Chapter 7: A Day at the Cinema

Note: In case some of you were wondering how in the world Skye met Steve and the Avengers, I have some ideas that I can write into a story if you want to read that.

Skye left her cell, dedicated on her mini-mission. She found Coulson in the hall. "Sir," She started. "Have there been any updates on Steve?"

"No…" He eyed Skye strangely. She hoped he wasn't becoming suspicious. But he was. "You seem extremely anxious about Steve. Almost like he's a friend of yours."

Luckily, she didn't freak out and say random nonsense but instead, she played it smooth. "My friend? Captain America? He's a legend, I'm surprised you all aren't as worried as I am. I mean, he was a loyal S.H.I.E.L.D agent."

"Yeah," Skye took a deep breath of relief as he believed that. "I guess you're right." He nodded and she excused herself and left. She hopped into Lola and drove to the city, which was about an hour long ride, which gave her plenty of time to think of places she and Steve would go. When she got to the city, it came to her. She ran through the crowds to the cinema house where she and Steve first hung out together.

When she arrived, there were some people here in there, but there was no line for ticket sales, so she fixed her hair from running and calmly approached the lady in the ticket booth.

"Hi, I was wondering if a man came by yesterday and left something for Skye?"
The old lady in the booth slowly scratched her thin white hair. "And that's you I assume?" She had a raspy, older voice.

"Yes." Skye smiled.

"Well, you do fit the description he left. Or was that blond hair…"
"I think I'm Skye." I said quickly before she could think anymore about it.

"Ok," She shrugged. Her hand shook as she slid a ticket to me through the little window. "Here you go. Nice man."

I read the label. The Birds was the movie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He was right, that was the movie we saw.

"Wow," I looked back up at her. "You guys still play this movie? I saw it last year with him."
"We've always played that movie," she replied. "It was new when we first opened up here, so we kept it."
"Wait a minute," I thought. "This movie came out in 1963. Are you telling me this cinema has been open since…"
"Yes, ma'am. My father used to own it. He put me to work here when I was 26, just selling tickets and popcorn and whatnot."

"Ma'am, I don't mean to be rude, but you're 78. Don't you want to retire?"

"Why would I?" She said quietly. "I love it here. I love watching families grow."
"What do you mean by that?"
She sighed as if she was remembering good memories. "I remember this so vividly. The first day I started working here, two strangers about my age came in. I thought they would look so adorable together, so I introduced them to each other. They loved each other and came back a month or two later, holding hands, to watch a romantic comedy. I didn't see them for a few years, until we both were in our mid-30's, they came in, each wearing a ring on their fingers. They told me this was their honeymoon. Time passed, things changed, they came in years later, I was still there working, with a 7 year old daughter and a baby and came to watch a family movie. I never saw the couple again, but years and years later, about a week ago actually, their daughter, now mid-20's, came in with her boyfriend. He proposed to her in this cinema house. The cycle keeps going."

"Well." It was a long story and a lot to take in, Skye thought. "That's… that's beautiful. But, I must be going, actually…" She picked up her movie ticket, but the old woman gently held her hand. "Skye, this man loves you, I can see it in your face and in his yesterday…" She paused, but continued in a second. "Tell him how you feel about him before you lose your chance too. Do you understand me?"

Skye smiled and put her hand on the old lady's. "I promise." She said.

She said goodbye and sat on an old chair to look at the ticket. She flipped it around to reveal a brief note on the back. "Muriel can be quite the story teller, can't she?" The note said.

"Yes, she can." Skye said as she went back to base.