No more boarding up my windows, So that I can lay low, Nobody's home, No more trying to run away from, Tired of being afraid of, What I can't control, The hardest part I'm always told, Is letting go - Safe and Sound, MercyMe


Chapter Nine

Have I mentioned how much I love hospitals lately? They're on my list of top ten least favorite things to see in the User world. Why am I keeping a list? I'm not entirely sure myself, but it helps me keep track of the places I should avoid.

Beck was sitting in the room while the nurses went over a list of health issues that were effecting me at the moment. All the while I could barely move as I listened to them speak in low voices. So far they didn't seem overly worried, but they kept shooting me nervous looks every time they stopped whispering. And that wasn't helping the anxiety slowing building up inside me.

"Excuse me ladies, but I think we've got this covered," Simmons said after stepping into the room. The nurses looked at Simmons in surprise just as Beck stood up, in an almost threatening manner.

"The energy readings are different from anything I've ever seen," one of the nurses replied before she was shooed out of the room. "What ever happened to her could end up happening to anyone that gets near."

"I can assure you ma'am that I have everything under control." I had to admit that Simmons made a good actress.

The nurse raised an eyebrow before shaking her head in frustration. Simmons simply looked at her smugly as she stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"Why aren't we at SHIELD's base?" I asked after struggling to find my voice.

Not that I didn't enjoy being stuck at SHIELD's hospital. But I'd take that over being stuck here with sterile white walls surrounding me. And the loud noises coming from outside didn't help. It seemed as though there was a never-ending reign of sick patients coming in and out of the building. Maybe that's what got me nervous.

"I'm afraid that if we did go there... they would find out," Simmons replied. She bit the bottom of her lip while reading the notes the nurses had taken on their clipboards.

I winced at the thought of what they might say to this. True I had been through tougher times, but I had promised not to risk my life like that. And I had broken that promise.

"Sorry," I murmured.

"Why are you apologizing?" Simmons looked at me in surprise.

"We wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for me," I replied shakily. "Maybe if I had thought things through, this wouldn't have happened."

"We've gone through tougher times," Simmons said after putting down the clipboard. "If we put our heads together we'll think of some excuse as to what happened."

"You're alive, and that's all that matters," Beck added reassuringly.

The slightest form of a smile appeared on my lips. Leave it to Beck to make the room even more awkward than it already was. Simmons rubbed the back of her head and looked away, suddenly giving Beck a sheepish look.

"I'll uh... leave you two alone for a bit," she stammered.

By the time she left we were both grinning from ear to ear. I can't even remember the last time I'd smiled like that. But the moment was short-lived when I looked back at Beck.

"So, you wanna explain why you've been avoiding everyone at the garage?" I asked after struggling to sit up.

My shoulders still hurt from the energy drain when I managed to fix the Grid. Hopefully the pain wasn't going to last real long.

Beck looked away, guilt suddenly darkening his expression. I knew that he would feel guilty about what had happened. Tron had already warned us that the Grid had changed since Sam and Quorra started rebuilding it.

"I'm not sure what to say to them," he sighed after sitting down beside my bed. "I'm just... afraid that they might never forgive me for what happened."

"Beck, if they're really your friends, they'll find room for forgiveness." I thought of what Natasha had told me a few weeks ago.

Mara and Zed were probably wondering what had happened to Beck all those cycles ago. I'm sure Able already knew the truth of who Tron's assistant was. Beck still kept up his 'Renegade' act around other programs. Surely by now the others would have figured it out.

"Do you really think so?" Beck looked at me warily after asking the question.

"I know so." For the first time since seeing him on that little screen, he looked relieved. "You'll get through this," I added reassuringly. It was more than relief I saw in his eyes. There was hope, for the first time in a long time.

. . .

Everything she had heard about the Grid was true. It was, amazing. And she had left it too soon. But the intel she had gathered was perfect. Everything she needed was hidden inside the tiny camera that made up her phone. This was something SHIELD couldn't hide.

Too bad Grant was watching her like a hawk. She sat far away from him, legs crossed as she looked out the window. It was raining, and it was colder out than it had been in the past few days. People walking outside wore coats and had their umbrellas up. Skye almost wished she could make a run for it and join them.

I couldn't fight them even if I needed to, she thought bitterly. She had zero fighting skills. Sure she could throw a mock-punch here and there, but that was about it. The fight she had with Grant made her look even more pathetic.

"Why do we even need to stay here?" she groaned after getting bored for the umpteenth time.

Maybe it's a good thing Grant was here. Even if he was a stick-in-the-mud like May, he wasn't nearly as bad as her. He had some sense of humor.

"In the likeliness that Agent Romanoff or Barton should find out that their... kid is in a hospital, we need to stay here," Grant explained uneasily.

Skye felt a small grin play along her lips. She'd read a few files on SHIELD's top agents and former assassins. A rough past between the two of them; she found it hard to believe that either of them could raise a kid.

"What happens if they do find out?" Her questions were beginning to irritate Grant. She could see the faintest of veins popping up on his forehead.

"We'll both be screwed out of our minds," he muttered crossly.

"As long as we're quiet about this, they won't find out," Fitz told them after walking into the room.

He'd been following Simmons around all day like a lovesick puppy. Skye found it hard to believe those two could get any work done with the amount of affection shown between them. They weren't your typical run-of-the-mill SHIELD agents. And that's why it was easy to get along with them. She hoped May or Grant's attitude didn't rub off on them eventually.

"I sure hope you're right," she sighed after leaning against her seat.

Although it would be exciting to meet a couple of Avengers. She could imagine they'd be just as frustrated as Grant with all the questions she had prepared for them. But it probably was a good idea to keep them away. The last thing she needed was another May or Grant hunting her down like she was their prey.

. . .

Programs were beginning to leave the building once the rest of the team had left. Coulson and May stayed behind with Tron watching them carefully. His expression was difficult to read. But it was still impressive to think that a character based off of a video game was even real.

"Hi, we haven't formally met," Coulson tried to pick up a conversation, hoping that would lighten the dark mood hanging over them. "I'm Agent Coulson," he explained when Tron eyed him warily.

"I know who you are." Tron folded his arms as he looked between Coulson and a very uneasy looking May. "I was warned that SHIELD would try looking for weapons," he added.

It took Coulson a few seconds to understand what Tron meant by that. Than it dawned on him that Natasha or Clint might have mentioned something about SHIELD's intentions. Looked like Fury wasn't going to get what he wanted.

"I'm just curious about the original Grid," Coulson finally found the words he was searching for. "The one designed by Encom."

That seemed to take Tron by surprise. He gave both Coulson and May wary looks before gesturing towards an open booth. "You may want to sit down for this; it's a long story," he replied.

Stories were exactly what Coulson enjoyed listening to. And for once May didn't bother arguing. Instead she joined him with her shoulders slightly slumped. This was going to be interesting.


AN: So yeah... not much happening, aside from Mira finding out why Beck's been avoiding everyone at the garage. Sorry if this chapter was a tad boring, but the last chapter will be posted hopefully soon (if FF doesn't keep crashing on me. Anyone else having problems getting into the login area?). Thanks to 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome :D

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