AN- I've been working on chapter 8 for a while and I only just realized that I haven't uploaded this one (which has been on my laptop for like two and half weeks) so I hope you enjoy this chapter and the next as I will be uploading it within the next few hours (fingers crossed).

Coulson ran through the Playground, the alarms blaring. There was an incoming aircraft, non hostile so far but that could easily change with the drop of a hat. According to May it was a modified quinjet, two passengers inside; she was trying to get a visual on the pilot last time he spoke. Coulson ran into the command centre, watching as May and Fitz typed away at several keyboards with a video feed zooming in to the cockpit.

When the computer scanned the faces and brought up their files May and Coulson froze.

"How did Agents Romanoff and Barton find us?" Fitz asked, doing some more digging.

"Skye." May stated, moving out of the command centre, leaving Fitz confused.

"You remember when May and Bobbi went to New York to go after Ward?" Coulson asked, receiving a slow nod from Fitz. "Skye and Agent Reid approached him, managed to calm him down and informed us that they would be taking Agent Ward back to Stark Tower. I assume Skye told Agents Barton and Romanoff that I'm still alive."

"Why would she do that?" Fitz asked; confusion evident in his expression.

"Knowing Barton and Romanoff they wouldn't have given her a choice." Coulson frowned, watching the plane land on the video feed. "I guess I should get this over with." Phil sighed, walking out of the Playground to meet his former Rookies.

It shocked Phil that the two of them didn't immediately shoot him, but pull him into a bone crushing hug. He thought he was imagining things when he felt Natasha's tears fall onto his shoulder.

"You were dead." Clint managed to push out. "You actually died." The man appeared to be holding back tears, even though his partner was more than comfortable letting them fall.

"Fury shouldn't have done all of that to you." Natasha sobbed. "He should have let you rest."

"I know Natasha." He whispered, pulling the red head back into a hug. "I know."

…

When Skye finally left the roof, having been unsure if she had made the right decision, she was met with a large crowd of confused faces, some of which had food in their mouths. Skye ignored their looks as she sat down in one of the two empty chairs either side of Loki, surprising the avengers who had left her a seat far away from him. She grabbed a piece of pizza and nibbled at it, unsure of how she would explain where Natasha and Clint went.

The conversation slowly started up again, leaving Skye and Loki in silence.

"You seem troubled, Lady Skye." Loki frowned, having finished his slice.

His comment caught Skye off guard as she was in the middle of a bite. She swallowed it quickly, ignoring the pain in her throat. "I did something, told someone a secret and I'm not sure if I had the right to tell it. Or whether it was the right choice."

Loki took a moment to think before responding. "If it was something important, something you know this person needed to know then I am sure that you can be forgiven." Loki smiled to her, reassuring Skye only slightly.

"It's just… it was something to do with you." She bit her lip, knowing that was the wrong choice of words. "Well, you did something before New York and it had me thinking that this person needed closure because of something you had done, which had taken away someone important to them. I told them where this person was, something that this person had been keeping a secret and I'm not sure it was my place to tell it."

Loki understood, nodding his head. "All you can do is ask for this person's forgiveness." Loki smiled slightly. "I am sure the Son-of-Coul would readily forgive you." He whispered, making sure the others didn't hear him.

"I never…" Skye started, unsure of how to respond.

"When I was impersonating the all father, Sif had come to me with worries about Lorelei, who had once again been broken out of prison during the events leading up to my fake death." He began to explain, still speaking in hushed tones. "She told me of a team of people who had helped her capture Lorelei including yourself, Agent Ward and the Son-of-Coul. I sent her to bring Lorelei back and after her departure asked Heimdall of what she had said, that a man that I had killed was still alive. He confirmed these suspicions to me, and that was when he started to suspect that I was in the all father's place. This information had become less important to me as I rushed to find what I needed to bring back my mother, I had almost forgotten about it until now."

"Thank you." Skye smiled. "For telling me."

"I should also apologise." Loki frowned. "I saw the repercussions the Son-of-Coul had gone through, something that wouldn't have needed to happen if it weren't for me. The two of you are close, and I have done a lot to hurt you both, even though you may not have realized."

"I can forgive you." Skye smiled, catching the Asgardian off guard. "I once did something to hurt my team, I betrayed them, and they still forgave me. They still let me be a part of that family, so I can't blame you forever. We have all done things that we regret, things that have hurt other people. Some more than others, but everyone deserves a second chance." She smiled, placing a hand on his arm.

…

"Natasha." May smiled, having waited for Coulson and the two assassins to enter the Playground. The red head grabbing Melinda's hand.

"It's good to see you." Natasha smiled, knowing that it must have been hard to return to the field after Bahrain. "You seem better." Melinda knew exactly what Natasha meant, and she was glad that the assassin didn't think she was broken, at least not as much as she had been before.

"How long are you two staying?" Melinda asked; glad to see her rookie again. She remembered when Clint had found Natasha, she was young and broken, but she knew that Natasha would be okay the second the girl asked to be trained. She knew Natasha was strong, and this proved everything that she had ever thought about the girl.

"Not long." Clint frowned, still not trusting Loki. "A certain Asgardian brought home a stray. A very evil, deadly stray."

"Loki?" Coulson asked, wondering why Thor would have changed his opinion of his brother so quickly.

"Yeah." Clint frowned again, not believing Loki's story. "Apparently he was under the scepter's influence too. Some guy named Thanos wanted the tesseract and in exchange for giving Loki an army to take over earth, that was his price. Apparently he went through a rough patch before Thanos made him the offer and all of a sudden he was in a cell, remembering everything that he had done. I don't believe him, it's one hell of a lie."

"And you want to keep as close an eye on him as possible." Coulson nodded, understanding his friend's stance. He himself didn't like the thought of the Asgardian Mussolini walking around New York.

Before Clint could respond his phone rang, Tony's caller ID showing up on the screen. "What is it Stark?" He huffed into the phone, receiving a tut from the other end.

"Just wondering where you went?" Tony smiled, trying to make his next statement easier to digest. "And to update you on Reindeer Games' latest activities. You know he stayed with Skye when she had an episode but he stayed with her until nine in the morning. That and he is having a very nice, poorly whispered, conversation with Skye right now. Something about someone he stabbed through the chest is still alive and kicking."

"I'll explain about that later, Tony." Clint tried to make his voice sound as normal as possible. "Skye and Loki are probably talking because of the tension between Skye and Ward. That and the fact that we aren't the most approachable people, especially not to him. Don't sweat it, there's probably nothing wrong."

"Sure thing." Tony sounded skeptical. "Get back as soon as you can. I've got a bad vibe."

"We'll be back as soon as we can." Clint smiled, ending the call.

"What's happening?" Natasha asked, although she had listened in on the phone call.

"Tony's overreacting to Skye making friends with Loki." Clint explained. "Although I am surprised considering your relationship with Skye. And they let slip that you were alive, sort of. Tony was eavesdropping."

Coulson nodded, feeling the same way that Clint did. He didn't like that Skye was getting cozy with the man that killed him, but he knew that Skye could handle herself, and she wouldn't do anything without a good reason. Or at least he hoped she wouldn't.

"Would you guys mind if I came back with you to speak to Skye?" Coulson asked, knowing that he would probably have to defend his reasons, which he did. "I've managed to calm Simmons down enough to see the stress she must have caused Skye, and she'd not too worried that Skye had kept it a secret. But I would like to talk to her about it, and I think Kate would appreciate that too."

"Tony will probably want to see you all things considered." Clint nodded, looking ever at Natasha, having a silent conversation with the woman. "I don't see a problem with it, but if she wants you gone you leave immediately."

"Of course." Coulson agreed, moving with May to get their own quinjet. "We'll meet you at the tower."

…

Skye had been in the main living room for a while, chatting with Loki as they looked out over the city from their place on the balcony, their elbows resting on the railing. She didn't know how she felt about the man, after all he did stab Coulson, but she was learning to forgive Ward so she could easily forgive Loki.

"Something is troubling you." Loki frowned, moving closer to Skye so that their shoulders were touching. "Is it the Son-of-Coul? Or is it that you are unfamiliar with the people here, unlike Agent Reid who suggested you come?"

"Yeah, I guess it is." Skye shrugged, keeping her eyes fixed on the view. "I feel like an outsider here, and that was exactly what I ran away from. People were scared of people like me. Inhumans with powers and I'd hoped that it would be different here but it's like they flinch every time something shakes, whether it's my fault or not."

Loki dutifully listened to everything that Skye said, understanding where she was coming from. He too had hoped to escape the fear his people had for him but here it was the only thing they would hold on to. "I am not afraid of you, Lady Skye." Loki spoke softly. The way he saw Skye, was completely different to the way he ever looked at anyone. She was strong and beautiful, inside and out, but she had so much compassion, so much love, that he couldn't help but slowly fall for her. Even if he didn't realize it.

Skye looked up at Loki, searching his emerald green eyes for any ounce of fear, anything to prove that he should be afraid of her. But she didn't see it. All she saw was a warm gaze, filled with a look that she hadn't seen since SHIELD fell, since Ward. Her breath caught in her throat when she realized that she must be looking at him the same way. "Maybe you should be." She warned, knowing what happened to the last person she fell for. She didn't have luck when it came to men, and she didn't want to add Loki to the list of tragedies.

"I could never fear you." Loki scanned Skye's eyes as he leaned closer to her, looking for any sign for him to stop. But one never came. They both closed their eyes and allowed their lips to touch. It was a light, gentle kiss. Loki placed a hand on Skye's cheek as he deepened the kiss, using his other hand to pull Skye closer to him. Skye rested both hands on his chest, feeling the speed at which Loki's heart was beating.

"What the hell?" A voice behind them yelled, the pair jumping apart.

…

May landed the quinjet in the hangar just behind Natasha's, quickly shutting down the engines. "Let's go see Skye." May suggested, giving Phil a reassuring smile. They moved quickly through the tower, following close behind Natasha and Clint, Coulson wanting to speak to Skye before explaining to the avengers how he was alive. When they reached the floor Skye was on, Coulson took a deep breath, hoping that Skye wouldn't turn him away. When he opened the door he was more than shocked to see Skye in Loki's arms, kissing no less.

"What the hell?" He demanded, the two quickly breaking apart. He stared between Skye and Loki, looking for something, anything, to explain what was going on. "Well?" He asked again, slightly hurt that Skye would betray him for the man that killed him. He loved Skye like a daughter and it made his skin crawl to think what Loki had done to her to turn her against him.

"I honestly don't know AC." Skye barely whispered, looking guiltily at the ground.

"If I may…" Loki started hoping to relieve some of the tension building up in the room.

"No you may not." Coulson cut off, not wanting to hear a single word from the Asgardian.

"Why don't we give them some space, Loki?" Natasha suggested, the three agents having been too shocked to say anything. Loki simply inclined his head and moved past Coulson to follow the assassins from the room, leaving May, Skye and Coulson in to talk.

"Honestly AC, I'm sorry. It just happened." Skye defended. "He's been helping me get control of my powers, and he actually talks to me. Everyone else is a bit intimidating."

"And a mass murderer isn't?" Coulson asked, sighing. "I didn't come here to argue with you. I came to tell you that everyone has calmed down, they're willing to help you. Especially Simmons. She feels guilty about what she said and she wants you to come back. We all do."

"Thanks AC." Skye smiled solemnly, Coulson sensed a but coming. "But I don't know if I can go back. I still can't sleep without almost destroying the place. Here that's not as much of a problem but in an underground base, I could bring the place down without even turning over."

"That's not the only reason, is it?" May asked, having gotten to know her Rookie very well since she started training her.

Skye shook her head. "You can all tell me that it's not my fault, but Tripp died because of me." A tear threatened to fall down Skye's face. "I know he was only trying to save me but that got him killed, and it was my fault you found him in ashes. I can't go back, not after that."

"This isn't about Loki is it?" Coulson asked, suspecting that there was a lot more to what he had seen than Skye claimed.

"No." Skye responded almost automatically. "I don't know." She genuinely didn't know what had happened between them, but Skye was sure that it wouldn't be the last time she kissed the God of Lies.

"Okay." Coulson nodded, unconvinced. "We'll leave you here then."

"You should probably tell the others that you're here." Skye suggested, stopping Coulson from walking out of the room. "Not just Kate and Grant."

Coulson nodded and left the room, May following him. It wasn't a goodbye, and Skye was certain that she wouldn't get one.

Skye took a deep breath before dropping to the ground, leaning against the glass barrier in the railing. "What am I gonna do?"

AN- So there you have it, a little Skye/Loki for you. I'm not sure if they have a ship name but I'm going to keep shipping it. The next chapter will hopefully have more about Kate and the avengers' reaction to Coulson being alive. But I hope you liked this chapter, please tell me if you liked it, if you didn't and if you have anything you want to see in the future.