Title: Don't Let Go
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Skyeward with Alice Ward
Summary: Skye and Grant drop their daughter off at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy and Grant isn't happy about it.
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAITLIN!
"You look nervous," Skye commented with a smirk on her face. Her arms were crossed as she stood next to her husband, watching as their no-longer-a-baby-girl gathered her orientation paperwork.
Grant snorted before glancing down at her, a grumpy look on his face. "I don't like this."
Skye raised a brow. "Oh? Would you prefer that she attend a regular university? I hear Florida State is fun this time of year."
Grant closed his eyes with a groan. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Maybe, some of these young men are cute. I think it's time for a newer model."
He met her eyes with an aggressive frown and Skye couldn't help but laugh. He was such an overprotective, possessive little shit. He needed to be brought down a peg or two sometimes.
Skye leaned up and brushed her lips over his. "Shh, baby, don't worry; you know you're the only idiot I'm willing to put up with."
"That's not helping, Skye."
"Calm down, it's just S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, Grant. And when she's done she'll be in Communications and then Sci-Tech, it's not like she's going to into Operations or anything. And she's safer here than she would be at a regular university. She'll be fine."
"It's not the outside world I'm worried about."
Skye rolled her eyes. "Oh, honestly, Grant, if you think your daughter is a virgin then I have highly over-estimated your intelligence."
"Dad! Come on!" Alice yelled from the car.
"What in the hell is that supposed to mean?" Grant called as Skye abandoned him to help Alice grab boxes from the SUV. Skye rolled her eyes again, ignoring him, but he wasn't done. "Who have you been having sex with? Was it Gabe? I'm going to kill that little bastard. And since when am I just 'dad'?"
Alice sighed and mimicked her mother by rolling her eyes. "Dad, please, I am an adult now and I have been for months; you cannot dictate my sex life. And I'm in The Academy now, dad, I can't let anyone hear me call you 'daddy; it's already going to be hard enough to be taken seriously around here with people crying about nepotism."
He stammered for a long moment and settled on glaring at his wife. Skye sighed, not in the mood. "See, this is what I mean. I don't like this. They're going to be mean to her and who have you been having sex with, young lady?" He practically screeched, staring at Alice who simply rolled her eyes with an 'oh my God, dad'.
"Ignore your father, sweetheart," Skye insisted.
"I planned on it," Alice muttered.
Skye smirked and gave Grant a small, fond smile. "You know him, if he doesn't have someone to aggressively protect he gets grumpy. I'll get him a puppy or something to keep him occupied."
"Oh as if that-wait, what kind of puppy?"
A smirk tugged at her lips as she shook her head.
She'd married an idiot.
Half-an-hour (and much complaining on Grant's part) later Alice was completely moved into her room. Skye was glad The Academy had single-rooms, Alice wasn't used to living with others being an only child, but Grant was furious.
"As if you're surprised, you're the one who went here, you know."
"Yes, but do you know what she can get up to without a roommate to stop her? And you're in charge, why aren't the dorms separated by gender?"
Skye rolled her eyes. "As if that would stop them, Grant. And really?" She was not going to get into gender politics with him. They were all adults who could control themselves and make their own decisions, Skye didn't care what The Academy students wanted to do as long as they didn't wash out of their classes.
"I wouldn't mind having Emilie as a roommate; at least she'll be down the hall."
"Good! Fitz is here! He can back me up on this-"
Skye grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back into the dorm room before he could go find his smarter half. She was sure Fitz and Jemma were having a hard enough time leaving their child without her idiot husband making it worse.
Alice wrapped her arms around his middle sweetly and grinned up at him. Poor bastard was about to be played like a fiddle. "Oh, daddy, don't worry about me. There's not a boy stupid enough to mess with The Director's daughter," she cooed before hugging him tightly.
Skye smiled smugly when Grant melted and hugged her back. Her baby girl was going to slay as an agent.
"I guess you're right, your mom is a little bit scary, isn't she?"
Alice nodded. "And don't worry about Gabe, Uncle Trip raised him right, he'll scare away any boys dumb enough to go after The Cavalry's granddaughter."
Grant hugged her back with a pout. "That's true, I always liked that boy."
Skye didn't bother to point out he'd wanted to kill him half an hour ago; she wanted to leave here without a headache.
"Oh, daddy, I'm going to miss you. Can't you just stay and teach? Mom can make it happen?"
Skye held back on rolling her eyes. Grant was supposed to be a super spy and he was being played by a child.
"No, I can't leave your mom. You'll be fine here, I promise."
Skye busied herself arranging the books on the shelf to keep from laughing as Alice continued to protest him leaving. After ten minutes Grant had 'convinced' her that she'd be fine on her own and it would be 'good for her'.
"I love you, daddy."
"I love you too."
Alice hugged him tightly and Skye could see tears in his eyes when he finally let her go.
"Okay, go say bye to mom. We'll see you soon, promise."
"Not too soon," Skye whispered into Alice's ear as she hugged her.
"Thanks."
"Nice job, he fell for it."
Skye could feel her smiling as she hugged her tighter.
"Love you, mom."
"Love you too."
Skye reluctantly released her and moved a hand into her hair to give her one last look. She was used to being away from her, ever since May and Coulson had retired and handed the organization down to her but it didn't make leaving her any easier.
"You have extra burner phones?"
"Yes?"
"Condoms?"
"SKYE!"
Skye rolled her eyes and Alice sighed. "Yes and my implant is fine."
"What does she need-"
"And an extra icer?" Skye asked, ignoring her husband.
Alice nodded. "And a knife and emergency money and fake passports and I know where the safe house is and I have keys for all of my security boxes. Don't worry, if some nefarious organization rises up again and takes the school I'll be fine."
Skye hugged her tightly again, kissing the side of her head. "Remember, you belong here and you're going to be fine and we love you."
"I love you too, mom."
Grant hugged them both and kissed the top of Skye's head. "Come on, we better go before I change my mind."
Skye nodded and pulled away but not before slipping an E.M.P. into Alice's hands.
"Just in case."
"And I thought dad was bad."
"Stop."
They said one final good-bye before Skye had to physically drag Grant out of the building. He argued the entire way but she was having none of it. They'd see her soon, besides, she was the director, did he really think she didn't have people keeping tabs on their daughter?
"Want to hear something crazy?" Skye glanced over at him once they were on the bus curiously. "Remember when we visited the Sci-Tech Academy? Donnie Gill?" She nodded and he smiled bashfully. Skye would never get over her effect on him, it was still endearing after over two decades. "When we were standing on the lawn, alone, I remembered thinking 'one day I want to be here with here again, visiting our child' and here we are."
Skye snorted. "You did not."
"I did!
She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, okay."
"I mean it…that…that was the day I realized I loved you."
Skye linked her fingers with his and leaned into him. "Yeah, that so?"
He nodded. "Don't get me wrong; I wanted you from the beginning but it wasn't until I saw you at that memorial wall that I knew for sure that I loved you. I never stood a chance with you, did I? I was gone the moment we met."
"Yes, you were, but I love you too, so it's okay."
Grant smiled and leaned down to press his forehead to hers. "Yeah, that so?"
"Yeah, even if you are an idiot."
"Hey-" Skye cut him off with a kiss and he held her closer, ignoring the looks of the crew. When they broke away he gave her a goofy smile. "Now, what was this talk of a puppy?"
She closed her eyes with a sigh; she'd married king idiot.
"Oh, Grant…"