X marks the spot

Deal with Our Devils

'Neutral ground' they'd both called it. The first bar they went to when the investigation began, when they had nothing. That nothing had turned into a solid something that seemed to clear things up. That seemed to finish it.

Now though, here they sat. Not looking for answers, but for a drink instead to talk. To catch up.

But they couldn't deny the slight coldness from either side. Neither spoke first. No sarcastic quip from Aaron. And no question from Rebecca. Just two people in each other's company. Unsure of where to begin.

"You look less shit," was what Rebecca said first. When Aaron looked up from his bottle, they gestured to his lack of a sort of beard.

He chuckled softly, "Yeah, well. Read Slaughterhouse Five and made some notes."

Rebecca nodded, eyes going to their own drink before off to the side as they leant back, "Vonnegut was always a good one."

Aaron's eyebrows conveyed his confusion, "you read it?"

Rebecca nodded, the pairs eyes meeting once again, "somehow, it was required reading," they said as they took a sip from their non alcoholic drink.

Aaron took a sip from his own one too, "guess in this line of work, gotta be prepared for anything. The Tralfamadorians especially would be of interest."

Now it was Rebecca who chuckled softly, "Wrote a whole essay on them."

"Really?"

They shook their head. Aaron picked up on a bit of sadness with it too as their lip stuck out a bit, "no. Never got to. Thrown into training right away."

"What would it of been about?" His voice was soft. There was something...Rebecca didn't know how to describe it...almost fraternal to it?

Despite what they had tracked down Aaron for, this wasn't SHIELD regulated. They were almost thankful for the whole Ghost Rider thing. It allowed them a chance to slip out. They left a note in their room. It was addressed to Daisy.

After all, Daisy would understand needing to leave to find what they needed. They just hoped they didn't go off the deep end like the older Johnson almost had.

The younger one seemed to be pulled away from that ledge. Maybe the time away had helped. Maybe this case, and the fact that he hadn't stopped with it, it seemed. Maybe it had done some good for him. Given him a goal. Some drive.

It had for the two of them, they had to admit. It had brought them back here, after all.

The first thing Rebecca had clocked when the two entered the place was that neither Timmy nor Maria were working at this time. It was quiet. The place just opened, a later opening compared to the other bars, they admitted. It wasn't necessarily lonely. It was almost nice to have that quiet. To have this moment for the two to recollect themselves. Those months away from each other catching up with the pair. Life had - all be it sort of - moved on. And here they were, back together again.

"How is everyone?" Aaron asked, before clearing his throat. He broke the eye contact, finger wiping at his nose. Anything to keep himself busy.

Rebecca, however, kept their eyes on him as he did everything but look at them, "they're fine. Daisy's back. Jemma, Coulson and Mack brought her back."

Aaron nodded. Good, that was good.

"Fitz made a robot called AIDA. Sasha's safe. May brought her back to SHIELD. We had a talk. She's good. I see why you got her out."

"She needed a new start. Get away from all this."

Rebecca nodded in agreement, "far as I know, May and the rest are gonna set her up with a new identity. Send her on her way with her family. They'll be ok."