Agents of Family

For two years, Bobbi studied hard and Hunter worked in the school coffee shop. Every single day they worried about Jemma, prayed that she was still alive and not hurt too badly. They shared Bobbi’s bed and she was there to comfort him from his nightmares. She was really starting to see the full picture of the hell Jemma was living in.

Just as Hunter opened up to her about his own household, Bobbi talked about her upbringing. How her parents died when she was a toddler and she was bounced from house to house until the Coulsons finally found her. They never gave up on her for being “too quiet” and “painfully shy” like her file said. They gave her time, space, and love, which no one else ever did. Her social worker, Sharon Carter, had been a big help in arranging that.

The two started dating a few months after Jemma left. They couldn’t help but grow closer with everything going on. Bobbi brought him back food from the dining hall and he did the laundry and cleaned. They found they lived pretty well together.

Then they started talking with Sharon. Bobbi was glad to hear an international case wasn’t going to be as hard as she had thought. The papers were the same, but Hunter just needed to somehow get into the US.

“He can get a visa or green card until he’s eligible to apply for US citizenship,” Sharon explained. “As a minor, Jemma’s under whatever he has, if he’s her sole legal guardian. Both parents just need to sign the form to disown her. Both of you, if you’d like.”

“I don’t want to have any sort of ties to them,” Lance said bitterly. “If it means them disowning us both, then I can do it.”

Two years creeped by. Sharon flew to them and they flew to Sharon. Hunter finally got his visa. Papers were mailed back and forth. Bobbi passed class after class, inching towards her degree. Hunter built up his bank account and could finally see his dream of an apartment for his family in sight.

Three days after Bobbi’s graduation was move out. She sold most of her stuff to undergraduate kids, packed up her clothes and belongings, and put them in the back of a taxi cab.

“You got the plane tickets?” She asked Hunter. He nodded solemnly.

“We have about two hours to get in, get Jem and her things, get them to sign the papers, and be out,” he said. “That should be plenty of time.”

He blew out a nervous breath. Bobbi pressed a kiss to his cheek. “She’s strong, Hunter. She’ll be coming to a much better place now. She’s coming with us.”

“I really hope you’re right.”

The car they rented was parked outside his parent’s apartment building almost four hours later. Even though he sped the whole thing, it was still a long drive. Bobbi’s and his things were in the trunk. Hunter assured her Jemma wouldn’t have more than one bag and that her stuff would fit easily.

He led her up the steps and she could see the anger and fear clear on his face. As much as he’d like to think otherwise, Hunter wore his heart on his sleeve. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening the door.

It was unlocked, just as he expected. He walked in, making sure to keep Bobbi slightly behind him, just in case. “Hello?”

Hunter’s eyes darkened as his dad came down the hallway. He had gotten larger, his beer gut going farther out than before. He grunted at Hunter. “Thought you were dead.”

“Funny, I wished you were,” Hunter said to him. “Are mum and Jem here?”

“Kid’s probably still crying,” he said gruffly and even Bobbi could feel her face growing red with anger. “She’s weak. Soft. A little brat who doesn’t know how to behave. God, I wish your mother had just dumped her on the way home from the hospital.”

“She’s your daughter,” Bobbi said in disbelief.

The man rolled his eyes. “No she’s not. Who are you?”

“Who’s at the door?” A voice called from down the hallway. Hunter’s mother came slinking down the hallway. She looked worse too. Her hair had grayed and thinned, her skin was a mess, and her pupils looked different. Good to know she was back on drugs.

“Great, you’re both here,” Lance said drily. “Good news for you. Sign these papers and you’ll be rid of me and Jem as your responsibilities.”

To Bobbi’s horror, the man laughed. “Where do we sign?”

Bobbi poked her head around the apartment, looking for Jemma, while Hunter had his parents sign the papers. It didn’t take longer than five minutes for them to sign away their children.

“Wonderful,” Hunter said. “Here’s twenty. Go out and get yourselves a drink to celebrate.”

“Y’don’t hafta tell me twice,” his mother slurred. The pair were out the door before Hunter could even get the papers back in his bag.

Bobbi hugged him for a long minute after they left.

“We’re free,” he said in a small voice.

Bobbi smiled and pushed him back. “Yeah, and we’re all going to a new home.”

“I hope she’s here,” Hunter said. “I don’t know where else she’d go.”

He and Bobbi poked their head around every door, calling to Jemma that her parents were gone. Finally, he heard her soft reply when he was nearing her room.

“Lance?” Jemma said in a small voice.

He shot into the room and looked around wildly. “Jems? Is that you?”

She sniffled and peeked out from the closet. The drywall had rotted away, giving her a little space to hide in when things got too bad. She carefully climbed out and finally met his eyes.

He took a split second to look her over. Her eyes were red. He could tell she had been crying. Her clothes were dirty and she had lost a lot of weight despite being a good few inches taller. Her hair was longer and she looked paler. She had bruises in every stage of healing and she was favoring her right hand. He was sure there were also a million things wrong that he couldn’t see.

But finally, finally, Lance swept his little sister up into his arms. He held her tightly, tighter than he ever had before. The second his arms were around her, Jemma started sobbing. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and she held on with no intention of letting go.

Bobbi heard the commotion and came down the hallway. She let out a breath of relief at the sight. “Oh thank god, Jemma.”

Bobbi didn’t want to interrupt the siblings, so she instead packed up Jemma’s things. There was a pile of clothing on the floor of the room and that was it. Bobbi went into the kitchen, grabbed a garbage bag, and stuffed the clothes in it. It would have to do for now.

Finally, Jemma and Lance had both calmed down some. She was calmly resting against his chest and he had sat down on her mattress. He smiled a bit at Bobbi as she finished bagging up her clothes.

“Jem, you remember Bobbi, yeah?”

Jemma turned her head from his chest and smiled. “Of course. I was hoping you would come too.”

“I’m so happy to see you,” Bobbi told her, coming to sit next to Lance on the bed. Jemma shifted a little so she could wrap an arm around Bobbi without leaving her brother’s lap. “We have a flight scheduled about four hours out. We’re going to Michigan. You’re finally getting out of here.”

“What about citizenship?” Jemma asked.

“I have a visa now,” Hunter told her, wiping some stray hairs out of her face. “And mum and dad just signed us away, so you’re officially mine.”

“I am?” Jemma asked. The hope in her eyes was painful.

“You are,” Bobbi said with a grin. “I shouldn’t be laughing, but I’ve never seen people so happy to disown their children.”

Jemma laughed giddily and tightened her hug between the two of them, pulling the three of them closer together. “So I never have to see them again?”

“That’s the hope,” Hunter told her. “We’re going to get a new start in the states. New friends, new school, and that apartment we always talked about. You were right, Jems. We are going to be okay.”

Bobbi and Hunter exchanged a quick kiss before going back to hugging Jemma, who pulled back for a second.

“You two are together?”

They looked at each other for a second. They had forgotten that Jemma didn’t know. “Uh, yes,” Hunter said.

Jemma smiled a little. “Good. I like you two together.”

Jemma told Bobbi she could scrap all her clothes. The washing machine had been overtaken by mold, so they weren’t very clean anyway. Lance promised her they would go shopping once they got to America.

Jemma was understandably clingy with the pair, especially Lance, the rest of the day. She sat between them on the plane and was wearing one of Bobbi’s sweatshirts to cover her bruises and stop people from asking questions, even though it was absolutely massive on her.

It didn’t matter to Jemma. It was comfy and smelled safe.

The flight was long and boring, but none of them minded. Bobbi closed her eyes while Jemma held tight to both of their hands. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing them again.

After they landed, Lance held Jemma’s hand tightly to get them through the crowded airport and to the baggage claim.

“I’m just gonna go call my mom,” Bobbi told them. “She’s going to meet us outside terminal C at 3:15.”

Hunter gave her a thumbs up before picking Jemma up and settling her on his hip. She wrapped her arms around his neck and settled into him easily. She had missed this.

“Are you okay?” He asked her softly. “Really? Should we stop at a hospital?”

Jemma shook her head against him. “I’m alright. I’ve gotten quite good at cleaning the wounds and splinting. I do believe everything is under control and nothing is broken.”

He didn’t know what to say to that, so he pressed a kiss to her hair as they waited for the belt to start moving.

Lance grabbed their bags off the belt with one hand and waited with them until Bobbi came back over. He had no intention of putting down Jemma, so she wheeled two bags and he wheeled one.

Hunter had met May on FaceTime before and she looked exactly the same in person. Bobbi met her with a tight hug and smile as they approached. Then she pulled back.

“Mom, you’ve met Hunter on FaceTime, and this is his little sister, Jemma.”

“Hi again Hunter,” May said to him with a kind smile. She knew a fair amount of what he and his family had been through. “We’re so glad you’re here.”

Then she redirected her attention to Jemma, who turned her said to see the new figure. “Jemma is a beautiful name. I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before,” May commented. “And we’re very glad you’re here, too.”

Jemma gave her a hesitant smile. “Thank you, and I’m glad to be out of England.”

Bobbi and May loaded the bags into the back as Hunter and Jemma settled into the back. They all understood, of course. Nothing and no one could separate the pair at the moment, not when they were seeing each other for the first time in two years.

Bobbi sat in the back with them, once again sandwiching Jemma in the middle. May held up idle chit chat as they drove. It was calming for all of them, to just be safe and together again.

After a little over an hour of driving, May pulled up in front of a nice looking apartment building. It had modern flare to it and a sleek cream colored exterior. There was a small balcony attached to each unit, with dark metal railings and the same color on all the window and door frames. In front, there was a small garden spanning across the width of the building, with hot pink azaleas. The building appeared well kept and cared for. There wasn’t a crack to be seen.

Jemma couldn’t stop staring at the building and neither could Lance. May turned around in her seat to look at them.

“This is the place,” Bobbi said aloud. “Jemma, Hunter and I looked at pictures online and it looks really nice inside. Our down payment for the first three months is paid.”

Jemma turned to Bobbi, still a little in shock. “Then what?”

Bobbi exchanged a concerned look with her mom. “Well, then we pay rent every month.”

“And we get to stay here?”

May gave Jemma a small smile. “Yes, you guys live here now. Most people with apartments pay rent every month, but the first three need to be paid for all at once for commitment reasons.”

Then she turned her attention between Bobbi and Hunter, who was still staring at the building in wonder. He had seen pictures online, but it felt so different now that it was right in front of him.

“And if you two ever find yourselves in a situation where you can’t pay your bills, Phil and I can help. We know you’re both responsible adults, but also new to this. We all make mistakes at first,” May finished.

Hunter finally looked at her. “Thank you so much, May. I, I really don’t know what to say. This is too good to be true.”

“Well it is,” Bobbi said, squeezing his hand. “It’s all coming true.”

May helped them bring their bags upstairs to their unit after Hunter picked up their key. Jemma held his hand as they walked slowly through the apartment.

“It’s so clean,” Jemma said quietly. “There’s no holes and it smells wonderful. Do we really get to stay here?”

She didn’t know Bobbi and May were listening sadly from the hallway.

He winked at her and dug into his backpack and pulled out the picture frame of the two of them at graduation from the last good day they had had. He set it on the table next to the tv.

“We do. We’re never gonna have to live like that ever again. We have each other and Bobbi now and her family is five minutes down the road.”

Bobbi finally stepped into the room and joined the pair. She picked up Jemma and pulled Hunter into a hug.

“Welcome home, guys. It can only get better from here.”