Chapter 7

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 1x16

Ever since she received her badge Skye can't stop smiling and when she walks into her bunk to get her computer, before heading to the interrogation room so that she can access the S.H.I.E.L.D files that she has to access, she isn't surprised to find her mother sitting on her bed.

"Congratulations Skye." Melinda says getting up and hugging her.

"Thanks Mom."

"I'm so proud of you." Melinda informs her daughter

"I'm proud of me too." Skye admits.

"As you should be." Melinda says, "And I know that as soon as they find out Bobbi, Clint and Nick will be too."

"Have you been able to talk to them?" Skye asks as one of the things she wants to do the most right now is call her oldest siblings and tell them that she is an S.H.I.E.L.D agent now too.

"No."

"It's been a while, should we worry?"

"No, long missions aren't uncommon, I'm sure there is nothing to worry about." Melinda tells her daughter.

"I know they can't always contact us, I'm used to that, but I always worry when I don't hear from them for a while." Skye admits.

"I know." Melinda says as honestly she does too.

"I should go, I have my first assignment to do as a real S.H.I.E.L.D agent to complete." Skye says.

"That you do, good luck, Agent Skye." Melinda says with a proud smile.

"Thanks Mom." Skye says picking up her laptop and leaving her bunk.


After a very long and confusing day Skye is searching for her brother so that she can tell him what she and Coulson have realised.

"There you are." Skye says to her brother seeing him in the upper floor of the plane, "I've been looking for you."

"Why? I didn't do anything?"

"I didn't say you did. What did you do?" Skye asks her brother, knowing from the look on his face that he's done something he shouldn't have.

"I was just in the Avionics bay and I discovered something, why, why would Mum have an encrypted hard line dedicated to one receiver?" Leo asks his sister, "She's not meant to have that."

"That makes no sense." Skye says but she gets an idea, "Cut the line."

"What, why?" Leo asks confused

"Because someone's talking to the Clairvoyant, the real Clairvoyant, not the one Ward shot."

"What? You can't think it was Mum. She would never to that!" Leo tells his sister, shocked that she thinks she would.

"I know, the line's probably so that she can talk to Nick." Skye says as that is the most likely reason, "But if there is someone talking to the Clairvoyant and if we pretend to root out Mom as a mole, the one person who defiantly know isn't because there is no way she would ever let me get shot, let Coulson get tortured or work with someone like that, then maybe the real person will lower there guard and we can figure out who it is." Skye tells her brother.

"That's brilliant." Leo says but realise something else, "But it could also go very, very wrong."

"It's the best idea I've got." Skye admits, "Go, cut the line, and tell Mom what's going on if you can, I'll tell Coulson." Skye says and the two siblings go in opposite directions, Fitz running Skye walking slower so that she can give her brother more time and a chance to warn their Mom.


Once he cuts the line Leo runs to the stairs that come down from the cockpit just in time to see his mother walk down them.

"Leo, what did you do?" Melinda asks her son.

"Skye and I have a plan but I don't have long to explain." Leo says quickly, "I found your hard line and Skye and I figure that you are just using it to talk Nick for some reason, but Skye also discovered that someone is talking to the Clairvoyant and because we both know that that isn't, you we thought that if we pretend to uncover you as a mole then maybe the real mole would lower their guard and we could catch them. Skye is gone to tell Coulson that we found and cut your hard line and that's basically as far as our plans went" Leo explains to his mother talking very fast but Melinda is still able to understand it.

"Damn it. I am reporting to Nick but it was for Phil's protection and for his own good he was never supposed to find out." Melinda tells her son.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, you didn't know and good work on coming up with the plan so quickly." Melinda tells her son, impressed with the plan that he and Skye came up with, "I want you to run and hide in the lab, I'll follow. Once I am in the Cargo Hold and past the lab doors I want you to close them and I'll fire two ICER rounds, the glass will protect you from any harm." Melinda says and her son nods, "By then Skye and Phil are going to be there and we might be able to get answers, but you have to be angry, you have to act like you thought I was going to hurt you. Can you do that?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Run." Melinda tells her son and he does just that.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 1x17

As Skye and Leo watch their Mom try and explain to Phil what is going and ask questions that could help her, that will give her a chance to explain as Phil seems too angry to be giving her that, they both realise that maybe this wasn't as good of an idea as they thought, something that was confirmed when Phil shoot Melinda with an ICER, though they are both truly grateful that it wasn't a real bullet, it still takes both of them all of their restraint not to yell or do something to Phil for that.

"I told you this could go wrong." Leo hisses at his sister as he walks past her and across the room so that he can help Phil take his Mum to the interrogation room.


It has been about six hours since S.H.I.E.L.D has fallen and three hours since Phil informed Melinda that even though she isn't a friend she is an ally which is why when Melinda returns to her bunk planning on having a short nap before getting back to work she isn't surprised to find Skye and Leo waiting. As soon as she closes the door behind her she hugs her two youngest children at once.

"We're sorry Mom, we didn't' mean for it to go like that." Skye tells her mother.

"It's okay." Melinda assures them, "Are either of you hurt? Are you okay?" Melinda asks looking them up and down and she receives two nods in response.

"We're both fine Mum." Leo assures her, "But how are you? You were shot, twice."

"I'm fine." Melinda assures her son.

"Have you managed to talk to Bee and Clint? Are they alright?" Skye asks worried.

"I don't know." Melinda answers, and it's clear that all three of them are very worried.

"And Nick, do you really think he's gone?" Leo asks, really hoping he's not as Nick's family and he doesn't want to lose a member of his family.

"I don't know that either." Melinda admits, "But I do know that Nick's not easy to kill and that if he is alive we may not find out for a while, because if Hydra thinks they killed him then he would want them to continue believing that." Melinda says and Skye and Leo nod.

"So you knew that what I was injected with was Alien, and you still went along with Coulson?" Skye asks.

"I did, I was going to do whatever it took to make sure you didn't die." Melinda tells her daughter, "But I also knew that because you weren't dead and because you are an 084 then your reaction could be very different to Coulson's and that's what I was hoping for." Melinda tells her daughter, "And I didn't know where the facility Coulson was treated or the name of it, I just knew GH, so I couldn't have helped you and Simmons find it quicker." Melinda says to her son as she can tell by the look of his face that he wants to ask about that.

"I was wondering that." Leo admits before turning to his sister, "That's why you asked me about 084s." Fitz says and Skye nods, "Oh Skye." He says and hugs his sister, "I am so happy every day that I met you." He informs his sister who is glad for that.

"How are you after everything that happened?" Melinda asks her son one her younger children break apart.

"Honestly, I'm trying not to think about it." Leo admits.

"I'm sorry Leo, I never ever wanted you to have to do that." Melinda tells her son, hating that he had to take a life.

"Don't apologise, I was protecting you I and I would do it again if it meant I was protecting my family or someone else I care about." Leo says and Melinda just hugs her son once more.

"So I hate to ask the obvious question, but what do we do now?" Skye asks once her mother and brother have broken apart.

"We stay on the lookout, we continue to fight and we keep our secret, because right now that is the last thing we want people to know, and because anyone could be Hydra we have to be careful who we trust." Melinda tells her children, now understanding why Fury told her that keeping the secret was more important than ever because if Hydra knows about it then they will use it to harm them, "And while we are on the subject I want you both to have a weapon on you at all times it doesn't have to be a gun or an ICER it can be knife or small blade just have something you can use to protect yourself on you." Melinda says and they both nod, "Good, get some rest, you're going to need It." Melinda tells her two youngest children and they nod and they both give her another hug before they leave Melinda's bunk.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 1x18

As they are walking through the snow Skye is hanging back so that she can try to get a chance to talk to her brother she has been watching him for a while and really wants to talk to him, but as he is with Simmons Skye hasn't really had a chance, but then once Simmons walks quicker so that she can catch up to Tripp she does.

"So that thing will be able to warn us of anything dangerous, right?" Skye asks her brother, referring to the tablet that he is holding.

"Right." He confirms.

"You okay?"

"No, none of this is okay." Leo answers, both of them slowing down, hanging back behind everyone else, "I want to know what's going on, I want to know that my family is safe." Leo says, "I trust Coulson, I am furious that he shot Mum, but I trust him. I just don't want him to be leading us to the middle of the nowhere."

"You don't think Nick sent the coordinates?" Skye asks.

"I don't know." Leo admits, "I mean it seems like something he would do, and I really hope it is him, but if Coulson is wrong then this could end horribly."

"Are you two alright?" Melinda asks concerned as she noticed them hanging back.

"Yeah." Skye answers.

"Why did Nick have you watching Coulson, why didn't he want you to tell him?" Leo asks.

"I was to watch him for signs of physical or mental deterioration and he wasn't to be told as the doctors thought it could have negative consequences." Melinda explains.

"Like what?" Skye asks.

"It wasn't clear." Melinda answers, "But I know that before today he seemed stable and now he has us out here chasing ghosts."

"You don't think Nick sent these coordinates." Leo realises.

"I honestly don't know." Melinda says, but like her children she hopes he did.

"In Coulson's defence his whole world just collapsed, both of yours did, I mean I am honestly I'm not sure how you are still standing after everything." Skye tells her mother.

"We should catch up with the others." Melinda says and Leo and Skye exchange a look, both of them worried and they start to walk faster so that they can catch up.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 1x19

About a day after finding where Fury's coordinates sent them to Melinda is strapped into the lie detector that Fury designed having volunteered to go first partly to try and convince Phil that she isn't hiding anything else, which she technically is, but he was the one who said all those years ago that he didn't want to know about her children.

"Agent May before we begin I must tell you that I do know about your family and how classified it is so you are able to answer with the truth and no one won't be informed of it." Eric Koenig informs Melinda.

"Good to know." Melinda says, thinking that Eric must be someone Nick trust.

"We're gonna start with some easy questions and establish a baseline. Can I have your full name?" Eric asks.

"Melinda Qiaolian May."

"Eye colour?"

"Brown."

"Have you ever been married?"

"Once."

"Please list your immediate family."

"My mother, two sons, two daughters, one brother." Melinda says.

"Is this brother related to you biologically?"

"No." Melinda answers and Eric continues to ask questions until his last question of,

"S.H.I.E.L.D. no longer exists. The agency has been labelled a terrorist organization. So why are you here?"

"My kids, and Coulson."


After Melinda Leo is the next one in the family to go and like his mother he is informed that Eric knows about his family.

"What is your first name?"

"Leopold."

"What is your last name?"

"My legal last name or what I consider my true last name to be?" Leo asks curious as they are two different answers.

"Both. Start with legal." Eric requests.

"Fitz."

"And the name you consider to be your true name?"

"Fitz-May."

"Please list your immediate family."

"Grandma, Mother, older brother, two sisters, and Nick." Leo answers, trying not to think about how worried he is for his siblings and Nick.

"Who is Nick to you?" Eric asks.

"The only person I've ever truly considered to be my Dad."


Skye is next to go after her brother and is the last person except for Ward to be tested and like he did with her mother and Brother Eric informed her that he knew the truth.

"What is your first Name?"

"Skye."

"What is your last name?"

"May."

"And you gave yourself the name Skye?" Eric asks curious.

"Well, the name they gave me at the orphanage was Mary Sue Poots, so after I was adopted it was officially changed to Skye."

"When we were kids, my brother and I used to give each other nicknames. He called me "lightning foot." Eric informs Skye.

"My oldest brother calls me Speedy." Skye says with a grin, trying not to think about Clint because every time she does she remembers that she doesn't know if he is okay and that hurts.

"Please list your immediate family."

"My Mom, Grandma, two brothers, one sister, Nick, ex-step Dad, and Coulson." Skye says as even though she hasn't seen Andrew in a long time she spent enough time with him, more than any of her siblings, to still see him as family.

"And who are Nick and Coulson to you?"

"Father figures." Skye answers and Eric continues to ask more questions before finally finishing with,

"S.H.I.E.L.D. no longer exists. The agency has been labelled a terrorist organization. So why are you here?"

"Because even though I forgot for a while S.H.I.E.L.D's family, it's home."


Hours after the lie detector Skye, Melinda, Ward and Eric are the only ones at the base though that's not going to stay like that for long as Melinda has repaired The Bus so she is going to leave as she needs to find her oldest children and she needs to find Coulson answers.

Even though she still needs to finish packing and collect her stuff from her bunk Melinda didn't head to the upper floor of the plane once she was finished the repairs, but instead went in search of Skye and when she sees that the doors to the com stat room are open she assumes she is in there.

"Skye."

"Hey." Skye says turning to face her mother.

"What are you doing?"

"Hacking the NSA." Skye answers like it is no big deal.

"Why?"

"So we can get live images of the Fridge break out." Skye tells her mother.

"Good idea." Melinda says approvingly.

"Did you fix the bus?" Skye asks curious.

"I did, and now I'm leaving for a while." Melinda tells her daughter.

"What? Why?" Skye says looking up at her in shock, "Is this about what Coulson's been saying because he's being a jerk and you shouldn't leave because of that." Skye tells her mother.

"I'm not." Melinda tells her, "I'm leaving because I need to find Bobbi and Clint, make sure they are okay and I also need to find Phil some answers, I owe him that."

"You're going to come back though, right?" Skye asks her mother.

"Of course." Melinda answers, "I just need to see Clint and Bobbi with my own eyes, see that they are okay." She says, "And I need to find Phil answers, find you answers, neither of which I can do here." Melinda tells her daughter.

"I love you Mom." Skye says getting up and hugging her mother.

"I love you too."

"When you find them say hey to Bee and Clint for me." Skye requests.

"Of course." Melinda says, "And I need you to do something to me." Melinda says to her daughter who nods, "I need you to be careful, to stay safe, you have amazing instincts Skye trust them, trust yourself." Melinda tells her daughter, "And remember what I said about having a weapon on you at all times." Melinda tells her daughter.

"I do remember I've been making sure of that." Skye assures her mother.

"Good." Melinda says before hugging her once again, "Tell your brother what's going on when he gets back, that I'm sorry that I couldn't wait to say goodbye to him too." Melinda request and Skye nods, "I love you Skye."

"Love you too Mom, see you in a few days." Skye says and Melinda nods and leaves the room. Once she does Skye sits back down on the computer and continues her hack.


After talking to Skye Melinda headed up to her bunk where she finished packing her stuff, and she is just about to leave when Ward arrives at the outside of her bunk so she informs him she is leaving but makes it seem like the only reason is because of Coulson, which is a large part of her reason, just not the largest part.

Once she walks out of the main entrance of the base a few minutes later Melinda forces herself not to worry about Skye so much by reminding herself that she is safe in a secret base with someone who can protect her if needed.


It hasn't even been two hours since her mother left and after what Skye just discovered she desperately wishes that she didn't as in the vent above the storage room she found the body of Eric Koenig which has led to her to only one conclusion,

"He's Hydra." Skye says to herself a she sits on the bathroom floor and as she does she gets a horrifying thought, "Mom." She says and desperately hopes that he mother managed to leave before Ward could do something to her too.

As Skye hears Ward call for her she realises that she can't fall apart and she can't let him know that she knows about him so she quickly gets up and starts to search for a way to leave a message for the others just in case he want to get her to leave the base which would be the most likely thing for him to do because he wouldn't be able to risk them staying there to long with at least one dead body.


Hours after she said goodbye to her daughter Melinda is walking on the side of the road when her mother's car drives passed her and pulls over just in front of her so she is able to walk and put her bag in the front and get in the passenger seat.

"What are you doing? We need to go." Melinda tells her mother when she turns of the engine.

"Five hundred miles."

"What?

"Five hundred miles and I don't even get a thank you."

"I was just about to…"

"Too late…'

"Thank you."

"I said too late." Lian informs her daughter, "You could have called anyone you want, why did you call me?"

"Because I needed someone I could trust." Melinda informs her mother.

"That bad, huh?"

"Did you find them? Did you get what I asked?" Melinda asks her mother.

"As my agency hasn't fallen apart I was able to help them both get back into the country safely, and they are currently at a safe house near where my contacts inform me you'll find Maria." Lian informs her daughter.

"Thank you Mom." Melinda says gratefully.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 1x20

It is a few hours after her mother picks her up that Melinda arrives at the safe house where she will find her two older children.

"There is a car in the garage with a computer in it if you need it." Lian informs her daughter.

"Thanks Mom." Melinda says before getting out of the car and heading inside.

When walks into the living room of the house she is greeted by her daughter pointing a gun and her son pointing his bow.

"Mom." Clint and Bobbi say together, clearly relieved and they both lower what they are holding and rush, Bobbi looking like she is having some difficulty, over to her and the three hug.

"Are you both okay?" Melinda asks concerned.

"I took a slug to the leg, it didn't hit anything serious though." Bobbi informs her mother.

"And I'm fine." Clint assures her, "Skye? Leo?"

"They're fine. They are at one of Nick's secret bases with Coulson and the rest of our team, are you sure you are okay?" Melinda asks looking at her daughter.

"I'm fine, just need a couple of days rest." Bobbi assures her mother as the three of them walk over to the couch.

"So I have a question what is with the hundred or so missed calls we both have from you from before S.H.I.E.L.D blew up?" Clint asks curious.

"Before I say what I am going to say you both need to remember that what I said, that Skye is completely fine."

"What happened?" Bobbi asks worried.

"She was shot twice in the stomach by Ian Quinn on orders of someone we had been looking for who went by the name The Clairvoyant who turned out to be John Garrett." Melinda tells her children.

"Twice, in the stomach?" Clint asks his face draining of all colour.

"How is she okay?" Bobbi asks, looking horrified.

"She almost wasn't, but there was a drug, the same drug that brought Coulson back, that saved her and now it's like she wasn't even hurt even though it was only a couple of weeks ago." Melinda tells her children.

"She's okay?" Clint asks, wanting to be sure.

"She's okay." Melinda confirms and the three of them drift into silence, Bobbi and Clint horrified about what happened to their sister.

"So Grandma said you had to find Maria?" Bobbi asks as due to the fact that she and Maria started S.H.I.E.L.D around the same they are pretty good friends, though like everyone else who isn't family she doesn't know the truth about who she is.

"Yeah, I need answers that only she or Nick can give." Melinda tells her daughter.

"The rumour is that Nick's dead." Clint comments, "Do you believe it?"

"No." Melinda answers as after the coordinates lead to a secret base and finding someone who knows her secret she truly doesn't believe that Nick is dead, "But he won't be able to answer my questions which means I need Maria too." She explains and Bobbi and Clint nod.

"Maria has to have eyes on her at all times at the moment, how are you going get near her without being caught yourself?" Bobbi asks.

"I figure that once she leaves congress tonight I would take out everyone on that is watching her and then talk."

"That' will work." Clint says with a grin, "Want some backup?"

"No, stay here, stay together." She tells her children who nod.


Ever since he found out that both his mother and sister left the base, his mother seemingly by her own free will and her sister with Ward, Leo can't help but panic about what is going on and wonder why his mother would leave and whether his sister really did walk out, hand in hand, with someone who is Hydra.


After talking to Maria and finding answers at Phil's grave Melinda has headed back to the safe house where her older children are so that she can talk to them before she talks to Maria once more then heads back to the team.

When she walks into the lounge room Melinda isn't greeted by a gun and a bow pointed at her but by Bobbi throwing things at Clint who is catching them and making faces.

"Do I even want to know?" Melinda asks her older children, giving them a look which they are very familiar with, a look which makes them feel like naughty children.

"No." Clint and Bobbi respond in unison.

"I think the more important question is what have you been up to?" Bobbi asks her mother as she is clearly sweaty and covered in dirt.

"I've just come from digging up Phil's grave." Melinda admits.

"So wait you've got half of the words governments agencies and Military after you for being a S.H.I.E.L.D agent, not to mention the fact that you are most likely pretty high on Hydra's to kill list and you decide that now's a good time to take up grave robbing?" Clint asks his mother with a surprised look.

"I didn't decided to take up grave robbing, I needed answers and a cryptic message from Nick via Maria indicated that Phil's grave is where I would find them." Melinda explains.

"And did you?" Bobbi asks curious.

"I did, they just weren't what I was expecting." Melinda admits.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Clint asks curious.

"I am going to have a shower and them I am going to meet up with Maria and then go back to my team, back to Skye and Leo, and I would really like you both to join me." Melinda tells them.

"I can't." Clint says, "Tomorrow night Grandma is going to help me get out of the country and into Europe so I can find Natasha, I need to see if she is okay." Clint informs his mother.

"Okay, you'll stay in contact right?" Melinda asks her son, not liking that he is going back out but knowing that she can't stop him.

"Of course."

"Bobbi? What about you?"

"Sorry Mom, but you're not the only one who has a team to get back to." Bobbi says.

"You're going to rest that leg for a few days first though, right?" Melinda asks.

"Of course." Bobbi answers, "My team and I went our separate ways after the fall and we're not due to meet up for a few days." She says and she can tell her Mother is worried about her going off on her own, "Mom don't worry, considering we are both working with, and are, people who won't let S.H.I.E.L.D stay down for long I am sure that we'll see each other soon." Bobbi tells her mother.

"I'm your mother, I always worry."

"We know." Bobbi and Clint say together.


Even though she is completely exhausted after the last few days Skye didn't head inside when the others did as she wants to talk to Leo alone as even though she has her own room, with an empty bed in it because she is hoping her mother shows up soon, Leo is shearing with Simmons and like her Trip has his own.

"Night Skye." Simmons says getting up and heading to bed.

"Night." Skye says and as soon as the door to Leo and Jemma's room close Skye gets up and walks across to Leo and where he is sitting.

"You're okay right? You weren't hurt?" Leo asks as Skye sits down and like him she puts her feet in the water.

"Nah, I'm fine." Skye responds, "Leo I'm really worried about Mom, she said that she was going to find Bee and Clint, and Coulson answers, but what if Ward did something to her?"

"He didn't." Leo assures his sister.

"How do you know?" Skye asks as she was too scared to ask Coulson in case it was bad news because she didn't want to fall apart in front of him.

"Because I saw footage of her walking out of the plane and saw the exit log of her leaving the base." Leo tells his sister.

"Are you sure?" Skye asks, wanting to believe it.

"Positive."

"Oh, thank god. I was so scared." Skye admits and not sure what to say Leo just reaches over and grabs his sister's hand and for a few minutes they sit in silence.

"You know if Bee or Clint were here we probably would have been pushed into this pool by now." Skye comments.

"I know. You're not going to do it because they can't are you?"

"Nah, pushing people in pools stoped being fun when we started to carry around electronics." Skye comments and Leo nods in agreement.

"If you thought he was Hydra why did you leave with him?"

"Because I didn't see another option that wouldn't end with me being killed." Skye admits, "I did the only thing I could think of." She says and they both drift into silence.

"We should head to bed, it's been a long few days." Leo says after about ten minutes of silence.

"That it has." Skye says and when they are both standing the two siblings hug, "Leo do you think Mom will be here when we wake up?" Skye ask curious as they walk to their rooms.

"I hope so."

"Yeah, me too. Night Leo."

"Night Skye."


It has been almost an hour since Phil walked into his motel room to find Melinda waiting and in that time they have been talking about what she found and what it meant.

"I'm really glad you're back, and I'm sorry about how I acted before you left." Phil tells Melinda.

"Thank you."

"So this is why you left? To get me answers?" Phil asks.

"And to check on my children."

"Are they okay? Did Clint get out safely?" Phil asks concerned.

"They are fine and yes he did get out." Melinda says.

"Good, that's good. You know you could have brought them back with you, I know it must not be easy being apart, especially now." Phil says and Melinda is seriously tempted to tell the truth, but she decides against it, at least for now anyway.

"I wanted to." Melinda says and that is the truth as she wanted Bobbi and Clint to come back with her, "But Clint is going to Europe to make sure Natasha is okay, my oldest daughter has some things she needs to do, my mother is going to keep an eye on her, and my youngest son and daughter are currently together and safe or as safe as they can be these days." Melinda tells Phil, technically not lying once.

"Good, that's good." Phil says and Melinda nods, "So I don't know if you are tired but there is an extra bed in Skye's room if you are."

"I am." Melinda says, she's not tired but she wants to see her daughter, "Where is the rest of the team?"

"Fitz and Simmons are in the adjoining room, Tripp is on the other side." he says and Melinda nods, "I should go I don't want to wake Skye when I sneak in." Melinda says and Phil nods.

"Here, it's the extra key to her room." Phil says handing it over, "The rooms' two doors down to the left." He says and Melinda nods and exits the room.

When she reaches Skye's room Melinda is glad to see light coming from under the door as that means that Skye is most likely still awake as she cannot sleep with the light on due to something that happened in her second foster home.

When she walks into the room Melinda finds Skye sitting on the bed raising an ICER at the door and even though she is glad that they are showing caution Melinda would really like it if her kids stoped pointing weapons at her.

"Mom." Skye says relieved when she realises who it is and she drops the ICER and runs over to her mother a hugs her.

"Are you alright?" Melinda asks as she hugs her daughter.

"Yeah. I'm okay.

"I'm sorry Skye, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have left you." Melinda tells her daughter.

"It's not your fault Mom."

"Yes it is, I should have known."

"You couldn't have." Skye says when they finally break apart.

"I should have." Melinda says as she reaches out and brushes Skye's hair of her face.

"Leo should still be awake. We didn't go to our rooms to long ago, I'll let him know that you are back." Skye says walking over to her phone and sending a message that just says 'M is back' to Leo because unless they know the truth anyone who reads the message will just assume that M is May.

Not even a minute after Skye sends the message the door joining the two rooms opens and Leo walks in and once the other door is closed he rushes to his mother a hugs her.

"Please tell me next time you go somewhere." Leo requests as he hugs his mother.

"I will." Melinda responds.

"Did you see Bee and Clint? Are they okay?" Skye asks as Melinda, Leo and Skye sit down on one of the beds.

"I did." Melinda confirms, "Clint's fine. Bobbi took a bullet to the leg, but it wasn't serious, after a few days rest she will be fine." Melinda tells her children.

"Where are they?" Leo asks.

"At a safe house that Grandma set up." Melinda says, "But Clint is going to Europe to find Natasha and after a few days rest Bobbi is going to meet up with her team, but I am sure we'll see them soon." Melinda says and both her kids nod.

"I can't stay in here tonight, can I?" Leo asks as he really would like to because he wants to be close to his family.

"If you want to you can, but I'll have to wake you up very early in the morning so that you can sneak back in before Simmons realises you're gone." Melinda tells Leo.

"I would like that." Leo answers.

Not even twenty minutes later Skye and Leo are fast asleep either side of their mother who is wide awake and watching them sleep so that she can protect them from anything.