Do You Have Heart (Avengers/Loki fan-fiction)

Chapter One - Compromised

Alina Thornwell's POV

Of anybody who could turn up at my office unannounced, the last person I would have expected is Phil Coulson. But, then again, once upon a time he would have been my first thought if somebody had told me I had an intruder. Oh no, sorry, I mean 'visitor'.

But, here he is, sunglasses and all, smiling through the glass door of my office at my probably shocked and surprised expression. I can't seem to move, my feet rooted to the ground, as if some strange underworld creature has grabbed the heel of my court shoes and decided to stop me from walking.

Coulson lets himself into the room, ignoring the protests of the intern who has the office next door to me. "Excuse me, sir, you can't go in there." says the intern, forcefully "Miss Thornwell doesn't like to be disturbed during work hours."

"It's okay James, go back to work." I say, waving the intern away. He gives me a strange look, but doesn't question, taking off back down the corridor and into his own office.

Taking a deep breath, I turn around, and my eyes come to rest on the agent who I once considered almost like a father to me. I haven't seen him in four years. It was like he totally forgot about my entire existence. I didn't think I'd ever forgive him; I told myself that. And yet, here I am, the urge to throw my arms around him and discuss life events over coffee like we used to every Friday afternoon stronger than ever.

"Coulson." I say quietly, not quite managing to meet his gaze.

"Alina." he replies, nodding slightly. And then, suddenly, both of us are walking towards each other with open arms.  It feels like old times, to give Phil a hug. Even the sight of him feels like a punch in the face from that bitch we call nostalgia.

"I've missed you, Ali." he says, pulling away but leaving his hands clamped around my shoulders, as a dad would. Typical Phil, always trying to act like the parent I never had. I hated, but loved it at the same time. I'd never known hope before I got to SHIELD. And SHIELD not only gave me hope, but also friendship, so strong that the people I met were almost like family.

My eyes automatically stray to the picture on my desk: a shot of me and my best friends from SHIELD, Clint and Nat, standing atop a pile of rubble in Budapest, after a mission. We look like we've just walked out of a costume party, what with our suits and all: Nat in her black SHIELD jumpsuit, Clint in his black and purple outfit and myself in those familiar black jeans and leather jacket, with all the weapons in the world seemingly hanging off my belt. Dangerous agents, we appear to be, and I hate to say it, but it's true. Only, Nat is cross-eyed and pointing her gun at the side of my head, and I've got Clint in a headlock, with one of my swords poised to 'kill' him, while he wears the most unimpressed expression I think I've ever seen, one eyebrow raised, arms crossed over his chest like a little girl about to throw a tantrum.

It was taken after our mission in Budapest ended, and we were about to go back to SHIELD, but Clint decided we should take a stupid picture before we left. And that was the outcome. It has never left my desk, from the moment I arrived here at Pearson and Co. Solicitors Agency.

"I've missed you too, Phil." I say, looking down at him, which is weird because it never used to be like this. But, since I ditched my leather jackets and throwing knives, I kind of took up heels and pencil skirts, meaning that I'm a little taller than I used to be. Also, it's been four years: I left SHIELD as a nineteen year old girl with nowhere to run; I am now twenty -three, and a senior director of a huge law firm in the city of London, England. Which is great, because I'm originally from Britain, but I worked in America from age sixteen, and before that, I was an assassin (and, before that, I spent my childhood as a lab rat for some crazed scientist - the one who gave me these wings - and, as you can probably guess, I didn't exactly get out much).