"Since when do you believe in magic, anyway?" Mae asked. "Or trust it?"

"Since a god fell in the middle of New Mexico," Coulson said blandly. "And another one killed me."

"All the more reason not to want anything to do with it," Mae pointed out.

"We don't have a choice with those three," Coulson said wryly. "I still don't have any other ideas, as opposed to letting the expert do what she does best."

"Who is she, anyway?" Mae asked. "I've never heard of her before, and my clearance is just as high as yours."

"She's one of a pair of special agents," Coulson said. "Neither of them are quite what people expect, and they both have... special talents."

"I see," Mae said. Setting the Bus to autopilot for the moment, she picked up a sandwich. "Are you going to ask this specialist to take a look at Barton for you? Make sure he's really back to normal?"

Coulson shook his head. "Not yet," he said. "Barton is still recovering. He won't let anyone get close enough, not right now. He's difficult on the best of days; he'll be impossible now."

"I'm surprised you put up with that," Mae commented.

"It's not my place to decide now," Coulson said with a shrug. "And before he was easier. He was fine with me." He quirked a faint smile. "After a little adjusting."

Mae couldn't quite cover a snort.

"I think everyone's heard stories about that 'adjustment'," she said. "And you can't tell me you're not concerned about the two of them with a new handler."

"I am concerned," Coulson said. There was no point denying it, after all. "But I'm currently not allowed to interfere." He was quiet for a moment. "I think I'll have to talk to Director Fury tonight."

Mae couldn't help a small smirk. Yeah, she hadn't expected that Phil would be hold out for long where his former assets were concerned.

Coulson snorted at the look. "Go ahead and eat," he said. "I'll go contact the director."

"You do that," Mae replied, settling back in her chair. Once she was finished she'd take the Bus off of autopilot.

Coulson went back to his office to make the phone call. He wanted the privacy, after all.

It was late, but Coulson also had access to a direct line to Fury, and the director had been waiting for the call.

"And what can I do for you tonight, Coulson?" Fury asked when he picked up.

"Director Fury," Coulson greeted. "I've heard that the Avengers aren't taking so well to the handlers I'd picked out."

"Thought you weren't going to interfere anymore," Fury replied. "Change of heart?"

"They're refusing to adapt," Coulson said. "It would seem I need to interfere again."

"This is their best reaction yet," Fury pointed out. "They chased off all of the other handlers inside a week. These ones have lasted several."

"Barton and Romanov won't accept them," Coulson said quietly. "I'm pretty sure you know that already, Director."

"Well, they wouldn't need to if their former handler would take them on again," Fury replied mildly. "Or if their former handler were to personally endorse the new ones."

"You were the one who agreed I should stay away for a while," Coulson said. "If I had permission, I'd be more than happy to personally endorse these two."

"You wouldn't want your assets back?" Fury asked, raising an eyebrow. "After all you did to make sure they'd be kept around?"