Started this before the new season started. It's AU now for sure. Connected to my After series.
I still don't own AOS.
I've been back at the base since late last night . As good as it was to get away I was eager to get back, I missed my team, I missed my routine and I missed my ... Boyfriend? Ex husband? Lover? None of those words describe Andrew very well, but we're very much together. We spent the first month traveling together, rekindling our relationship. He came back before I did to help the team deal with everything going on.
After the first round of psyche evals it was determined everyone could benefit from regular sessions. I'm not sure how many of them are actually participating though.
And Simmons is still gone. Swallowed by the Kree stone. We're still no closer to figuring how (if) we can get her back.
I find myself wandering through the base when I stumble upon Skye. She's hunched over her tablet on the couch.
"Skye," I say quietly.
She looks up from her tablet.
"Daisy, actually." She counters.
"Daisy?" I question.
"Yeah..." She says.
"Okay."
"Thank you." She mumbles.
I wish I could say it's not a surprise when she asks if she can join me for training the next morning. But as surprised as I am, I'm thrilled. I've missed her.
We only spoke briefly after the battle on the ship. She apologized again, I apologized as well. I'd be lying if I didn't think there was still some hurt on both sides. But tomorrow, tomorrow we can begin to fix it.
We start with tai chi. Slow and steady. I'm impressed with her new found control. Not that she was bad at tai chi before, but she seems more solid now. Silence weighs between us as we move through the familiar movements.
I'm hoping we can start a conversation soon.
After tai chi we move to the bag. She jumps right in to intense hits and I decide to jump right in to conversation.
"So when are you planning on getting your new task force up and running?" I ask her causally.
She glances up from her powerful repetitions and narrows her eyes almost confused by the question, almost daring me to refute whatever she's about to say.
"I'm not sure, there's just a lot going on right now, Simmons is gone, Bobbie still has long way to go and Coulson could really use for extra help with everything..."
Ah so she does actually expect me to refute her lie.
"Coulson told me you could go as soon as you were ready you know that..." I say.
"Yeah... It just doesn't feel like the right time." She shrugs and stares me down again.
"Skye," I start.
"Daisy." She states quietly.
"Daisy." I say again... I will never get used to that.
"Daisy, what's really stopping you from going?" I prod gently.
"Agent May," she begins.
Yikes. She's rarely so formal.
"You know what's holding me back so just ask the question you want to ask." She sighs.
"I was hoping you'd just tell me." I can tell now we've still got a long way to go till things are back to normal.
She heaves a sigh and bites out "What do you want to hear that your boyfriend told Coulson I shouldn't start till I passed another psyche eval? Or that Coulson agreed?"
"For you to pass a psyche eval you'd actually have to talk during your sessions with Andrew." I tell her with my eyebrows raised.
"Good to see confidentiality is alive and well here...I already talked to Andrew and passed a psyche eval, that's why Coulson assigned me the task force because Andrew said and I quote I was 'ready for anything.' "
She shakes her head and turns her attention back to the bag.
"Sure but Skye..."
"Daisy!" She says forcibly this time.
"Daisy that was before ... You really had time to process anything new." I say gently.
"I'm processing everything just fine thanks." She sneers
She slams her fists so hard into the bag that I stumble behind it.
"Clearly." I mutter.
She gawks at me. Mouth open, snark turned up.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"You've drastically cut your hair, Phil says you've developed an aversion to touch and you've changed your name..."
"Changed back my name actually, I know what it actually is now." She interrupts
I roll my eyes at her, but continue.
"I can also tell from the bags under your eyes that you're not rested. Which is it, complete lack of sleep or nightmares?"
"I don't know May, why don't you ask Andrew or Coulson, since clearly they are in the sharing mood and have their opinions on the subject... Or believe me when I tell you I'm fine." Her voice cracks just slightly.
She doesn't sound fine.
"Daisy all those things suggest you are anything but fine." I try gently.
She huffs at me. So much for that.
"Honestly I hate that everyone keeps saying I'm not fine, I'm fine I promise and the sooner everyone sees that the sooner I can be on my way helping my people."
She unwraps her hands and storms out leaving me standing there even more concerned than before.
