The conversation starts the way most of their conversations do: with a half questionable, half existential, and totally out of the blue remark by Skye. Jemma's peering gently into a microscope when the other girl asks about her childhood. Or, more specifically, her "origin story."
"What do you mean by that?" Jemma replies, the beginnings of a grin tugging on her lips. It's so totally Skye, and she looks up for just long enough to raise one eyebrow in amusement before looking back down. Skye, on the other hand, wears an expression of mock confusion, as if Jemma's question were the most perplexing thing in the world.
"Superheroes have origin stories," Skye states like it's utterly obvious, though her smirk says otherwise. "You're a member of SHIELD, which basically means you're a superhero or as close as I'm ever going to get to one." She pretends to pout at that notion until she realizes Jemma is no longer looking toward her, and her easy grin returns instead. "Anyway, origin stories. What's yours?"
The scientist complies and begins to speak about her childhood. It was nothing special, she says: middle class family, only child, white picket fence, stereotypically happy. Jemma is too absorbed in both her work and her talking to notice the grimace that flashes across Skye's face at the casual way the scientist speaks about her joyful family. But it's gone as soon as it had arrived, and Skye returns to listening. Her question was genuine; she finds Jemma and her life fascinating. Normal. And she's never going to get tired of the way Jemma's eyes light up when she's excited and the way her voice raises and speeds up just a touch.
Jemma continues by admitting she skipped several grades in school and had finished her college degree and advanced training in record time. Because of this, she notes ruefully, "There was never much time for an origin story for just Jemma, because all of it was spent on Jemma the scientist. I'm afraid I'm not all that interesting in the end."
Skye scoffs and reaches over to punch Jemma's shoulder lightly, drawing her attention again, and jokes, "For someone who works for Superheroes-R-Us, you've got a pretty lame origin story. We're going to work on that."
Jemma sends her a questioning glance, but this time Skye doesn't answer. Instead, she shrugs mysteriously and stands to leave the lab.
Skye shows up at Jemma's bunk later that evening, knocking twice and walking in without waiting for an answer. She's not exactly subtle, stubbing her toe on the edge of the door and swearing loudly. Jemma looks up from the book she held to see a wide grin on Skye's face and a pair of car keys dangling from her hand.
"C'mon," Skye announces without preamble. "We're going for a ride." With that she reaches forward and takes the book from Jemma's hands, plopping it on her bed and taking the girl's hand herself instead. Jemma notices that Skye's hand are cold but soft, and her brow furrows slightly at the thought.
It's so sudden and Jemma's so completely confused that she follows instinctively until they reach the hanger and she sees what's going on. "Nuh-uh. Coulson's going to kill us if we take Lola."
Skye simply shrugs and hops in, and the invitingly hopeful tilt of her head convinces Jemma to join her. She knows they shouldn't, but there's surprisingly no guilt; there was something about Skye that made her want to be just a bit of a rebel. It's half exasperation and half affection, but Jemma is beginning to realize that she quite enjoys spending time with Skye. With the others there's an expectation to be smart and composed, to be SHIELD Agent Simmons, yet Skye pushes her to be Jemma, and it's not an unwelcome change.
The engine revs and they're out of the vicinity of the plane in no time. Only then does Jemma speak again to wonder, "So where exactly are you taking me?"
"To find an origin story."
It doesn't answer her question at all, but it sets Jemma thinking once more. And it's such a Skye thing to do that Jemma can't help but find it endearing. While she ponders this, the other girl adds, "We're just going for a ride. Let down your hair, enjoy yourself." And she takes her own advice literally, reaching over with one hand to tug the hair tie from Jemma's hair so it blows back with the wind.
The way Skye's smiling makes her eyes scrunch just a tiny bit, and this realization sends a wave of butterflies into Jemma's stomach, and she can't help but wonder what's been happening to her lately.
They're quite the pair, Skye in her aviator sunglasses and leather jacket and Jemma in a blouse with squinted eyes - she had lost her sunglasses months ago - riding in a vintage, tomato red car. That strangeness of it all just makes it better somehow, and Jemma finds herself eagerly looking around at their surrounding.
They're driving fast enough that the air dulls their ability to hear, so Skye shouts, "See? Origin story," and Jemma simply smiles. It's more fun than she would've expected, just driving. She hadn't realized how pretty it was here, given that they'd been largely confined to the bus.
Jemma wonders if this is what she had missed, if Skye had spent her teenage years driving around with her hair blowing in the wind and her thoughts fading away with the passing scenery. But that thought fades quickly too because she's doing it now, and late is better than never especially when she's got someone like Skye on her side.
Their silence is comfortable but Skye still flips on the radio, so they begin to sing along to whatever comes on. And by the time they get back to see an amusedly peeved Coulson standing in the hanger with his arms crossed, their voices are hoarse.
"What were you doing?" he questions.
Jemma speaks before Skye can even open her mouth. "I needed an origin story."
This is probably going to be three chapters or so, and I'd love love love for you to tell me what you think! :)