❝THIS COULD BE PARADISE.❞
In which Jenna Rivers always thought working for S.H.I.E.L.D would be her paradise, only to find out that it was merely a path towards one.
[AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D AU - SEASON 4]
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THE JOURNEY BACK to S.H.I.E.L.D HQ was calm, which made Jenna wonder if it was the moment before the storm — the peace before the chaos that was heading their way in a whirlwind of emotions and struggles, far greater than they had ever faced or even imagined. But, although her fate and Fitz — almost the same thing — were pluckily floating in her mind and making her unable to think about anything else as the Quinjet flew back to their secret base, some good news arose to the scene as well. And good news, meant literal news.
"Guys, you should come take a look at this", Simmons called on Jenna and Trip, who were seated next to one another — they had even chatted a little bit about everything from their favorite ice cream flavors to their biggest regrets, but once the man had seen the faint, sad look on her face, he had understood to give her the space she clearly needed. And he didn't blame her, as things were rather messed up. But, now that Simmons caught their attention, both of the S.H.I.E.L.D agents stood up from their seats and glanced at each other before rushing over to their shared friend.
Needless to say, Jenna was positively surprised, as she had expected some kind of a new complication raise its head, only to find herself stare at Phil Coulson himself, live on television.
"HYDRA doesn't think we're smart enough to know when we're being fed alternative facts to keep us afraid, to keep them in power. Remember, there are more of us than there are of them. And now that we know the truth, we have a choice to make. We all have the opportunity to be patriots. Will you take a stand? Are you going to hold them accountable?", the man stared into the camera bravely, and as his words of encouragement got to Jenna, the blonde ended up smiling at the flicker of hope within her heart. Clearly, it had been a busy day for the other agents.
Swallowing, Phil continued, "A wise man once told me that a person can do anything once they realize they're a part of something bigger. It's taken me a while to understand that. For years, I was just a face in the crowd, a history teacher who spread HYDRA's lies. They seemed too imposing for any one person to fight. But now I'm choosing to stand up, to become a part of something bigger", and nodding in utter agreement, Jenna placed a hand on Simmons' shoulder.
"I see why you're all so fond of him", she whispered, and radiating with pride for her boss, Jemma grinned in response.
"I really do believe that together, we can accomplish anything", the man on the TV added on, before taking off his glasses and digging something out of his pocket — a badge. "Because the truth is I'm not just a history teacher. My name is Phil Coulson and I'm an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."
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ONCE BACK AT the base, Jenna and Jemma were reunited with Daisy, whose first instinct was to rush over to Trip and hug the man in relief and joy — only for awkwardness to descend onto the situation when he pointed out that he didn't know her, earning a suffocated smile from Jenna who glanced at her best friend silently. Smoothly lying her way through the moment to avoid seeming crazy in Antoine's eyes, Daisy flashed a convincing smile, but before it could get any worse, Simmons had gestured for Jenna to keep Trip busy while she would catch up with the Inhuman.
