Chapter 10
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Four the next week the S.H.I.E.L.D agents, Tony and Pepper focus on two things, the wedding and trying to find a lead on the Clairvoyant. Unknowns to everyone because Skye has gotten very good at hiding it after the first couple of nights Skye has barely gotten any sleep in the whole week.
She has gotten into the habit of attempting to get some sleep then once she is woken by nightmares, which has become a certainty, she gets up and does all different things before making sure she is back in her bunk and pretending to be asleep by no later than five thirty so that even if her Mother comes to wake her earlier for Tai-Chi she is covered because the last thing she wants is for everyone to worry about her when the wedding is more important.
As well as it only being two days until her parents wedding it is also the anniversary of Jessica and Emma's deaths something that Skye is doing her best not to think about. To help her with the whole not thinking about her friend's death at four thirty am Skye is in the lounge area practicing with her powers as after the incident when she was undercover Skye has realised that Tony's theory of the desire behind the power matters, but what also matters is that she need to think about what she actually wants to do with her ability as well as the reason why.
Skye is standing still thinking about how much she wants to create a force field of electricity like she used when she was undercover, though a weaker version so that she doesn't weaken herself to much, once she is positive that she knows exactly what she wants to do she looks inside of herself for the power, something that is a lot easier to do now that she has more practice, and pushes it out and like she wanted to she manages to create a force field on her first attempt.
"Nice job Skye." Skye thinks to herself and she is about to try to manipulate the energy when she is interrupted,
"May Skye Philippa Coulson." Coulson's angry voice says from behind her.
"Stay back for a second." Skye requests realising that she is most definitely in trouble now because she has watched enough TV and movies to know that when your parent calls you by your full name, you are in trouble. Closing her eyes Skye focuses on drawing the energy back into her, something that she hasn't tried before, and isn't exactly sure if it will work, but when she opens her eyes a minute later the energy is gone and she doesn't feel any weaker.
"Hi." Skye says turning around the face her father.
"Hi, is that all you have to say?" Coulson asks.
"Yes." Skye responds.
"I thought we had a deal Baby Girl." Coulson comments.
"Technically the deal was with Mom." Skye defends.
"Do you want me to go wake her up then and tell her you were practicing with your powers un supervised at four thirty in the morning? Or do you want to tell me why you were?" Coulson asks walking over to Skye and sitting down at the table
"No, don't wake Mom." Skye tells her father as she sits across from him "I was practicing because after what I did when I was undercover I was pretty sure that Uncle Tony's theory was correct so I wanted to see if it was for sure." Skye explains.
"What theory?" Coulson asks interested.
"When you were on the plane and Mom and I were home I went to the tower, while I was there Uncle Tony and I were talking about my powers and how it was interesting that I could use my powers to bring Mom back when the Clairvoyant who according to Quinn has the same power as me wants you so that he can learn how to bring people back from the dead." Skye explains, "I told Uncle Tony that when I brought back Mom I wasn't just thinking about how much I didn't want her to die but how you couldn't live without her and how it would destroy Uncle Clint and тетя Наташа if she died. That made Uncle Tony think that maybe it is the desire behind why I'm using my power that matters, and that fact that I was prepared to weaken myself to use my abilities was important as well. When we were escaping before I used my powers I was thinking about how much I didn't want тетя Наташа to be hurt, which is why I could create the force field and stun the guard, even with how weak it would make me." Skye explains to her father. "I wanted to see if I focused on a reason as well of what I wanted to do if it would make it easier to use my powers." Skye explains.
"And this attempt couldn't have waited until the rest of us were awake?" Coulson asks, "Until Fitz and Simmons could monitor you to make sure you are okay?" he asks worried.
"I was up, I figured why not? I knew what I was going to do and I made sure that I didn't use much of my energy I doubt that force field would have killed a fly, even if it flew right into it." Skye explains.
"Skye I get that you want to figure out your abilities I do, but me and your Mom worry. You and your Mom made that deal to make sure that you are as safe as possible when you are using your powers." Coulson tells his daughter. "Especially when you are still learning how to use them."
"I get that you guys are worried, I do, but I knew what I was doing." Skye assures her father.
"I don't doubt that you do." Coulson tells her, "But using your powers has an effect on you, and you have only just gotten your strength back, you could be doing harm to yourself." Coulson tells her, "Please tell us when you plan to practice with your powers." Coulson asks.
"So you would have preferred that I woke you up at four thirty in the morning to tell you that I was going to practice with my powers?" Skye asks.
"Yes." Coulson answers, "Why are you up so early?" he asks concerned.
"No reason." Skye says getting up.
"Skye, talk to me." Coulson asks being able to tell that there is something wrong.
"I was just up felt like practicing that's it." Skye answers a hint of defensiveness clear "You know seeing as how no one else is going to be up for a while I'm going to go have a bath." Skye tells her Dad it being perfectly clear that she is avoiding talking to him. "See you later." Skye says grabbing something out of her bunk and then heading to the bathroom
After watching his daughter go Coulson sits at the table debating what to do.
"Phil?" Melinda's concerned voice ask walking down the stairs.
"Yeah, I'm down here." Coulson responds.
"What's wrong?" Melinda asks.
"Skye was practicing with her powers, she said that she was up so she figured why not, we had a conversation about her using her powers unsupervised." Coulson explains, "But when I tried to talk to her about why she was up so early she said that she was just up and went to have a bath." Coulson explains.
"Nightmares." Melinda guesses.
"That's what I think too." Coulson answers, "I wish she would talk to us." Coulson tells Melinda.
"So do I." Melinda tells him, "She started to but she stopped again." Melinda tells him.
"I know." Coulson answers, "I thought she was starting to trust us." Coulson comments.
"She is." Melinda tells him, "But whatever it is that she is dreaming about is affecting her and for some reason she won't talk about that." Melinda explains and the pair drift into silence both wishing for the same thing, that they could help their daughter.
Over an hour and a half later Skye exits the bathroom. When she does she finds both her parents sitting at the table.
When Skye notices she takes a deep breath and walks over to her parents.
"Tai-Chi?" Skye asks her mother.
"How about we talk first." Melinda suggests.
"Look, I'm sorry that I broke our deal, I am." Skye tells her mother, "But I wanted to see if Uncle Tony was right and I didn't want to wait." Skye explains.
"That's not what I want to talk to you about." Melinda tells her daughter, "As far as I'm concerned the talk your Dad had with you is everything that needed to be said about it." She tells her, "But what I do want to talk about is you." Melinda tells her daughter, "Are you alright?" Melinda asks
"I'm fine, and I don't want to talk." Skye tells her mother, "I'll be down in the cargo bay waiting to start Tai-Chi." Skye says walking away from her parents.
"Now I'm worried." Coulson comments, "Where are you going?" He asks when Melinda has gotten up.
"To do Tai-Chi with our daughter." Melinda reveals, "She might not want to talk but she might give something away with how she acts." Melinda explains, "When Clint wakes up tell him what is going on. She might open up to him even though she won't to either of us." Melinda says and she heads down to the Cargo Bay.
Melinda and Skye do their Tai-Chi in silence and then when Natasha arrives Skye excuses herself and heads upstairs and when Melinda and Natasha come upstairs after they work out Coulson tells them that Skye went straight to her bunk and hasn't come out since.
"What do we do?" Coulson asks.
"Give her an hour then I'll try." Clint comments, "I don't think constantly trying to get her to talk would be a good idea." He assumes.
"Okay an hour." Coulson answers hesitantly, "What about breakfast, it's going to be ready soon and she needs to eat."
"We get Fitz, Simmons or Ward to get her when it's ready." Natasha comments, "It's for the best." She comments.
"Sorry to eavesdrop but I heard my name, what's for the best?" Simmons asks interested.
"Don't apologise Jemma." Melinda tells her, "Something's wrong with Skye. Phil and I have tried talking to her but she refuses to talk about what is wrong." Melinda explains looking worried about her daughter, "She needs to eat but we worry that if one of us go to get Skye when breakfast is ready then he will either refuse or react badly which is why we were thinking that it would be best if you Fitz or Ward get her when the food is ready." Melinda explains.
"I'll do it." Simmons answers knowing that for the last week things have been a little tense between Skye and Ward.
Half an hour later Simmons walks over to Skye bunk and nocks and receives an annoyed "What." In response.
"It's just me." Simmons tells her friend, "Breakfast is ready." She tells her friend who is laying on her bed on her computer.
"I'm not hungry." Skye responds.
"You've got to eat Skye." Simmons tells her friend, "Tony and Pepper are going to be here soon to do more wedding stuff, you know as well as I do that you want to make sure you have plenty of energy for that." Simmons tells her, "Especially if Agent Barton and your Mother get overly competitive about something again."
"I guess I could eat." Skye comments and she follows her friend out into the kitchen. When they get out there everyone is sitting around the table enjoying their breakfast. Without a word Skye walks over and sits down.
Like normal the group's breakfast is quite chatty but even though no one says anything everyone realises that Skye hasn't said anything which is quite unusual.
Once Skye finishes eating she grabs her plate and takes it over to the sink. As he is also finished Clint walks over feeling that it might be his chance to get her to talk.
"Look, I don't know what is wrong and if you don't want to talk then I won't push you, but I'm worried Kid, we all are. What's going on with you?" Clint asks worried.
"Damn it Uncle Clint, I don't want to talk." Skye yells angrily throwing the plate down on the counter and breaking it, "How many times do I have to say that? I…. Can't keep repeating myself." Skye says angrily storming past her Uncle, Parents, Friends, and Aunt and almost right into Tony and Pepper who are walking into the room.
"Hey Uncle Tony, Aunt Pepper." Skye says kindly, calling Pepper Aunt for the first time, then she walks past them and down to the cargo bay.
"What was that all about?" Tony asks confused as he only caught the end of what was happening.
"That's what we we're trying to figure out." Coulson explains with a sigh.
"She called me Aunt Pepper, she's never done that before." Pepper says with a smile as it makes her feel like she is a part of the family not just Tony's girlfriend and that's why they put up with her.
"You should feel happy, you guys seem to be the only ones she isn't avoiding or angry at, at the moment." Clint explains picking up the pieces of the plate that Skye broke as they hear a car start downstairs.
"She's not?" Coulson asks worried and everyone rushes into the cargo bay just in time to see Skye driving away in Lola.
"Wow, Girl's got guts." Tony comments as he has spent enough time around the plane in the last few months to know how precious Lola is to Coulson.
"Tony, not the time." Pepper tells him.
After exchanging a look both Melinda and Coulson go running back into the command centre. Natasha and Clint right behind them, the others not that far behind them.
"Lola's GPS?" Clint asks and Coulson nods.
"Maybe we should give her some space, she clearly wants it." Fitz hesitantly suggests.
"I think it's been days since she's sleep." Ward comments causing everyone to turn and look at him
"And you're just telling us this now?" Natasha asks angrily as she knows just how serious sleep deprivation is and she can't help but worry about Skye having a similar reaction to lack of sleep to that of the one that her mother has.
"I'm not positive." Ward reveals, "I've had my suspicion after the way she has been acting and I was worried about her but I didn't want to go to any of you until I was sure." Ward reveals.
"You should have." Melinda says angrily but truthfully she is angrier at herself than Ward.
"I've gotten into Lola's GPS, tells us where she goes." Coulson requests looking at Clint.
"Of course." Clint tells his brother.
"Let's go." Melinda says and both Coulson and Melinda leave the command centre.
"Come on Kid, don't do anything stupid." Clint comments worried as he puts the GPS up on the screen.
"Apart from not sleeping has anyone noticed anything else?" Pepper asks.
"She won't talk about whatever it is bothering her." Simmons comments.
"She's been spending a lot of time alone." Ward adds.
"I don't think she has smiled in a couple of days." Tony comments thinking back.
"We should have done something before now." Natasha tells everyone.
"We can't force her to talk to us." Pepper tells Natasha.
"I know." Natasha comments though she wishes that they could because she wants to be able to help her niece.
Fifteen minutes after they left the plane Melinda and Coulson are driving through the streets of New York, silently in one of the car's that is on standby when Melinda's phone rings.
"Clint? What's going on?" Melinda asks as soon as she answers, "She has? Where? Okay, thanks." Melinda responds. "She's went home." Melinda tells Coulson before he can ask.
"We're ten minutes away." Coulson comments, "Home? Is Clint sure?" Coulson asks surprised.
"That's where Lola is according to the GPS so unless she has gone somewhere else then that is where she will be." Melinda explains, and Coulson nods.
"We should have noticed that she hasn't been sleeping." Coulson tells Melinda.
"You're right we should have." Melinda tells her, "But for whatever reason she didn't want us to know, we should keep that in mind when we get to her."
"What do you think she's been having nightmares about?" Coulson asks as he assumes that is why she hasn't been sleeping.
"Could be anything." Melinda answers, "I know that she has been having nightmares about what happened to Jessica, Emma and Lisa since she told Clint and I what happened." Melinda reveals, Coulson knowing what she is talking about as one of their first nights back on the plane Melinda filled him in.
"Do you think, this is about that?" Coulson asks interested, "That remembering what has happened has gotten too much for her?"
"I wouldn't be surprised if it started from that but I think that whatever it is that is bothering her right now is because of more than one thing." Melinda tells Coulson.
"What if we can't get through to her?" Coulson asks worried.
"I don't know." Melinda admits an the pair continue to drive in silence.
Back at the plane even though they know that Skye has stopped driving everyone is still in the command centre and everyone is still very tense.
"Nat what is it?" Clint asks his partner concerned as he has noticed that she seems the tensest.
"Not here." Natasha tells Clint.
"Let Phil know if the car moves." Clint tells Tony and Natasha leads him up to Coulson's office and locks the door as it is one of the only places she knows to be private.
"Nat's what's going on?" Clint asks worried.
"There is something you don't know, something I'm positive that Melinda and Phil don't know." Natasha reveals.
"Tell me." Clint requests.
"I don't know if I can." Natasha tells him as it feels like a breach in the trust Skye put in her.
"Okay, now you're worrying me." Clint comments. "Nat what is it?" Clint asks worried.
"It is something about Skye, but if I tell you then you can't tell Melinda or Phil because she begged me not to." Natasha tells her partner stressing the if because she still isn't sure if she is going to tell him or not.
"Will I want to tell them once I know?" Clint asks.
"Yes." Natasha answers without hesitation, "But more than that you will feel like you have an obligation to." Natasha reveals.
"Then forget what I said, don't tell me." Clint tells her "Just answer this, can someone help her?"
"I don't know if what Is going on now is related to what I know." Natasha admits, "But if it is then my answer is yes, someone can help her." She reveals to Clint's relief though he is still very, very worried about his niece.
When Melinda and Coulson arrive at the house they head up to Skye's room as that is where they both think they will have the best chance at finding her. Their suspicion is proven correct when they find Skye laying in the middle of her bed crying holding the bear that she would scream if she didn't have when she was a baby as close to her as possible.
As they see their daughter both Melinda and Coulson feel their heart break as they see how much pain that she is in. Without a word Melinda walks over and sits on her right side while Coulson sits on her left.
"Today's the day they died." Skye tells her parents as they sit down and she continues to cry.
"Who?" Coulson asks, "Who died today?" he asks confused.
"Jessica and Emma." Skye answers. "Twelve years ago today, Mrs Carmichael killed them." She reveals.
"Oh Baby Girl." Coulson tells his daughter.
"I am so tired, and I know I've been acting like a brat but I can't talk. Every time I talk it makes thing so much worse." Skye admits, "I told you and Uncle Clint about what happened and I started to have more nightmares, I told тетя Наташа what I used to do and I've been thinking about it more and more." Skye admits to Coulson and Melinda's confusion, "I just want to sleep." Skye says the words barely clear because of how much she is crying, "Why can't I sleep Mommy?" Skye asks looking up at her mother.
"I don't know Sweetheart." Melinda says as she moves and lays down next to her daughter, "But something that helps makes my nightmares less bad is when your Dad is right next to me." Melinda admits, "So you're going to close your eyes and I'm going to lay right here why you sleep, and maybe, just maybe, the nightmares will stay away." Melinda tells her daughter, "Just close your eyes May."
"I'm scared." Skye admits.
After everything that they have both been through there have been times where both Melinda and Coulson have been afraid to sleep but it is something that they never wanted for their daughter.
"We'll be right here Baby girl." Coulson tells his daughter laying down on her other side, "When you we're a baby I would tell you every night before you went to sleep that it was, Time to sleep Baby Girl, no need to cry. Daddy's here to fight away the monsters, and Mommy's gonna help too. Until the end of time we will always love you. We're right here, we won't leave your side, and maybe we can help keep the nightmares away." Coulson tells her.
"I'll try." Skye says after several minutes of hesitation.
Once Skye has closed her eyes Coulson pulls out his phone sends a quick message to Clint to tell him what is going on before putting it on silent and on the bedside table, Melinda does the same minus send the message with hers. Once both phones are on the bedside table Coulson pulls the blanket over the three of them and after a while Skye manages to fall asleep nestled between her parents.
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