SRU HQ

Ed Lane looked at Greg Parker.

"Have you seen Sam?" Ed asked.

"Not since end of shift last night." Greg said.

They both looked up when they heard the doors open and Sam Braddock hurried past them to the men's locker room.

"Sam? You okay there, buddy?" Ed asked.

Sam ignored him, as he quickly grabbed his gear and hurried outside to the trucks.

"What's with him?" Greg asked.

"Team One. Hot Call. Hostage situation. City Hall." Winnie's voice said.

Team One quickly got dressed in full gear, then got in their trucks and hurried to the scene. When they got there they found Sam and a little girl being held at gun point by two men.

"You're going to give me custody back, Officer or I kill you and take her by force." one man said.

Sam looked like he was having trouble staying conscious.

"Uncle Sammy!" Skye cried.

Sam looked at Skye, then saw Greg and the rest of his Team watching the scene unfold.

"I... won't... can't..." Sam said, trying to look at Skye, then at his Team.

Julius tossed the unconscious Officer away from them.

"Let's go, Edwin. We're leaving." Julius said, as Skye suddenly kicked Julius' legs and ran over to Sam's side.

"I won't leave, Uncle Sammy." Skye cried, hugging Sam.

"Let him go and come with us." Edwin said.

Skye shook her head.

"Do it! Or I kill him!" Julius said, pointing his gun at Sam.

Skye looked with pleading eyes at Parker.

"Get in there, Team!" he said.

Skye grabbed Julius' gun and pointed it at her chest.

"You wanna kill, Uncle Sammy. You gotta kill me too." Skye said.

Julius slowly lowered his gun.

"This isn't over yet! Not by a long shot!" Julius said, as both he and Edwin took off away from the cops.

Skye looked at Sam, then felt someone grab her from behind. She struggled in their grasp.

"Easy does it kid. We're here to help." a voice said.

Skye quit struggling and looked at Sam, tears in her eyes.

"You can't leave me. You promised." Skye said.

As if he heard her Sam slowly opened his eyes and looked around him. Skye tried to run over to him, but Lane held her in his strong grasp. Sam nodded and just like that Skye was free. She dropped into his lap and looked him over.

"Wait! Where's Uncle Matt? I thought you guys were coming back together?" Skye said.

Sam looked first surprised, then he immediately wished he was somewhere else.

"I'm sorry..." Sam said.

Skye knew what that meant Uncle Matt was gone. Skye hugged Sam tightly.

"Why?" she asked.

Sam looked at her confused.

"Why did you drop your guard? You've never dropped your guard before?" Skye pointed out.

"I couldn't let them hurt you." Sam admitted.

"And what about you!?" Skye demanded.

Sam looked away from her. Now he really wished he were somewhere else.

"Your..." Sam started, before Skye slapped him.

"Don't you dare try to tell me my life is more important than your own!" she said angrily.

Sam looked at her, then sighed.

"Fine." he said.

Skye hugged him, then looked at Lane. She stood up and walked over to face him. Sam knew instantly what Skye was about to do.

"Don't do it." he warned.

Skye clenched her fist into a ball and punched Lane in the stomach.

"Skye!?" Sam cried.

Skye looked at him.

"He started it! You know I don't like being manhandled." Skye said.

"Skye Desmond." a familiar voice said.

Skye looked past Lane and saw none other than Nick Fury standing there. She made her way over to him and punched him in the stomach as well.

"Skye. Relax. It's okay." Nick said.

"Okay?" Skye said. "YOU NEARLY GOT HIM KILLED AND YOU WANNA TELL ME EVERYTHING'S OKAY?"

"We were right..." Nick said.

"RIGHT WHERE, NICK!?" Skye shouted.

Nick sighed and looked at Sam.

"How ya doin kid?" he asked.

Sam slowly got to his feet, walked over to Nick Fury and punched him in the stomach.

"Does that tell you anything?" Sam asked.

"Look kid. I'm sorry. When we rescued her we didn't expect them to come after her years later." Nick said.

"Next time you should do the math!" Sam said.

Agents walked over to Sam, Skye and Team One.

"We need all of you to come with us." Coulson said.

"Phil? What's going on?" Skye asked.

"It's just a debrief, Skye. Nothing more." Phil said.

"That's what you said last time." Sam said.

"I'll be there during the debrief." Phil said.

"Said that too, but you weren't." Skye said.

"He won't be there, but I most certainly will." Clint said.

"Uncle Clint!" Skye said, happily.

"How are you doing?" Clint asked.

"Been better." Skye said.

"Let's go." one of the Agents said shoving Skye forward.

Skye turned around and kicked the guy between the legs.

"That'll teach you not to push me around." Skye said.

"Skye we've been over this before." Nick said.

"I don't care." Skye said.

A Few Hours Later

Skye had laid down and fell asleep. In a room opposite hers was the whole SRU Team One. Sam was sitting with his back to the door facing his teammates.

"Why haven't they let us go home yet?" Wordy asked.

"Not sure." Sam answered.

"You're staying here for observation." Nick Fury said walking into the room.

"And how long is that going to take?" Jules asked.

"Possibly until morning." Nick said.

Skye was walking around the desert when an explosion nearby sent her flying back into a wall that fell on top of her preventing her from moving.

"Let's check it out! There may be survivors!" a man's voice called.

"Right." another voice said.

Skye heard footsteps approaching her position. As they got closer she saw two men looking down at her.

"H-elp me." Skye said.

"Hang on kid. We'll have you out of there in no time." one of the guys said.

Skye nodded.

Sam looked at Nick, whose comm. buzzed.

"Fury here." Nick said.

Silence.

"Understood. I'll have him standing by." Nick said, then looked at Sam.

"What's going on?" Ed asked.

"The kids having a nightmare again." Nick said.

Sam's eyes widened.

"What kind of nightmare?" he asked.

"The only kind you can help with. So far it's not too bad, but it keeps getting worse." Nick said.

Skye woke later to find herself lying in a tent. She was being looked over by a doctor.

"Where...?" Skye asked.

"Braddock. You guys can come see her. She's awake." the doctor said.

Skye watched as the two guys that had saved her walked into the room.

"How do you feel kid?" the second guy asked.

"Been better." Skye said. "I'm Skye Desmond. Thanks for saving me back there."

"Sam Braddock. Your welcome."

"Matt..."

"You mean that her nightmares have to do with me, right?" Sam asked.

"Yes. You and a guy named Matt." Nick said.

Sam's eyes widened again. He looked at Fury shocked.

"..."

"She told Clint that her nightmares had to do with you and Julius Chadwick." Nick said.

Sam's face lost it's color. He looked worried and afraid.

"You mean to tell me she's reliving the past?" Sam asked.

"Yes. She's getting close to waking up." Nick said. "Clint couldn't ever get her to calm down. She kept calling for you."

Skye watched as Sam and Matt walked out of the tent, then as minutes later they carefully walked back in hands held by their heads. Julius walked in holding a gun pointed at the two soldiers. Skye's eyes grew wide with fear as Julius turned to look at her, then raised his gun and pointed it at her, then at Sam.

"No please. DON'T!" Skye cried, as Julius pulled the trigger.

"SAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!" Skye shouted, shooting upright into a sitting position.

Sam ran into her room.

"Skye. Calm down! It's okay. I'm right here." Sam said.

Skye got out of bed and ran over to him, slamming into his chest. Sam could feel her shaking. He looked down at her and saw that she was crying.

"It's okay. I'm right here." Sam said, lifting Skye into his arms.

Skye clung to Sam's neck as he walked back into the room his teammates were standing in.

"Skye? It's okay. Honest. I'm fine. I'm right here." Sam said.

Skye looked at him and nodded.

"I did it to save you're life." Sam said, knowing the question Skye was about to ask him.

Skye was still shaking when Sam sat down. She sat on his lap and laid her head against his chest. She looked up at Sam again.

"It's okay. Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up." Sam said.

"Promise?" Skye asked.

"Promise." Sam said.

Skye fell asleep snuggled against Sam's chest listening to his heart beat. Sam leaned back in his chair.

"What kind of nightmares has she been having?" Ed asked.

Sam sighed, then looked at Clint who had walked into the room.

"Her nightmares are of her in the desert, an explosion, getting pinned under rubble, then two men saving her. She wakes up in a medical tent, the doctor calls the two men in and they introduce themselves. Months after they meet he shows up and shoots Braddock." Clint said.

Sam looked down at Skye, then at Clint.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" he demanded.

"We... thought you were dead." Nick said.

Sam looked at him in disbelief.

"They told us you were MIA. We feared the worst." Nick said.

"Only recently we found out you were still alive." Clint said.

"She was headed to see you when she was forced to play the part of the subject." Steve said walking into the room.

"What are you doing here?" Nick asked.

"We have a problem." Steve said.

"What kind of problem?" Nick asked.

"Look out the window." Steve said.

They looked out the window and saw Julius Chadwick pointing a gun directly at them.

"Hand over Braddock and the girl and no one will get hurt." Julius said.

"You know we can't do that." Nick said.

Julius pointed his gun at Ed and fired.

Ironman suddenly appeared between the bullet and Ed.

"What took you?" Steve demanded.

"I'll answer that later. Right now we've got to stop him before he causes the kid anymore problems." Tony said.

"Right. Let's go." Steve said.

It took them a good twenty minutes before they had Julius contained.

"Take him to the fridge." Nick Fury said.

And just like that Julius was gone.