Hey

Pretty long chapter for you all because I'm starting to work tomorrow so I don't know when I'm gonna update again.

By the way, Happy New Year to all of you :)

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10 - My favorite person.

Skye felt like today was going to be a bad day.

Maybe because Charlie had woken her up way too early to go to the Zoo. Maybe because she had split all her coffee over her for breakfast. Maybe because she had stubbed her toe against the piece of furniture that she was sure it wasn't there before this morning or a lot of several other little things that had pissed Skye off this morning.

She just hoped that the rest of days was going to be better since today, she had a day-off and she intented to make the most of it with Charlie.

Phil Coulson never took a day-off because usually, he always ended up coming back at his work. Sometimes, it was him that would come back on his own free will or some other times, it would be his job that would call him back.

The previous vacation he had had due to his situation wasn't something he had wanted but he needed. And he must admit that Tahiti was a magical place although those words didn't seem to be coming from him. Like someone had put them into his brain against his free will. But whatever...

Today, his team was free to do whatever they would please them.

Coulson had heard Fitz-Simmons talking about going to a scientific exhibition. Ward and May had decided on the Bus to perfect their fighting techniques. As for Skye, she had brought the child to the zoo since apparently, her mama had never brought to the zoo so far.

Poor kid, he thought!

But right now, he couldn't get distracted. Indeed, Director Fury was coming over here soon and Fury wouldn't be coming to have tea and to make small talk.

"Skyyyye. . . Can you get me a monkey or a pengwin or a panda?" Charlie asked, jumping up and down upon her tiptoes. She was having some much fun that Skye thought Charlie could die from excitement. "Please, please, please, please, puh-lease."

Skye just smiled at the child's enthusiam.

"Sorry, baby," She put her hands on each of Charlie's shoulder to keep her from jumping once more time. "But I don't think they're for sale. But we can get you a fluffy monkey or penguin or panda, okay?"

The cutest pout ever appeared on Charlie's face, her blue eyes shining as well. "But real animals are so much cooler. I think it's not cool!"

"Trust me, baby," Skye said, picking Charlie up because that was the only to prevent her from running away. Once again. Skye had done enough running for today. "Life is not cool sometimes!"

Putting her sunglasses on again, Skye with Charlie on her hips walked towards the lions that the toddler was so eager to see.

"Agent Coulson."

"Director Fury," He said, a fine smile upon his lips. "Please, have a seat, sir."

The director of SHIELD did was he gently was told to and took place in front of Coulson.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, sir?" Coulson asked but he was already anticipating the answer.

And Fury rolled his eyes: Coulson and his too good manners. "I'm here for the child."

Obviously, thought Coulson. He cleared his throat. "Well, sir, the child—Charlotte or Charlie as she's called seems to adapt herself quite well and the team doesn't mind having her around either. Besides, Charlie's strongly attached to Skye—"

Fury raised an eyebrow. "The Hacker? Hum. . ."

"—and I don't think that separating the two would be a good idea," Coulson continued.

Clearly, Fury had ignored him since he stared at him with no facial expression. "The subject is dangerous."

"The subject is a child," Coulson contracted, quite not liking where the conversation was going. Usually, nobody managed to prove the director wrong but trying could do no harm, right? "Children are probably the most innocent thing ever."

"Well, this is not what the child's mother thinks," Fury said, and held out a file so that Coulson could read it.

Coulson rapidly went trough. His eyes catching the significant words. Man. Neighbor. Died. Heart stopped beating. Panicked child. Mother accusing her child of having the devil within her. He closed the file.

"Her mother affirmed that somehow the kid killed this man," Fury added. "She made his heart stop beating, intentionnaly or not. We cannot be sure."

"It looks like he just had a fatal heart attack, sir. This kind of thing happens. Call it bad luck," Coulson said impasive as he stared at his superior. "So far as, the child hasn't caused any trouble, sir."

"It's not what I've heard," Fury stated, firmly. He was a bit unpleased by Coulson's uncooperative behavior. "A few weeks ago, I found a rapport from one of your agent stipulating that during an argument—involving the child—she had felt the subject using her particular skills on her though it might have been unintentional," Fury raised his finger. "This is the most important part—unintentional. This makes the subject dangerous. She has no control over what she does."

Coulson rolled his eyes. Fury was being irrationnal.

"Of course she has no control," Coulson said back, trying to keep his voice as neutral as possible. "She's a child, sir. She's no danger as long as she doesn't feel threatened"

"A child has to be kept under surveillance and youre not-even-an-agent Skye cannot do that," Fury replied, getting irriated. "I came here to take the child, Coulson. With or without your agreement."

After all, he was the director of the SHIELD. He owed no justification to anyone and no one had the right to discuss his order—not even his right-hand man or right-eye man as Stark would have said.

"The lions were just so lazy. They didn't even do roarrrr," Charlie said, standing on the bench, her hands in form of claws and her teeth clenched to imitate the lion doing what she would have loved to see them do. "I do roarrr, roarrr, roarrr."

Skye took her phone and recorded the child to show it to the team when they got back on the bus. Charlie was really too adorable and Skye thought she was lucky to have meet someone so joyful.

"The wowves were much cooler," Charlie said, excitedly. "And the normal horses and the horses with black and white strips and giraffe were so cool too. I think today is the bestest day ever. There are a lot of cool things here."

Skye couldn't help but laugh. She was glad that Charlie was having fun. Sure, all that energy that was burning inside of Charlie was tiring her out but it was worth it and Skye wasn't going to take it from her.

"Cool, you keep saying that a lot baby," Skye pointed out, gently grabbing Charlie's hand to make her sit and held out the bottle of water.

Charlie took it and slowly, started to drink it. When she was finished, she wiped her mouth with the back on her hand. "Cool is cool."

"Such a great philosophy," Skye said, gently pinching Charlie's nose. "Wanna know mine?" She blew a raspberry's kiss on the child's cheek who immediately began to laugh. "Hakuna Matata, baby, Hakuna Matata!"

These two words rang a bell for Charlie and her eyes shone with excitation. "Skyyyye, I wanna see Pumbaa. Please. I wanna see Pumbaa! Can we go see him please?"

Obviously, Charlie meant wild boars but it was easier to call them Pumbaa. After all, who didn't know Pumbaa? Skye agreed with seeing the wild boars. She also used to be a huge fan of Pumbaa!

"Hold the bottle, baby and hop on," she said to Charlie who wrapped her legs around Skye's waist and her around the young hacker's neck; her small chin resting on her shoulder. "Hold on tight," And Skye got up walking towards new adventures with Charlie on her back.

"Sir, you wanted to see me," Ward said, not wanting to wait for Coulson's permission. "Oh, Director Fury!" he said, surprised. He didn't know that he was here.

"Agent Ward," Fury merely said.

Grant's eyes passed to Fury to Coulson a few times, before setting on Coulson. He could feel a certain tension in the air. Whatever it was happening in this office seemed to be pretty intense.

"Agent Ward, I would like you to go with Agent Hill who is currently waiting in one of our car," Coulson ordered, though somehow unpleased by the decision. "Agent Hill was given order to take Charlotte Benson and to bring her to the SHIELD."

Ward was shocked but he didn't show it in any way. He knew how to remain stonily indifferent when he had to—and the presence of the Director of the SHIELD was one of this crucial moments.

"And Skye doesn't know about that I assume," He guessed.

"She doesn't," Coulson affirmed with a nod. "That's why you're going along. Skye may not take it very well and I want you to make sure that she gets back here all in one piece."

She was going to take it badly, for sure!

"Of course, sir," He agreed. He spun around, ready to leave but he turned back to face Fury who looked at him puzzled, waiting for any question that was about to come out any time soon. "Sir, if I may ask, how long is Charlie going to stay at SHIELD HQ?"

"I don't have to answer this question, Agent Ward," Fury lashed out. "But I can tell you that the child will stay as long as she will have to."

"Skye, Skye, Skye!" Charlie shouted, running towards her. "Did you see that? They ate in my hands. The ducks ate in my hands!"

Grinning, Skye picked Charlie up just before her small form crashed into her legs, swinging the child up, making sure she didn't fall though. Roaring with laughing, Charlie opened her arms to either side of her. "I'm a fairy. I'm flying just like a fairy."

Laughing at her baby sister's words, Skye reiterated the action a few more times before setting down a still giggling Charlie. "What do you want to see now, baby?"

"Cwocodiles!" Charlie grabbed her hands and dragged her along. "Come on, Skye!"

Skye smiled, delighted and let herself being dragged by a four-year-old child.

Apparently, today, this kid couldn't be worn out.

"Is everything alright, Agent Ward?" Maria Hill suddently, fed up with the general silence that set into the car.

Grant—who were looking through the window— couldn't help but give away a tiny smile when he heard 'Agent Ward' excaping from Maria's mouth. "Seriously? Agent Ward?"

Her gaze fixed on the road, she didn't look at him but she certainly rolled her eyes. "You don't seem alright, Grant."

"Charlie's being taken away," he replied. "We all got used to having her around. It won't be the same without her daily tantrums and giggles."

"She's just a child," Maria said, simply. Because she didn't understand. She wasn't there. She didn't know Charlie how they did. She didn't know how Charlie had them all wrapped around her little fingers. "You guys are agents. We are. We don't do babysitting."

Ward sighed. "What are you going to do to her anyway?" he asked, because he wanted to make sure that wherever she will be, she will be fine. But in some ways, if Skye wasn't with her, she couldn't be fine. He was sure of that. "Because she's just a child. You—we don't get to ruin someone so little."

Honestly, Maria wish she had an answer—one of those answer that didn't scare you, one of those answer that could sort of reassure you but she didn't have any.

"I'm sorry but I don't know."

The rest of the trip was a dead silence.

"Did you have fun today, baby?" Skye asked, smiling though she already knew the answer.

Charlie ate the last bit of her chocolate ice cream before replied. "Yes, that was too cool and—oh look, it's Wawd!" Charlie pointed at the man situated at the entrance of the Zoo.

Skye looked straight to where Charlie was actually pointing. And indeed, it was Ward. However, he seemed to be with another person—a woman dressed up with a black suit. Just like any SHIELD agents. Skye's heart missed a beat. She tried to catch Charlie's arm but the toddler ran off towards Ward.

"Wawd!" Charlie screamed, jumping into his arms. "Today was so cool. We have a lot of fun wif Skye and wif the monkeys and all. I gave food to the ducks. That was reeeeeally cool," Charlie told him in a very long breath. "Next time, you can come with us, you know."

"I would love that, Charlie," he replied sincerely, praying so that there would be a next time. "Charlie, this is Maria, " he pointed the finger at the woman next to him. "And this is Charlie. She's hum my friend," He added then.

"Hello," Charlie said, suddently shy. She didn't like strangers.

Maria just smiled. "Hey Charlie."

Skye who was now up to them, didn't even greet Ward and held her arms out to take the child but he didn't give her Charlie. And Skye didn't like that—not at all. "Ward, give her to me," Her voice was calm and steady, not wanting to freak Charlie out. She kept her eyes on Ward. "Please"

He shook his head. "Sorry, Skye," He passed Charlie to Maria who at first looked at him confused but she ended up holding Charlie in her arms. "Don't leave yet."

"Leave? Leave?" Skye repeated, her voice getting an inch higher but Ward grabbed her arm and put her aside to talk.

"Skye—"

She took her arm out of his grip. "What do you mean by 'don't leave yet'?"

He tried to reach for her again but she stepped back.

"Skye—"

She shook her head. "What is she doing here?"

"Skye—"

"She's taking Charlie away, isn't she?" She deduced, putting her arms around her in order to keep herself together. "It's gonna happen. I won't let you!"

"Skye, don't do that," Ward said, trying to calm her down. "You're gonna scare her and you know what happens to Charlie when she's scared. You don't want that to happen right?"

She shook her head, trying to compose herself but it was hard when she knew that her mainstay was going to be taken away from her. "But she needs me. I need her too. She's gonna be scared without me—I don't want her to be scared."

"Then reassure her. That's your job as sister," Ward reminded her. "You're her favorite person. She trusts you, Skye." He glanced at Maria who apparead to be in a great conversation with the child. Charlie could get anyone around her finger. He silently said Maria to let go the child. "Time to say goodbye."

Goodbye.

The word itself made her feel dizzy.

Maria put Charlie down and Skye knelt down in front of the running child. She held Charlie tight against her when Charlie's tiny body came crashing into hers before pulling away.

Gently, she strocked Charlie's soft cheek and then put some of her dark brown locks behind her ears. Her big blue eyes were looking at Skye with so much intensity that all that Skye wanted to take in her arms and run away. But she couldn't do that because eventually, they would find them and she would take her baby away from her for good—because right now, it was just for awhile and then she'll get Charlie back, right?

"Charlie, baby, for now. . . for now, you have to go with Maria," Skye said, her voice thick with emotion. She held on Charlie's tiny hands to keep her own hands from shaking. "But while you'll be with her, can you do something for me?" Her voice was starting to crack and Charlie nodded, eargerly but frowing a bit. Skye looked sad. "I want you to remember how much I love you, baby."

Charlie's face brightened considerably. "You wove me? "She asked, clearly surprised. "Like for real?"

Skye just realized that she hadn't said 'I love you' to the child—except when the toddler was usually fast asleep and that the exterior world had no effect on her anymore.

"Yeah, Charlie, I love you," Skye said, trying to smile. Burning tears rolled into her eyes. "I love you very much."

"More than chocolate ice cream?" Charlie knew how much Skye was fond of chocolate ice cream and she had heard Skye said she loved them very much more than a couple of times.

Skye's heart broke a bit at this point. "So much more than chocolate ice cream, baby, so much more," Skye chocked between a laugh and a sob. "Can you give me a hug baby? You give the bestest hugs ever."

Charlie giggled and Skye was thinking how much she was going to miss them. Her giggles. Charlie threw her small arms around her sister's neck and closed her eyes. "I wove you more than chocolate icre cream too. You're like a superhero, always making things bester. So I wove you too."

Skye buried her face into her baby sister's hair and inhaled this sweet and innocent smell that was so distincly Charlie. She wanted to cry. She wanted to cry so badly.

"You're my favorite person in the whole wide world," Skye said, her eyes blurred with tears, holding Charlie tighter. She couldn't let her go. She didn't want to. "My favorite person. Forever. You got a very important place in my heart and nobody is gonna ever take that place, I promise, baby. I promise." It was like the world has stopped. For now; it was just her and Charlie. As long as Charlie was with her, she felt safe.

"Can we go home now? I wanna play with my Iron Man doll and Jack the pirate?" Charlie whispered in her ears. "I missed 'em a lot today."

Skye, relunctly, pulled away. "I'm sorry baby, but I told you that you had to go with Maria for now."

"I don't wanna go," Charlie admitted. "I wanna stay with you."

"I want it too," Skye breathed, sadness burning her throat. "But you have to. Just for a little while."

"But tomowow we can play?" Charlie slowly asked, curling her fingers in Skye's hair. Her eyes were shinning with so much trust towards Skye that it made it even harder to let her go.

And Skye just nodded, uncapable to say no to the toddler. She took Charlie in a last embrace and the toddler let out a contented sight when she melt into her bestest sister's embrace. "Don't forget how much I love you, baby. Just don't forget."

"I won't," Charlie whispered back, holding Skye as tight as she could. "Miss you already."

This time, Skye let some tears fall down. "Miss you more, baby."

"Bye, Skye!" Charlie screamed, waving her goodbye happily unaware of what had just happened. "See you tomowow!"

Skye felt the world under her feet was trembling. Or maybe it was just her body. Because they had taken her away and she didn't even know if she got to see Charlie again.

"Bye, baby," she whispered back when Charlie's small face disappeared in the SUV. "Oh my god, oh my god... I let her go, I just let her go," Her lungs weren't working very well because she felt like she couldn't breath. Her eyes were full of tears and she squeezed her fist upon her heart because it hurt. It hurt so much that she cried.

"Skye. . ." Ward breathed, feeling so sorry for her. Because he knew how attached Skye had get to Charlie, he knew how important the child was in her life now and letting her go was probably the hardest thing she had to do so far.

"Don't—just don't," she said, between two sobs. "I didn't keep my promise. I pinky-promised her and I didn't keep my promise. I didn't. . ." She kept saying it over, over and over.

He kept his mouth shut and pulled Skye's fragile body against his. Her head against his chest, he just hold her while she was crying out her pain.

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I suppose you all have watched the new episode. I hate S.H.I.E.L.D. What they've done to Coulson. Damn Fury! Oh hey, I love May, she's such a badass.

Reviews ? :D