Hey,... I have to salute all the writers who have been writing ffs that is related to T.R.A.C.K.S. All of you are amazing in dealing with the angst and emotions of the characters. Thank you for writing something that's deep, insightful and touch on areas that I dare not venture.
Just like most of you (if not all), I am anxiously waiting to see what Skye's power is too. And since a month is a long wait, I have managed to let my mind wonder and wander in (or is that on? or of?) all possibilities. Happy reading ok?
In addition in saying thank you, I'm sharing my chocolate coated almonds with JessicaFarias212, emmy-kent, Salkri Kachemench, TexannaRose, SveaR, , jellybean96, AinsleyWright, DrawnToDarkness, NCISRookie33, lullabelle84, Prawn Crackers, Belle97, guest and everyone for all your support.
Disclaimer : Nope. I do not own any pink dresses or purple shirts that look anything like Skye's. Nor do I own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.S
Summary : Skye drives everyone crazy with her searching for the truth.
xox
Ward and FitzSimmons were in the lab arguing over what they should name the new version of the Night Night Gun. They stopped their argument when Skye slowly walked in to join them.
"Just what do you think you are doing out of bed, Skye?"
"I have an appointment with Dr Simmons, Fitz. But I'll come back when the good doctor is not feeling trigger happy."
"Hahaha! Extremely hilarious Missy," Simmons replied as she stood with one hand on her hip. She pointed towards the examination table with the new improved Night Night Gun held in the other hand. "Sit."
Breaking away from the group, Ward came over to assist his Rookie onto the examination table.
"Why didn't you call me that you're coming down?" He chastised her as he gently helped her to settle comfortably.
"I'm fine Ward." she replied. "I can't expect you to carry me everywhere I need to go."
"Didn't Simmons gave you an order to not move too much?"
"Fine. Hand me a bell. I'll ring for you the next time I need to move." Ward glared at her. "Ooops sorry! You work on a remote. Click! Click!"
Ward playfully smack Skye's hand that was making a clicking action at him. "Behave," he said before he hopped on to the table next to her feet.
Simmons came over, lifted her shirt and proceeded to examine her wound. The gun shot wound inflicted on her by Quinn was healing but the severity of it was something that Simmons was not happy with. Skye narrowed her eyes at her SO when she caught him peering down on her stomach.
"Do you mind?"
"Oh please Rookie, it's not like I've never seen your stomach before. Duuhh!"
"Dude, you are beginning to sound just like your Rookie." Fitz muttered from where he was storing the weapons.
"He is just jealous that I'm getting a bigger battle scar than the teeny tiny one on his shoulder." Skye told Fitz smugly.
"Only you would be nutty enough to think of such things," Ward told her. He then helped to pull Skye's shirt down after Simmons finished changing her dressing.
"You want to go back up?"
"No. Not yet."
"You want to sit up a bit?"
"Yeah. Thanks." The Rookie smiled at him when he adjusted the backrest to a better angle. Skye look around the room. "Guys, I need to tell all of you something."
"Is something wrong? Are you alright?" Simmons stepped back towards her.
"Yes. No. Well, erm, it's - " Skye stammered.
Ward took hold of her hand. "Skye what is it?"
Skye bit her lip and looked nervously at her friends.
Simmons looked over to Ward and Fitz before pulling a stool to sit close to the table. She took Skye's other hand in hers.
"What's wrong Skye?"
"Yes Skye," Fitz stood at the foot of the table. "What is the matter? You know you can tell us anything."
Skye blew out a breath and closed her eyes for a few seconds before speaking.
"Has Coulson or," she glanced at Ward, "Or May told you all anything about me?"
The three looked among themselves before turning back to her. They all shook their heads.
"Tell us what about you?"
"Maybe I should start at the beginning." Skye offered.
"That's a good place." Fitz replied.
"Have you all ever wondered why Coulson gave me a second chance after I lied and betrayed the team?"
"He never mentioned." Ward told her flatly.
Skye squeezed both his and Simmons hands for a second before releasing them. She slipped her hands under her thighs and inhale a deep breath for courage.
"The main reason for me to get into S.H.I.E.L.D is to find out the truth about myself. I don't know who my parents are. Where I'm from or anything. All I know is that I was shuffled between many foster homes and always ended up back at St Agnes.
"Through my hackings, I've managed to locate a file that linked me to my parents. But the file had been redacted."
"By who?" Ward frown.
"S.H.I.E.L.D." Skye simply said.
"Oh Skye," Simmons pulled Skye's hand out from under the girl's thigh and held it between her hands. "But why?"
"That was what I wanted to know. Coulson promised to look into it if I stay on and be tagged." Skye shrugged. "You all know how that went."
Ward lay his hand on her knee. "Did he managed to find what you were looking for?"
"Yeah," Skye nodded. "And this is what I need to tell all of you."
"Is it what you imagined it would be?" Fitz asked.
"It is beyond anything I imagined, Fitz," Skye replied softly. "I was sent to the orphanage by a S.H.I.E.L.D Agent, who, according to Coulson could or not be my mother. Apparently she was not. She was Agent L Avery. The Agent whose life was taken because she was trying to save mine."
"She and an Agent Lumley was sent to recover an 0-8-4 from a village in China. When they got here, the whole village and Agents assigned to protect the object had been killed. They found the 0-8-4 covered in blood in the arms of the dead chief Agent. They took it out of his arms and found the object asleep. Instead of dead as they feared."
"What was the 0-8-4?"
"It was a baby girl."
"What are you saying?"
"The baby girl was me, Ward." She nodded when her three friends shook their heads in denial. "Believe me. I'm the 0-8-4. The object of unknown origin. Just as Coulson had described me when I first joined the team."
"But...do you...what an... Do you know your... What can you do?" Simmons stammered.
"I don't know Jemma," Skye squeezed her friend's hand. "I don't know what powers I possess. I have no clue of what I am supposed to be."
"Who else knows?" Ward asked tersely.
"About me being it?"
Ward nodded.
"No one. Just Coulson, May and now, you guys."
"What's going to happen now?" Fitz asked the group after some moments of silence.
"Nothing."
"Why?" Skye looked at her SO. "There must be someone who knows what I am."
"Secrets are kept for a reason, Skye."
Skye recalled the time when he told her that the first time they met. He was saying it with the same tone as he did the first time.
"So you are saying, we keep this between us?"
"Yes."
"Ward is right." Fitz nodded in agreement. "It will be dangerous if anyone knows. We don't know who we can trust."
"Yes, I agree." Simmons added.
"So you are saying that I should be locked up tight in a bottle?"
"Not you. Just your secret. " Ward told her.
"There's one more thing." Skye told them. "After I tell you, you might want to lock me in a bottle anyway."
"What?"
"Death follows me."
Ward glanced at the two scientists before leaning dangerously over his rookie. "You suggesting we lock you in a bottle and throw you out of the Bus right now?"
"No. But I just thought that you guys might want to know what you are getting into by being with me."
"We are your friends Skye," Simmons pushed at Ward's shoulders so she could move closer to her friend. "We will do everything we can to make sure you are safe."
"That's just it. I don't want any of you to die because of me." Skye's eyes were suddenly brimmed with tears. "You all means so much to me. I love all of you. You are more than just my friends. You are my family."
Simmons immediate wrapped her arms around her friend. They cried in each other's arms. Ward pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to control his emotions. Fitz turned away from them to hide his teary eyes. They stayed that way for some time before Skye broke the silence.
"Are you guys cool about me being a you-know-what?"
Fitz nodded with his smile. "Absolutely. I can't wait to see your powers."
"Thank you Fitz."
"I don't care who or what you are." Simmons told her friend. "We will get this through together."
"Thank you. But remember Simmons, I'm not a lab rat that you put in a glass box. You don't get to do tests on me if I start to sparkle or my hair turns a lighter shade of purple."
"You silly girl! Of course I wouldn't do such a thing Skye," Simmons gasped. "Besides, there is no place on the Bus to fit a glass box big enough to fit you in. If only the proposal for the fish tank was approved, then we could drain the water and - "
"You've been practising bad shenanigans behind my back Simmons? You are beginning to scare me."
"But it is so nice!" the bio-chemisy squealed.
Skye shook her head before turning to Ward. She waited for what he has to say but his silence was making her nervous.
"All I know," he finally rasped, "Is that you are the same exasperating, stubborn and a noisy little pain in the ass rookie who has been determined to turn my disciplined life up-side-down from day one. And for that," he leaned closer as he lowered his voice.
"I will protect you so you won't have any chance to walk out of my topsy-turvy life and making it a dull, boring and quiet one. I will shadow you day and night if I have to."
Skye stared into his eyes for a few moments before narrowing hers.
"Do this mean you are going to sit in the bathroom while I shower?"
Ward straighten to his full height and crossed his arm over his chest as he studied her.
"If you are worried about me peeking at your tummy to pass the time away," he smirked before continuing, "I'll bring a book to read."
A giggle and chuckle burst out from the two scientists.
"Very funny Robot." Skye smacked his arm and winced at the sudden movement. "Owww! See what you made me do!"
"Come on," Ward sighed. "I'll help you to your room, Rookie."
"So, Skye," Fitz asked as the SO tenderly secured Skye's arm around his waist and laid his hand on her hip as he assisted her towards the door. "When you discover your powers, are you planning to have a special suit or something?"
"That's right Skye!" Simmons joined in excitedly. "We could designed something for you. Oh Fitz! Wouldn't that be brilliant!"
Skye looked at the two and her eyes light up like fireworks while Ward groaned.
Back in her room, Skye thought about what FitzSimmons had said. A smile grazed her lips as she laid out her plan. She planned to carry it out as soon as Ward stops shadowing her.
xox
1 week later...
Day 1
Conversation at the breakfast table stopped when Skye plopped down on her usual seat with a blanket tied around her neck.
"Greetings my fellow Teammates!" she greeted them cheerfully and reached for the centre plate. "OOhhhh! Pancakes! Delicious, warm, blueberry pancakes. Yummy!"
She was busy putting her breakfast in order that she didn't notice the looks her team was giving her.
"What's with the blanket Skye?" Coulson finally asked after a long silence.
"Every super hero needs a cape AC." Skye told him as she cut her pancakes into bite-size pieces. "That reminds me. May, may I borrow your boots? The one with the 3-inch heels. I need to see if I'm able to run in them."
A death glare from the Cavalry didn't stop Skye from adding. "I'll let you borrow my jacket in exchange. What do you say?"
May growled as she carried her mug of coffee and left for the cockpit.
"Is that a no?" She called out at May's retreating back. "I promise to polish it after I'm done."
At the non-response, Skye turned back to her breakfast to see four pair of eyes staring at her.
"What?"
xox
Day 2
"Hey Simmons! Think you could make me pair of wings to match my mask?"
Simmons looked up from the work that she was doing to see her friend walking into the lab. Skye had a mask on which she had made from a scrap of lace with two holes cut out for her eyes. After the whole day of yesterday seeing Skye walking around with a blanket tied around her neck and showing her friend samples of super hero's costumes, the bio-chemist was not surprise to see the mask.
Pulling a chair to sit next to Simmons, Skye started to munch on a sandwich. A sandwich that she had managed to snatched out of Ward's plate during the split second that her SO did a double take on the mask.
"Why would you want a pair of wings?"
"What if I have the power to fly?"
"If you have the power to fly, you probably would have wings to begin with."
"But Superman flies and he doesn't have wings." Skye argued.
"Wonder Woman flies too."
"Simmons, don't you know your super heroes?" Skye sighed. "Wonder Woman flies a jet just like Agent May. Only difference is that her jet is invisible and May's is hard to miss.
"Anyway, the kind of wings I have in mind are like the ones belonging to Hawk Girl. Here I'l show you," Skye took out her phone and showed her friend a picture of the character. "So, will you make me a pair?"
"That's huge!"
"I know. But just think how dramatic and majestic they'll look when I spread them open."
"Just think how comical and hilarious you'll look when you topple over when you spread them open."
"You have a point." Skye sighed. "But I so want a pair of wings."
Seeing Skye's shoulders drooped with disappointment, Simmons thought of a way to help her friend. She bit her lip as she spoke to herself.
"Hmmm. It's a possibility."
"What's a possibility?"
"What if I get Fitz to create a holographic pair of wings that spans out when you fly? Since it's a realistic image, you won't have to worry about the actual weight or size. And you get to change the colour to blend, compliment or contrast with the surroundings."
"Oh Simmons you are a genius! That's superb!"Skye tackle hugged her friend. "Thanks Simmons. You are the best! What I can I do to repay you?"
"Will you make me a mask like yours?"
"Absolutely!" Skye clapped in excitement. "And I think I have the perfect material for it. There is an abundance of it I'm sure and if you chose correctly, you'll be able to match it with just about any outfit. The question is - "
"What?"
"Will Fitz misses one of his ties?"
xox
Day 3
Fitz and Ward were playing a game of cards in front of the lab after dinner. With only a dim light to illuminate the crate that they were using as a makeshift table, the two friends were into their fifth round as to determined a winner.
The only sound was supplied by Fitz's snacking on the bowl of popcorn. That was the reason why he almost choked on the handful that he had just shoved into his mouth when Skye's husky voice suddenly floated out of the shadows.
"You should not gobble your sustenance like so, my Child."
Skye then stepped out from under the darkened spiral staircase in an oversized robe that looked suspiciously belonging to Ward. Her hair was centre parted and brushed straight down, covering half of her face.
"You trying to choke me?" Fitz asked in a squeaky voice as he spluttered the popcorn into a napkin.
"Is that my missing robe? Did you snitch it while I was in the shower just now?"
"You snuck in the shower room while Ward was showering?!"
Skye raised her hand in an authoritative gesture to signal them to silence.
"Gobbling may change the course of your destiny." She stood behind Fitz and made circular movements around his head. "And it will create an imbalance in your twin-some existence."
"What twin-some existence are you talking about?" Fitz exchanged a puzzled look with Ward. "What is she talking about? And what is she doing with my head?"
"Skye, why are you speaking in that whispery, slow and low tone?"
Closing her eyes, Skye slowly brought her finger to her lips before continuing her speech.
"You're forfeiting the chance to be with your soul mate. Your eternal half. The ever gentle and fair maiden, the lovely," Skye glided her hand to point towards the darkened lab and let her voice flowed in a breathy sigh, "Lady Jemma."
"I suggest we call for Simmons. There is something wrong with your Rookie, Dude."
"A wrongful entry of an errant piece of kernel into your internal passageway might cause severe disturbance to your respiratory flow." Skye continued as she circled the two. "The possibility of your togetherness and destiny will fade if you are deprived from breathing the air that gives you life.
"The fate of your future will not be as bright as the stars in the universe or the majestic Sun. And sadly, my Brilliant One, your path to your ultimate euphoria will cease to exist. How devastatingly tragic would that be for your gentle Jemma? The sorrow of losing you will overwhelm the desire for her to continue living!"
"You are freaking me out Sister."
"Didn't I warn you that too much of that latte will get you high, Rookie?"
Skye stepped next to Ward and placed her hand on his head as she closed her eyes in concentration.
"I sense too much unrest in your spirit."
Ward wriggled to get his head out from under her hands.
"I sense a great amount of vexation and exasperation."
"That's because you drive me up the wall most of the time. Will you quit messing with my hair!"
"You must learn to focus on your inner self and learn to free your caged soul. Emerge from your bindings. Break away. Soar away and fly free!" She dug her fingers deep into his hair as she whispered, "Do not be disheartened. There is still hope. I shall summon my powers to heal you, my sweet Danaus Plexippus."
"What the hell is a Danaus Plexippus?!" Ward shook his head from under her hand.
"Hang on. I'm checking," Fitz frantically took out his tablet and searched. "Aahh! Here we go. Danaus Plexippus. Commonly known as a Monarch in the Nymphalidae family."
"English!"
"She is calling you a butterfly," Fitz chuckled. "Sweetie."
Ward turned a deadly glare at his Rookie as he slowly rose to tower over her. His voice was dangerously low when he rasped.
"Did you just call me a freaking butterfly?"
"I didn't think you would appreciate me calling you Phanaeus vindex MacLachlan. No matter how fierce it sounds."
"Common name : Dung Beetle." Fitz volunteered the information behind him three seconds later.
Skye swallowed when she saw the storm that brewed in her usually patient SO's eyes. She slowly picked up the trailing robe, took two carefully measured steps back before executing a quick spin on her heels to scramble up the stairs yelling,
"The Healer has left the building!"
xox
Day 4
Ward had a shock of his life when he pushed the shower curtain aside to find Skye sitting in the shower cubicle with a book in her hands. He quickly pulled the shower curtain to wrapped it around his naked waist.
"What in blaze are you doing in there?" he yelled.
"I'm practising to be invisible." Skye replied without looking up from her book.
"Are you insane?"
"No. Just curious." She turned a page and settled to read again. "I need to know what it feels like to be not noticed."
"Skye!"
"Look," she finally looked up to the man in front of her. "Don't mind me ok? Just let go of that curtain, get in here and do what you need to do. You won't even know I'm here. I'm The Invisible Key Puncher aka The Unseen Hacker."
"Get out!"
"What are you afraid of Ward? It's not like I've never seen you without your clothes on. You have to hand it to FitzSimmons for those awesome glasses!"
"What. Did. You. Say?"
"Ooops!"
An evil wide grin emerged on Ward's face two seconds before he turned on the cold spray on his Rookie.
xox
Day 5
Agent Coulson took his gaze away from the lower deck and glanced at the Supervising Officer who was standing three feet away. Taking a deep breath, he closed their distance.
"Should I ask?" Coulson said after much hesitation.
"Not if you wish to keep your sanity intact, Sir." Ward replied without taking his eyes off the figure moving below him.
Coulson nodded and quietly left the other man alone.
Ten seconds later, Agent Coulson came back to stand beside Ward.
"Oh what the hell? Just tell me." he asked impatiently.
"You sure about this Sir?"
"Yes. I want to know why your Rookie is down there doing moves that resembles May's tai chi but incorporated with the pitching moves of some baseball player?"
"Shall I quote her Sir?"
"Why not?"
Ward cleared his throat before starting to imitate his Rookie.
"Ward! Ward! Yo! Robot! Stop being a bookworm and listen to this!
"Guess what I have been up to? Never mind I'll tell you. I have just finished spying on May's cool tai chi moves. Don't give me that look, Turbo, honey. You know how she is with her privacy. I had to squeeze and hide my little form under that corner table just to see how she does it.
"By the way, we gotta inform Maintenance that the amount of dust bunnies multiplying under there, is unbelievable! There's a population boom going on down there. Soon we will have them growing out of our hands!
"Anyway, it got me thinking. What if I am able to spew balls out of my hands? Wouldn't that be cool? Just imagine. Sparkling Fire Balls. Crystal Ice Balls. Spiraling Breeze Balls. Boiling Mud Balls. Toffee Apple Balls. Just any kind imaginable!
"And, and, and .. Get this! I could use May's tai chi and team it up with some major pitching moves of the number one baseball player to make an awesome throwing technique of my own! Super cool, yes?
"Come on let's go see if AC keeps any kind of balls for me to pratice with. This is awesome! I can't believe I've never thought of it! I'm going to be the super awesome, ORB THROWER! I-am gon-na-be awe-some ! Gon-na-be awe-some!"
Ward put his arms down after delivering the quote. He waited for his superior to offer a comment.
"You are right Agent Ward," Coulson said after much deliberation.
"About what Sir?"
"I shouldn't have asked."
Ward simply nodded and looked down to where his Rookie was stretching under the SUV to retrieve the ball that had rolled under there.
Coulson turned and walked away but stopped after taking several steps. He didn't turn around but called for Ward.
"Yes Sir?"
"The next time you need to quote Skye, just keep to the lines. There is no need for you to do her Happy Dance."
"Noted Sir."
xox
Day 6
Skye had no chance to try out any of her plans as they were called on a mission. Skye and FitzSimmons were told to stay on the Bus as Coulson, Ward and May went to check the on the situation.
Despite an unexpected ambush, the three senior agents returned to the Bus safely. As soon as, they were out of danger and airborne, the team gathered around Skye who had was sitting cross-legged on a one seater.
"What?"
"You tell us." Coulson told her. "What did you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Who flew and landed the Bus behind us down there?" May narrowed her eyes at the Hacker.
"How did those bad guys just disappear?" Ward asked her. "One minute they were chasing us and the next they were all gone?"
"Why did all my dwarfs went into hyperdrive after a short hibernation suddenly?" Fitz muttered.
"How did I managed to keep calm during all that was happening?" Simmons asked her friend gently.
"How did those things happen, Skye?" Coulson finished the round of questions.
Skye rose from her seat to stand behind it. Looking at the team, whose eyes were all on her with puzzlements, she took a deep breath before telling them what had happened.
"I heard all of you. Not only your voices on the earpiece but I heard your inner most thoughts. Your wishes." She turned to each her team as she explained.
"May, you wished that the Bus would just fly over and land behind you.
"Ward, you wished the bad guys would just get off your tail and disappear.
"Fitz, You were frantic when the dwarfs malfunctioned and wished that they would all take a nap and wake up fresh as they should.
"Simmons, you wished that for once, you'll be able to remain calm and be in control in a situation without having to panic.
"And AC? You wished for all of you to be back on the Bus safely."
"So, what you are saying is that you are a - "
"That's right Ward, somebody must have let out the Genie from her bottle." She shrugged.
"Are you sure about this?" Coulson asked softly.
"I'm really not sure if 'Genie' is the correct way to describe me. But after I adhered to all your wishes, the last wish that I granted suddenly came to me."
"What was it?" Simmons asked softly as she came closer to Skye.
"It was the wish of the dead Agent whose arms I was nestled in." Skye smile sadly. "He wished for me to be rescued, kept safe and one day, when the time is right, I'll be able to regain my ability and distinguished the wishes that is asked of me." She lowered her head as she whispered the words.
"Because a wrong wish from a wrong person may mean mayhem, destruction, death or worse to another person or even mankind." Coulson added.
"But you were a baby when you granted that wish." Fitz said.
"I guess that's the weird thing about being an 0-8-4." Skye laughed without humour.
Simmons moved and hugged her friend.
"What's going to happen to me now AC?" Skye looked at the leader with a worried frown.
Coulson looked towards the team and saw all of them shaking their heads. He smiled at their protectiveness for the Hacker.
"Nothing," Coulson told her kindly. "No one will know of your ability except us."
"Skye?"
Skye looked towards her SO when she heard him calling, "Yes?"
"Can you wish for yourself? Maybe, you could wish for the truth about your parents?"
"I've tried. That was the first thing I tried before you all came to ask me your questions." she shook her head sadly. "I can't wish something for myself."
"Then maybe, we can wish it for you." Fitz suggested.
"That is sweet Fitz. Thank you."
"Why do I sense a 'but' in your words?" Coulson asked.
"I'm afraid to know the truth." Skye replied with honesty. "After all that has just happened, I think I need to see how this thing really works. If there are repercussion because of what I did? I don't want to see anything bad comes out of it.
"What if, I find out that my parents are still alive and because of my digging for the truth it is actually endangering their lives? What if, my starting to grant wishes triggers something that the killers are looking for? What if S.H.I.E.L.D is actually waiting for what I can do and are the ones that killed those villages and agents in the first place?
"If they could send Ward and Fitz on a deadly mission with no plans of extractions, who is to say what they have done is not for their own selfish reasons? What if all of you are killed because they know where to find me? What if - "
"Skye," Ward came forward and took hold of her hands to pull her to sit down. He went down on his hunches to see her eye to eye. "Don't torture yourself like this. We'll take it slow alright? We'll get this through together."
"That's right Kiddo," May came to sit beside her. "Don't go overboard with questions that no one on this Bus has answers to. We are all in the dark about who you are." The Cavalry gently took Skye's hand in hers. "But we will all help to search the truth for you. We promise."
Skye broke down in tears at the promise given. Especially from the one that was adamant to hide the truth from her. Also the support the team was giving her was too overwhelming.
May gathered her close and hugged the crying and trembling girl to her. Simmons perched on the arm of the seater, leaned over to put her arms around Skye too. Fitz knelt behind the seat and rested his forehead against the back of the little hacker. Ward raise her hand to his lips and held it there.
Coulson sat down opposite the team and studied the scene in front of him.
"No matter what your powers are Skye, one thing is obvious." he said softly. "You have the power to bring a team together."
THE END
Sorry, I got carried away and a little far-fetched. I may have a sequel to add to this. No promises but leaving this ff like this is just incomplete, I feel. What do you think? Would love to hear what you have to say. Thanks for reading.