, letting her have these moments alone.

"Let's go, Evelyn." Fury said. He almost sounded angry.

I watched her heavily exhale, and look up at me. She didn't want to leave, and I didn't want her to. Fury took her from me, grasping her elbow, and I felt a loss. I locked eyes with him as I would an enemy. I didn't know where that came from. I looked down, trying to control my instinctively protective feeling that Evelyn was some sort of prisoner and needed me, needed my help.

"You okay, bud?"

"Uh...yeah, Clint, I'm-I'm okay."

Clint looked at her and then at me. "You wanna go after her?"

"You know, I just--" I couldn't take my eyes off her. Then she turned to look over her shoulder at me even though Fury was steering her away. "I'll check on her later."

Tony joined us. "Cap?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you...see that?"

"See what?"

He tapped his phone. "That." We watched in slow motion as the ashes formed the SHIELD sign before disappearing. "That's no easy trick."

"Tony--"

"Don't you dare tell me it's coincidence," Tony said quickly. "That girl is more than what she seems, and Phil knew it. I'm tabling this for now; she really did love her father. I respect that."

"Leave it alone, Tony--"

"I think Fury knows something, too. Won't be the first time, huh?" Tony whispered, leaning in closer. "Talk to you later." He left me standing there, coming to grips with the fact that this wasn't over, not by a longshot.