Shades

The next morning Coulson told Eden not to worry about the flame, or about the Avengers. They were sending her home to her grandfather. That only made Eden feel worse about everything. She couldn’t bring herself to smile, say thank you, or show any level of excitement. Deep inside she wondered if she was ready to go home.
She had little in the way of belongings and the trip down South began at daybreak the following day. Coulson and Thor both flew with Denny to a remote airport outside of Atlanta and they met with Jane, Darcy and Selvig. Thor had volunteered to come along Eden assumed for the sole purpose of meeting Jane. Of course, Loki was forced into coming. No one trusted him without Thor being in the immediate area. Loki was none to happy about it, and Eden couldn’t help but notice Jane’s displeasure at Loki’s appearance as well. She gave Eden a short but polite greeting when Coulson introduced them. Darcy was much more sociable and began asking Eden all sorts of questions about her power.
“I’ve been reading up on different types of witches in my spare time,” she said, dragging Eden to the van. “Would you call yourself a Hedgewitch? I mean, I know you’re not a mutant and I think you’re not an Inhuman, so there has to be some kind of explanation for your ability. Isn’t it true that you can talk to spirits? Did you really come back from the dead?”
“Well, I don’t know about witches, to be honest, but there is some hereditary psychic ability in my mother’s side of the family,” Eden said sheepishly. “And I wasn’t really dead, I was…wandering around the Dreamscape for a few years.”
“I think that’s awesome. I read that part of your file too. What’s the Dreamscape like?”
Eden found herself in cheerful conversation with Darcy. She never knew how good it felt to talk to someone who was truly interested in what she did and where she’d been, just for the sake of curiosity. Eden was happy to spend the ride answering Darcy’s questions. The others seemed content to listen, though Thor and Jane held a brief conversation between themselves, and Coulson jumped in with Darcy on some of her questions. Even Loki became curious when Eden showed the flame to Darcy.
When they got closer to Weston’s homestead Eden turned around in her seat and found herself at a loss for words. Many of the older stores by the wayside were familiar to her. They passed the driveway to her parent’s home and she felt a pang of what she could only assume was homesickness. She stomach knotted up with an entirely different feeling as they pulled up the gravel road to her grandfather’s house. Eden gripped her own trembling hands tightly.
“You nervous?” Phil asked. Eden looked at him as if the answer should be obvious.
“I haven’t seen Grandpa Weston in 15 years. I’ve changed. I know I won’t be what he may remember me being. And I know he’s changed, too. I just don’t know what to expect. It does make me nervous.”
“Well, he at least sounded excited to be getting you back,” Phil said. “And I’m sure that whatever he’s like, you’ll be happier here than you will be in SHIELD’s company. Let me get your bag.”
“No no, it’s okay, I can get it,” Eden said and fumbled with the handle.
“Do you want us to help, or—?” Jane asked half-heartedly from the back of the van.
“Oh no, don’t worry yourselves,” Coulson said, smiling back at Jane. “This shouldn’t take long.”
Jane watched Coulson and Eden march across the unkempt yard towards the path lined with potted mums.
“Was he being sarcastic?” Jane asked Darcy for clarification which was, in truth, unnecessary.
“Of course not,” Darcy said, imitating the same semi-patronizing tone Coulson had used. Jane pursed her lips.
“No offense Jane, but you’ve been kind of uppity this entire trip. Even before we even started talking about coming down here you’ve been acting really weird.”
Jane looked at Thor for confirmation, but the god averted his gaze and became extremely interested in the air conditioning controls beside his seat. When she looked to Selvig he didn’t look away but made a noncommittal shrug.
“Face it Jane, you’re not very good at hiding your feelings,” Darcy said as she readjusted herself in the seat.
“I’m sorry,” Jane stammered in defense, “But things have been really stressful at work lately and—”
“Are you sure it’s just about work? Or does it maybe have something to do with unexpressed personal feelings?” Darcy interrupted. Jane looked embarrassed and miffed.
“Can we not discuss this here?” She hissed not so subtly.
“If we don’t discuss it now you know you’re just going to put it off again and again,” Darcy pressed. “You’re annoyed, and I think it has to do with him.”
Thor, the victim of Darcy’s assumption, looked to Jane with startled surprise. Jane opened her mouth to retort but was cut off by a stifled alarm coming from one of the boxes. She and Selvig both moved in unison towards the noise, helped each other open the box, and analyze the device.
“What’s happened?” Thor asked.
“I’m getting readings, but these aren’t the same as before,” Jane shook her head. “We need to go, now.”
“I’ll get Coulson,” Selvig volunteered without hesitation. He stepped over Loki’s legs, which the god made no effort to move, and exited the van.

Oliver Weston greeted his long-lost granddaughter with a hearty hug. She took it graciously, but to be embraced so warmly startled her and she was afraid her returning hug seemed stiff and unfriendly.
“Look at you,” Weston said with her face in his hands. “A young lady. You were just knee-high to a grasshopper last I saw you. I see you still don’t like to brush your hair. Good thing that’s a look now with you youngsters! You’ll look beautiful without even trying.”
He patted her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
She was close enough to see the dark circles under his eyes and the pallid color of his skin. He looked tired and beat up, like a man with one foot in his grave. But he moved like he still had a full reserve of youthful vigor, and his smile was broad and genuine.
“I’m sorry for such a short notice,” Coulson hesitantly interrupted.
“Oh, it’s not a problem at all. I’m more than happy to have her back,” Oliver excused.
“I hope you won’t mind if I— or another agent— stops by and checks on her every so often.”
“Of course not,” Oliver smiled. “I’m sure Denny would love the company.”
He shot her a smile, which she returned with an added nod. While there was a pause in the conversation Denny allowed a brief surge of courage to take hold of her body and she gave Phil a quick but heartfelt hug, hoping that it would express to him that she would miss him and that she was grateful to him for trying to understand her, and anything else she felt her words would fail to convey. Coulson seemed taken aback by the gesture, but was quick on the uptake. He gave her a squeeze in return.
“Don’t get yourself into trouble,” he warned, as a mild joke. “At least not until I’m free to stop by and scold you for it.”
“I’d cross my heart on that, but I never make promises I don’t intend to keep,” she returned smugly.
Suddenly Selvig burst through the door.
“I think we’d better get moving,” he said breathlessly. “We’re already getting massive energy spikes from the radar.”
Coulson turned serious and excused himself and Selvig.

Notes