#maosholidayexchange

The base is a cacophony of blaring alarms and near-constant gunfire. Bobbi spins around and throws her elbow back, then brings her baton down. She barely has time to register the sound of bone shattering and the grunt of pain, before double doors are swinging open and a swarm of nameless, faceless Hydra agents pour in.

“Bob-“ shouts a familiar voice.

Hunter is on the other side of the room, covered in blood and looking pissed off, but otherwise unharmed. Most of her anxiety bleeds away, although there’s a lingering fear that he’s been hurt somewhere she can’t see. She twirls her batons twice in quick succession to get her focus back. She can deal with her feelings after the rapidly approaching small army is dealt with.

He tilts his head at her and she nods back, understanding the movement enough to know that he wants them to head for the only other door. It’s not a bad plan really. She regretfully slips her batons into their holsters, drawing a gun instead, before running for the door.

“Ready?” he asks. She doesn’t miss the way he looks her over, checking not too subtly for injuries just as she did.

“Don’t suppose we have a choice.”

She fires multiple shots into the mass of bodies then follows him through and slams the door shut. That should cause enough chaos to buy them a few minutes.  

“Looks like the only way is up, love,” he quips.

Rolling her eyes, she follows him up the rattling stairs. Fire exit… presumably. She hates that word. She hates impromptu missions, especially one into a castle of all the places. If only she’d had a chance to study the layout, they’d at least know if they were about to walk into the most populated area of the damn place.

“Aaand here they come. Cover me?”

Hunter moves with deadly precision, the agents dropping like flies around him almost as soon as they set foot on the stairs. There’s nothing much she can do in such an enclosed space and he’s got it all under control himself anyway, so she settles for watching him. It had always fascinated her how much their fighting styles differed and yet how effectively they were able to work in tandem, twice as deadly.

-

-

“Bloody cockroaches, the lot of them!” he complains.

“Yeah they definitely weren’t kidding about that whole ‘cut off one head, two grow back’ thing.”

They stop at the top of the abandoned stairwell, guns trained downwards. It’s quiet, which is most likely good. Unless Hydra had planned any other surprises.

“Just like the old days,” he says with a grin, chest heaving from exertion. She grins back, leaning back against the wall to catch her breath. The burn in her lungs is almost painful but exhilarating all the same. For months, she was sure the field was nothing but a distant memory and she’d be stuck watching the action from a screen.

“You did good,” he says.

It’s as if he can read her mind, which would be disconcerting if it were anyone else. With him though, it’s different. He’d seen her at her worst – on the days when she’d barricaded herself in her bunk but he’d sat outside and talked to her all day anyway. He’d dried her tears, borne the brunt of her anger and frustrations, held her through the nightmares… She knows that he’s concerned and would much rather she waited for the doctor’s all clear, but he’s supportive and she can’t thank him enough for that. This is what she needs – to be out doing things again.

“Didn’t do too bad yourself,” she smirks, in an attempt to keep the tone light and stop the distracting thoughts.

“How’s your leg?”

‘Fine’ almost slips out like a reflex, but she doesn’t want to deflect with him anymore. Back on that hospital bed, she meant it. She wanted them to have a proper relationship – one with trust and communication and mutual understanding. It’s worked so far, allowed them to move forward to a place she never thought possible.

“As expected. Nothing that a few painkillers and some rest won’t solve,” she says, seeing the way he analyses every word, stares intently at her face. Eventually, he seems satisfied with her answer, and visibly relaxes.  

“Come here,” he says, tugging gently on her wrist. She doesn’t need to be asked twice, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. His breath is light against her skin and she sighs softly, enjoying the quiet moment despite the danger they’re standing right in the middle of.

“I’m fine,” she reassures “I promise.”

“Oh I know,” he smirks, gaze lowering pointedly.

“Shut up,” she says, but there’s no bite to it.  

He takes a step even closer and presses a kiss to her lips, lingering longer than he anticipated. He tucks a strand of flyaway hair behind her ear before untangling himself from her grasp.

“Hunter, I’ve been thinking and-“

She’s cut off by a loud bang and a reminder that this is definitely not the place. Her wedding band hangs from a chain around her neck, drumming against the spot just above her heart as she starts running with him.

-

-

Somehow, the mission ends up being mostly successful, and they end up back in the locker room, both in one piece. She immediately strips off her suit, leaving it pooled on the floor while she tries to tame her hair by running her fingers through it.

Giving up, she turns toward him as he pulls his shirt over his head. Her eyes immediately fall on the blots of ugly purple marring his exposed skin, and she feels the panic welling up.

“Let me take a look at that,” she says, grateful that her voice doesn’t crack.

He doesn’t resist as she guides him to sit on the bench. She’s gentler than she used to be back when they were married. Her touch is light as she traces around the bruises on his chest, checking the severity of the injuries. He lets her grab a clean shirt and ease it over his head, part of their unspoken routine.  

“Nothing broken,” she concludes, breathing a sigh of relief “You’ll be okay.”

“Bobbi-“

“No, wait. I… I think we should do it, get married again.”

To his credit, her sudden admission only leaves him speechless for a few seconds.

“Bob, you’ve been through a lot. I don’t want you to rush into anything until you’re ready.”

“I’m not. I’m ready, Hunter.”

“You’re sure? Don’t do this just for my sake, okay? I shouldn’t have mention-“

“Shhh. I want this. More than anything.”

“What brought this on, love?”

“I never thought marrying you would be a mistake,” she starts, avoiding making eye contact “Anyone can see that we’re doing better than we ever have. What I’m trying to say is… I was scared. It’s stupid, I know, after everything.”

“It’s not stupid,” he cuts in, taking her hand from where she’d laid it on his chest, and slipping it into his own “I know how we ended up. There’s a reason for that Hellbeast nickname.”

“Oh, you think that’s bad? You should have heard some of the things I said about you.”

He blows air through his nose, smiling as he sees her eyes crinkle with laughter. Their familiar back and forth relaxes her and gives her more confidence as she continues.

“I guess I was just scared of putting a label on this. I thought maybe it would ruin what we have now and I can’t go back to what we used to be. But I’m ready to make marriage work for us, if you are.”

They lapse into silence as she gives him time to consider her words and he absentmindedly rubs circles into her hand. He hopes the gesture is reassuring and she knows that he appreciates her openness.

Suddenly, he releases her hand and stands.

“Hunter, wha-?”

Before she can finish, he’s on one knee in front of her, a grin that can only be described as dorky on his face.

“Barbara Morse, would you make me the happiest man alive by becoming my wife?” he says, adding as an afterthought “Again.”

“Only,” her eyes light up playfully “If you swear to never call me that again.”

“I suppose I can do that,” he says, grin never leaving his face “But, uh, I don’t have a ring.”

“Here,” she says, carefully lifting the chain from under her shirt and deftly unclasping it. She hands him the ring, much like he had done with her several weeks ago.

He’s quiet as he slides the circle of gold onto her ring finger. It widens the smile on her face. It felt so right to have the extra weight on her finger again. She feels tears prick at her eyes as he brushes his lips against her hand. God, she’s getting soft.

“Get up here,” she murmurs, voice thick with emotion.

He’s barely on his feet before she’s launching herself at him. His reflexes kick in and he catches her easily, pulling her flush against him.

“I love you,” she whispers, over his shoulder, hugging him tighter. She’d never let go if she had the choice.

“I know,” he responds, after a moment.

She snorts as she pulls back to look at him properly, dropping a kiss to his nose. He cups her head, fingers tangling in her curls, kissing her as deeply as is physically possible, reluctant to end the moment. They stand like that for a while, so close it’s almost like they are one person.

"He's being called a vigilante?" Bobbi mumbles to herself, powering off the screen and letting it rest on her lap. Hunter snorts and shakes his head, dropping his hand back to her knee. She's briefly distracted by his thumb rubbing circles into her aching joint before the TV catches her attention again.

"Such a shame that he's fallen," a deep voice says from behind the couch and Bobbi twists her head to find Mack leaning up against the doorframe.

"What?!" Hunter shouts, standing suddenly, sending a jolt up her knee when it falls to the ground and she winces. He shoots her an apologetic glance before turning to face Mack. "How can you say that?"

"He's doing things outside of SHIELD's jurisdiction. Disobeying orders and protocol-."

"Really, Mack," Hunter interrupts, crossing his arms over his chest. "After all that experience in the field, having to make those split second decisions-."

"Within reason, Hunter." Bobbi watches the two stare each other down before Mack shakes his head and leaves the room. Hunter huffs in indignation and spins around, falling back into the couch.

They sit in silence for a few moments, the news switched to a much lighter story. Bobbi stares blankly at the TV and tries to process what's happening in the world. Coulson wouldn't be too happy to hear about what they're calling Captain Rogers, which means he'd be more terse than usual.

She's pulled out of her reverie by Hunter lifting her legs back into his lap and rubbing her knee again. There's a scowl on his face, but she tilts her foot and pokes his stomach, the scowl quickly dissolving into a faint smile.

Her tablet dings and she looks back at it, mind still stuck on what to make of all this.

-

The news breaks minutes before a mission briefing.  

Fitz runs in and breathlessly tells someone to pull the news up.

The entire room is silent as Tony Stark announces his support of the Registration Act. His speech ends and a newscaster explains this new "Registration Act."

Daisy's the first to break the silence, swearing loudly at the TV. Lincoln, standing behind her, looks incredibly tense, staring off into space. Jemma's staring down at her hands, anxiously twiddling her thumbs. Fitz is standing between Mack's legs, the larger man's hands on his shoulders as if he's trying to keep Fitz calm. Bobbi and Lance are standing side by side, gently leaning into each other.

"This act is bullshit!" Daisy yells suddenly, stomping her foot, and Mack snorts. Her head whips around and she stares at him, tying to figure him out as if he's uncrackable code.

"This act'll protect people and provide jobs-."

"This act will put all our names out there for everyone to see. All they're doing is painting a target on our back!" Lincoln very calmly wraps his fingers around Daisy's wrist and she , his grip acting as a grounding point.

Fitz walks away from Mack and takes a seat, biting at his thumbnail. Mack gives him a look and he leans his elbows on the table with a sigh. "She's right. It'll just make it harder for all the inhumans popping up. You heard them, they want anyone not 'normal' to register as 'living weapons of mass destruction.' How is that fair?" The room falls silent again, the news playing in a loop in the background.

"It'd make a lot of people feel safer," Jemma murmurs and Mack nods in agreement.

"It would also make a lot of people live in fear of being hunted, not just by the government, but Hydra or any other supervillains out there." Mack raises an eyebrow incredulously at Daisy's statement and she practically growls. "Yeah, we live in a world where supervillains exist. The world's changing."

Mack rolls his eyes, then turns to the back of the room. "Barbara, Hunter. You two are awfully quietly. Care to voice your opinion while we're all going at it?" Bobbi shrugs one shoulder, bumping into Hunter, and stares at the TV in favor of not looking at anyone else.

"I don't think it's a bad idea." The moment the words leave her mouth, the tension in the room increases sharply. She'd rather everyone stay calm and not say something that they'll regret, so she's quick to finish her thought. "However, that's not to say that it's perfect either."

"Bob, how can you think this is good?" Hunter asks, voice rising in pitch.

"People have a right to be scared, after what happened in Sokovia. And New York. Little incidents like this are becoming more and more frequent and people need some guidance." Bobbi pushes off the desk and slowly walks to the front of the room, acutely aware of everyone's eyes following her.

"But all the new inhumans will also be terrified, not only of what's happening to them, but also being forced to put their name on a list when they're trying to live with that sudden change." Daisy's shoulders drop and Bobbi smiles softly at her.

"So, in theory, it's a good idea. But they need to think this out more before they implement it." Everyone in the room seems somewhat put at ease, even if they don't outwardly show it.

Coulson steps into the room just then, immediately commanding everyone's attention. "Mission's been put on hold, what with all... this," he says, gesturing to the TV, where the newscasters are still talking about the Registration Act. "Go back to your bunks or research or whatever you were doing before this."

-

Daisy's pacing her bunk furiously, although she's desperately trying to stay calm. Everything may have been modified so she doesn't have any accidents, but she'd rather not take any chances. The door creaks open and she looks up to see Lincoln entering sheepishly.

"Hey." She can't help but smile at his awkward greeting, some of her anger ebbing away.

"Hey yourself." She sits on the bed and pats the spot next to her, snorting when he ducks his head and shuffles over. He doesn't say anything as he takes her hand in his, lacing their fingers together.

"I don't even know what to think right now," she says finally, breaking the silence, and he nods in agreement. "I mean, I get people being scared but this? It's a little drastic."

"I can't have my name on a list," Lincoln mutters, shaking his head, and she squeezes his hand, making him look up. "I can't do it. I've already been hunted once, I gotta do whatever I can to prevent that from happening again."

"I know. And we'll figure something out." His head drops to his chest and Daisy presses her lips into a thin line before placing her free hand on his cheek and turning his head back. "Hey. We will. Promise."

Leaning forward, he rests his forehead against hers and gently bumps the tip of his nose with hers. She wrinkles her nose up with a chuckle as she sweeps her thumb along the back of his hand.

-

The conference room has been tense since they turned the news on, but now it's just Mack and Fitz, and the tension is thick enough to cut with a knife.

"Fitz," Mack says softly, reaching a hand across the table. Fitz sits back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest, trying to stay as far away from him as possible. "Please, just hear me out."

"How could you support that, when it puts your teammates, your <i>friends</i>, in danger?" He shakes his head before looking away, unable to even bear facing the larger man. "It has its good points, I'll give it that, but the flaws outweigh that." A heavy silence falls over the pair, Mack staring Fitz down with a hurt expression.

"I don't know if I can do this, if that's what you really stand for," Fitz finally manages, the words getting caught in his throat.

"Fitz, please-."

"I'm sorry but I can't. Family means more to me than a stupid act. This team is my family, and I want to protect them, not put them in harm's way."

"And you don't think I do too?" Mack yells, punctuating his words with and angry fist on the table. Fitz visibly jumps, clutching his sides tighter, and Mack slumps forward a little. "I care abut this team. But supporting this act helps a lot more people than it hurts." He leans forward, as if to bridge the gap between them, but Fitz suddenly pushes out of his chair and scrubs his hands over his face.

"I'm sorry, Mack, but I can't do this," he mutters as he anxiously scratches the back of his neck. He stands up straight and gives Mack one last fleeting glance. "We're done."

-

Bobbi enters her bunk with a bottle of water and a sandwich, not entirely surprised to find Hunter waiting for her. He looks up with a hard gaze as she crosses the room and sets her lunch on the nightstand.

"You're really in support of that vile thing?" he asks quietly and she bites back on the urge to immediately retort. She carefully considers her words as she sits next to him on the bed, crossing one leg over the other.

"I never said that-."

"Well, you sure didn't say you were opposed to it," he interrupts and she takes a deep breath.

"I don't, not completely." She can feel Hunter's eyes trying to burn a hole through the side of her head. "It's-. I'm-. I don't know," she says, shaking her head. She reaches for her water and takes a drink before offering it to him. His fingers brush hers and linger for a few seconds too long.

"Everyone's acting like this is so black and white, but there are things that need to be considered and-."

"How do you feel about it?"

"I told you!" she yells, her goal of keeping this calm and civil shattered, throwing her hands in the air as she stands and walks aimlessly. "I don't know, I can't make sense of everything and-."

"No," he interrupts again, much quieter this time, suddenly right in front of her. "How do you feel." Bobbi furrows her brow. He winds one arm around her waist and pulls her flush against his body, his other hand resting on her shoulder. She's very aware of his hand sliding down to the middle of her chest, heat seeping through her thin t-shirt and warmth spreading through her veins.

"You're always thinking first, feeling second. What’s your heart saying?” Her expression softens as she loops her arms around his neck, gaze cast downward.

"I'm tired," Bobbi sighs after finally finding the right words. "I'm tired of this, all of this. There's always someone or something  new to fight and I'm just tired." He cups her cheek and she looks at him, feeling like something's breaking inside her chest.

"Whatever you need to do, love. I'm right beside you." She closes her eyes and lets him support her weight, leaning into him fully. His lips brush the shell of her ear and she tightens her grip, holding him even closer. "You're more important than a dumb bloody war."

"I can't be stuck in the middle of yet another damn war," Bobbi whispers. The arm around her waist squeezes tighter and she relaxes into him.

"Then let's get the hell out." She frowns and pulls back to look at him. "We could do it, just you and me." The corner of his mouth quirks up in a half smile and it makes her feel warm inside. It quickly fades though and he looks down at the floor.

"Okay," she says softly and his head pops back up. His eyebrows fly up to his hairline and it makes her smile.

"Really?" Bobbi shrugs and smooths her hand down the back of his neck.