Skye sat crankily on her bed, dressed in joggers and a t-shirt while Melinda, also in a rather terrible mood, dried off after giving Skye a bath.
"Should've worn a bathing suit," she muttered as she tried to dry her dripping hair.
"Oops," Skye said sweetly, but her face made it clear that she had no remorse for soaking her teammate's hair. Melinda glared at the unconcerned four year old out of the corner of her eyes. A couple seconds later, a freshly cleaned Jemma wandered into Skye's room.
"I was wondering what your room would look like," Jemma announced as she looked around the young hacker's room. The chalkboard paint still had the drawing of the computer hard drive drawn on, and the red and green comforter and black and green sheets had been long since messed up. Clothes were already cluttered on her desk chair and books were piled high on the desk itself, ranging from small, cute picture books all the way to elaborate detailed explanations on computer hard drives and codings.
"It's really messy," Jemma commented. Skye shrugged carelessly.
"And?"
"Nothing, just pointing it out," Jemma said.
"So, why are you in here?" Skye asked curiously.
"I just wanted to check it out," she replied.
"Okay."
"I'm going to bed," Jemma announced.
"Jem, it's 8:30," Skye stated in amazement.
"I know."
"So then why are you-" Skye paused. "Y'know what, I don't want to know." She shook her head.
"It's called being well rested, Skye," Jemma said.
"Whatever," Skye replied, raising her hands in mock surrender. "Sweet dreams, chica."
"Do you know spanish?" May asked.
"I know a lot of different languages, not necessarily fluently, but enough to understand people and hold a conversation," Skye explained.
"Cool!" Jemma exclaimed. "I wish I knew other languages." Skye shrugged.
"I've lived in a lot of places with a lot of different languages spoken. It's easier to communicate if you can understand them."
"Well, now you're here!" Jemma smiled excitedly. "You're with us now!" She hugged Skye as hard as she could, sending Skye into a daydream-like state, with her eyes glossed over and filled with tears.
"She didn't do anything! Don't hurt her!" Skye screamed suddenly. Jemma, startled, released her and backed up.
"What's wrong with her?" Jemma asked nervously.
"I-I don't know." Melinda shook her head.
"NO! LET THEM GO! THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! IT WAS ME, PUNISH ME NOT THEM!" The young hacker sobbed, falling to her knees. Her hands went over her ears. "Please, stop," she whimpered. "They can't take much more," she whimpered, curling up in the fetal position, leaving her trembling and sobbing on the carpeted floor. Melinda panicked.
"Phil!" She called down the hall after poking her head out the door. Phil came out of his room hurriedly.
"What's wrong?" He demanded.
"Skye, she- she freaked after Simmons hugged her." Melinda shifted uncomfortably, gesturing to the still crying little girl. "I don't know what happened, she just started screaming about "them", whoever "them" may be. She was telling someone to stop hurting them and she broke down on the floor, covering her ears with her hands as though trying to block out silent screams."
"Alright," Phil sighed, walking over to the hacker's bedroom. "Skye?" He spoke softly as he slowly approached the hysterical young girl. She only shook harder, but her her sobs had been reduced to whimpers and soft begging through gentle tears. "Skye, what's wrong?" Phil asked gently.
"They hurt us," she choked quietly.
"You're safe now, Skye," Jemma said reassuringly, sitting down beside her friend. "We won't hurt you, I promise."
"That's what they all say, and then they hurt me." Skye trembled but managed to get up into a sitting position.
"But we're different. We mean it, with all of our hearts," Jemma said soothingly. "As long as you're here, no one will touch you, I promise." Skye cried harder as she shoved everyone out of her path and ran down the stairs, right out the front door.
"Skye!" Melinda shouted.
"What's going on?" Phil demanded.
"Where's Skye?" Fitz- Leo, Melinda reminded herself- added.
"She ran out the front door!" Jemma cried.
"What?" Grant asked loudly.
"Everyone get your coats on, we're going looking!" Melinda announced. Soon, the other three kids were bundled up in their coats and they, along with Melinda and Phil, were out searching for the hacker, hoping to find her and bring her home, to her family- her new one, where she was loved.