Feeling generous today... might even post next chapter tonight.

"What the hell do you mean you have to take another sample!?", Skye said to Simmons as they waited for the mission prep to start.

"Well, you see, the sample kind of... went missing."

"Went missing!?"

"I looked everywhere but it's nowhere to be found."

"Oh my god. First, the poking, then my new S.O training my butt off, now more poking!"

"I'm so sorry Skye. I'm usually very organized."

"It's true.", Fitz said in an attempt to make his new crush (Skye) feel better, "She really is organized."

Coulson walked into the room and heard the conversation. He looked at May who had been sitting there the whole time. She was on the verge of smiling while they were talking about the subject of Skye's blood. She couldn't smile because she never smiled and the team would suspect something. But Phil was smiling, almost laughing. Skye noticed.

"Why are you smiling."

"Oh, uh.. this situation, it reminds me of something. I won't go into detail." He cleared his throat, "We have a new mission."

Coulson told the team what their mission was. An undercover S.H.I.E.L.D truck transporting Dr. Franklin Hall floated up into the Skye and dropped. Their task was to find out what that force was and who put it there.

After visiting the site the team discovered that this event was tide to Quinn Worldwide. The owner, Ian Quinn, was hosting the annual shareholders gathering that weekend. Long story short, Skye was the only one who could carry out the mission at the party. She had no training or knowledge to protect herself with. But she was confident in herself and her street skills.

This, of course made Coulson and May very nervous. But Coulson had to agree with her in order for the rest of the team to believe he had faith in his new consultant.

As Fitz was showing Skye how to use the beacon disguised as a compact mirror, May brought Coulson to the side for a private conversation.

"Coulson... what are you thinking. We just found out it was her and you're gonna send her on a mission alone with no field training to protect herself with? You're her father, how could you put her safety at risk like this?"

"I'm as nervous as you Melinda. Trust me. But I had to let her do this. We agreed to get her to trust S.H.I.E.L.D, trust us before we told her. How can she trust us if she doesn't believe we trust her."

The rest of the team could see them but they couldn't hear what they were talking about. So they had to make it look like they were discussing the mission. It was pretty hard considering the nature of their actual conversation.

"Ok, but she still has no training. How do you expect her to make it through if things don't go as planned?"

"Two operative agents on the team are gonna be close by."

"Phil, I told you when I joined this team that I didn't want to see any field work. And I've already seen more than I bargained for."

"I know. That's why I'm going in with Agent Ward. You forget; I saw plenty of action with the Avengers."

"And you died.", she said after he walked away.

The mission was successful. It didn't go as planned and the outcome wasn't what they thought it would be; but it was successful. Coulson and May were able to see how Skye works. They could see Skye was trusting them more, which meant they could trust her.

But a few weeks after that, the trust was tested. Skye was proven to be tied to a Rising Tide leak in S.H.I.E.L.D. Coulson was torn on what to do about it. He was her father and he loved her. But as far as she knew he was just a S.H.I.E.L.D agent who saw potential in her. So when it was time to talk to her about this he made sure she wanted to be apart of S.H.I.E.L.D and that she was done with the Rising Tide. He didn't want her keeping anymore secrets. So he asked why she really agreed to join the team. Her answer really got to him. She said she joined because the only file she's found remotely close to showing where she came from was redacted by S.H.I.E.L.D.

He couldn't be mad at her for this. He wanted to tell her the truth right then and there, to wrap his arms around her and apologize for the life she had to live. But he didn't. Not yet. He said he'd help her search. But that was all he could do.

Later that night, when everyone was sleeping, Coulson went to visit May in the cockpit.

"How'd things go with Skye?"

"This sucks, Melinda. She's right there. Our daughter! She's living on this plane with us and she doesn't even know who we are."

"I know. But it's what we're doing is necessary to gaining her full trust. It was your idea and I agree with it."

"You're right. But right now I'm lying to her. I've been telling her that I'll help her search for her parents. While she's working her butt off trying to find the tiniest bit of information, I'm over here with the whole story and not telling her."

"She'll understand when we explain. Everything's gonna be ok."

He turned and stroked her face. When he looked at her all his problems seemed irrelevant. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. Without a second thought he pressed the autopilot button, yanked off her headphones and carried her out of the cockpit into his office.

Philinda is real.

Questions, comments and suggestions are encouraged! Thanks for reading:)