THOSE OF MY READERS WAITING FOR THE GREEN AND GOLD SEQUEL, IT'S COMING. BUT IN THE MEAN TIME, HERE YOU ARE - MY FIRST EVER AGENTS OF SHIELD FANFICTION.
"Skye deserves to know, sir." Ward argued calmly. Coulson shook his head and braced his hands on the table, leaning into Ward's personal space.
"You really think that's what's best for her?" Phil countered evenly, tilting his head and holding Ward's gaze steadily. May crossed her arms and stood straighter, squaring her shoulders. "What happens when we tell her and she asks to see the footage? Hm?"
"And what happens when she decides to find out for herself?" Ward shot back, voice's volume rising in frustration. "Sir." He added after a moment. "Don't you think it would be better if she hears it from us rather than finding pictures of her murdered parents online, possibly alone?" Ward asked after a minute of getting his temper under control.
May cleared her throat, interrupting the men and nodding towards the door with a stony expression. Ward gritted his teeth and rubbed his forehead.
"Don't tell me." He muttered. May nodded sharply and Coulson sighed, turning slowly and crossing the floor to open the previously locked cabin door only to find himself looking down at Skye on her knees, staring frozen at the door. She clenched her jaw and rolled her brown eyes up to look at her boss. The look of utter betrayal on her face gutted Ward as he watched from behind Coulson.
"You lied to me." She whispered hoarsely, tears spilling over onto her pale cheeks.
"Skye,"
She ignored Coulson and stood up on shaky legs, wrapping her arms around herself, betrayed gaze flitting towards her supervising officer before she took a step back and bolted down the corridor to her quarters.
"Skye!" Ward shouted, moving to go after her only to be stopped by a hand from May.
"Let her go." She said, voice monotone.
"Skye?" an innocent British voice called worriedly as her friend rushed passed her. Jemma Simmons glanced back at the three superior officers standing in the control room behind her.
"What's with her?" Fitz asked in confusion. Simmons looked around the three guilted expressions and gasped.
"No." she whispered, sidestepping away from them as well.
"No what? What's going on?" Fitz asked in his heavy Scottish accent. Ward dropped his chin to stare at the floor. Jemma studied the holographic projection for another moment before shaking her head and chasing after her friend. Fitz followed his partner's previous line of sight to the holographic images of a crime scene. "Is that…?" Fitz trailed off, looking away from the projected footage of a somehow familiar looking woman. Coulson nodded sharply, sighing heavily as Fitz connected the pieces. "You knew what happened to her mum and dad didn't you?"
"We did." Phil confirmed.
"And you kept it from her?" he blinked, the look of betrayal on his face almost as profound as the one Skye had worn.
"We did what we thought was best for her." Coulson answered, voice controlled.
"Best for her?" Fitz snapped in reply. "You thought this was best for her?" the scientist gestured wildly at the holograph. The usually relatively respectful kid snarled uncharacteristically before turning on his heel and stalking away from his superiors.
Fitz turned the corner to find Jemma sitting on the floor outside Skye's sleeping quarters. Simmons' head was tilted back against the white surface of the locked sliding door.
"She's just crying in there." Jemma whispered helplessly. Fitz swallowed thickly and quietly lowered himself down beside her.
"Skye…" Leo called out cautiously. "Will you please let us in?"
"We didn't know anything about it, honest." Simmons echoed. The rookie continued to sob behind the door and tears welled in Jemma's eyes.
"If she's not coming out soon, I can reprogram the…" Fitz started quietly. Simmons looked at him with watery eyes and a quivering bottom lip. "Door." He finished softly. "C'mere Jem." He sighed, lifting his arm. Jemma crawled closer, falling against Leo's chest as his arms circled around her.
Skye was occupying the smallest space possible in the corner of her bed farthest from the door. There was a pillow crushed between her knees and stomach as she sobbed into it, body shaking violently. She ignored FitzSimmons as they called her, worry clear in their voices. She let her guard down for half a second, letting the images push their way to the forefront of her mind. Her body contracted tighter and a loud sob escaped her throat.
Her parents had been murdered. Brutally. And they had known. The only family she had left had known what happened. She had trusted him and they had known. For a brief moment, Skye was blindingly angry. Her hand shot out to grab her hula doll off the window sill and then she whipped it against the door as hard as she could. It broke into three pieces on impact and fell to the floor, rolling sideways against the wall as the plane tilted slightly. Skye listed with it, losing the energy she had suddenly possessed seconds earlier, letting the blackness wash over her as she passed out.
Fitz flinched when something smashed into the door behind his head, rousing Simmons from the light sleep she had fallen into.
"What? What is it?" she asked, rubbing a hand over her face.
"Shh." Fitz muttered suddenly, clapping his hand gently over his partner's mouth and pressing his ear to the door. "The crying's stopped. I think she's asleep." He whispered. Jemma nodded and pulled his hand down, maintaining her hold on it absentmindedly.
"I can't imagine they'd do something like this." She breathed, her hand tightening around his. Fitz stayed quiet and nodded, glancing at Jemma. "We can't help her, Leo." Simmons muttered quietly. Fitz sighed.
"We're going to do what we always do, ey?" he smiled halfheartedly.
"What's that?" she asked distantly, face pressed up against the tinted one way glass.
"We're going to fix this. Together." He promised. Jemma nodded and fell back on her heels, away from the door.
May had returned to the cockpit to fly the plane while Coulson and Ward were sitting on couches across from each other in the common area; Ward staring intently at his hands, Coulson leaning back into the cushions seemingly unaffected. Neither man moved until they heard a tormented scream echo through the plane.
At the shrill noise that both Coulson and Ward would've bet money belonged to Skye, both were at her quarters without sparing the other a single glance, met with the sight of Jemma banging her fist on the door, calling Skye's name in a panicked voice and Fitz tapping quickly on a tablet.
"Fitz!" Simmons called anxiously.
"I'm trying!" he hissed back.
"Move." Coulson instructed Jemma who hesitated but took a step back. She watched her boss slide his key card into the reader beside the door, pushing past him as it slid open. Ward moved to follow her in only to be stopped once again by Fitz' hand on his chest.
"You've done enough, Agent Ward, don't you think?" the kid cocked his head to the side with a menacing glare.
"You've caused her enough pain, Agent Ward. I think it's better if you step out for a moment or two." Jemma echoed as she hushed her friend and pinned her shaking body down. Ward watched with guilt ridden eyes as Skye's eyes snapped open and, chest heaving, she allowed Jemma to pull her against her body. Skye wrapped her arms tightly around Jemma's waist, sobbing into her friend's chest as the scientist stroked her hair helplessly.
"Agent Ward." Fitz prompted, pushing him back gently. Ward opened his mouth to snap something in reply only to have Coulson drop his hand onto his shoulder.
"FitzSimmons is right, Ward. Go cool off." Coulson ordered.
"You haven't hurt her any less than I have." Ward snapped lowly, pushing Coulson's hand off. "Sir." He spat as he stalked off.
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