There were so many things that Fiona had been missing, and returning home also meant returning to her old habits.
For first thing, Skye and Jemma reestablished the Friday sleepover.
"Do you think it's really necessary, Mom?" she asked to Skye
"You're never too old for a sleepover, honey," her mother replied.
In the end she had too much fun and she had seen horror movies and eating junk food. It was her, her mother, Sara and her aunt Jemma, although grandmo May had appeared out of nowhere at some point and she remained to see both Kill Bill's movies.
Among other things, Fiona missed her mother hot chocolate. Despite all her efforts, she had never succeeded as good as she did, and Skye only knew how she liked: two marshmellow, not to much milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
It was after that night of debauchery that Fiona returned to training with her father, as when she was a little girl.
"Remember darling" he always said "High guard and sinks with the left"
And even if she had never been able to beat him, Grant also came to accept that his daughter had improved a lot thanks to the academy training.
Another habit that she had was helping her uncles in the laboratory, even if it meant listen to them for hours about things she was struggling to understand and sometimes even bored Sarah and Daniel, or take refuge in the cockpit with Grandma May.
Fiona knew that the great Melinda May was not her "biological" grandmother but she diden't care. Since she was married to her grandfather Phil, her mother had made the decision to take her grandfather's surname, which was later changed to Ward as soon as the two were married.
Skye loved them to the point of calling them "mom and dad" and when Fiona was born it was as if their granddaughter was born and had never ceased to love her as if she were their own blood.
Fiona always took refuge from her grandmother whenever she was sad or had a fight with one of her parents, even when Skye became too pushy or Grant treated her as if she was still his little girl.
She knew that her grandma would never have done any type of question and she could let the bad thoughts fly away with the clouds that flowed beneath them, while Melinda enjoyed the company of her niece in a peaceful silence.
Melinda May was certainly not a traditional grandmother. Reached the age of 60, she was still one of the most talented specialists of the Shield and this had caused no little satisfaction to Fiona, which was always filled with compliments and questions about her extraordinary grandmother by her fellow academy classmates. While other grandmothers taught to their granddaughters to sew or cook cakes, Melinda had taught to Fiona tahi chi and Eastern meditation, and only she and her mother had had a chance to learn a special kind of kick that at the academy was called "The Kick of the Cavalry " from the inventor in person, becoming almost a family tradition.
But of all things, Fiona adored her little trips with her grandpa Phil on board of Lola. Every time the Bus hit the ground, she and her grandfather took Lola and went for a ride around the city. Sometimes they saw a movie, sometimes even just for an ice cream, or, on special occasions such as her birthday or Christmas, Phil had brought his niece to shopping.
"You're half a Coulson and Coulson's are always elegant" he told her.
"Are you sure Grandpa?" Fiona said, pointing to her mother, dressed in a pair of sweat pants and one of her typical flannel shirts.
"Well, at least when we are on duty"
They were returning from one of this trips, when they had not time to park Lola in the hold which they were immediately greeted by an irate Melinda May.
"Do you think this is the time to come back?" She asked.
"Good afternoon to you too, Grandma," said Fiona, as she continued to lick her ice cream.
"What is it, honey?" Phil asked, kissing her cheek.
"We have guests, and apparently they don't have good news" said May.
As soon as they reached the top floor they found the entire team around the holographic table, along with three people that Fiona had not seen for a long time.
"Aunt Tasha," said Fiona, embracing Agent Romanoff.
"Hey baby girl! How much you've grown! You're a woman now " said Natasha.
"Yes, and this make your old uncle feel even older" Burton said hugging her.
"Hello Uncle Clint"
"Watch out Ward, she will take home a lot of guys" said Burton turned to her father.
"I highly doubt it " said Ward.
"Hey, not even a hug for your cool uncle!?" Said Tripp.
"Certainly not, uncle Tripp," said Fiona.
"Burton, Romanoff and Tripp have news for us, sir" said Fitz.
"Sure" Romanoff said, "We have a good news and a bad one"
"The Good one is that last night Garrett has passed to a better life" said Burton.
"How did he died?" Said Grant ,cold.
"Heart attack" said Tripp.
"And the bad news?" Said Skye.
"Apparently he left heirs" said Romanoff, opening a holographic picture on the table.
The image that appeared upseted Grant.
"No, it can't be" he said
"Do you know him, Grant?" Said Phil.
"It 's my brother Maynard," said Grant.
Fiona couldn't believe it. She had met her father's brothers a few times, and every time they landed in her father hometown, she was always very happy to go to visit her Aunt Rose, uncle Dane and her grandmother Elizabeth, but she had never had the pleasure of know her uncle Maynard. From what her father had said to her, she had a deep hatred for him, to the point that if she had ever met him, she would certainly behaved like a good niece "Hello Uncle Maynard. Maybe you don't know me, but I'm your niece"
"Hey Grant, if you don't want to participate in this mission you have every right" said Coulson.
"Oh no, Phil," said Grant, "I cann't believe Garrett has also recruited him"
"But it's a member of your family" said Coulson.
"No, Phil," said Grant, "I care a lot to my brother and my sister, but he has never been part of my family. My family is my team. Fitz and Tripp are brothers to me, and I consider Jemma like a sister, and Sarah and Daniel as if they were my grandchildren. Then we have you and May, and you're much more than just laws for me. But above all, my family are my girls. "
"Oh Grant" Skye said, kissing her husband passionately.
"Uh guys" said Fiona "I'm always happy to know that my parents still love each other, but I would like not watch the conception of a brother or a sister."
"Okay" said Phil, "What do we do Grant?"
"I think specilists are enough for this mission and the rest of the team can stay back on the Bus" said Grant.
"So I come too?" Said Fiona ,excited by the idea of her first mission.
"Oh, absolutely not," said Grant.
"But Dad!" Protested Fiona.
"Honey, I need someone to protect Mum and the rest of the team. And I trust only you "
"Yes, but not enough to make me come with you" said Fiona, "I'm also a specialist, daddy!"
"Yes, you're also very inexperienced when it comes to missions" Grant told to her "You'll see, everything will be fine. At the next mission you will come with me "
"I'm scared daddy."
"Abour what?" Asked Grant.
"About you'll not return" Fiona whispered.
"What I told you when you were a little girl and I had to left for a mission?"
"That you'd come back to me" said Fiona.
"And don't you ever forget that."
But this time, he didn't keep his promise. The team lost all contact with the specialists a few hours later, and now Fiona feared that her fears were well founded.
She was crying in his cabin when shewas found by Skye, with two cups of steaming hot chocolate.
"Hey baby, I thought you wanted a little 'sweetness" she said.
"I don't want that mom" Fiona said, wiping away tears.
"But you never say no to my hot chocolate" she said, sitting down on her bed, "What happened?"
"My father doesn't trust me and now half of my family is scattered, here's what happens," said Fiona, "And I feel stupid because I'm crying for this"
"You're not stupid," said Skye, taking her face in her hands, "You're worried, just like me. Dad trusts you, he does nothing but tell me how much you have improved and how proud he is to have you as "heir" "Skye said.
"So why he didn't want me to go with them? I could lend a hand "said Fiona.
"Your father doesn't trust himself. Every time I went on a mission with him, he did the same thing, then once I got angry and asked him why. He told me that he had already seen me almost dying once and he didn't want to repeat the experience, and that it never would have happened,he wouldn't answer for his actions, "said Skye.
"Oh," said Fiona.
"Dad will come back, right?" Said Fiona, embraced on the bed with her mother.
"Did not your father has never disappointed you?. He always come back or not? " Skye said," Hey, what aboutI to you sing your favorite lullaby? "
"Mom, I'm almost 20 years old" Fiona said, laughing.
"And you'll always be my sunshine" said Skye.
You are my sunshine
my only sunshine
you make me happy
When skys are gray
you'll never know dear
how much i love you
please do not take my sunshine away.
Fitz found them both asleep a few hours later.
"Hey girls, down below there is someone who would like to greet you" he said.
Fiona immediately rushed down the stairs and found her father sitting in the lab, while her aunt Jemma was medicate him.
"Careful honey!" said Grant, when Fiona ran to embrace him, "I have two broken ribs"
"Sorry, Dad" said Fiona blushing.
"My little Ninja is no longer used to seeing dad go on a mission alone?" Grant said, kissing her forehead.
"Definitely not," said Fiona, "You're back," she whispered
"Yes, as I always have" said Grant.
A Fiona didn't care to look like a daddy's girl. Her father was the most important man in her life, and they would defeated Hydra once again, together.
A/N : Unusual turn for what seemed like a whole fic full of fluff and love, right?
Garrett did last the shit before he died, he put everything in Maynard's hands. The real Fiona's first mission will come soon, don't worry, and then you really see what the little Ward is capable of. And maybe you will also discover something that Fiona might or might not have inherited from Skye ...#spoiler allert
