We're already on chapter 3! Wow... I'm really liking the excitement I get over posting a multi-chap fic, its the first one I've written in a while for any fandom! Quick thanks to all my readers again - HanHan84, firerosedreamer67, mynameisagent, kellz1pt5, and Joanie McClure! Tiny note: This chapter is taken from 1x10 "The Bridge" but I have changed the main scene from the episode because I wanted a special non-canon moment between the pairing so, instead of having May & Coulson in the same car together towards the end when the exchange takes place, I've changed it to having Skye & Coulson together. So it's my version of the original scene! Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do own the Coulsye scene in this chapter don't I? ^_^

The third time it happened, Skye had decided that she didn't care about what the consequences of her actions would be, 'to hell with everything' was the only thought on her mind. But it had all gone horribly wrong and so fast that Skye had no idea when Coulson decided to just give himself up to the girl in the flower dress, Raina and the other man with her, Po. The initial exchange had been Mike for his son Ace and everyone had discussed the plan back on the bus - Ward was in place with his sniper ready; she joined the others in their van and waited for the signal to turn the communications on as well as Mike's tracker. They all watched as Coulson led Mike to Raina and from that moment on, everything turned upside down as Skye's fears came true.

Something hadn't felt right from the very beginning; everything about this situation had given her an uncomfortable feeling; it was one of the reasons why she had asked May if it was alright that they switched places while everyone made their way to the extraction point. FitzSimmons and May with Mike in one van, Coulson and her in the other. She'd had a chance to say what needed to be said and yet, when the time came, she found herself once again unable to say the words; there was an unknown reason as to why this happened, especially now when she thought that this was the right moment to say the words to him. Coulson was driving the van and as soon as they reached the bridge where the exchange would take place, he stopped and turned to Skye.

"It's going to be fine Skye, you have nothing to worry about. Fitz will have the tracker ready for Mike as soon as he leaves the van and we'll be able to follow them." He reassured her that nothing was going to happen to Mike, whereas all Skye could think of was what if Raina tried to hurt him in any way?

"Yeah... I know." She merely nodded as she replied back to him, wondering how she would say her next words to him. Surely it wouldn't be as hard as it seemed to her?

As if sensing that there was something else on her mind, Coulson briefly let the thought cross his mind whether he should ask Skye about whatever she was thinking or whether he should let her speak up when the time was right. However, the more he gazed at the young hacker sitting across from him, he noticed that she was troubled.

"Skye?" His hands almost left the wheel as if to reach out and take a hold of hers but he didn't get that far, because when she looked up and met his gaze, all Coulson could see was worry etched over her face.

"You'll be careful won't you?" She blurted out without thinking, "I just... I don't trust those guys and I know Mike will be safe but I... I hope you'll be safe too." And with that, Skye realized that she'd lost the first real opportunity she had to say those three words to Coulson that she actually wanted to this time around.

If there was any sign of surprise that he felt on hearing Skye voicing out her concerns by revealing that her worry was about him, Coulson didn't let it show on his face. Instead of saying anything to her, he merely nodded his head and knew that it would be enough for her.

With that, the two of them had left the van together to regroup with the others and get the exchange completed. As she watched Coulson and Mike walking across the bridge towards where Raina and Po were, every instinct inside her wanted her to say something more but Skye resigned herself to wait in the van with FitzSimmons and May until the exchange was safely completed. Everything that happened afterward was all a blur to her as she remembered only flashes of what had occurred - Coulson getting knocked out, Mike running to the van with Ace, Skye stumbling outside ready to run after Raina and Po, Mike giving Ace to her and going back, the explosion, her screams, the helicopter disappearing... Coulson was gone. She barely remembered when the team returned to the Bus and how she found herself back inside her bunk was a mystery though she figured Ward and Simmons might have had a hand in that.

This time she wasn't going to just sit on her bed and mope around, it wasn't going to help fix anything and it certainly wouldn't bring Coulson back. He was still out there and as long as he was being held captive by Raina, she believed that she had a chance of finding him... the explosion had meant to serve as a distraction, not to kill him... but Mike... with a twinge of pain as she remembered... Skye shook her head clear of those thoughts and stood up to leave her room. There was only one place she knew would help find some sort of peace... even if for a moment until she figured out what the next step was. Heading outside quietly, she noticed that the Bus was oddly deserted; the team must have gone to their bunks to try and get as much rest as they could before starting their search in the morning. Within minutes, Skye found herself standing outside the ever familiar door that would lead to his office and in the span of one heartbeat, she was tempted to knock on the door thinking she would hear his voice and he would be there sitting at his desk when she walked in. Skye sighed deeply, sinking to the floor and resting against the doorway, she thought back to her conversation with Coulson in the car. They had been alone together and she was ready to say the words to him and yet she had been unable to... but why? She knew that she was certain what her feelings for him were, no matter how complicated and forbidden and wrong they may be, but to her nothing had felt more right in her life. And yet she reasoned that the only thing holding her back could only mean one thing; there was a part of her that still doubted the truth about her feelings. Until Skye was completely and utterly sure of the fact that she was in love with him, she knew that no matter how many more times she tried, she wouldn't be able to say "I love you" to Coulson.

Worry not my readers! The story has a happy ending, its just a bit hard for Skye right now cause she feels all her chances have not worked out and now Coulson has been kidnapped! Stay tuned to see where chapter 4 takes them, it'll get better! sometimes a little change is good right?

A/N: I just wanted to take this opportunity to mention that I don't have one fanfic planned after this... I have two! The first one will be another series of drabbles similar to this but with a different prompt and much more chapters, the 2nd will be a proper full-length story! Details to come tomorrow and day-after respectively!