𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓
I fall apart many times so what does that say about me besides I live through wars

THE pack gathered around the television in Derek's loft, all sitting around in various places as they switched on the television. When it showed Daisy walking into a court room, they all sat up straighter and tensed, wondering on how this was gonna play out.

DAISY looked to her left as Mace placed a hand on her shoulder before taking a seat. "How're you holding up?" She sighed and took a seat beside him. "It's okay to be nervous, you know."

"Me?" Daisy pointed to herself. "Nah. I don't get nervous anymore."

"Okay." Mace nodded. "Well, I'm just saying, if you are..."

"I mean, it's not my comfort zone, but I'm good," she told him, knowing she was going to put Inhuman haters in their places. They have no clue on how hard it is to be one of them. "I'll just tell the truth. I'm good at that." She looked to him and raised an eyebrow. "You?"

He stared at her for a few seconds, not answering, but then he asked her something that made her tense up. "You don't talk much about your childhood, do you?" She bit her lip and looked away. "The foster homes, bouncing around. I imagine a lot of the time, it felt like you had to perform to convince people to like you."

Daisy tilted her head. "Only the places I wanted to stay." She looked to him, eyes narrowed. "Why are you asking?"

"Because if you enter every room thinking you got to do a song and dance, eventually everything becomes a performance. And believe me, I know how it feels putting on an act full-time," he explained, looking ahead of himself.

"Yeah." She nodded. "You do, don't you?"

He turned to her again with admiration in his eyes. "Anyway, I know it's not an act with you. Coulson's been saying since day one that you're the real deal, and I've learned to trust his read on people, so..."

She gulped and turned to Mace. "He believed in me before I believed in myself," she told him. "Other than my brother and boyfriend, no one else did. Of course, my mother did, too, but she was barely around seeing as she had to take double shifts to take care of all three of us," she told him more than she should've. "You too, you know." She brought herself back to the topic and he smiled. "It's why he wants you with us still. He — He keeps saying you were trying to do the right thing."

He shifted in his seat. "Oh, you've talked about it, huh?"

She nodded. "Sure. And listen, with me... sometimes it's... Sometimes I think it's an act," She looked him in the eyes.

"You got this," He told her and she smiled, looking away.

"Jeffrey, I'm surprised to see you," Ellen said, surprised, as she walked over to them, eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," Mace sarcastically retorted.

"Surprised to see him not dead, you mean?" Daisy questioned, crossing her arms.

Talbot stood in front of Ellen, blocking her view of them. "There'll be plenty of time to ask questions after we've started, Ellen."

She glared at him. "I expect a lot of questions will be answered in this meeting." She looked to them. "Have fun."

They all took their places, getting ready for the whole thing to start.

"All right," One of the senators spoke up. "Let's bring the meeting to order." He looked to Daisy, "Agent Daisy Johnson, we'd like to swear you in."

She stood up, entwining her hands.

"WHAT has Daisy gotten herself into?" Scott asked, looking at his older sister on the television in worry. "They could just take her words as lies and sentence her to death or something." He rubbed his faces. "Isn't that how these type of things go?"

"Shouldn't you know?" Lydia questioned, looking to Scott as he pulled Kira into his arms, kissing the side of her head.

"You mean because my mother and father went to court to see who got custody of me? He questioned and then shook his head. "I was just a little kid, I don't remember how that went. It wouldn't even matter if I did or not, anyway, because Daisy's trial thing is about something completely different and life bigger than custody problems."

"Wow, you actually made sense for once." Stiles proudly clapped his bestfriend on the shoulder.

"Yeah... weird," Allison commented and then giggled as Scott playfully growled at her. She buried her head into Lydia's strawberry blonde hair, smiling. Lydia smiled at the brunette and wrapped an arm around her, feeling complete.

After the whole assassin ordeal, Allison couldn't leave her friends behind, plus, Chris ended developing feelings for Melissa, so there was no way that they were gonna go back to Paris. So, they took up residence in the McCall house, Allison taking up Daisy's room once she got approval to do so from the owner of the room. Chris and Melissa obviously share a room since they're lovers.

Malia suddenly yelped and elbowed Isaac in the face before her eyes widened. "Why'd you do that, asshole?" She questioned.

"I thought you wanted to..." He trailed off, wincing as he looked at her. "You were leaning in, so I leaned in, too."

"I was just surprised." She then smiled and grabbed Isaacs face, forcing their lips together. Their lips seemed to mold together perfectly but they were soon interrupted when Lydia and Allison cheered, happy that their ship had finally sailed.

"NO, Senator, I understand," Daisy spoke, nodding her head. "Being a party to the Sokovia Accords would be very different from being an undercover S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."

"Well, you'll answer to a different authority... the public."

"Believe me, I've — I've had worse bosses," Daisy answered and some people chuckled.

"Uh, next up is Senator Nadeer."

"Thank you, Mr. Chairperson," Ellen said. "Agent Johnson, as an Inhuman yourself, do you feel more responsibility to help Inhumans than normal Americans?"

Daisy glared. "Well, first of all, Inhumans are normal. Let's be clear about that. But with regard to whom I'll help, I'm here for all Americans. But more often than not, Inhumans are left to fend for themselves with few resources."

"So Inhumans cause more trouble."

Daisy shook her head automatically. "No. Inhumans are more likely the victims of hate crimes, which is not fair. They are our friends, they are our co-workers... our brothers," she gave her a look. "They all deserve help, wherever they may be."

"Agent Johnson, let's discuss your theft of more than $7 million from three banks while you were undercover from S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Illegally acquired funds going towards illegal activity," Daisy put infernces on illegal so that her point could get across.

"So you say. Has the U.S. government recovered those funds?"

"The money has been distributed to... worthy causes," Daisy answered, glancing to Mace who wore a worried look.

"I see." Ellen nodded. "So you took the entire justice system into your own hands."

Daisy glared and sat up straighter. "I was working as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative—"

"Without signing the Accords, so either you committed an illegal act by robbing banks or S.H.I.E.L.D. committed an illegal act by using an unauthorized enhanced agent."

"Mr. Chairman, this line of questioning—" One of the other senators spoke but got cut off by Ellen.

"And S.H.I.E.L.D. is still doing it." Daisy lowered her head and her lips turned up into a snarl. "Even as we speak, S.H.I.E.L.D. continues to engage in illegal activity," Ellen spat.

"That's not true," Talbot stood up, looking her in the eyes.

"No?"

"No!"

"General, moments ago, my people apprehended two S.H.I.E.L.D. operatives breaking in to my office," she said and Daisy turned around to see Coulson and Elena standing there handcuffed and held by cops. "Seems they were trying to install surveillance equipment to spy on my staff and me."

"Uh, there-there must be some mistake here," Mace stuttered out.

Ellen looked Mace in the eyes. "This Inhuman, Ms. Rodriguez? She signed the Sokovia Accords, but now she's been caught red-handed in a S.H.I.E.L.D.-sanctioned operation without U.N. approval, just as S.H.I.E.L.D. did with Agent Johnson." Daisy squared her shoulders. "It appears S.H.I.E.L.D. really is a criminal organization after all."

STILES was biting his nails as he watched the television, worry seeping through his whole body for Daisy. He loved her so much and didn't want to see her get hurt and right now, that is exactly what he thinks will happen — she is going to get hurt.

"She's gonna be alright, Stiles," Allison spoke up, rubbing his back, hoping to bring comfort to him. "She's a badass inhuman named quake, she can take care of herself."

"Yeah... I know."

DAISY sat on a bench beside Coulson and Elena, hunched over as THEY watched the senators, Talbot, and Made argue in another room, two doors with glass windows separating us.

"That conversation does not look fun," Daisy commented with a sigh.

"I have a feeling no conversation with that woman is ever fun," Elena retorted, looking at her boots.

"She knew we'd be there," Coulson stated. "Not just any Inhuman. You specifically," he looked to Elena.

"There has to be a leak," Daisy stated, running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah." Coulson nodded. "There has to be."

The door opened and out came Talbot and Mace who approached them, "Well, we're all free to go," Mace told the trio.

"Because there's a catch, right?" Daisy asked, already knowing that there is one.

"Well, maybe a slight—"

"You're damn right there's a catch," Talbot cut him off, "There's gonna be a full investigation, starting with a Senate committee hearing. They may even bring charges."

"That's unlikely, so let's all just take a beat—" Mace started but Talbot cut him off.

"Unlikely?" Talbot asked rhetorically. "They're gonna drag us in front of every subcommittee, asking us who we are and what we do."

"This was the risk in going legit," Coulson spoke up.

Talbot shook his head. "No, this was the risk in going after Nadeer."

"Couldn't have known she'd be ready for us."

"Maybe if somebody had warned you first?"

"Guys!" Daisy exclaimed, looking at Coulson and Talbot.

Talbot shook his head. "No, you do this all the time, Phil. I give you the benefit of my expertise, and you just ignore it."

Coulson jumped up and got in Talbots face. "You're never up front with us, General. You lied about Taiwan, you lied to us about Jeffrey--"

"They kidnapped my son!" Talbot shouted. "And I put Jeffrey in that position because you have too damn much baggage to hold that position yourself."

"We have very different styles. We always have."

"And your style just gave the bad guy all the ammunition she needs to go after us."

"That's not how I see it."

"Really? How do you see it?"

"This move just exposed the fact that we have a leak," Coulson informed him. "Someone tipped Nadeer off we were coming. You opposed the op. Did you warn her?"

Talbot raised his head and looked Coulson in the eyes. "I believed in you when no one else did, Phil. No. I am not the leak. S.H.I.E.L.D. only exists because of me. And maybe that's a mistake."

He then walked away.