So I was going to try to write a chapter for my other story and this happened. Now I can't get it out of my head. There are not many stories out there about a AU Teen Skye. So now I'm writign one. So now I have four ongoing AOS stories. I will make an effort to update each one every week. At least every two weeks. This is mostly background. The action starts next chapter along with the introduction of other characters.
She was broken. The pieces of her past had torn through her very being, forming her again, into a stoic, cold, and fearless women. That's what her outside showed everyone. She had learned to shut out hurts, pain and could mask her feelings as well as anyone. Her face never betrayed what she was thinking, or feeling. Her expressions consisting of more severe and less severe looks.
That's who people saw. People who did not know her. Who did not see beyond the surface. That's how she wanted them to see her.
Only one person ever saw that facade fade. Only when Melinda could not take it anymore, when it became too painful to hide, to hurtful to shut down, too broken to shield her heart. Only then did Phil Coulson see his wife break. And then he would come into her space, and he would hold her, and cry with her, and be there for her.
What had happened shook her world to it's very core. Shook her to pieces that Phil almost could not put her back together. But he had. She had let him take her brokenness and she had let him wrap himself around her rips and scars and she had let him pick her up.
Six years ago she had woken up one morning, happy, content, living the life she had always dreamed. Loving her husband and her career. Truly living a life full of wonder and amazement. Loving her child. Her amazing seven year old son. She'd had him later in life, already 35 years old.
She was driving. It was raining and cold. It was nighttime. They had been at the movies. A Captain America movie. Her husband was a huge nerd who collected comic books. Captain America being his favorite comic hero. His geekness did not stop there though. Phil also was a Star Wars nerd, and he collected old model cars, putting them together and then naming them. He had told her when they first were dating it was the only way he'd ever own such a car, especially on his meager teacher salary. He taught social studies at the local high school.
They had met at her best friends party. Rosalind Price had her annual going back to school party and Melinda had agreed to help her with preparation and ended up staying. Roz, who had been Melinda's best friend since college was principal of the high school. Melinda had been searching the house looking for Roz to bid her goodbye, when she literally ran into Phil Coulson. He had been carrying some trash he must have gathered and tripped into Melinda. After apologizing profusely and turning a few shades of red, which Melinda found endearing, they had struck up a conversation and their relationship blossomed from there. Soon they were an item, and soon after that they were married.
What struck people about them was just how different they were. Melinda was quiet and reserved while Phil, well Phil was not. He was outgoing and smiled all the time, a quick wit, funny and full of life. He was a true geek, relishing in that identity. He was a conversationalist, a practical joker, the life of the party. His students truly loved him, as he brought history to life for them, his passion for it obvious to all.
What most people did not know was that Melinda was also keen on practical jokes, had a sarcastic wit only brought out with a few close friends, and was also a history buff. They shared a love for history, taking many trips to New England and to Virginia to walk the trails of American history. And although Melinda never admitted it, she too was a geek at heart.
They had married ten years ago, and had their son three years after that. Phil and Melinda were completely in love, with each other and their son. They named him after Phil's father, James. James Phillip Coulson. They called him Jamey.
She was driving. They had been to the 9:00pm show which was fine since it was a Friday night. The theatre showing the movie was forty-five minutes away. They were halfway home. It was raining, cold and late. As they passed under the stop light, the car slammed into them. The last thing Melinda remembered hearing that night was screaming. It wasn't until later she realized it had been her screams.
Melinda woke up in the hospital four days later. She had been put into a medically induced coma to help her brain swelling to go down. It did. The doctors told her she would make a full recovery. Her left arm was broken. her left ribs bruised with three cracked. Her facial lacerations and head injury would heal. Her body would heal. The doctors said with her being in top physical condition that she would heal quickly and she would have no lasting effects. She would heal. Her body would heal.
Melinda knew something was horribly wrong when her father and mother, and Roz and Phil's younger sister Bobbi were all there. The news completely shattered her world. She would never see her beautiful son's smile again. Her husband was severely injured. Severe chest injuries. He might not make it. No Melinda thought. She would never heal. She would never recover. She was broken. Her soul was shattered into a million pieces.
Skye woke up in yet another house. This one was owned by the Brody's. Jason and Anne Brody, and their two sons, JJ and Ryan. This was the fourth house she had stayed at in the last year. She sighed. She turned to look at the clock in the room. It said 5:30. She never slept well the first night in a new place. Skye thought back to the last meeting with her social worker and the psychologist at the group home. Broken. That's what they had said. She was broken. She was 14 years old and she was broken. They said she was running out of options and unless she wanted to spend the next 4 years in juvenile detention, she needed to stop being such trouble. She needed to fix what was broken and she needed to wise up. The Brody's were her last shot.
Skye sat up and pulled her knees up and put her chin on them. It wasn't her fault all the foster homes were not a fit for her. That they were either people trying to find the perfect child or using her as a paycheck. The better ones using you as a paycheck at least fed you, left you alone and collected the money. The worst ones were the psychos who didn't feed you, beat you or even worse and collected the money. The perfect child lookers usually sent her back in a few weeks. She had yet to be in one of the good homes she'd heard some of the other kids talk about. She hadn't figured out the Brody's angle yet.
Skye knew very little about where she came from. She knew she was half Chinese/half caucasian . She knew she was 14 years old. She knew her mother had dropped her off at an orphanage when she was a baby, when she was 6 months old. She had been dressed in a pink onesie, covered in a yellow blanket with a note in Chinese from her mother saying she could not take care of her anymore. The note said she was half Chinese, and was 6 months old. She had been laying in a broken cradle. She was already broken then. All those details she had found out when she had hacked the system.
Skye was really good with computers. She was able to hack into a lot of secure feeds. She once gave herself $200. But that was traced to her and spending 3 months in Juvenile detention cured her of that. Although she did learn how to pick locks and pickpocket pretty well in Juvie. She was decent at shoplifting too. So she only hacked for information anymore preferring to not go back to Juvie. If she really needed something she would just filch it. It was safer that way.
Figuring she was not going to get more sleep, she decided to get up and take a shower, and get ready for school. Usually when she got put in a new home it was on the weekend but the group home was crowded and they pushed to get her out quickly. So here she was, on a Tuesday, going to a new school after spending the night in a virtual strangers house. Yeah her life was definitely broken.
Skye was ready by seven and made her way to the kitchen. Jason Brody was there. He turned when he saw her enter and actually smiled at her.
"School starts at 8:00. JJ and Ryan can walk with you to show you the way. You should eat something. We have cereal and bagels, help yourself."
"Okay. Thanks." She moved to the cupboard to get cereal. Finding choices she picked Corn Flakes, got out a bowl, after Mr. Brody showed her where they were, and poured the cereal. She got the milk out and poured that too. Hey, he was nice so far, and she got breakfast. Score two points for the Brodys.
"Oh here. Lunch money." He handed her 3 ones. "In case they didn't set up your free lunch account yet. One of the perks of foster care. Should be set up by tomorrow." He winked at her. Skye shrugged. Yeah one of the perks. Free lunch courtesy of the state. One of the foster benefits.
After a few minutes, the two Brody sons came down and soon Skye found herself walking to school with them. The oldest JJ, a junior, actually escorted her to the school office before going to his own class. She entered the office and was soon called in by a guidance counselor to fill out paperwork and get her schedule. An hour later Skye was headed down the hall to her second period class, American History.
Melinda was doing her Tai Chi when Phil stuck his head in the room. She was in the study which she had turned into a workout room more than a study. He walked over and leaned against the desk watching her go through her routine. He smiled. She frowned at him, and raised her eyebrow.
''Sorry to disturb you Mel, but I wanted to remind you about the appointment. Four o'clock. I'll meet you there, since I am coming right from school."
Melinda grimaced. "Is that today?" She knew it was. She just wasn't sure she wanted to do this anymore. After all Phil had talked her into it. She had only said yes to appease him and get him to stop bugging her.
"Come on Mel. We talked about this."
"Actually Phil, you talked and I gave in cause you wouldn't let it go."
"Mel. This will be good for us. For you. And it is a good way to see if we want to go further. Being emergency foster parents is a first step. You agreed. You agreed to at least come to the meeting."
Melinda stopped her motions and sighed. "Okay Phil. I said I'd come with you. That's all I promised. I'll be there."
He got up and walked to his wife. He reached to embrace her. They held on to each other till Melinda pulled away. "I have to shower and get ready for work. I have a 8:30 class." She reached in to kiss him. "Bye Phil. Have a good day. I'll be there."
Phil smiled as her watched her leave the room. He wanted so bad to just make her whole again. To see that smile more. To hear her laugh. He needed to fix her. He just didn't know how. Phil made his way out to his car, got in and drove the short distance to the high school. He pulled into his parking spot and walked into the building, smiling and greeting everyone on his way. He made it to his classroom just before the bell rang. First period was his free period. He got out his lesson plan and sat down to review it before his second period class would make their way in. It was his favorite class to teach. Honors American History. He enjoyed teaching all his classes, including World History and Government but American History was by far his favorite.
The dismissal bell rang and soon students were coming into his classroom. Everyone was present as he walked over to close the door. Before he could close it, a girl he had never seen before walked in the classroom and handed him a paper. He looked at the paper and smiled. A new student.
"Welcome Mary Sue Poots to American History. I'm Mr. Coulson.
She frowned at him. "Skye. I go by Skye. If you call me that other name, I won't answer." Skye figured she'd get it out there right away. Most teachers were jerks and called her Mary Sue anyway. But at least she put them on notice.
Phil looked back at the girl. He walked forward and pointed to an open seat in the second row.
"Class, we have a new student joining us. Everyone say hi to Skye."
She froze for a second, her mask coming down. She glanced back up at the teacher who was grinning at her. She smiled and sat down. Maybe, just maybe she wasn't fully broken yet.
