A SHIELD Night Out

[Phil Coulson]

Two months after the fight at the Civic Center, the agents of SHIELD were finally able to have a night out.  Jacoba had picked the Tap Room; a little hole in the wall bar near the San Francisco University.  It hadn't been Coulson's first choice of a place to have a drink, but Maria said that if she had to go, he did as well.

It was after seven-thirty, and Phil was now just pulling his car into the parking lot.  He spotted Jacoba's motorcycle and Maria's car right away, hopefully they hadn't been here for too long.  He walked into the building and searched for his group.  They were sitting in the back corner of the bar.  Jacoba, Maria, Jules Wisdom, Sharper, and a couple of other agents.

"Well, there you are!  Honestly we thought you bailed on us," Jacoba said as he pulled out a seat for Coulson.  

Phil sat down and nodded to each of the agents at the table.  "I was finishing up a couple of reports for Director Stark.  Have you been here long?" he asked.

"About an 'our," Jules said giving Coulson a smile.  "JJ invited me.  Although, I think it was just a ploy to get me to join you guys!"

Phil nodded, and then looked up at the waitress.  "Bourbon neat, thanks."  

"Already starting on the hard stuff, nice!" JJ joked.

"Too bad Pete couldn't be 'ere.  I'm sure you guys would 'ave a lot to talk about.  'e's in New York at the Hellfire Gala.  I was supposed to go but JJ said that this was going to be a lot more fun," Juliet said.  She looked around at the table, almost everyone but JJ looked miserable.  SHIELD agents were total party animals.

Phil actually wouldn't have minded an invite to the Gala.  It would have given him a chance to snoop around and see what they were up to these days.  Phil nodded thanks to the waitress, as she set his bourbon down in front of him.  He picked it up and took a sip just as his phone buzzed with a text message.

<I miss u>

Phil picked up his phone and typed a quick message.

<Miss you 2>

It buzzed again immediately.

<Miss you more>

Phil's lip twitched in a little smile, as he slid the phone back into his pocket.  He looked back up at the group.  Jacoba had his eyebrow arched in question at him.  Phil glanced away and looked at Maria.  "So, do we have anyone undercover monitoring the Hellfire Gala or did Stark decide to keep our noses out of this one?"

[Vendetta]

"I wanna know who you keep texting, Coulson," Jacoba said with a smirk on his face.  He knew it wasn't anyone to do with work, because Coulson's lip kept twitching in a slight smile every time he got a new text.

"It's no one,"  Phil responded, giving him a warning look not to push any further.

"You gotta girl, Phil?"

"JJ, leave 'im be," Jules said with a shake of her head.

"Alright, but if you got a girlfriend that's cool.  I mean, you're allowed to have one."  He took a drink and then looked over at Maria.  This was supposed to be his night out with her.  Just him and her.  Not Coulson, Jules, or any other the other agents that were invited along.  He sighed and smiled at Maria.  

"So can I get you another drink?"  he asked her, noticing that she finished hers off.

[Agent Simmons]

"Of course I'm late," Seymour Simmons grumbled as he finally made it back to the SHIELD group and sat down. "Stupid crazy people on the BART line. Some moron decided it was fun to toss some old lady's walker in front of a train. You'd think this was New York!"

Simmons noticed Jacoba and Hill sitting next to each other and made a weird face, scrunching his eyes a bit and looking like he was trying to figure out a very hard math problem. "You two..."

"We two what?" Hill asked as she glared at Simmons. "And why were you on the BART?"

"My car died," Simmons said as he flagged down the waitress. "Anchor Beer. And peanuts. Lots of peanuts."

"Seymour Simmons, this is Juliet Wisdom," Hill said as Simmons extended his hand to Jules. "She used to work with Jacoba."

"Ah! The one that got away!" Simmons replied as he then turned to Coulson. "And you. You look as happy as a cat in a factory full of rocking chairs. You still bent out of shape about those Purifier idiots? I've been doing some research on them, and they are going to be more trouble than we are willing to admit. Some of them date back to the Crusades. As in them. Not their daddies. So they are lying through their very perfect teeth that they are not mutants or witches or whatever. At least some of them. The freaky one with the wings that Wolverine gutted..."

"Shop talk already?" Hill asked as she shook her head. "We haven't been here 10 minutes and we're already on shop talk! Jacoba, think you can get us back form the edge of the cliff on this one?"

[Agent Sharper]

Deacon Sharper took a sip of his beer as he listened to Hill and Simmons getting into it about shop talk. "Captain, could we please forget the mutant hating lunatics for a few minutes and talk about, I don't know, baseball? Or some funny stories Juliet must have about Jacoba? Or what exactly they put in the mix for these wings. Damn! They are good!"

"Sharper! Don't tell me you didn't see anything strange at Fisherman's Wharf," Simmons said as the waitress handed him his beer and peanuts.  "Give it up, my good man!"

"Strange? I saw some kid Director Stark had in another world, and he is as...delightful...as his old man," Sharper said as he rolled his eyes. "Apple did not fall far from that tree. Not at all!"



 

[Maria Hill]

Hill wanted a nice quiet evening where she could just sit and enjoy herself, but this was turning into the party from hell fast.  "Drink? Yes, I'd love another drink," she said to JJ before thinking about Phil, his question about Hellfire and the queries about his love life. "And let's see about getting more food before Sharper eats all the wings. Please."

Maria looked up at the TV above the bar to see all the people gathering for the Hellfire gala in New York. The director was not going, but Hill knew Pepper Potts was going to attend in Stark's place. "Phil, your friend Pepper is supposed to be at that party, but Director Stark did not ask us to drop anyone in. That said, I can get someone off the New York Hellicarrier to pay them a visit if needed," she added as she grabbed a handful of peanuts from Simmon's bowl. "Wait. Scratch that. I forgot Victoria Lennox will be there. Her father is a member of Hellfire in England."

As she looked back at the screen, Hill knew Coulson likely had a very good reason to ask about this party. "I take it you found out something that needs to be addressed? We can bodyslide you there later. It wouldn't be a problem."

[Phil Coulson]

It would be nice to see Darcy since they hadn't been able to get together for a couple of weeks.  Between her schooling and interning and his job, it made it difficult to see each other.  Of course, even if he went to the gala, he and she couldn't really be together.  Their relationship was a secret and it probably have to stay like that for quite a while.  Phil looked at Maria and nodded.  "If there is a need for us to go then I'm up for it," he said taking a sip of his bourbon.

"Wait, wait ... I thought this was a night out to have some fun," JJ said shaking his head.  "It was a night to party and get drunk off our asses!"

Jules rolled her eyes.  "I see you 'aven't changed much 'ave ya, sunshine?"  

"Okay, maybe not drunk but it was a night for us to relax.  Not to have a quick drink and back off to work.  If Agent No Fun wants to go snoop around Hellfire let him or if rest of you want to go with him that's fine, but maybe leave me and Maria here."

Jules arched her eyebrow.  Dear lord if she didn't stop JJ from blabbering his love for Maria Hill he may not make it out of the bar alive tonight.  "So Pete's not happy about me possibly joining you guys.  But 'onestly the X-men 'aven't given me much to do while I've been there."

Phil's eyes had been shifting back and forth from JJ and Maria.  Surely they couldn't ..., but when Juliet started to speak he looked at her and gave her a smile.  "We'd love to have you aboard Miss Wisdom, I'm sure your brother will get over it."

[Broadway]

"Well." Jules took a sip of her drink.  "You know 'ow my brother can be, Phil.  He wants me for MI-13, which I'd be fine with but that entails moving back to England and I'm not ready for that commitment yet."

JJ raised his eyebrow.  "You got a guy here or something, Jules?"

Juliet rolled her eyes.  "My luck with men 'asn't improved over the years, luv.  I'm as single as I ever was."  She took another sip of her drink just as the waitress came over with another round of drinks and a pizza.  "I'm not real good in that department.  Haven't been on a date in ... god, I sound pathetic now ..." She quickly shut up.

"Last time I was on a date was like a month ago, but I found out the girl was like 20 years old, I'm 28.  Kind felt wrong, like I was some dirty old man or something," he said with a laugh.  He took notice when Coulson promptly looked down at his lap and scratched his head a bit nervously.

Jules smiled.  "Well, if you guys are serious about having me join SHIELD then I'm with you.  Let me know when I should report for duty,"  she said with nod.  She looked over at Sharper and Simmons.  "So are your specialties, agents?  Sharper, you're some sort of tech guy, right?"

[Maria Hill]

"Phil can handle Hellfire just fine on his own," Maria said as she grabbed a piece of the pizza that had just been brought to the table. "Victoria will be there anyway. And before you get all fussy, JJ, she's a good agent. I know she may not exactly be a member of your fan club, but she is an asset to the agency."

Maria watched Phil as he started to look down after JJ mentioned his 20 year-old date. Coulson could not possibly be skirting the edges of common sense in his personal life, could he? "And sorry about calling Pepper your pal, Phil. You seem to be the only agent she allows into the inner sanctum of Stark Industries. I know she wishes I'd disappear most days."

Hill then turned her attention back to Juliet. "I can only imagine what the X-Men are having you do these days," she added before she stopped to take another bite of her pizza slice. "And working for your brother might not be the best situation either. If you want to start with SHIELD, you can report in the morning. And I can handle talking to your brother if you'd like."

[Agent Sharper]

"Yup, alien tech," Sharper said to Juliet as he pulled apart another chicken wing. "I've worked with SWORD in the past, a little bit anyway. Not exactly run of the mill stuff with those folks. But then again, being with the X-Men isn't exactly run of the mill either. I bet you have a lot of stories to share."

Sharper turned to look at Simmons before turning back to Juliet. "Simmons does some of the same stuff I do, but I get the better toys."

"Ha! Says you!" Simmons replied as he dropped a couple of peanuts in his beer and then took a swig. "Just because you got to play footsie with the Queen of Denobula, you think I don't get to do the fun stuff?"

"Here we go," Sharper said as he wagged his finger at Simmons. "That woman was a psych patient, and I was not playing footsie.  She tried to cut my foot off, Captain. Simmons here is just ticked because I got to go defuse bombs with Director Stark's other-worldly kiddo and his cousin, the kid who sounded like young King Arthur. But that must be old hat for you, Juliet. Now, how pissed is your brother really going to be that you jumped agencies?" 

[Broadway]

"Oh 'e won't be pleased, but I think e'll get over it.  Pete knows that I've been kind of in a lull since I joined the X-Men. I was used to being front and center on missions with my previous teams.  Kind of got pushed to the back in the X-Men though.  There's just too many of them," Jules said taking a sip of her beer.

Jacoba nodded.  "Like a frickin' small army.  Hopefully they never decide to switch sides!"  He chuckled then stopped when no one else laughed.  "Oh, c'mon it's a joke.  I'm sure the X-Men would always be the good guys.  I mean Xavier was a good man and all that.  I'm sure he taught them well.  I know they have some crazies there.  The .... Macfeorais family, I think that's the name.  I know they have some nutty ones that might need to have a SHIELD eye watching over them."

"JJ!" Jules said with a shake of her head.  "I've worked with the MacFeorais family, fought along side them many times.  In fact, Pete is marrying Dana MacFeorais.  Yes, they may be a bit out there at times, but I don't think we 'ave to worry about them."  She waited for someone to agree with her but no one did.

"Jules, there's a lot you you probably don't know."  JJ muttered taking a swig of his beer. He smiled and switched the subject, no way did he want to talk about that family anymore.  The evening already felt ruined somehow.  "So is Jules going to have to start at a level 1?  Because I think she could be a level 5 like me."

"God, I didn't think about that!  I don't want to be a paper pusher level 1 agent," Jules groaned.

"Yeah that would suck," JJ smirked.  

"Ms. Wisdom you'll have your security clearance expedited," Coulson said with a faint smile.  "You'll train with me."  He stopped when his phone went off.

Jacoba smirked.

"Excuse me a moment," Coulson said getting up from his chair, picking up his phone.  "I'll be right back."  He said as he walked out of the bar.

"Yeah.  He's totally got a girl ... or a guy.  I don't know, ... sometimes I think he could go either way."  He shrugged his shoulders when Maria raised her eyebrow at him.  "What?  You've seen the guys office right?  The guy is so meticulous.  A total neat freak."

[Maria Hill]

"Watch it, Jacoba, and not just because it's Coulson," Maria replied as she looked at JJ. "He could be dating a frog for all I care. And everyone should be as meticulous about their work as Phil is. Just, please, don't get into that very gray area about relationships. It is a headache none of us need at the moment. This is supposed to be a fun night, and I don't want to resort to karaoke just yet."

Hill thought for a moment about what Juliet had said about Dana MacFeorais. "Actually, Valen MacFeorais is a good agent with MI 13, and I know Kari MacFeorais worked for the OSS back in World War II. Yes, some of their extended family are a bit crazy, but most of them are pretty straight shooters. Please give my congratulations to Pete and Dana, Juliet. When's the wedding, or have they set a date yet?"

Maria looked toward the door to see if Phil was coming back to the table yet. "You know, he could be talking to Ms. Potts or Oksana Petrov. It might not be his girlfriend."





 

[Broadway]

JJ was really sticking his foot in his mouth; saying all the wrong things around Maria.  He liked her, but at the moment he was doing a really poor job of showing it.  Juliet smiled at Maria and nodded.  "I'm not exactly sure when the wedding will be.  It's kind of up to Dana.  Pete said just to tell him when spans where and he'll show up.  I'll certainly pass along the congrats to them."  She glanced over at JJ, who was swirling his beer around in the bottle, looking miserable.  She kicked him gently under the table and, when he looked up at her she smirked.

"So which one of you boys is a good dancer?" she asked, looking at Sharper and Simmons.  JJ wanted some alone time with Maria, then she'd give him some.  "I bet you both are.  Come and show me your moves!" she said with a wink, and then tugged Shaper and Simmons to their feet.  

She dragged them out to the dance floor, even if it was just for a couple of moments.  She figured one of them or both of them would go running back to the table as quick as they could.  She was doing this for JJ though, and hopefully he wouldn't mess it up.

[Vendetta]

"Oh my god.  She's going to kill them," JJ smirked and shook his head as she watched Juliet trying to dance with both Sharper and Simmons out of the floor.  He knew why she was doing it though; it was to give him a chance to talk to Maria.  Please brain, don't say stupid things.  He looked over at her and smiled.  "Don't worry about Jules, she's not as wild as she looks.  I was always the crazy one and she always kept my feet grounded."

"Not that I'm crazy.  At least I would like to think that I calmed down since I joined SHIELD."  He added quickly.  He fiddled with the label on his bottle.  "I know Coulson thinks, I'm a poor mans Hawkeye.  Yeah, I might not be as cool and suave as Clint, but I'm a pretty damn good shot.  I like to think anyhow."

He cleared his throat and glanced to the door.  No Coulson yet.  Jules was still keeping Sharper and Simmons occupied.  "I didn't mean to sound like I was taking a shot at Coulson.  I love the guy.  I think, it's great that he might have someone he's romantically involved with.  I guess, when it all comes down to it, even with us being in the life style we live, we're all just looking for a little love ... a little normalcy. Ya know? I mean that's what I'd like to have ..."  He peeled the label off his bottle and then grabbed a handful of peanuts, hoping he didn't sound like a complete ass.

[Agent Simmons]

Seymour smiled when Juliet pulled him out to the dance floor. He didn't care that she also took that hot dog Sharper out with them. He was going to have fun no matter what.

"Oh! I like your style, Juliet!" he said as he started to dance, flailing his arms around and doing something that was a cross between the Electric Slide, the Robot and the Chicken Dance. "We need more agents like you! You make us old farts look good!"

"Who are you calling an old fart?" Sharper asked as Simmons kept dancing like a lunatic. 

"OK, so you're a young fart!" Simmons shot back with a big goofy grin. "Oh, I'm kidding! Geez Louise, Sharper! He needs to be loosened up a bit, Juliet!"


 

[Deleted]

===== Outside ===============================================

Holland had been walking for hours, trying to keep a low profile and showing up at a museum via large machine wasnt a good way to keep a low profile so he decided to walk. However the directions Prime 7 downloaded to him was making him go a very long out of the way route. He stopped for a second to double check his route, just outside a pub. He looked at the sign then inside for a second. "Man I could really go for a drink right now."

[Consuming Alcohol during your current temperature and exhaustion levels could cause levels of dehydration and cause your brain activity to cease by .02%]

Holland sighed heavily looking up "Really? .... I wasnt really going to.. Mother.. besides.. we have more important things to do."

Suddenly he heard a loud clank and a light pole bent almost coming out of the ground. "Holy Sh... What are you doing.. I told you Air Surveillance" He yells out pointing to the sky looking at Prime 7 as his stealth generator glitches from hitting something.

[As you Wish.. Initiating Air Surveillance Mode 01 Alpha]

 Holland shakes his head and walks off down the street again.

===========================================================

[Broadway]

Juliet laughed as Simmons spun her around.  She was actually having a good time with both he and Agent Sharper; she just hoped that JJ was using the moment to talk to Maria.  "Haha, you blokes are a good time!" she said, grabbing Sharper's hand as she started to dance with him.  She just happened to look out the window when a familiar face walked past.  She stopped dead her tracks and Sharper smacked into her.  He gave her an apologetic look.  "No, luv, you're okay," she said looking out the window again.

Could that have really been Holland Novak?  She hadn't seen him in months.  "Guys, I've gotta go, for a moment.  Actually, I don't know if I'll be back tonight. I had fun with you gents!" She walked quickly off the dance floor and over to Jacoba and Maria.

"I've gotta run!"

JJ looked up and raised his eyebrow.  "Where are you-"

"I'll see both of you tomorrow morning.  Deputy Director Hill, I'll be ready to report first thing," Jules said and than ran out of the bar.

TBC Juliet to Sentinel exhibit

[Phil Coulson]

Phil walked back into the bar and sat down at the table with JJ and Maria.  "I just saw Juliet run out of the bar.  Where is she going?" he asked.

Damn it, Phil.  JJ wanted to scream; so much for alone time with Maria. "Um, she just said that she had to leave but would be at the HQ first thing in the morning."  He took a sip of his beer.  "So what where you doing?"

"Texting my girlfriend," Phil said rather bluntly.

JJ smiled and then looked at Maria before looking back at Phil.  "Girlfriend?  So when did that happen?  You should bring her around sometime.  Have her come to the bar, I'm sure we'd all love to meet her.  Hell, I wanna see what your type of woman is!" he said jokingly.

"My personal life doesn't need to mix in with my professional life, Agent Jacoba," Phil said narrowing his eyes just slightly before he took another sip of his bourbon.  He then looked over at Maria.  "If you need me to go to New York tonight, I will certainly go.  It'll be a late party though, so I'll probably just stay at a hotel for the evening."

"Booty call," JJ said through a cough.

"What's that, Agent?" Phil asked with a raise of his eyebrow.

"Nothing, sir."

"Good."

[Broadway]

Jules and Holland walked back into the bar and over to the table in the corner.  "I'm back," she said with a smile to everyone.  

She looked at Holland and then back to everyone else.  "This is me mate, Holland Novak," she introduced, and then pointed around to each of the agents at the table.  "Holland, this is Agent Seymour Simmons, Agent Deacon Sharper, Agent Jason Jacoba, Deputy Director Maria Hill, and Agent Phil Coulson.  They're all SHIELD"

Jacoba raised his eyebrow looking at Holland.  "You're Jules friend?  Never heard of you."

"That's because I met 'im after you, luv."  Jules said taking a seat at the table.  She just really prayed that JJ would be on his best behavior now.  It was a long shot, but she'd hope for it anyways.  "Holland, Jason and I were partners a long time ago when we were in a group called Spy Corps."

JJ leaned into Jules.  "Hey thanks for dashing out.  You gave me like thirty seconds with Maria before Thing One and Thing Two came back over to the table," he said in a whisper, discretely pointing at Simmons and Sharper.

"Sorry, luv, but I 'ad to," Jules whispered.

"Is he your boyfriend?"  JJ whispered back.

"No. Now shut up," Jules kicked him under the table and shook her head.  She smiled back at Holland.  "Oh, Agents Simmons and Sharper work with all kinds of technology also.  Sharper works with a lot of nifty alien stuff."

[Deleted]

Holland greeted everyone as Jules pointed them out, He hadnt imagined SHIELD agents getting together like this for drinks and what not. The Agency barely believed in coffee breaks much less having a group together even for coffee. He smiled to everyone then looked toward a large window, seeing it fog up as if something big was breathing on it from outside. He turned a bit to the side, just long enough to whisper in a comlink "Prime.. seriously off the streets"

Large eyes glowed blue for half a second through the window before a lamp post was bent in half again as it was backed over, then a car was suddenly crushed in the front half.

Holland facepalmed then turned back to the smiling again as he sat with the group. "Nice t' meet you all. I us'd t' work for the Agency back 'n the day. Freelancing nowadays."

[Holland.. I seemed to have Disabled a humanoid transport device... Shall I begin repairs?]

Holland tried not to over hear Jules and JJ's conversation, he waved a waitress over to order a round for everyone. "Ahh.. Alien eh.." he leans forward "What is your thoughts about inner dimensions and technology?" He looked around like he was giving out super high clearance secrets.

He rested his tattooed arm on the table, tattoos themselves at first glance look like normal tattoos but they are actually digitized markings. "perhaps we could collaborate on a few things. also I would like to pick your brain about some odd tech thats been showing up lately."

[Maria Hill]

"Nice to meet you," Hill said to Novak before she turned to see the car crushed outside the bar. Did she really want to ask what that was all about? No. Probably not. "Agency, huh? I haven't run across anyone from that group in a long time."

Hill looked over at Sharper and Simmons as they pulled in closer to Novak. She shook her head as she waited to see what those three were going to be discussing next, but she needed to get Coulson on the road if he was going to get to this Hellfire gala before it broke up for the night. "Have you seen the guest list for the gala, Coulson? It looks like every heavy hitter in weapons and biotech is going to be there. Brian Williams, Nathanael Laughton, Brian O'Toole, William Rydenborne. That bunch reads like a list of potential WMDs. Add in the X-Men and any of the mystic community Michael Priest hangs around with, and you have the makings of a nightmare."

Maria took another sip of her drink as she glanced over at JJ as he spoke with Juliet. "Coulson, head out as soon as you feel the need to. I can handle things here. Just make sure that gala doesn't go up like a powder keg."

[Agent Sharper]

"Odd tech? What sort of odd tech? The kind that crushes stuff and doesn't show up on the radar?" Sharper said as he looked at Novak. "And it's Deacon Sharper. And yes, I've seen things be cloaked that can take out half a city block. Or a parked car. We can fix that if you can't."

"Yeah, he has an in with the Shi'ar," Simmons said with a goofy grin. "Well, Sharper, you do! You saved that high muckitty muck's grandkid before that Denobulan ate him."

"You and the freakin Denobulans!" Sharper said to Simmons as the younger agent tried not to scream. "I deal with the Shi'ar, the Skrulls, the Kree. Aliens like that. Denobulans? Not so much.  Now, Holland, before this guy drives you nuts, what sort of odd tech are you talking about? Inner dimensions? We've run across some stuff Reed Richards invented, and I have access to a microverse via a portal. That what you mean?"


 

[Deleted]

Holland leaned in closer stretching out his arm a bit, he looked to Jules then back to Sharper nodding.

He figured if Jules was running around with this folks and having drinks with them, they were ok to show part of who he was. He ran a finger over a tattoo, as he did the tattoo began to digitize a mini holographic interface from his forearm. He waved his hand through the interface then grabbed a piece of tech then pulled it out of the hologram to display out in front of him. "Tech as you probably are already aware has a small code signature of whom ever created it. well some of my tech is being wrongfully used. I been tracking my signature across the globe, mainly where strange robotics are involved."

Holland paused for a moment staring at the piece of the Sentinel core "I really need to find this tech and dismantle it."

[Vendetta]

JJ swirled his beer around in the bottle, looking down at the table.  This night wasn't going as planned, it was supposed to be his night with Maria.  Just Maria.  He rolled his eyes as everyone but he and Juliet leaned in to get a look at Holland's holographic image.  "I thought this was supposed to be a fun night? Not 'hey look at my cool hologram thingy.'  This was supposed to be a 'no work talk' get together.  No work; all play.  And the only one that's probably gonna get some play tonight is Coulson.  Dude, how wrong is that?" he whispered.

Jules rolled her eyes.  "Sorry we ruined your night with Maria.  Maybe you can get her away from the table for a few minutes.  Talk to her but don't tell her 'ow you feel right away.  That could be a very bad thing if she doesn't 'ave the slightest interest in you," she whispered back.

"Or I could blame it on the alcohol," he grinned.  He looked over at Holland and then back to Jules.  "So what's up with you two?  Is he a romantic interest?" he said quietly making sure no one was listening in.

She shrugged.  "Don't know.  I mean, I like 'im.  But I also know he's busy and probably doesn't 'ave much time for someone.  He didn't seem to 'ave time before."

"Jeez, why are guys such douches?" he smirked.

She rolled her eyes again and then laughed.  "Well, wot ever.  I'm just glad he's back for 'owever much time."

"Yeah, well, if you guys do end up getting together and he treats you wrong, he'll have to answer to me," he smirked before taking a swig of beer.

[Deleted]

Holland looked at Jules then everyone else, he could feel himself going a bit over board. He grabbed the screen and crumbled it like a piece of trash. "Sorry sorry jus 'bout went all out nerd didn' I. My Apologies."

He leans back a bit causally hanging an arm on the back of Jules chair and the other on his own as he was sitting with the chair turned slightly. He turned his head and waved down one of the wait staff. He slipped a card from his pocket and handed it to the wait staff, " 'nother round and something hard and smooth for me, thanks mate"

The waiter nodded taking the card, taking note of all the drinks before hurrying off.

Holland turned back around to look at the shield agents, "So ..." feeling awkward after going on about his tech, "You guys get out often like this?"

[Phil Coulson]

"We try to keep them few and far between," Phil said glancing at his watch.  He looked back up at Holland and gave him a tight lipped smile.  "We usually don't have much time for work outings ... at least Maria and I don't.  But Agent Jacoba insisted that we all go out for a drink."

JJ mentally rolled his eyes.  No, he didn't insist that they ALL go out.  He insisted that he and Maria go out.  He wished he could just shout it out to everyone, tell them all to get lost and then maybe, just maybe, he and Maria could have a non work conversation.
"It's getting late, Phil.  Don't you have a hot date you have to get to?"

"I should get going in a few minutes," he said drinking the rest of his drink.  He looked over at Maria.  "I'll report if there is anything  suspicious SHIELD should know about.  Hellfire has been off our radar for awhile, and I have a funny feeling that they're cooking something up with this gala.  I'll be back tomorrow morning first thing.  Jacoba don't think just because I'm gone that you can be late to drills tomorrow morning."

He looked over at Sharper and Simmons.  "Are you two familiar with UNIT?  I guess they're called UNIT X now since they're now a sub team of the X-Men."

"Pete is the liaison between them and the X-Men," Jules added.

"That's correct.  Anyhow, they deal with a lot of alien tech.  They're working on some prototype defense system that sounds pretty interesting,"  he looked over at Holland again.  "You also might want to check with them, they might be able to help you out."