Gifts

by Micktrex

(Sequel to Scare Tactics) Christmas approaches while Skye struggles with her new feelings for Jemma, only to have them overshadowed by an event that changes her forever.

Author's Notes: So this Christmas story sure is late! It took a little (lot) longer than I intended because I am a slave to procrastination, but I also decided to incorporate ongoing events in the show. Hope it was worth the wait. Reviews are love. LOVE ME.

---

Gifts

"Hello, stranger."

The all too familiar voice had spoken over Skye's shoulder and she experienced a minor heart attack when it registered with her brain whose breath had just tickled the shell of her ear. The box between her hands slipped and she had to do an awkward dance to stop it tumbling to the hard concrete. Once secure, she spun around to greet Simmons with an exaggerated look of surprise.

"Hey you!" Skye blurted at a pitch at least five notes higher than was sociably acceptable. She swallowed hard against the panic bubbling up inside her throat. "Hi - hey - how's it going?"

She attempted to prop her elbow against a nearby crate, realising too late the box was lighter than it appeared, and flailed to keep her balance when it budged away from her. Jemma watched the whole show with a look of uncertainty as Skye brushed herself down and settled for planting her hands on her hips, the box tucked beneath one arm.

"Good, thank you." Jemma's accent was like honey to Skye's ears and her stomach performed several somersaults in a row at the sorely missed sound. Jemma's smile faltered and it brought Skye blinking out of her daydreaming stupor. "Though I must admit, I feel like I haven't talked to you properly in ages. Not avoiding me are you?" Jemma teased, throwing a playfully suspicious look her way.

Skye let out a loud, dismissive sound.

"What? Avoiding? Why would I be avoiding you - I don't need to avoid you. That's crazy talk. You're funny, Simmons. Such a kidder!" She punctuated her rambling with a fist thump to Jemma's shoulder that knocked her back gently.

The biochemist raised her eyebrows and parted her lips as if to voice her confusion, but remained too dumbfounded by Skye's strange behaviour to speak. She rubbed at her shoulder as if checking for proof of what had just occurred.

"I'm not avoiding you," Skye concluded far too quickly, hugging the box defensively against her chest. She managed a weak smile in an attempt to diffuse Jemma's suspicious sideways look and awkwardly added, "honest."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it," Jemma chirped brightly, then coyly admitted, "I hadn't realised how much I depend on our girl talks." A small, sad laugh escaped her lips. "It was rather lonely not having you to talk to."

Skye felt her chest tighten unpleasantly.

"I've just been really busy," Skye offered lamely, hating the lie even as it left her mouth.

"Oh, no, of course! I know you must have a lot on your mind with everything-"

"I have," Skye admitted readily, struggling to look Simmons in the face, "but that's not an excuse." She finally managed to brave eye contact and said, "You deserve better."

Simmons didn't seem to know how to respond, her cheeks turning an attractive pink, as she smiled shyly back at Skye. Then her expression became something more mischievous.

"Well if you want to make it up to me really badly you could help me with a pet project I've been planning," Jemma ventured with an exaggerated cock of her head and full on puppy dog eyes.

"Help? You want my help?" Skye cleared her throat and attempted the art of speech again without her voice cracking. "Did you download another virus onto your laptop? Because I still don't believe for a second you went onto that website 'accidentally'-"

"No! No. Nothing like that," Jemma corrected quickly, pushing down Skye's quotation mark gesture. She brushed a strand of hair back behind her ear self-consciously as she checked no one else was around to eavesdrop. "It won't require your technological expertise. This is something fun."

"Fun?" Skye echoed back dumbly, hypnotised by the brilliance of the other woman's beautiful smile. Skye wondered whether it was worth pointing out that hacking was how she had entertained herself for several years of her life but her brain was still processing that glorious, British-born set of lips.

"Yes," the biochemist nodded with a mocking facade of seriousness, "we are allowed to have it from time to time in between defying death and acts of espionage."

"What, uh, did you have in mind?" Skye asked curiously, hating the hopeful edge to her voice as she shuffled her feet.

'Uh uh. Just say yes," Jemma ordered primly. "I promise you won't regret-"

"Yes." The word was out so fast that Jemma blinked.

"Well that was easy." An amused and happy smile lit up Jemma's face.

"Just name the time and place," Skye said in a casual manner that contrasted sharply with the full out panic beginning to sink into her bones.

"I'm ridiculously busy in the lab at the moment but I should have some time free tonight. Can you meet me at my room? Shall we say..." Jemma bit her lip in thought and Skye's insides melted, "...10PM?"

"It's a date!" Skye joked with a click and point of her fingers. She hoped her unnaturally rictus smile hid the fact she was internally screaming obscenities at herself.

"I expect to see you promptly," Jemma ordered, mockingly pointing an accusatory finger and appearing totally unfazed by Skye's choice of words.

"Totally," Skye's face was starting to hurt from the grin she was maintaining, "I will be there. 10PM. On the dot."

"Excellent." Jemma beamed and Skye's mask almost faltered as the urge to confess her unspoken feelings became overwhelming. "Anyway, I better head back before one of the technicians has a break down," Jemma sighed heavily, rolling her eyes heavenward, "it's been one of those days."

Skye managed a small, forced laugh when words failed her.

"I'll see you later," Jemma gave her a final smile and a playful poke in the arm before walking away.

"See ya later alligator!" Skye blurted out. She waved Simmons out of sight, keeping her maddening smile in place until she was gone, then bit down on her fist and let out a long whine of despair.

"What you doing, girl?" Trip asked with a bemused smile as he came down the Bus' access ramp.

Skye let her hand slap uselessly to her side as she stared wistfully at the space Jemma had left through. "Nothing. Dying. I don't know."

"You okay?" Trip asked, his amusement sobered by concern.

"Yessss," Skye sighed immensely, slumping off back up into the Bus to collect the rest of the inventory. She was so preoccupied contemplating what Simmons could possibly need her help with at night - in her bedroom of all places - that Skye noticed a recent source of ire far too late. Bobbi stood waiting inside the Bus' garage with a loathsomely familiar look of knowing on her face. It used to make Skye break into a cold sweat, but after several weeks of enduring it her fear had transformed into eye roll inducing irritation. Skye paused, then glared.

"What?" she asked churlishly. "Enjoy the show?"

"You know you've gotta tell her eventually," Bobbi replied simply. Skye snorted derisively and barged past the towering woman to get the next crate.

"That's a great idea!" Skye exclaimed in hushed excitement. "You know what else would end our friendship? If I pushed her off a cliff! I'll go do that right now!" Skye's jubilant expression turned into a deadpan glare and she stomped back down the ramp, feeling Bobbi's smug stare follow her all the way.

Skye had tried to keep things normal in the beginning, but it had proved absolutely hopeless. The night spent sharing Jemma's bed had sparked a revelation that changed the way she looked at one of her closest friends; making every interaction with her a collection of painfully orchestrated hurdles that the hacker had stumbled her way through in a rose-tinted haze.

Agent Morse, being aptly known for her quick deduction skills and ability to read someone in seconds, spotted Skye's not so inner turmoil immediately. She had been initially surprised but, much to Skye's chagrin, seemed to find the idea of Simmons and her together incredibly endearing. One of these days Skye was going to 'endear' the Mockingbird off her high and mighty perch. Preferably while they were both on the Bus and it was in flight.

So to save her sanity and her dignity, Skye had avoided any unnecessary circumstance that would require her to be within touching distance of Simmons. Two weeks sure do drag by when you're actively keeping your distance from someone you have an enormous crush on in a relatively confined space you both spend most of your time. It wasn't the happiest of options but it was better than the alternative - or so she told herself on the days the distance became unbearable; this was most days.

Skye hefted the crate automatically to where it needed to go in a thoughtful daze. She paused and sighed, drumming her fingers anxiously on top of the metal container, as she tried to come up with an exit plan from what could only possibly be certain disaster. She scrunched her eyes closed in defeat when her mind came up empty. There was no way out of this - she'd already said yes.

Skye groaned pitifully. "Where's HYDRA when I need them?" she grumbled to herself, trudging back toward the Bus.

+.+.+.+.+

Jemma frowned pensively as she made her way back to the laboratories. Skye continued to be a source of frustration and confusion.

The last time she had shared a decent conversation with the other woman had been their mission in Europe - an experience that Jemma's rational brain had been repressing ever since. She still jumped at shadows and stray sounds when working late nights in the lab.

The morning after the mission, Jemma had woken up to find herself using someone else's chest as a pillow with her body sprawled against another, very feminine form. There had been a moment of awkwardness that was quickly laughed away, but Jemma had sensed a change. The days that followed were filled with Skye acting sheepish and flustered whenever Jemma happened to be in the vicinity. On more than one occasion she had literally observed Skye transform from her normal cock-sure self into an awkward, fidgeting klutz as soon as the hacker realised she was in the same room.

She had also caught her sending surreptitious glances her way more than once, sometimes from the complete opposite side of a room. It reached a point where Jemma began to think she might have something out of place on her person to garner such constant observation. But then, after weeks of this bizarre behaviour - without fanfare or explanation - Skye had simply vanished. Jemma would often go days without even catching a glimpse of her and during mission briefs Skye was practically a ghost; gone from the room before Director Coulson could finish saying 'dismissed'.

Initially, she had almost called Skye out on her odd behaviour but, after much introspection, eventually decided against it. She had come to the conclusion that she might not be entirely thrilled when she heard the answer. Nevertheless, the other woman had been acting strangely around her for awhile now and Jemma had finally had enough and hunted her down. Despite Skye's assurances Jemma knew when she was being avoided. She had become expertly accustom to the tell tale signs of avoidance throughout her academic years, being dodged by harried teachers and professors who couldn't keep up with her exuberant intellect, and its many, many questions and counter-arguments.

And although Skye had been more than happy to join her this evening and seemed comfortable enough in her presence, Jemma could sense an underlying tension. Like part of her itched to get away at the earliest possible opportunity. She was beginning to give Jemma a complex; it was far from a pleasant feeling.

It seemed she would have to get the hacker alone and confront her over whatever Skye's issue was like the mature adults they were. Whatever the case turned out to be, she was a woman of science, and she intended to solve this mystery once and for all, no matter what shape the truth would take.

+.+.+.+.+

That evening Skye forced her legs - which had miraculously turned to lead - toward the general vicinity of Jemma's quarters. Her mind was plagued by her awkward performance that morning and her stomach rolled apprehensively at the unknown implications of Simmons' request. A constant mantra of 'just be cool, just be cool' played on repeat in her head.

She arrived five minutes early, and after taking a long, deep breath to shake out her nerves, rapped her knuckles firmly on the door. While she waited, Skye caught herself smoothing down her SHIELD-issued black sweatpants and top like a girl preparing to see her prom date and tutted angrily. She forced her hands behind her back before they could find other ways to betray her anxiety. Jemma appeared a moment later, seemingly impressed by her punctuality; if the bright expression she was greeted with was anything to go by.

Skye had the sudden impulse to tell the biochemist how much she loved her smile, but before she could begin putting her foot in her mouth a large, heavy box was dumped into Skye's quickly gathering arms. A second smaller - yet still surprisingly heavy - box was placed on top of the first. Jemma was similarly weighed down when Skye attempted to peek bewilderedly around her new burden. Without explanation the scientist cheerfully instructed Skye to follow her.

They walked for a while along the Playground's corridors, which felt longer than necessary due to Skye having to turn sideways frequently to make sure she wasn't walking headlong into a wall. Simmons finally came to a stop in the canteen. It was eerily empty at this time of night but the biochemist seemed unperturbed and placed her boxes onto one of the tables. Skye gratefully followed suit.

"Are these..." Skye squinted at the contents of the nearest box, "...Christmas decorations?"

"Mm hmm," Simmons hummed excitedly, already rifling through one of her boxes.

"Hold up. You want to decorate the base?!" Skye asked in a strange voice, somewhere between amused and incredulous.

"Of course," Simmons replied, looking confused that this hadn't been obvious to Skye.

Skye's brow furrowed in disbelief. "You do know how big this place is, right?"

"Yes," Jemma replied, giving Skye a patient look, "that's why I required an extra pair of hands - and your hands will do just marvellously."

Skye was caught short by that reply; mostly because she was now trying her hardest not to imagine what her hands could do during some quality alone time with Jemma. She failed and her eye visibly twitched.

"Where did you even get all this stuff?" Skye asked in awe as she rummaged through one of the boxes. "This must have cost a fortune!"

"Oh, I have my ways," Jemma stated, maintaining a believably straight face as she added, "but I'm afraid if I told you I'd have to do away with you."

The corners of Skye's mouth perked up and her eyes glinted in amusement. "Okay, mysterious Agent Simmons," she teased, flashing her eyes with exaggerated mock wonder, "your secrets are safe with me."

"Good!" Jemma clapped her hands together and fixed Skye with an expectant look. "Shall we begin?"

As activities involving a close proximity to a certain gorgeous SHIELD agent went this one wasn't so bad. At least whenever Jemma chose to speak or move or continue to exist, Skye could avoid embarrassing herself by focusing on the distraction of hanging white and silver snowflakes from the kitchen light fixtures and along the tops of the walls. They had been at it a good hour and Skye was beginning to relax just enough that the thought of conversation with the woman next to her didn't make her go dizzy.

"Is this right?" Skye asked doubtfully, turning her head at an angle to examine her handiwork.

"Perfect," Jemma replied after taking a second to glance at the white, glitter-covered snowflake dangling from the ceiling.

"You know, I hadn't even realised we were so close to Christmas," Skye said honestly as she unfolded another cardboard flake. "With everything that's been happening it completely slipped my mind."

"Good thing I'm here to remind you then," was Jemma's chipper reply.

Skye smiled, completely endeared by the contented look on the woman beside her. She really had it bad for that smile. Though, it was very possible she was obsessed by Simmons lips for another reason entirely. She almost spilled the beans there and then, but before she could muster the courage Jemma spoke again.

"I'd love it if we could have a tree. A real one mind you, not one of those plastic knockoffs. But that's probably out of the realm of possibility," she mused despondently.

Skye smirked. "Maybe if you ask Coulson nicely."

"No, it's fine," Jemma said resignedly, flashing Skye a grateful smile. "I think the Director has enough on his plate. Holiday traditions are the least of his worries."

"I dunno. He's got a fun side," Skye argued, furrowing her brow as she tried to untangle two decorations that had become entwined. "I'm sure he'd be all for it. You don't know till you ask."

Jemma regarded her quietly for a moment before turning back to the task at hand.

"I'll think about it." It had been Jemma's way of ending the topic but as she hung up another snowflake Skye thought her smile looked a little more hopeful.

"So how comes I get the honour of helping you decorate?" Skye asked curiously. "Is this payback for all those Halloween pranks? Because I think I'm getting off pretty light here."

Jemma's soft laugh was music to her ears. She glanced in Skye's direction and looked suddenly sheepish. "Truth be told nobody else actually wanted to help. You were pretty much my last resort."

"Suddenly feeling less special," Skye deadpanned with a mock glare.

"Oh, no, I have missed you, too!" Jemma insisted earnestly, looking quite unhappy that her intentions had appeared selfish. "I thought this would be as good an opportunity as any to catch up and I assumed you might enjoy the task. I can't imagine you got to do this too often as a foster child. Or at a convent full of uptight nuns."

"You're not wrong there," Skye said, huffing out a laugh that sounded only half genuine. Her mind got lost in the disappointments of her past for a minute or two, slowing down her progress, before the sound of Simmons humming 'Good King Wenceslas' returned her to the much happier present. Of course she hums Christmas carols, Skye thought, she's perfect. She studied the other woman as she fiddled with the string of another snowflake.

"Thanks," Skye said quietly, "for thinking of me."

"No problem at all," Jemma beamed, "I suppose my reasons aren't entirely selfless though." Her expression took a dour turn. "With Fitz being..." she paused, her eyes taking on a glassy shine. She swallowed hard. "He still doesn't really like being around me...and I'm not terribly close with any of the others. May isn't exactly chatty."

Skye snorted as she fished blindly in the box for another decoration, her attention solely on Jemma.

"For what it's worth I'm glad I drew the short straw," Skye teased, her expression earnest. She squeezed Jemma's shoulder with her free hand and, after seeing Jemma perk up, reluctantly removed it. "And Fitz'll come around," she added confidently, "even if I have to lock you two in a room together until you hug and make up."

Jemma laughed, filling Skye with joy until she actually considered her own words and found the smile slipping from her face.

For a while the two women continued their work in contented silence. They had developed a practiced rhythm between them and made considerable progress along the main corridor, when one of them finally broke the quiet.

"Do I snore?" Jemma asked inquisitively.

Skye paused midway through hanging a snowflake and blinked slowly before looking at Jemma strangely. Her eyebrows fell comically low.

"Uh, sorry, come again?"

"It's just I was trying to recall when you suddenly became so scarce and it seems it only began after that night we spent in my bed," Jemma explained primly. "So I was just curious if I snore to such a degree that you've been repulsed by my physical presence."

Skye stared at the other woman, blindsided by the blunt question that had come out of nowhere. Jemma hadn't stopped from wrapping tinsel around an overhead pipe but was clearly waiting for a response.

"No." Jemma glanced at her, apparently unsure of what she was answering. "You don't snore," Skye summarized and internally groaned as she added in her head, because you are perfect even when unconscious and I'd love to bunk up again sometime - how about tonight? Or right now. Right now would be amazing.

"Ah," Jemma nodded once, her lips twisting in thought, "so you're avoiding me for another reason I presume? Perhaps I've upset you in another way? Do I hog the covers?"

"No!" Skye exclaimed. She realised Jemma was toying with her and it was beginning to wear on her already tense nerves. "I'm not avoiding you, Jemma. I'm not mad or upset with you. Look. Here. Helping."

"I know. I'm grateful. I've missed this," Jemma said in a quiet yet unwavering voice, looking a little taken aback by Skye's abrupt retort. "But I think tomorrow you'll go back to acting how you have for the past few weeks."

Skye was having serious trouble swallowing the lump in her throat. She stared purposefully at the decoration she was attempting to affix to the wall. "Like I said this morning, I've just been really busy," she replied shortly, now feeling completely uncomfortable with her proximity to the other woman.

"Is it because we slept together?"

Skye almost stabbed herself with the drawing pin she was holding.

"What?!"

"I mean we only shared a bed," Jemma stated, looking close to exasperation, "we were both clothed. There was nothing out of the ordinary-"

"I know that!" Skye laughed, but it was a distressed, choked sound. She wiped her palms down her jeans and focused on the box full of Christmas decorations with great determination. "Can we change the subject?" Skye asked hoarsely with a smile that appeared as desperate as the laugh a moment ago.

Jemma's eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Skye in bemusement. "Are you blushing?"

"What! No! Shut up! I mean - not shut up, I didn't mean shut up." Skye became so flustered the rest of her words came in fits and starts that sounded more like a victim of a severe concussion learning to speak again. "I need to go," Skye declared shakily, already up and speed walking away before the words had left her mouth.

She heard Jemma call after her in utter confusion but didn't look back.

+.+.+.+.+

That night Skye had dreamt she and Simmons were decorating a giant Christmas tree together in the middle of the Playground's empty hangar bay. She confessed her feelings and Jemma laughed so hard that HYDRA heard her from space and immediately stormed the base.

It was fair to say she wasn't in the best of moods. She was still wearing her sweats from the night before and her hair hung behind her in a messy ponytail as she glared down into the milky pool of her bowl, stabbing at the contents half-heartedly. If May saw her in this state she would have probably considered becoming someone else's S.O, Skye thought sullenly.

As if to prove this day intended to in no way improve her disposition, Skye had only been halfway through her cereal when Hunter had looked up from what he was reading across the table and said, "So what's this I hear about you having the hots for our favourite female scientist?"

He barely reacted as Skye choked on her current mouthful.

"What?" she said hoarsely from behind her hand as she attempted to stop coughing.

"You and Simmons," Hunter clarified happily. He stretched his arm out above him, "Yay high, cute in that chaste librarian kind of way, English - great taste by the way."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Skye bit off irritably.

"Come on, Skye," Hunter said patiently, his expression making it clear he didn't believe a word out of her mouth. He raised his hands as if brokering peace, "I mean, I just want to say, I'm all for the idea. The rebel hacker and the good girl scientist? This is what male fantasies are made of."

"Please stop talking," Skye ordered with quiet anger, a hand pressed against her temple.

"Why, because you're embarrassed? Don't be! We're all adults here!" Hunter declared in his annoyingly patronising manner.

"No, because May taught me to use any object as a weapon, and if you continue this line of conversation this spoon is going somewhere unpleasant!"

"Okay!" he sighed sarcastically, rubbing his hands together to show he was brushing away the subject. There was a moment of blissful silence where Skye worked her jaw and attempted to calm down. And then Hunter started humming 'I kissed a girl' under his breath.

Bobbi strode into the canteen and after a moment spent rooting through the cabinets, paused, as if sensing something amiss. She turned to regard a still humming Hunter with confused amusement then latched onto Skye who was currently glaring so hard at the mercenary, she feared he might self combust.

"What's going on, guys?" Bobbi asked tentatively, eyes flicking between the pair.

"You told him?!" Skye's open glare switched to the blonde.

For once, Bobbi looked anything but smug. After a moment spent caught in the headlights like a petrified deer she rounded on Hunter.

"Ow! What?! You did tell me!" Hunter protested as he rubbed the spot on his chest where Bobbi had punched him.

"Yes, but you weren't meant to share that piece of information with anyone else, let alone the person it involves!" Bobbi spat back incredulously.

"I agreed to no such deal," Lance said, shaking his head gravely and turning back to his reading material.

"It was implied," Bobbi glowered.

"Jesus, it's just a little crush!" Hunter retorted, rolling his eyes heavily, "You're acting like I've divulged military secrets to a hostile nation!"

"Wouldn't be the first time," Bobbi shot back, hands on her hips.

"Oh, here we go!" Hunter said angrily, slamming his papers down on the table and getting up to face off with his ex-wife, "Just like bloody always, digging up the past when you're the one in the wrong-"

Luckily, Mack appeared like an angel descending from the heavens and provided Skye with a means of escape. He gave the commotion taking place between the former couple a fleeting, weary glance before locating Skye and telling her Coulson wanted to see her.

"Why?" Skye asked curiously over all the shouting, then waved her hand as Mack began to reply. "Actually don't worry. Always nice to talk to the Director. At least he's someone I can trust..." Skye said, putting emphasis on the last word and speaking loud enough to be overheard. Skye left the canteen relishing the look of guilt that had been plastered on Bobbi's face.

+.+.+.+.+

"Where's your head, Skye?"

Skye blinked out of her daze and turned her full attention to Coulson. His penetrative stare caused her to squirm against the leather back of her chair.

"What do you mean?" she asked in a voice that hopefully conveyed total innocence.

Skye had sensed from the instant she walked into Coulson's office that something wasn't right. While the Director proclaimed to want to discuss intel on an upcoming mission she could tell he was trying to gauge her mental and emotional state. She had started off successfully portraying the perfect image of contentment, but her distracted mind and foul mood had clearly shone through her act considering the concerned, pensive look currently on the Director's face.

"You haven't seemed yourself lately," Coulson clarified, leaning back into his chair to eye her carefully. "I'm worried about you."

Skye huffed out a scathing laugh.

"Well...I mean that's understandable," she deadpanned with a heavy shrug.

"It is?" The Director's head quirked slightly to the side in interest.

Skye's expression took on a faraway glaze as she began casually listing things off her fingers, "My dad's a psychopathic murderer, I might be an alien-"

"No, I didn't mean that," Coulson quickly interjected and then paused, reconsidering her words. "I - obviously those are all still very pressing concerns," he added off Skye's confused look, "I was talking more about your recent behaviour."

"Meaning?" Skye frowned, an annoyed edge to her voice as she folded her arms defensively.

"You've been acting a little strangely around the Playground," Coulson explained, "it's like half the time you want to be somewhere else. I've seen you fly out of mission briefs like your life depended on it."

"I'm fine, really," Skye affirmed with an impressive attempt at a genuine smile. "Hanging in there."

Coulson smiled affectionately. "You're not as good a liar as you think you are."

Skye grimaced, unable to look the man she thought of more fondly than her natural born father in the eye.

"I thought we'd moved past keeping secrets?" Coulson enquired, the tone of his voice unnervingly calm and soft spoken. There was no trace of anger yet his words cut deeply. "I've been on the level with you at your request."

"I know..." Skye muttered, the guilt beginning to pool in her chest.

"Don't I deserve the same?"

She pushed herself out of the chair and turned away from Coulson's desk. Skye knew he was right. Of course he deserved the same treatment she had demanded from him.

"It doesn't matter. It's stupid, really." She had meant a laugh to accompany her words but Skye's defences were slipping away, the act fading. Her heart was thudding in her chest and her mouth was bone dry. She looked wildly around the empty half of Coulson's office, searching wildly for a means to escape, to prevent what she knew was inevitably approaching.

"Whatever it is, Skye, you can talk to me about it," Coulson promised, "no matter how trivial or small you think it is."

Skye had felt the urge to confess slowly bubbling up inside her and Coulson's words proved to be the catalyst that pushed her over the edge. It was possible that what happened in the canteen with Hunter had left her in such a bad mood that she didn't care anymore, or perhaps she had finally lost her mind over this whole girl crush business, but whatever it was that had finally snapped inside Skye caused her to blurt out, "I'm in love with Simmons."

It felt like a weight had fallen from her shoulders - finally saying it out loud. She had always told herself it was infatuation, that she liked men and eventually this would pass and she could get on with her life, but she felt no need to correct the admission. It felt right. It was the bare bones truth; and it was absolutely terrifying. Skye hadn't even considered the 'L word' in her most private moments spent battling to understand her new feelings. She suddenly felt the urge to cry.

"Oh." The Director's face had frozen, apparently still processing this breaking news. Eventually, slowly, he said, "is that it?"

"'Is that it'?" Skye repeated in disbelief. Coulson walked around his desk to stand beside her, shooting her a knowing look; she seemed to be getting a lot of those lately.

"As preoccupied as my role as director keeps me? Not blind," Coulson teased. "I notice everything that goes on here. If I didn't, I wouldn't be doing the job Fury entrusted me with."

Skye fidgeted on the spot, disarmed by his ever proud and accepting gaze. She finally managed a meek, "Oh."

"Have you told her how you feel?" Coulson enquired with polite curiosity.

Skye physically felt the blood drain from her face. Her mouth worked like a fish gasping for air. "I-uh-I, I," she stammered, then stared traumatized at Coulson, "I don't think I can talk about this. With you."

"That's fair," Coulson conceded, nodding to himself and folding his arms. He remained thoughtful for a moment, then asked, "Is this going to affect your performance in the field?"

"N-no?" Skye hadn't expected that question. So far her feelings for Jemma hadn't altered her training focus, but the fact she found it nigh impossible to be in the same room as the other woman wasn't exactly a good sign now she thought of it. She couldn't exactly choose who to be paired with on missions and if she did it would have only driven a greater wedge between her and Simmons.

"You're already under a lot of stress considering your personal connection to recent events, if your mind's elsewhere then maybe-"

"I'll be fine." Skye assured, alarm in her voice at the thought of being sidelined. "I won't let...this... jeopardize the mission," she said unevenly, self-consciously looking away, but then flicking her eyes back to Coulson to add with conviction, "I promise."

"Glad to hear it." He rested a hand affectionately on her shoulder. "If there's nothing else you want to discuss you're free to go."

Feeling an overwhelming need to be alone and contemplate her spoken revelation, Skye gave a hasty goodbye and headed for the exit. She heard Coulson call her name, causing her to stop halfway out the door and turn back to find him hesitating with something he wanted to say.

"I'm not sure what my advice is worth to you in this situation, god knows I'm no expert myself," Coulson admitted, smiling almost bashfully. "But if I were you? I'd tell her. They either feel the same or they don't. It's never worth agonising over maybes."

Skye regarded him for a minute, taken by surprise. She felt dizzy, as if this was all a surreal dream she would be waking from any minute now. Skye managed a single brisk nod and mumbled, "thank you, Sir," before slipping out of the room.

+.+.+.+.+

Despite their victory, the return trip from Australia had been a solemn affair. The unexpected appearance of Skye's father had left Coulson and Fitz shaken; the haunted look on the Director's face alone had filled Skye with dread. His rundown of the encounter only made it worse.

The team had been back at the Playground a few hours and Skye had spent most of that time listlessly pacing the corridors. She had wandered over to the shooting range briefly and learnt that emptying a whole clip into one of the targets did nothing to settle the disquiet rattling around inside her. Most of the team seemed to be busy doing something important while Skye searched unsuccessfully for a distraction to block out the draining thoughts of her restless mind.

It was only when wandering into the lounge that Skye accidentally came across Simmons. She appeared to be trying to cover every surface with white, red and gold; no doubt in an attempt to keep herself busy. After a while, the biochemist noticed she was being watched and let out a gasp of surprise.

"I thought you were May," she said, a hand still on her chest as she relaxed again, "she's been on the warpath ever since she saw what we did the other day."

"Really?"

"Apparently, we 'created a fire hazard'," Jemma huffed indignantly.

"Talk about a Grinch," Skye joked half heartedly, lingering in the doorway.

"I know!" Jemma said irritably, "Well she won't stop me! As long as she doesn't come through that door, of course," she paused, shooting Skye a nervous look, "then I'm quite positive she could stop me with tremendously little effort."

"I'm sure you'd give her a run for her money," Skye said absent-mindedly as she took in the impressive extent to which Jemma had already transformed the lounge.

As if sensing something wrong, Jemma turned her head to regard Skye properly. Skye must have been wearing her emotions because Jemma's face immediately softened. "Would you like to help me?"

Skye's reply came in a shrug, but she wandered closer.

Coulson's advice from the day before echoed in her mind as she fingered indifferently through the contents of a box beside Jemma. Her hand brushed against a peculiar object and she pulled it out. It was a reindeer ornament with a red LED for a nose. Skye flicked the switch on its stomach and the light flashed on and off. Jemma looked over at the sound of Skye's dry chuckle.

"Oh! My hero!" Jemma declared abruptly, setting Skye's heart aflutter, "I've been looking for that little bugger forever!"

Skye handed it over and watched Jemma place it in the middle of the coffee table for all to see. She turned her head this way and that, made a slight adjustment, then straightened up with a big smile and muttered, "perfect," to herself. She walked back over and squatted next to Skye, humming contentedly as she continued her previous task.

Skye waited nervously for the inevitable interrogation but it never came. She could tell Simmons desperately wanted to know what had occurred between them the other night but was doing a surprisingly good job at keeping her burning curiosity at bay. The palpable tension hanging in the air between them persisted until, eventually, Skye put the other woman out of her misery.

"Simmons?" Jemma looked up with a soft, expectant smile. Skye braced herself, caught in her gaze for a moment before forging ahead. "I can talk to you about anything, right?"

"Mm," Jemma hummed affirmatively, fiddling with the snake's nest of multicoloured Christmas lights in her lap. "What's on your mind?"

A ghost of a smile flickered over Skye's features for a moment as she recalled the litany of inappropriate ideas that had been on her mind during many recent restless nights, haunted by the memory of what might have happened while sharing Jemma's bed if she'd been a little bolder.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry. You were right." Skye picked anxiously at her fingernails as she admitted, "I have been avoiding you."

She watched Jemma go through a range of expressions. Relief, confusion, hurt. Eventually she wrangled in her emotions and flatly asked, "Why?"

"There was some stuff I had to figure out," Skye explained slowly, still fidgeting with her hands, "but it doesn't matter anymore. There's more at stake than what I want."

"What do you mean?" Jemma asked, frowning in confusion.

"The map. The city. My dad. It's like my life's been leading to this." She spun a glittery snowman ornament around on its silver thread on the wall. "I had so many questions growing up. So much loneliness. So much anger. Now I'm just scared - of where I came from and where I might be headed."

Jemma pulled her into a lung-squeezing hug before Skye could stop her. After initially tensing up in surprise, Skye relaxed and accepted it gratefully, trying hard to ignore the smell of her perfume and the familiar warmth of her body. It was like being in that bed all over again.

"I just want you to know how much you mean to me," Skye managed to say, swallowing against the tightness of her throat. "You're the best friend I could possibly ever ask for. You've always been there for me and I appreciate it more than you know." The hacker chuckled humourlessly as she moved out of the hug to look Jemma in the eye again. "I don't think you've ever been anywhere but on my side. "

"Skye..." The heartfelt way Jemma said her name sent Skye's heart fluttering into a shaky ascent. The biochemist's hands had become clutched together, her chin resting on top of her knuckles, and there was an attractive blush spreading up her neck. "That was quite the apology. I'm incredibly flattered. I'm not sure where this has all come from but I'm definitely a fan."

"I meant every word," Skye promised, completely taken by how affected Jemma was by her outpouring.

"Well, if there's anything else nice you want to say about me do feel free," Jemma teased playfully, already turning back to the decorations.

Skye saw her opportunity, took a deep breath, then plunged into the terrifying unknown. "You're funny...and sweet and amazing and ridiculously pretty," Jemma's smile slowly faded as a look of touched incomprehension took residence, "and I've always known that. I've always felt so lucky to have you as a friend. As a teammate. For everything you've done for me. But I recently kind of had an epiphany."

"An epiphany?" Jemma echoed back slowly. Her eyes were wide and shining, completely taken aback.

"Yeah," was Skye's sheepish reply. She was glad she was kneeling; it hid how badly she was shaking. "I like you."

Jemma stared at her blankly, her head tilting to the side as if her confusion would be cleared by observing Skye at that angle.

Skye let out a shaky sigh and looked toward the ceiling. "I really like you."

"Oh," Jemma said softly, practically a whisper. Her eyes slowly widened to comical proportions. "Oh!"

"I'm not expecting for you to tell me you feel the same or anything. So relax." Skye informed her hastily.

"Okay..." Jemma nodded in slow understanding, her face still a picture of complete shock.

"I just wanted to let you know. In case something-"

"Nothing's going to happen," Jemma stated with iron certainty despite her dazed condition. "To you, or any of us."

"Right, well, that's why I'm telling you now-"

"Sorry," Jemma interrupted, her face still the picture of flustered bewilderment, "it's just...I had no idea you were even-"

"I'm not," Skye replied tightly. Her gaze flickered to Jemma and then to the floor. "I just...like you. There's something about you that...makes me feel-"

"Hey, you two."

The pair looked up sharply at the voice to find May stood in the doorway. "Coulson wants everyone to meet in the hangar for mission brief."

"Can it wait a minute? Kind of in the middle of something here," Skye shot back with more irritation than she had intended.

May's stunned look quickly formed into a powerful glare that was enough to cause Skye to wish she could make like a Quinjet and vanish.

"Now, Skye." May ordered frostily before marching off.

Skye growled in frustration and scrubbed at her face agitatedly. "Kind of an anti-climax, right?" she joked, her smile not meeting her eyes.

"Yes, quite. I don't think she saw the decorations, though," Jemma mused, still dazed, "that's good..."

"Yeah, you'll survive another day." Skye deadpanned, suddenly feeling deflated.

"Skye, wait..." Skye felt fingertips reach to touch her arm as she turned toward the door.

"We should go," she stated firmly, nodding to herself and surrendering to her lot in life, "before May shoots me or something."

With a rock hard knot in her throat, Skye found herself once again walking away from the one person she desperately wanted to be closer to.

+.+.+.+.+

Jemma had reacted poorly, she could admit that now. It had taken a night without sleep to get over the shock of Skye's transformation and once it had passed all she was left with was a sense of crushing guilt.

The events that transpired in the alien city had left a considerable mark on all of them, but she in particular had come away disturbed by what she had witnessed. Those cursed chambers and vaults were now destroyed, flooded by the sea and left to fade forgotten by history. However, this proved insufficient to wipe Jemma's experience of the wretched place. Mack's possessed attack had been terrifying and Trip's death had left a dark cloud over the entire team. Jemma still shuddered at the image of his remains being carried out in pieces, the calcified imprint of his face staring up at her from a slab of rock.

She had even taken a glancing blow to the chest from something that she imagined used to be Raina. Whatever she was now was far from human.

Skye remained the only other survivor from the temple, surrounded by destruction yet miraculously unharmed. Looking back perhaps this should have been the first cause for concern, but the team's relief at her safety washed away any possible suspicion. She had been put into quarantine, left to pace the small cell like a caged animal while the labs waited to see if she was clear of contamination that could lead to the same fate as Raina, or worse, Trip.

The blood results hadn't even come back before they knew their answer. Jemma had felt the distant rumbling before she had even stepped off the Bus. The trigger, as far as anyone could tell, had been a heated argument taking place outside quarantine that had escalated into a shouting match. By the time Jemma had rushed to the scene the shaking had ended, discovering the whole team in speechless shock.

She had slipped past Coulson as he tried to stop her approach. His eyes were filled with fear. All their eyes were filled with fear. One look toward Skye revealed why, confirming Jemma's worst nightmare.

She had stumbled back in horror at the devastation inside Skye's cell. Cracks webbed across the walls, brickwork splintered, electrical equipment broken and spitting sparks while a light fitting swayed from the ceiling, casting shadows back and forth as it flickered on and off. Glass had showered the floor inside and out, reducing the cell's walls to bare framework with jagged glass teeth.

Jemma had cried out in hushed dismay and Skye had looked up, her features racked with guilt and shame. She had attempted to speak, perhaps to beg forgiveness or call out her name in hope of a friend, but Jemma was already being pulled away by Coulson.

That night while she lay in bed, grief stricken by the horrors they had unveiled upon themselves, a single, haunting thought had consumed Jemma. If the monster that had torn out the throats of innocent men was once Raina, what had Skye become?

Now, as Jemma observed from afar, one thing was clear; Skye was a mess. Her hands pulled at the material of her medical gown, her hair was dishevelled and hung in her face, which was covered in tear tracks after endless bouts of quiet sobbing. Observing her distress, even from the hallway, was hard enough for Jemma; the fact her emotional state was also responsible for sending tremors intermittently through the base made it unbearable. It proved to be a vicious cycle with no sign of end. Very little seemed to calm her - even May's lessons on emotional control failed to get through. Unconscious, at least, Skye's powers remained dormant, but from the look of the dark circles under her eyes Skye had had very little sleep.

Fitz came into view as he moved around the room, too focused on the schematics on his tablet to notice her hovering presence. A stab of jealous anger flared inside Jemma's chest. She still didn't understand why the Director had forbade anyone from contact with Skye, but specifically allowed Fitz to monitor her on the principle that he had a theory on how to better control her abilities.

Skye looked so small and frightened, sitting on the cot with her knees drawn under her chin that Jemma found herself moving to enter the room, determined to do something, before a strong hand braced her shoulder.

"You know you can't go in there. Coulson's orders." Jemma sighed and tore her eyes from the woman on the bed to turn her despondent gaze in Mack's direction.

"I'm the chief Biochemist on staff for god sake! I'm perfectly qualified to help her. I appreciate what Fitz is trying to do but with enough time I could reverse the change-"

"Coulson's. Orders." Mack repeated firmly, a sympathetic edge to his voice.

"I know. I just...I hate seeing her like this," she lamented, failing to keep her building frustration out of her voice. She found herself automatically looking back through the window into the quarantine room again.

"No one's making you watch her go through this," Mack said bluntly, "and to be honest Fitz'll probably work faster without you around."

Jemma rounded on him with hurt and angry eyes, dangerously on the verge of releasing the tears she had held back all day.

Mack put his hands up defensively before she could give him a piece of her mind. "I'm not trying to upset you or get personal. I'm just being honest. I can see she means a lot to you but there's nothing you can do right now so don't torture yourself. And you know what I said about Fitz is true. If you want him to find a way to help her sooner than later...maybe you should just take a walk. Clear your head. I'll make sure someone comes to find you if anything changes."

Jemma didn't trust her mouth at that moment and simply walked away. She could feel angry tears determinedly waiting to spring free and she wandered the corridors looking for a quiet corner to finally do just that.

Days passed and all this waiting on the sidelines was driving Jemma crazy with frustration.

Coulson had moved Skye to the containment room on the Bus; a safety protocol he had enforced in a vain attempt to lessen the damage her tremors could cause to the Playground.

She knew even if she were permitted entrance she would have been of little use to Skye other than a source of comfort - and it appeared comforting Skye was a feat in itself from what Jemma could gather from watching her cling to Fitz during some of her stronger convulsions in quarantine.

Some supposed expert on meta-human physiology had been drafted in to help; Agent May's ex husband of all people. Coulson was clearly pulling out all the stops to help get to the bottom of Skye's condition, while Jemma could only stare at results that altered all understanding she had of natural physiology.

Every sample of Skye's blood had revealed the same thing - that Skye had gone through a radical metamorphosis on a cellular level. The latest vial had spontaneously trembled until it shattered, scaring the life out of Jemma. She had watched in horror and wonder as red blood cells danced violently of their own accord, defying all sense and reason, while she firmly held the microscope down as it tried to shudder off the edge of the table.

This at least told her one important fact about Skye's condition; her abilities were growing stronger by the day.

She had no idea what purpose the transformation held for Skye, how to remove it, or even begin to understand if Skye would ever be able to truly control the earthquakes she caused. The alternative didn't bare thinking about. Jemma's mind was full to bursting with questions that she didn't have answers to and her sense of helplessness took her back to a similar situation barely a year ago. She had brought Skye back from the verge of death, had had to wash her blood off her hands and wait with bated breath to see if she would make the night - the next hour. Now she might lose Skye in a completely different and more devastating way.

'You've always been there for me.'

Skye's words stung bitterly. She had confessed the contents of her heart to her and Jemma had all but thrown it back in her face. Her initial reaction and subsequent absence must have felt to Skye like another abandonment to add to an already long list.

Jemma also wasn't sure how she felt about an outsider being brought into the sanctuary of the Playground, allowed close proximity with a beloved member of the team who had a potentially devastating superpower. Jemma hated to think of the ways the wrong type of people could exploit the change Skye had gone through. HYDRA could level cities.

With that thought in mind, Jemma's arms tightened further around her chest as she kept her stern gaze on the doctor, wishing in vain that she could hear what he was currently saying to a pensive looking Coulson and May.

Later that day, she exchanged a few choice words with the Director and came away more frustrated in the face of his stoical front. "I understand your concerns, Simmons," he had said calmly, as if the strain of recent events had had little effect on him, "they're the same concerns the rest of the team and myself share. But right now Skye's clearly in a volatile state and I won't risk endangering any more of you than is necessary. Do you think she'd want that? That weight on her conscience?"

He was right, of course, but that didn't stop Jemma wanting to push something fragile and important off his desk.

+.+.+.+.+

"So, how are we feeling today?"

"Fantastic," Skye deadpanned sarcastically, watching Dr Garner walk into the interrogation room with heavily lidded eyes. "This windowless prison feels like a home away from home.

"I know this all seems a bit extreme but it's for the best, Skye," he promised, smiling at her sympathetically.

"Sure thing, Doc."

"Still refusing to call me, Andy, huh?" the Doctor asked with a wry grin, resting against Skye's improvised dressing table.

"Can we please just get on with it?" Skye sighed wearily, letting her head fall back against the wall.

The usual routine followed; she reported how many episodes she had experienced so far that day and their separate durations whilst he took notes or asked for elaboration. He catalogued absolutely everything; her moods, physical sensations, any changes to her daily routine, even what she'd eaten. It was an exhausting process but Skye was willing to try anything to end this personal hell.

"I'm surprised I haven't seen your number one fan today," the Doctor chuckled, tapped away on the screen in front of him as he wrote down the last of his observations. Skye stared at the man with blank, uncomprehending eyes.

"What are you talking about?" she asked sourly.

"The Simmons girl," he replied, still focused on his notes and frowning slightly. "It's like I've got a second shadow. Every time I turn around there she is. Wants to know how you are, if there's been any progress - she insists on knowing my methodology."

"Really?" Skye looked at him strangely, her irate tone turning hopeful.

"Believe me I'm being modest," Garner stated with a bark of laughter. "If Coulson doesn't let her see you soon I think she might wage a mutiny."

The smallest of smiles made a fleeting appearance on Skye's face before a deep scowl aimed at the floor took its place.

There was a knock on the door barely a minute later and when Dr Garner went to see who it was she heard him exhale in amusement.

"Talk of the devil," he whispered conspiratorially back at Skye, causing her to look up and see Jemma standing just beyond the cell's threshold. Skye's chest ached at the sight and her gaze quickly snapped back to the tiles on the floor.

"Did you need to scrutinize my findings again, Ms Simmons?" Garner enquired innocently. Jemma blushed, her eyes flicking from him to Skye and back again.

"Uh, no. Not today, thank you. Coulson asked for you," Jemma supplied with a timid smile. The doctor nodded and picked up his tablet.

"Make sure she doesn't run away while I'm gone," the Doctor teased on his way out, throwing Skye a wink. Skye glowered tiredly at his back as he left. Any other day she would probably have found the charismatic man a joy to be around; the Playground could do with more people of his cheerful disposition. However, in her current situation Skye could only see why May had divorced him.

"You look well," she heard Jemma say quietly.

Skye had found the floor interesting again and remained silent in her examination. She heard Jemma clear her throat uncomfortably and shuffle her feet.

"Fitz thinks he may be on to something," Jemma tried again with forced brightness, "though he won't share any details just yet."

Skye nodded at the floor.

"I've been trying to devise a cure from your blood samples but I'm afraid I've not had much luck. Your new DNA sequences are quite remarkable," Jemma revealed with interest, before letting out a frustrated sigh, "and incredibly stubborn. Every sample I've tested so far has resisted all the retroactive drug trials I've attempted. I'm working with biology I've never seen before, but with more time..."

Jemma trailed off and Skye saw her self-consciously bow her head from the corner of her eye. She could physically feel her silence eating away at her friend's sanity. Jemma hesitantly stepped further into the room.

"Skye..." Jemma started, her voice compromised by emotion, "I'm so sorry for-"

"It's fine, Simmons-"

"It's not!" Jemma argued hotly, "I should have come to you sooner but Coulson-"

"It doesn't matter," Skye shot back wearily. "It's not Coulson's fault."

"How can you possibly defend-?!"

"Because I told Coulson to keep you away!" Skye retorted loudly. Jemma stared at her and the hurt evident behind her eyes made Skye look away. The silence that followed was suffocating.

"Why?!" Jemma cried in quiet disbelief, "why on earth would you-?" she stopped abruptly, a blush travelling steadily up her neck. "Oh." Her eyes darted shyly to a corner of the room not occupied by Skye. The hacker shouldn't have been surprised; Jemma was always quick to put the pieces of a problem together.

Skye remained silent and that was confirmation enough.

"Well, I don't see how that would pose a problem-"

"Of course it's a problem, Simmons!" Skye burst out impatiently. "Half the time just thinking about how I could hurt you - what you must think of me now I'm this freak-!"

"I don't think you're a freak!" Jemma rebutted, looking upset. Skye ran her palms over her face, tired of everything. When she felt a hand unexpectedly land on her shoulder Skye flinched from the touch and frightened eyes locked on Jemma, who had recoiled her arm in surprise. The accessories on the dresser nearby began to wobble precariously of their own accord and the lights started flickering sporadically above them. The biochemist visibly swallowed and forced a comforting smile that didn't quite hide her nervousness.

"It's okay, Skye. Try to relax."

"Relax?!" Skye snapped back in a tone wrought with emotion, "How exactly am I supposed to do that? I can't stop this, Jemma, I can't control it!"

The room began to shake in earnest and anything that wasn't bolted down danced noisily in place or toppled over.

"Skye!" Jemma cried as the cell door narrowly missed her as it swung shut with a bang. She forced herself into Skye's eye line, dropping to a crouch and getting close enough to block out everything else. "Focus on me. Focus on my voice," she ordered compassionately, "I'm not going to abandon you. None of us are. And I'm certainly not afraid that you'll hurt me."

Skye's eyes scrunched shut and her hands pushed against her temples. Without warning, the shaking stopped abruptly and the sudden end to the cacophony was jarring.

"You should leave," Skye murmured after a moment, her teary eyes looking off to a corner of the room, "you're not safe here, you shouldn't have come here in the first place."

"I'm not going anywhere," Jemma said firmly. She tentatively reached forward and took one of Skye's trembling hands, running her thumb across her knuckles. "We will fix this, Skye, I promise."

"And what if I'm stuck like this? What if this is who I am now?" Skye challenged, fresh tears welling in her eyes, "I can't live like this, Jemma."

The biochemist sucked in her bottom lip, swallowing hard as she considered the prospect of that possible future. "If that was our only option then we would persevere. I know you could do it."

"No..." Skye shook her head miserably.

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit," Jemma said passionately, smoothing back Skye's hair. "Fitz is almost there, I'm helping him in any way I can and Dr Garner's been a tremendous benefit. Coulson's got the whole lab staff working around the clock, just for you."

Skye let out a shaky breath, regaining a little composure, "And what am I supposed to do until then?"

Jemma thought desperately for a moment, taking a steadying breath. She used her thumb to wipe a stray tear from Skye's cheek. "Think of something that makes you happy."

Skye huffed out a cynical laugh, running a her free hand through her hair, "Any suggestions with that?"

Simmons hummed thoughtfully, her thumb still stroking Skye's cheek of its own accord. Jemma's eyebrows rose as an idea hit her and she smiled without once glancing away from Skye. "How about trying to guess what I'm getting you for Christmas?"

That garnered a bemused double take from Skye, who couldn't help the smallest upturn of her lips as she asked, "You're getting me something for Christmas?"

"I believe that's what I implied, yes."

"Huh." Skye worked her jaw and squinted at the biochemist who was too busy with her ministrations to notice her penetrative stare. "What is it?"

"I don't think you understand how guessing works."

Skye rolled her eyes but cracked a haggard grin at the teasing expression on Jemma's face. Her gaze slowly grew fonder as she remembered how much she loved that smile.

Her feelings for Jemma had been buried of late. It had all become background noise. A numb, nagging sensation in the back of her mind. A lazy, almost imperceptible tug at her heartstrings. But now, back in close proximity with the source of those feelings after what felt like weeks apart had resurrected familiar butterflies from their sleep.

"Sit with me," Skye pleaded in a voice that was almost inaudible. Jemma looked surprised by the request but quickly recovered, smiling broadly as she got off her haunches and gingerly placed herself beside Skye on the containment cell's foldout bed, attempting to give her adequate space as she did so. This proved to be a futile gesture when Skye's head instinctively rested on her shoulder. Jemma found her hand with her own and laced their fingers together, squeezing it reassuringly. They shared a stretch of comfortable silence, Skye listening to the steady drumming of Jemma's heart and the distant sounds of the Bus.

"I can't stop thinking about Trip," Skye said in a quiet, tight voice. "If he hadn't gone in after me - if I'd just never gone into that damn temple-" her voice cracked and she let out a shuddering sigh. "I miss him."

"I know," Jemma whispered soothingly, stroking her back. Skye could hear the strain in Jemma's voice when she replied, "so do I."

"Every time I close my eyes I see his face. I see him fall apart all over again." Skye let out a world-weary sigh. "I just want to sleep."

"Then sleep," Jemma ordered softly, "I'll still be here when you wake up."

Skye wanted to tell her it was no use, that sleep had eluded her for days, but her words would have been wasted. At some point, whilst cradled in Jemma's arms, she had succumbed to her exhaustion. She awoke briefly some time later, discovering Jemma had tucked her in under the blanket and was sitting in a chair next to the bed, flicking through what looked like Dr Garner's notes. Jemma caught her stirring from the corner of her eye and stroked the back of her hand across her cheek. It wasn't long before she drifted back into blissful unconsciousness.

+.+.+.+.+

"What exactly are these for?" Skye asked as she picked at one of the wires leading to a circular pad attached to her body. She had one on either side of her head at the temples, several on her chest, one on the pulse point of her neck, two for either pulse point on her wrists and even a pair attached to the tops of her feet. She had been in this state for what felt like hours feeling a bit like an unfortunate fly stuck in a web; Fitz had forbidden movement of any kind. This was why he slapped her hand away from the wire on her chest before addressing her question.

"They'll allow me to measure the seismic pulses you're emitting; your extremities appear to be focus points - your hands, feet -" Skye arched an eyebrow, "-a-and other places," Fitz finished awkwardly. "Ideally I'd want to cover you from head to toe, inside and out, but I didn't think you'd be a big fan of that. This is a more simplistic, less invasive way to go about it."

"While I'm grateful for that I wish it didn't take forever," Skye said dryly, starting to ache from impersonating a living statue.

"Patience is a virtue." Fitz was back looking at the many screens he had set up. Skye could just make out a blueprint of her body displayed on one, another displayed various wave patterns - no doubt in correlation with the sensors strapped to her person. So far she hadn't caused any seismic events but Skye was so tired she wasn't sure she would have the energy to if she tried.

While Skye waited, huffing agitatedly at the fact she couldn't even swing her legs lest Fitz reprimand her again, movement in the corridor caught her eye. Simmons had paused by the windows to inspect Fitz' progress and waved when she spotted Skye. Skye smiled and gave a little wave back, her heart lifting just from the sight of her. Jemma gave her double thumbs up and a final hopeful smile before walking down the corridor and out of sight.

Skye wished Jemma could join them, if only to quiet her nerves. However, Fitz' 'do not disturb' sign plastered to the engineering lab's door left her with little option but to wrestle with her apprehension and try to be an optimist for once.

The biochemist's visits to the Bus over the last few days had fundamentally reduced her tremors down to small, brief occurrences and allowed her to catch up on some much needed rest. Though, to be fair, the day the team encountered a Kree warrior who had divulged that she was a weapon of alien design created for an interstellar war - that he intended to destroy - had proved to be a bit of a setback.

In general, Jemma's presence had had such a positive effect it caused Dr Garner to adopt a knowing smirk whenever he attended to Skye only to learn she had experienced no new episodes.

After a few more minutes dragged by, Fitz finally muttered something to himself, leaning toward one of the screens before clicking his fingers in an excited manner and announcing, "I think we're ready."

"Great," Skye said, perking up considerably, before furrowing her brow slightly and asking, "what exactly is it we're ready to do?"

"Basically, I think I've come up with, uh..." he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and stopped to think before coming back to life, "...a prototype! Something that should prevent unintended seismic events due to an emotional influence."

"You think?" Skye narrowed her eyes at him, beginning to feel uneasy.

"Well, okay, I'm ninety five percent sure it'll work," Fitz assured and then added in a low, hurried voice, "it's just the first of its kind and its application is theoretical."

"I have a really good track record!" he defended, raising his hands at the sight of Skye's distressed state, "don't get upset! Not yet anyway."

Skye mentally and physically prepared herself as Fitz hastily collected whatever potential death trap he had designed. Fitz' brainwave turned out to be a set of black fingerless gloves with a metallic gold trimming around the edges and forming a ring in the middle of each palm. She remained perfectly still as Fitz fitted them expertly around her hands. They were surprisingly a lot lighter than they looked.

"How do they feel?" Fitz asked anxiously as he took a hesitant step from where she sat.

Skye flexed her fingers experimentally, turning her hands this way and that.

"Uh, fine? I think. How should they feel?" she asked uncertainly.

"No numbness in your fingers or a dull ache at the back of your head?" Fitz enquired casually.

"No," Skye replied, this time eyeing her friend warily.

"Good, good," he muttered, walking back over to the screens. "You'll notice your sense of touch hasn't been impeded in the slightest. I created the material from a nano-polymer that's so thin you'll probably forget you're even wearing them half the time. I nicknamed them stabilizers."

"Why?"

"It's like when you're riding, uh...a bike! When you're riding a bike and you need help when you first start so you get those little wheels to stop you falling off."

"Never really had a bike," Skye pointed out.

"Oh...well then ignore what I just said. They stabilize your powers - prevent you from using them unwillingly due to y'know..." Fitz gesticulated his hands in the air as he tried to find the right phrasing, "...having a bad day."

"That made way more sense than the bike thing."

"Yeah, I can see that now," Fitz mumbled absentmindedly. He straightened up and began setting up a hologram projector nearby. "I'm gonna test how well they suppress the emotional radiation that's caused all your episodes so far. I guessed visual stimuli would get the best reaction - hence the projector."

"Okay," Skye said, positioning herself in such a way that she would see the projection better.

"You're probably going to experience anxiety, grief, anger; which is what want to see. Don't try to stop yourself from having a negative reaction - the bigger the better."

Fitz took a deep breath, clearly nervous.

"Ready?" Fitz asked apprehensively. When Skye gave him a tentative nod the hologram sprang to life.

A picture of Trip's SHIELD profile appeared in the space between her and Fitz, the details of his entire bio hovering in the air. Skye swallowed thickly, the pain still as fresh as it had been weeks ago. Despite this, her guilt had lessened considerably, thanks mostly to Jemma resolutely denying that she could be in anyway blamed for Trip's heroic attempt to save her. They had all been victims of forces they could barely hope to comprehend, was how she had put it. Now the image was just a fond reminder of a friend who had been by her side at the time she needed someone most.

One of Fitz computers emitted a soft whine. He glanced Skye's way for a moment, stroking his chin, then pressed a button on the hologram controls.

Her father's image appeared beside Trip's and Skye shuddered. Scaled up to this size he was more menacing than ever. A wealth of mixed emotions roiled inside her; fear, confusion, anger, disappointment - and most disturbing of all - a deeply buried yearning of love. A louder whine came from Fitz' computer but he still appeared indifferent. He pressed the button again.

Ward's mug shot came up next, seemingly taken after his beating from May; if the bruises and cuts marring his unshaven face were any indication. This time Skye's only internal response was to wonder if any of the four bullets she'd left buried in his chest had been fatal. Skye assumed this to be wishful thinking and that Ward, like always, would eventually slither back into her life. However, even the anger produced by this grim introspection wasn't enough to wipe the look of consternation from Fitz' face.

The engineer hummed in frustration as he stared at the monitors.

"We're nowhere near your vitals from when you were in the temple. You should be way more upset than this."

"Sorry?" Skye apologised sarcastically, raising an eyebrow.

"No, it's fine." Fitz formed a steeple with his hands in front of his face, deep in thought. "I think it needs to be something more..." he clicked his fingers in agitation, searching blindly for the answer, "...organic!"

He remained silent for a while then dragged out a sigh, rubbing at his face.

"Jemma would know. I'd ask her if she wasn't bloody leaving again."

Slowly, as if falling into quicksand, Skye experienced an unpleasant sinking sensation.

"What?" she asked meekly, wide eyes set on the engineer, "what do you mean Simmons is leaving?"

"Oh, Dr Garner was so impressed with her progress with you that he offered her a role working with people on the Index. I think she's hoping it'll help her better understand what we're up against," Fitz looked at her strangely. "She didn't tell you? She told me she did."

"No..." The read out on Fitz' computer must have gone into the red because it was emitting a sound akin to a car horn.

Fitz, alarmed, looked around the room expectantly. When nothing happened he looked blankly back at a very upset Skye.

"Okay, that was a lie," Fitz said plainly, typing fervently away at his station. "Hell of a strong reaction though. BPM over four hundred and fifty. At least we know the gloves work or we'd definitely all be dead right now."

Skye's heart was still in the process of climbing back out of her stomach, so it took her a second to notice nothing had fallen out of the cupboards or off the tables and the floor wasn't lurching back and forth. She still felt the unnatural sensation of her body vibrating and pulsing angrily like she had every time before, but now the world remained eerily still.

Her expression was a chaotic mix of conflicting emotions. Fitz had come over and started to gently pull off the multitude of sensors stuck to her body. Skye's gaze wavered on him as he worked silently. He purposefully seemed to be avoiding looking her in the eye.

"So...Jemma's not leaving?" she asked in confusion.

"I just successfully demonstrated containment of your ability and that's what you focus on?" Fitz asked hotly.

Skye frowned apologetically and Fitz sighed.

"The offer was real but she turned him down," he explained, removing the last of the sensors, "said she was needed here more."

Skye felt a warmth spread through her chest and a smile of relief broke across her face. Fitz was watching her carefully as she attempted to play off her reaction as the casual interest of a concerned friend. Fitz clearly wasn't fooled.

His face scrunched up and he scratched the side of his head as if trying to understand something.

"So, uh, are you and her - Jemma - are you a thing now?"

Skye's eyes practically bugged out of her head. "What?! I-"

"I'm not stupid, you know." The words came out in the sullen, impatient tone that Fitz often seemed accustom to, but he bore the faintest of smiles. "Hand eye coordination and memory's a bit wobbly but I can see just fine."

Skye's heart had definitely stopped working.

"I saw the way you were looking at her before. When you kept playing one-sided hide and seek, trying to avoid her and thought nobody noticed." Skye turned shamefaced. "So, by all means keep denying it but I know you're not telling me the truth."

Fitz busied himself putting equipment away while Skye stewed in her anxiety, feeling naked on the table. After a long silence, she bowed her head and finally spoke.

"Fine. I like her," Skye admitted cautiously. When the engineer didn't explode she opted to dive into the deep end and said, "I really like her, Fitz. And I know it's messed up that I'm saying this to you of all people, but if there's anyone who can relate to what I'm going through it's you."

"Right," Fitz nodded reflectively, folding his arms, "I'm not sure you'd want my footnotes."

"Yeah, I know." Skye's smile looked more like a grimace, "I don't really like my chances either. I can't see Jemma settling down with an 'abomination' like me, anyway."

Fitz' brow furrowed into a deep scowl.

"Don't talk about yourself like that, Skye. That idiot Kree bloke was full of it." Skye couldn't help but be tickled by the Scotsman's casual scorn for an actual alien. Fitz from a year ago would have killed to have had an encounter of the third kind. "You're not a freak. No more than I'm an idiot. We've just both been through something that's changed who we are - that's all. But you were special before the incident and that's not changed. You're what superheroes are made of," he stated passionately, before muttering crossly, "Jemma should be so lucky."

Skye gawked expressionlessly at him for a minute, before hopping off the table and crossing the short distance to hug him tightly. She planted a kiss on his cheek and continued the embrace.

"Besides, you're all she can talk about," Fitz stated matter-of-factly, sounding a little flushed, as he returned the hug. "She took it really hard when she realised your condition couldn't be reversed. I've never seen her so determined to help someone - not even when she had that Chitauri virus. You mean the world to her, Skye."

Skye's heart soared. It spent a joyous moment high on the wings of familiar butterflies until, inevitably, the talons of guilt started to drag it back down.

"How are you so okay with this?" Skye asked incredulously over his shoulder.

The engineer tensed against her and after some hesitation, finally replied, "There's no point clinging to the past." He swallowed hard. "I know she doesn't feel what-" he paused, then said, "-she's my best friend. I know we haven't been acting like that for a while now, but I still care about her. If you're what makes her happy, who am I to stand in the way?"

Skye broke the embrace and smiled sadly at him. She looked down at her hands, stretching and curling her fingers as she remained in thought. "I'm crazy about her, Fitz. I don't wanna hurt her," Skye said in a quiet, desperate voice, looking imploring back up at her friend.

"Well that won't be a problem anymore," he smiled thinly. "Just don't-"

The engineer's warning came too late and he recoiled as Skye experimentally motioned toward a table and it violently danced across the room. She retracted her hand with wide-eyed terror, immediate guilt written all over her face.

"Yes, as you can see, your powers still work if you actively try to use them," Fitz clarified briskly as he straightened up slowly and collected himself; having just flailed himself into a protective ball when the table had careened in his direction. "The stabilisers just prevent unwanted flare ups from occurring due to emotional turbulence. They can't stop free will."

"Good to know..." Skye muttered sheepishly, balling her fists and keeping them firmly by her sides. Her eyes fixed on Fitz innocently, "Can I try it again?"

"In here? You could break something! Many, many expensive somethings!" Fitz complained agitatedly. Then, faced with Skye's pleading look, he sighed heavily, "Okay, but nothing over there. Unless you want to accidentally ignite a thermal explosive and kill us both."

Skye raised her hand with hesitant excitement, seeking a suitable target. She willed a metal chest in a corner of the room to move but nothing happened. Even Fitz looked a little deflated. Skye tried again with greater determination and this time the chest shook so hard several drawers fell out, spilling tools across the floor.

"Fitz, you...are an actual freaking genius."

The engineer turned bashful but couldn't help puffing out his chest with pride.

"It was nothing really. Just a simple calibration of - ooft!" The rest of his sentence was cut off when Skye's running hug crushed the air out of his lungs.

+.+.+.+.+

"I'm not ready to be around people," Skye moaned as she was manoeuvred down the corridor.

Jemma had triple checked Skye's health and mental state since she'd been fitted with the gloves and had confirmed that she was one hundred percent free of any kind of contamination. Nor was her condition in anyway contagious to those around her - Jemma and Fitz being two clear examples of proof.

"Last time I checked I'm people and you've managed exceptional self control in my presence," Jemma reasoned as she continued to guide her forward.

"That's different."

"How?" Jemma smiled despite her slightly exasperated tone.

"You're you." Skye had designed her words to be a bashful admission but she had a feeling she sounded more like a sulky child.

"Skye..." Jemma sighed and was about to gently chastise her again but Skye cut her off.

"I feel safe around you. I'd rather be around you than anyone else."

"Well that's very sweet of you to say," Jemma said warmly giving her a coy smile. She abruptly took hold of Skye's shoulders and spun her around, "Now go socialise!"

She lightly pushed her in the direction of the canteen and Skye shot a last begrudging pout behind her.

"Can't you at least come with me?"

"No," Jemma said curtly, "you have to learn to be with the others without me around."

"You owe me," Skye said grumpily, pointing her finger ominously.

"I don't, but if it helps, I promise to make it up to you at a later time."

"I'll hold you to that." Skye replied suggestively, raising her eyebrows back at Jemma. The blush on the English woman's face was almost enough reward in itself. Skye grinned cheekily and bit her lip, making Jemma all the more flustered.

"Go!" Jemma ordered, struggling to keep her stern expression in place.

Skye groaned irritably, before sucking in a calming breath, and approaching the group gathered around the table like it was the most normal thing in the world.

It took approximately five minutes of welcoming hugs and team bonding before the others started playing "invent a superhero name for Skye" - much to her dismay.

"Aftershock!" Fitz offered eagerly.

"Guys..." Skye moaned into the table.

"Captain Earthquake?" Bobbi mused, not sounding convinced.

"The Shakernator!" Hunter declared with a dramatic pose.

"Please, Guys," came Skye's muffled plea from the tabletop.

"Nah, you need something badass," Mack insisted, "like...Jackhammer or-"

"Oh, oh, oh - Worldbreaker!" Fitz cut in, practically bouncing on his feet.

Skye's head flew up off the table as she cried, "Oh my god just stop!"

The entire kitchen shook for a good few seconds and everyone exchanged nervous glances. Skye sighed happily, enjoying the blissful silence that followed, until Hunter piped up, "The Vibrating Vixen-"

With one small gesture Skye made the legs of his chair fall apart beneath him and he landed in a heap on the floor, groaning of his misfortune. The other's burst out laughing and for the first time in weeks, surprising even herself, Skye did the same.

+.+.+.+.+

"You seem happier," Coulson noted optimistically as he observed Skye from behind his desk.

"Fitz did me a solid. I can't thank him enough," Skye said appreciatively, glancing at the information zipping by on the giant screen at the other end of the room, before turning to face the Director. "Really, I'm grateful to all of you for not shipping me off to some anti-earthquake holding cell for the rest of my life."

"Well, that was always option B," Coulson replied in his unwaveringly calm manner. Skye's smile faltered as she tried to gauge if his words held any truth.

"That's a joke, right?"

"That's classified," Coulson smiled at her impishly and she glowered back playfully. He gave her the onceover, his eyes lingering a moment on her gloved hands. "So my understanding is those give you some control over your ability?"

"Total control," Skye replied coolly; with the gesture of one hand a pen on Coulson's desk rattled violently and was propelled toward him. It bounced off his forehead and clattered off the desk on its way down to the floor. Skye smiled broadly, "See."

The Director didn't react, continuing to watch her patiently. "Please don't do that."

"Don't worry, Phil. I'm not about to use my powers for evil," Skye assured, mockingly waggling her fingers like the claws of a monster. Coulson's expression turned serious at the cavalier use of his first name. Skye cleared her throat and straightened up slightly, "Ah, Director, Sir."

"You're definitely on the mend," Coulson noted wryly, garnering a cheeky grin out of his agent. "I'm not ready to put you in the field just yet, but I'm impressed with how far you've come. I know the past few weeks have been trying."

"And then some," Skye laughed humourlessly, folding her arms.

"Out of curiosity, how are things on the other front?" Coulson asked pointedly. Skye huffed out a dismissive laugh.

"It's going...okay."

"That bad, huh?" Coulson grimaced sympathetically.

"I didn't say that. I'm just taking things slow."

"Wait, so you told Jemma how you feel?" Coulson queried and when Skye nodded hesitantly, added, "and she didn't turn you down?"

"Well, no. I didn't ask how she felt about me, I just told her why I'd been avoiding her. And now she knows. We've been getting along great."

Coulson had a stared at her shrewdly.

"What? What's that look for?"

"I think you're afraid of being rejected," he stated knowingly.

"Well...I think you should focus on directing things and keep out of people's love lives!" Skye retorted childishly, folding her arms defensively.

"You're the boss," Coulson quipped with an amused look on his face.

"Not that I care," Skye said slowly, working her way closer to Coulson to lean on the back of a chair, "but what exactly are the rules on relationships between operatives? I'm assuming it's frowned upon."

Coulson exhaled in amusement. "Oh, no. It happens - more than you'd think. That's why there's the Riot Act. "

"So there are rules?"

"Of course. But the Riot Act pertains to fraternization between operatives within SHIELD. I can't really read it to you when you haven't even," Coulson smiled sheepishly, choosing the next word carefully, "'fraternized'."

Skye cleared her throat awkwardly, fidgeting against the chair.

"The main thing you should keep in mind is the fact most SHIELD operatives are trained to be exceptional liars and masters of manipulation. To some those skills come naturally; that's why we hire them. Trust, honesty; those things don't come easy in a normal relationship. Put two agents together and you multiply the issue tenfold," Coulson explained. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then added, "Not to mention the hours aren't exactly sociable."

"Yeah, I've seen the Bobbi and Hunter special," Skye said wryly, raising her eyebrows sarcastically, "and have you seen Simmons try to lie? I think where the issue of trust is concerned I'm all good.

"You're probably right," Coulson conceded, "and as candidates for romantic entanglements go, Simmons is perhaps the most stable choice on the team. Plus I really like how she's decorated the place."

Skye gave him an odd smile. "Are you giving me your blessing?"

The Director shrugged, his expression unreadable.

"Of all the low level SHIELD operatives I've known you've been through more than most in a very short time span. At the end of the day, if there's something or someone that makes you happy - my advice? Go after it. At this point you more than deserve a little happiness."

"I am happy," Skye replied sincerely, touched by his sentiment, "this place - the team - what we do. I've never had a purpose like this before. Working with SHIELD is all I could ever dream of."

Coulson smiled ruefully, "Glad to hear it."

"Having said that," Coulson looked up from his paperwork with an expression that suggested he had been expecting this part, "you know what would make me even happier?" Skye proposed slowly, watching Coulson's expression as it began to harden before her eyes. "Getting the chance to stretch my legs...get some fresh air...see that big, blue thing called the sky-"

"Out of the question."

"Come on, pleeease!" Skye begged, literally clasping her hands together over the top of the chair she was leaning on, "I'm going stir crazy in here!"

Coulson remained stoically unmoved. This had been her third attempt.

"You realise I could just crack a hole through the wall and walk out of here, right?" Skye stated, placing her hands haughtily on her hips. Part of her was screaming to shut up before she ruined any chance she had of making this work, but she resolutely stood her ground. "I could stroll out the door right now. But I won't. I'm asking you to trust me. I'm ready."

"I'm not worried about how prepared you are for the outside world. I'm thinking of HYDRA and others like them who would kill to have their hands on someone like you. You've seen what happens to individuals on the Index when they have the misfortune of being put to the whims of the wrong people."

Skye felt her hopes plummet and the desire to leave the Playground dampen somewhat. She couldn't deny the fear of being captured by some malicious group like HYDRA hadn't played on her mind in recent weeks. In all her excitement she had forgotten the real risk she could face stepping back out into a world that was currently exceptionally dangerous.

"Okay," Skye nodded resignedly, her expression downcast. "I get it. Just thought I'd ask."

She dismissed herself and had reached the door when she heard Coulson say, "I'll grant you half a day."

Skye paused and looked back at him in surprise before her face split into an ecstatic grin. "That's fine! That's perfect!"

The Director still didn't look entirely happy with the prospect as he stepped back behind his desk. "And I'm giving you an escort."

+.+.+.+.+

"How much further?" May called after Skye's hazy form through the light curtain of snow, "I'd prefer not to get frostbite."

Skye scanned her surroundings, making out a row of dark peaks rising in front of her beyond the falling snow. She trudged her way through the thick white banks leaving a Skye-shaped trail in her wake for May to follow.

"If I flew us out here just so you could build a snowman I won't be happy," her S.O threatened darkly.

"Oh, you're just sulking cus you got put on babysitting duty," Skye shouted back with a dismissive wave of her hand. When a group of snow-dusted evergreens came properly into view Skye gave them all the onceover before seeing one that couldn't have been more ideal. "Ah ha!"

Skye marched over to the towering fir and gave it a thorough examination, as if hesitating, then pushed her arms through the mass of spiky, needle-shaped leaves and pressed her hands against the trunk.

There was a soft rumbling followed by a loud crack that made Skye gasp excitedly and the tree timbered slowly over before gravity took full effect and it plummeted into the snow with a muted thud. She felt someone walk up beside her.

"Oh, you can't be serious," May said incredulously. "We came out here for a Christmas tree, didn't we? Since when did you care about Christmas?"

"I'm not a huge fan. But, I can still appreciate"-huff-"the customs of"-huff-"the season..." Skye stopped trying to lift the felled giant and braced her hands against her knees, doubled over. "I did not think this part through."

"How exactly did you think you were gonna get that back to base?"

"I'll be honest, kinda winging this as I go," Skye said, still huffing out little, white clouds as she rested against the exposed trunk. "I'm open to suggestions."

After a long silence, filled only by the howl of the wind, she heard May sigh heavily.

"Wait here," she ordered grudgingly, "I'll bring the Quinjet around. Don't cause an avalanche while I'm gone."

"Thanks, Mom."

+.+.+.+.+

It took some fancy piloting from May to get the tree up the open ramp of the Quinjet and half a dozen SHIELD operatives to help carry the tree to the side of the canteen with the high ceiling. Skye had spent an hour decorating the monstrous thing - not a task taken lightly - but luckily found herself with help from the most unlikely of sources.

"You're good at this, May!" Skye complimented the experienced killer as she adjusted multicoloured fairy lights around the tree.

"I have celebrated the Holidays once or twice in my life you know. I'm not a robot," May stated with the ghost of a smile, drawing a laugh out of Skye. Her face turned suddenly very serious as she looked at Skye pointedly, "But if you tell anyone about this I'll deny it."

"And ruin your rep? Never." Skye smirked as she hung up the last of the ornaments. "I think that's it."

They stepped back to admire their work, May flicking the wall socket on and igniting dozens of brightly flashing lights that danced around the tree, their colours bouncing off silver baubles and white snowflakes.

May nodded her approval, "It looks good."

"Yeah," Skye agreed in a distant voice, "I hope sh-...everyone likes it."

Skye thought she detected the faintest of chuckles in the back of May's throat.

"This seems like a long way to go just to impress someone," May mused out loud. She glanced in Skye's direction, who had gone suspiciously quiet, "You have it bad don't you?"

It was more statement than question.

A loud gasp came from the doorway saved Skye from answering and they both turned, frozen to the spot, to find Jemma staring agape at the towering evergreen. It was covered from top to bottom in various decorations Skye had 'borrowed' from Jemma's room while she was at work in the lab.

"Where did - how?" Jemma looked like she might cry or faint - or possibly both in that order.

Simmons stared between the two women searching for answers.

"Surprise..." Skye announced nervously.

"You got me a Christmas tree?" Jemma asked breathlessly.

"Well, technically it's for everyone," Skye corrected with a playful twinkle in her eye, "it's a community tree."

Jemma edged closer in awe, the personification of ecstatic glee, and then she sprung forward and planted a passionate kiss on Skye's left cheek. She quickly recoiled with a gasp.

"God, your face is bloody freezing!" Jemma exclaimed, her own scrunching up at the Canadian winter chill still thawing from Skye's cheeks.

"You should feel my hands," Skye replied mischievously just as one snuck under the hem of Simmons top, causing the other woman to squeal loudly and then giggle hysterically.

May looked like her eyes were trying to roll out the back of her head. "I'm going to go...I'm just going to go." She paused on the way out, levelling a threatening finger at Jemma. "You saw nothing."

Jemma watched the Cavalry leave, slightly perplexed, then turned back to Skye and the enormous tree behind her.

"It's beautiful! Thank you!" She pressed herself into Skye in an embrace that showed no signs of ending. Skye was grateful for the precautions Fitz had taken with the seismic stabilisers because at that moment she was fairly sure there would have been a seven on the Richter scale otherwise.

"You really like it?" Skye asked tentatively over her shoulder, grinning stupidly to herself.

"Yes! It's perfect!" Jemma gushed cheerfully, staring up at the decked out tree as she hugged her fiercely. Every line Skye wanted to try on Jemma at that moment sounded terribly cheesy in her head, so she remained quiet, basking in Jemma's joy. Privately she wished one of Jemma's boxes had contained some mistletoe - that would of greatly simplified things. Simmons pulled away to look at Skye in wonder. "How did you do this?"

"I have my ways," Skye replied impishly, "but if I told you I'd have to kill you."

"Mm, very mysterious." Jemma squinted at her with mock suspicion, a huge smile still on her face. "Can't imagine where you get that from."

"Me neither." Skye flashed her eyes and grinned broadly.

"You really didn't have to do this, Skye."

"I know," Skye murmured shyly, as she scuffed her heel on the floor, "but I wanted to."

Jemma appeared to have become somewhat tongue tied, trapped in Skye's intense gaze. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking rather flustered, and glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Gosh, look at the time!" Jemma proclaimed shakily, a bright smile on her blushing face, "We should both turn in or Santa won't leave us any presents!"

"That's okay," Skye shrugged easily and fixed Jemma with a coy grin. "Pretty sure I'm on his naughty list, anyway."

Jemma managed a meek laugh, "Oh, really?"

"Mm," Skye hummed, a suggestive edge to her tone as she swayed gently on the spot, eyes only for the woman in front of her.

Jemma swallowed hard.

"Well, that's a pity, "Jemma lamented after clearing her throat, "I guess you don't want what I've gotten you then..."

"Uh uh! Hold up there, English!" Skye stopped her from turning away, tugging the arm of the smirking Brit, "let's not be hasty now."

"I hope I can return it...I'm sure I still have the receipt-"

"Hey!" Skye prodded her in the arm, pouting like a petulant child. Jemma seemed unmoved, still considering her options. "Don't you hold out on me, Dr Simmons."

"Well, I was going to wait till tomorrow but..." Jemma drew out the last word evilly, pretending to be very conflicted, "...what the hell! You gave me mine early." She flashed one of her unlawfully pretty smiles at Skye and took hold of her hand, "Come on I'll show you."

Skye entered Jemma's room cautiously. It felt like only yesterday that she had last been here, forming a revelation that would turn her world upside down. Skye hovered momentarily at the threshold then stepped in after Jemma. She made a show of taking in the personal effects strewn around the room while Jemma dug out her gift.

She eventually heard the biochemist clear her throat and found Jemma sat Indian-style on her bed, holding something behind her back.

"Come here and close your eyes," she ordered excitedly. Skye didn't need to be told that twice. She did as commanded, part of her wistfully hoping that when she opened her eyes she would find Jemma laid out on the bed in nothing but lingerie. Instead she heard Jemma instruct, "put your hands out," and when she did something heavy and leather bound was placed in her waiting hands.

"Okay, open them."

Skye's first thought was that Jemma had gotten her a book; War and Peace judging by the weight of it. But then Skye noticed a set of clasps and she changed her guess to a diary. It was only when she popped both clasps and gently pulled the book open that Skye realised what it truly was and what it had been filled with caused tears to well at the corners of Skye's eyes in seconds. Not trusting her legs to keep her upright, Skye sat down next to Simmons, who was anxiously watching her.

She must have stared for quite a while because Jemma cleared her throat beside her and unnecessarily explained, "It's a photo album. My parents must have half a dozen of these back home. I used to love looking back at all the memories they'd shared together, remembering family and friends and the good times. And, well, I thought that you probably never had something like this - living the life that you did. But you're here now. We're you're family."

Skye ran her fingers delicately across pictures that had been painstakingly arranged. It was only about a quarter of the way filled but there were dozens upon dozens of photographs. Moments and memories from when she first joined SHIELD that had slipped to the back of her mind in the chaos of the present. Now they flooded back with a vengeance leaving Skye overwhelmed.

"Whenever you feel alone or like you don't belong, you'll have this to remind you where your home is," Simmons stated affectionately.

The sensors around Skye's wrists began to beep until the rhythm was so incessant it turned into a high whine.

Jemma looked truly alarmed now.

"Is there something wrong?" she stuttered, panic creeping into her voice.

"No," Skye choked out shakily and cleared her throat immediately, "this is-it's..." Tear-filled eyes locked onto Jemma's anxious face, "Thank you."

She lunged forward in a hug that caused Jemma to rock backward with a soft sound of surprise, but Skye felt the curve of the other woman's smile as she peppered the side of her face with kisses.

It was a moment before she realised her actions had become slower and more precise. And when her lips planted against the soft skin of Jemma's neck she heard the unmistakable sound of Jemma inhaling sharply against her ear.

Skye froze, sensing the tension pulsing through the woman she was embracing, and pulled away in one swift, stiff motion.

A blush covered Jemma from her cheeks to her neck and her eyes were wide and searching.

"Sorry, that was - I shouldn't have done that," Skye apologised, shutting her eyes in a scowl at her own presumptuous stupidity, "I should just-"

Two fingers landed lightly on Skye's lips and her eyes shot open, her mouth slowly shutting, as she gawked at Jemma in surprise. Jemma's fingers moved slowly from her lips and delicately trailed across Skye's cheek, her hand cupping Skye's face gently beneath the chin as her other hand mirrored the action across the opposite side of her face. Her thumbs stroked experimentally along Skye's jaw line as her fingers inched along the sides of her neck, causing Skye's breath to hitch and her eyelids to flutter. Skye's heart was thundering in her chest but it seized to a screaming crescendo when she felt Jemma's hands slide around to the back of her neck to pull her forward into a slow, hesitant kiss. It took a second for Skye to register the softness of the lips pressed against hers and who they belonged to. When Jemma's lips parted to suck tentatively on Skye's bottom lip, her senses rushed back to life and she gasped shakily against Jemma's mouth. When it ended, Skye came crashing back to reality and was groggily aware of an angry sound coming from her wrists.

"Okay..." Jemma stated slowly, breathlessly, her accent sexier to Skye's ears then it had ever been, "...that was nice."

"You kissed me," Skye noted in an identically dazed tone, "did you mean to do that?"

Jemma's smile was radiant and shy. "Most likely, yes."

Doubtful that she wasn't actually experiencing a very vivid dream, Skye leaned in again to steal another kiss with greater enthusiasm than the last one. It was only when her hands travelled up Jemma's neck and into her hair that the noise coming from her wrists became impossible to ignore any longer.

"I'm beeping. Why am I beeping?"

"It's an overload warning," Simmons explained absently, still occupied with the need for air. "You need to calm down or the gloves might short-out."

"Is this going to happen every time we kiss?" Skye asked, resting her forehead against Jemma's as she recovered from the intense head rush she was experiencing, "because I'm seriously not okay with that." She punctuated her point with another slow, chaste kiss. She felt Jemma giggle against her lips and Skye reluctantly moved back to look at her properly.

Jemma reached up and gently tucked a few dark tresses behind Skye's ear, looking at her with hesitant adoration as she ran her fingers soothingly through her hair.

"I'm sure Fitz can make improvements. Until then, we'll just have to work on not getting you so excited..." the biochemist teased, letting her hands trail down Skye's arms, over her gloves, to gently take hold of her hands. Skye was positively devastated at that news and her forehead rested forlornly against Jemma's again. She let her hands drift over the other woman's crossed legs, resting just above the knee, and bit her lip when she felt Jemma shiver.

"But what if I wanna be excited?" Skye contended, looking at Jemma through her lashes before leaning into press a line of kisses along her jaw line and down the length of her neck. "What if...I want you to excite me?"

"Well I'm s-sure we'd both be-" Jemma let out a little gasp as Skye's teeth grazed the length of her collar bone. The rest of her words were interrupted by soft gasps and restrained whimpers as Skye's mouth travelled toward her shoulder, "-very happy until the...the ceiling caves in...and kills us all...snuffing out the remnants of SHIELD...and allowing HYDRA to run rampant, unchecked, across the globe..."

Skye had stopped her ministrations by this point and Jemma blearily opened her eyes to find the other woman softly glaring at the faux look of innocence on her face. Skye's gaze lingered on her twinkling eyes and a playful smile swept her face that contradicted the heartfelt sincerity of her next words. "Worth it."