Chapter 12
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THANK YOU SO MUCH TO STARFIRE25 WHO EDITED THIS CHAPTER FOR ME
It is a couple of nights later when Skye is woken in the early hours of the night by nightmares. While the fact that Skye was woken by nightmares isn't odd because it is something that is very common what the nightmare is about is, because it was about something that Skye hasn't had a nightmare about in a long time, something she dealt with a long time ago -what happened at her first ever foster home.
Sitting up in her bed taking deep breaths Skye tries to calm herself but as she does she realises that she needs space so grabbing her jacket she walks out of her room and heads to where she goes to think, the balcony outside the lounge room.
When Skye gets to the place she goes to when she needs space and solitude she finds that someone is already sitting where she normally sits.
"Hey." Skye says to Bucky who is sitting in her spot.
"Hey." Bucky responds surprised, "I thought I was the only one up."
"I doubt it." Skye says walking over and sitting next to him, "Everyone here has nightmares, pretty regularly, but everyone does something or goes somewhere different to deal with it, so unless we actually search each other out we don't usually see one another." Skye explains.
"And this is where you come." Bucky realises, "I can leave if you want." Bucky offers.
"Nah, its fine." Skye answers and for several minutes the pair sit in silence.
"So where does everyone else go?" Bucky asks.
"Mom and Uncle Clint go to the roof." Skye answers, "Uncle Tony, Uncle Bruce, Fitzy and Jem go to the labs to work. Aunt Pepper makes herself busy doing whatever she can think to do. Dad does paperwork or goes for a drive in Lola if he can. Uncle Steve and Sam run. Uncle John re-watches old episodes of Law and Order. тетя Наташа, Tripp and Aunt Maria hit the gym, and I come here." Skye explains.
"Do you want to talk about whatever you dreamed about?" Bucky asks curious.
"No." Skye answers without hesitation then sighs, "It was something I haven't a nightmare about in a long time, something that only Uncle Clint knows completely about though тетя Наташа knows most of it." Skye explains, "What about you James? What brings you out here at two am?" Skye asks interested.
"Don't you already know?" Bucky asks.
"No." Skye answers, "I don't always know everything, and I don't like to find out personal stuff about the people who live here. It feels like an invasion of privacy so when I can I do my best not to find out things." Skye explains.
"That's good of you." Bucky comments.
"It's the right thing to do." Skye tells him.
"You said that you know everything I did, is that true?" Bucky asks curious.
"Yeah." Skye admits.
"I'm sorry." Bucky tells her, "No one should have to think about that." He tells her.
"That includes you, you know." Skye tells him, "I'll let you in on a secret. I know some of the most horrible things that goes on in this world and I've got to push knowledge to the back of my head, otherwise I wouldn't be able to function, but sometimes, in my dreams it feels like I did those horrible things because I know what happened in such vivid details, but I didn't, it's not my fault, and it wasn't yours either." Skye tells him, "I get not wanting to talk but if you ever do I'm here." Skye offers.
"The difference is I did do those horrible things, it was my fault." Bucky tells Skye.
"You weren't in control, you didn't know better." Skye tells him, "I have memories of hearing stories about you my whole life." Skye reveals.
"What?" Bucky asks surprised and confused as to where she is going with that, "But I thought you didn't grow up with your parents." He comments
"I didn't." Skye tells him, "But remember I told you how I was de-aged?" Skye asks and Bucky nods, "When that happened practically everyone here helped to raise me and they learnt quickly that stories of missions and heroes soothed me the most." Skye explains, "Uncle Steve would always tell me stories of his best friend the biggest hero he knew, you." Skye tells Bucky, "That guy, the guy who is sitting next to me torn up with guilt wouldn't have done those things that Hydra made you do if he had a choice, I know that. I know it won't help with the guilt, but you should remember that, remember that you wouldn't have done it if you were you, how bad you feel now is proof of that, and maybe it will help to make living with that pain and guilt a little easier." Skye tells Bucky.
"You're really good at giving speeches." Bucky comments.
"Spend enough time around this group of people and you'll get good to." Skye tells him.
"We'll see." Bucky responds and the pair drift back into silence.
"So what's going on with Steve, Pepper, Tony and Bruce?" Bucky asks interested a while later, "They seem to have something going on"
"I'm sure Uncle Steve will tell you when he is ready, though that could take a while, so until then I'll show you the chart." Skye tells Bucky.
"The chart?" Bucky asks confused.
"Jem, Fitzy and I created it last year. It explains everyone's relationships, you've had to have noticed that relationships around here are a little confusing." Skye comments.
"I have." Bucky confirms, "Which brings me to another question why are Hill and Peggy's grandson keeping their relationship hidden when everyone knows? I thought things have changed." Bucky comments.
"They have." Skye confirms, "Their not keeping it secret because they are different races. They are keeping it secret because Uncle John, who is Aunt Maria's best friend and like almost everything to her, would get very overprotective if he knew, give Tripp a whole 'do not hurt her or you'll pay' speech and Aunt Maria wants to avoid that so she doesn't have to get pissed at Uncle John." Skye explains.
"That makes sense, I think." Bucky responds uncertainly with a frown on his face, "But how hasn't he realised? They aren't exactly doing a great job of hiding it." Bucky comments.
"They're really not." Skye agrees amused, "I think he is purposely oblivious." Skye explains and once more they drift into silence.
"You and Uncle Steve grew up here right?" Skye asks curious about ten minutes later.
"Brooklyn actually." Bucky answers.
"It's changed a lot hasn't it, the city?" Skye asks.
"Everything has." Bucky answers, "More than I thought possible."
"Uncle Steve and Uncle Tony took me to Coney Island when I was de-aged, I think I was around three, and I remember that the whole time Uncle Steve had this look on his face I didn't realise at the time but it was a look of disbelief and sorrow and amazement at how much things have changed. The rest of us might not get, get what it's like, but he does. You should talk to him." Skye tells Bucky.
"Steve hates Coney Island." Bucky says with an amused look on his face.
"Is that why he refused to ride the roller-coaster?" Skye asks curious and Bucky laughs.
"Yeah." Bucky answers.
"He and Uncle Tony let me eat as much as I wanted it was great." Skye says with a fond smile as she remembers.
"We used to do that." Bucky says with a smile as he remembers, "He always did love Coney Island food." He adds "Though not so much when it was coming back up." Bucky says and both Bucky and Skye laugh and once they are no longer laughing they drift back into silence.
For almost an hour Skye and Bucky sit out on the balcony in silence the only sounds that can be heard are that of the city below.
"I'm going to go have a shower then pretend that that I just woke up when I meet Mom for Tai-Chi." Skye comments standing up.
"Don't you tell your Mom when you have a nightmare?" Bucky asks curious.
"Sometimes, a lot of the time, but I don't like to when it means I'm going to explain something that I'm not ready for her to know yet or that will hurt her." Skye explains.
"We'll I guess I'll see you later, I told Steve I would go running with him and Sam today." Bucky explains.
"Good luck with that." Skye tells him, "Sam's got Tripp to agree to join so he's not alone when you and Uncle Steve outrun him." Skye explains then he realises what he said, "Damn it, sorry I hate it when that happens." Skye tells him.
"It's okay, you can't help it." Bucky responds.
"See you later." Skye says and she heads back inside.
Bucky stays outside for about ten more minutes before heading back inside himself.
Several hours later Skye has done Tai-Chi with her mother, Bucky, Steve, Tripp and Sam have been out for a run, Natasha and Melinda have done their morning sparing and Skye and Clint got in some archery practice. After cleaning up and getting ready for the day everyone, even surprisingly Tony, are arriving in the dining room for Coulson's breakfast.
"How was the run?" Maria asks Tripp curious as everyone sits down.
"You mean how was Sam and I getting left in the dust of two super soldiers?" Tripp asks and Maria nods, "It was good." He answers.
"I'm glad to have to someone else to keep up with me, you in every morning?" Sam asks.
"Sure." Tripp answers.
"Miss Coulson an email just arrived into one of the accounts you asked me to keep monitored." Jarivs informs Skye.
"Which one?" Skye asks curious with a frown.
"You have Jarvis monitoring your email addresses?" Tony asks, it being hard to read whether he is annoyed or not.
"Just some that old contacts of mine would use that I don't regularly checked, you said it was okay." Skye tells him as due to the fact that she was worried that he wouldn't agree Skye made sure to check with Tony before she did anything.
"I did?" Tony asks surprised and Skye nods, "Was I working on something when you asked?" Tony asks curious.
"Maybe." Skye answers thinking back.
"Then I would have agreed to anything." Tony answers.
"Really?" Skye asks amused and Tony nods, "You don't mind, do you?" she asks worried.
"Nah, its fine." Tony answers.
"Good, Jarvis, which account is it?" Skye asks.
"HackerGirl09, Miss Coulson." Jarvis answers.
"You seriously have an email address called that?" Clint asks amused.
"I set it up when I was a teenager, not many people have that address." Skye answers, "You know my decryptions, open it and read it please Jarvis." Skye requests.
"The email is from Anna dot Harris at gmail dot com." Jarvis tells Skye and Skye is surprised by that because she hasn't heard from Anna in a long time and after getting her kidnapped Skye didn't think she would ever hear from her again, "The email reads;
Dear Skye,
I don't know if you still check this address or even if you're okay but I knew I had to get in contact with you. First I'm sorry about Miles, I know what he meant to you, I know this is almost two years overdue but I felt like I had to say it.
Second the real reason I'm writing is even less pleasant it is about Justin Yanklin.
At the mention of the name Skye and Clint exchange a look both of them having identical looks of horror on their face.
I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you need to know. As of nine am today he is being released from the psychiatric facility that he is being held at. It has been decided that he is no longer a danger to himself or others. The original prosecution and I have been trying to get the decision revoked but we have been unsuccessful. I thought you deserved to know before it hit the news.
I'm sorry
Anna
PS. Give me a call some time I would love to talk to you again.
"No." Clint says angrily, "Why the hell would they realises that Psychopath?" Clint asks angrily.
"Clint, talk to us, who is that guy?" Tony asks as everyone notices that Skye is suspiciously quite.
"May?" Melinda asks worried.
"I need to get out of here." Clint says and he practically runs out of the room, Skye not far behind him.
"О ебать нет, не этот человек, не сейчас." Natasha says as Clint and Skye leaves.
"Natasha?" Melinda asks.
"What is it?" Bucky adds as both of them speak fluent Russian, even Coulson who only speaks a bit can tell that for Natasha to say that in Russian it must be bad.
"There is this thing that all foster kids do, that Clint and Skye say you can't truly get the significance of unless you are one of them." Natasha explains, "They write all the foster homes they were in on an object or tattoo it on themselves, some choose something ordinary, some something special and that item is treasured, precious, kept forever. Clint has two names on his item, an old shoe; I've seen it a thousand times. Skye on the other hand has a much longer list on one of them wooden fold up fans." Natasha explains and everyone is confused as to why she is mentioning this but because they are sure she has a reason they don't interrupt, "Before she was de-aged Skye gave her list to Clint to look after, she wanted to leave it with someone who got what it really means. One night Clint was looking at it and I realised that the first name on Skye's list is the same as the last name on Clint's." Natasha explains.
"Yanklin." Garrett realises and Natasha nods.
"Clint told me pretty much everything then. Clint was twelve when he lived with Yanklin, his brother was ten and they were both beaten by Yanklin regularly, and one day when they returned late Barney, his brother, was almost killed." Natasha explains, the only reason she is telling them what happened is because she knows that Clint would want them to know now so that they understand and so that they won't ask him, "And that was it, after what happened with his father and now this, Clint was done being someone's punching bag. Clint got both of them out, they ran away from there, from the system, from everything." Natasha explains and she pauses for a minute, "Eleven years later Skye who was almost five was put into Yanklin's care." Natasha says but before she can say anymore Pepper cuts her off.
"If this person had a history of abusing Kids then why was Skye put into his care?" Pepper asks and both Melinda and Coulson feel their heart's drop as they don't need Natasha to finish her explanation, they know where it is going.
"Because like Clint says, foster kids are the people that the world forgets about and they are the people that other people believe the least. It was Yanklin and his wife, who were both respectable people, words against kids that no one believes, that are the most likely to get into trouble, the kids who are too scared to speak up, who don't trust" Natasha explains, "Clint and Skye both suspect that due to the fact that it was protocol that kept Skye moving that she wasn't put in a foster home until she was almost five because it would have been harder for social workers to get a family to say goodbye to a baby or a toddler than a young child." Natasha explains.
"Tash, what happened to Skye?" Coulson asks, dreading the answer, but at the same time he needs to know.
"Her arm was broken and ribs were as well." Natasha says looking at Melinda and Coulson, "They managed to convince the authorities that Skye fell down the stairs and it was only thanks to the protocol to keep her moving that she got out of there." Natasha explains, "When Skye was about seventeen she was talking to Anna and when she found out that Anna was trying to get a case together against Yanklin, she helped. The managed to get evidence together, from not just Skye but other kids as well, but when the police got to Yanklin's place to arrest him they found all the kids that were in his care as well as his wife, killed." Natasha explains, "Yanklin was found to be insane and sent to a psychiatric facility."
"And they let him out." Sam says a solemn feel clear in the room.
"Sir, Miss Coulson and Agent Barton have left the tower, they said to inform you that they will be back in several hours." Jarvis informs everyone and once again everyone drifts into silence, all of them thinking about what Clint and Skye have been through.
After leaving everyone else Skye and Clint go down to the garage. Clint led them there because he just needed to get away from everyone.
"How could they release that man?" Clint asks angrily, "He's a psychopath and a sociopath, what were they thinking?" Clint asks angrily.
"He's good at convincing people of what he wants them to believe, you know that." Skye tells her Uncle.
"Are you okay?" Clint ask concerned turning to face his niece, "You seem okay." He says slightly surprised.
"I hate that he's out, but I dealt with what he did to me a long time ago." Skye tells her Uncle, "but I should have realised this was going to happen."
"What do you mean?" Clint asks.
"I had a nightmare last night, of what he did. It was the first time in years that has happened." Skye explains, "I guess I knew what was going to happen, but I didn't realise that I knew." Skye says then frowns, "Does that make any sense?" Skye asks curious.
"Yeah, it does." Clint answers, "Want to get out of here?" Clint asks.
"I thought you would never ask." Skye says with a grin, "One bike or two?" She asks her Uncle curious.
"One, but I'm driving." Clint says and they walk over to Skye's motorbike, "Jarvis tell everyone we'll be back in a few hours." Clint requests.
"Yes Sir." Jarvis answers.
"Here." Skye says handing Clint a helmet and they both hop on Skye's motorbike and speed out of the tower.
After everyone is informed that Skye and Clint have left the tower Melinda and Coulson excuse themselves and head to their bedroom to talk.
"Why didn't she tell us?" Coulson asks once the door is closed.
"I don't know." Melinda answers honestly, "She worries about hurting us Phil, and you know that. My guess is that she didn't tell us because she didn't want us to blame ourselves because we weren't there to stop it." Melinda guesses.
"I hate this." Coulson says, "I hate that she was hurt so much, that we weren't there to help her and I hate that she's protecting us from pain when we should protect her." Coulson says.
"I know, I hate it too." Melinda tells her husband and the pair embrace, both of them wishing that there was more that they could do to help their daughter.
After over an hour of driving (a lot faster than the speed limit) Clint and Skye arrive at a cliff overlooking a river. They park the bike and the walk over and sit on the bench which is a few feet away from the edge.
"Yanklin being out made you think of Barney didn't it?" Skye asks her Uncle.
"It made me think of all the people I let down, Barney, You, Your Dad." Clint reveals.
"When did you let down my dad?" Skye asks confused.
"I let Loki onto the helicarrier, I was the reason he was able to kill Phil." Clint explains.
"That wasn't your fault." Skye tells her Uncle, "It was Loki's." Skye tells him, "And you didn't let me down, I knew from when I was in Nicky's office at the Triskeilion that I was going to leave and no one was going to stop me." Skye reveals.
"Are you going to leave again Kid?" Clint ask.
"No." Skye says honestly, "I left to protect you all; I thought it was best but I've discovered that I can protect you more by staying." Skye explains.
"Good, you're the glue Kid, you hold us together." Clint tells his niece, "And I would be pissed if you left again." He tells her.
"Well I guess it's a good thing I don't have plans to any time soon." Skye responds.
Back at the tower Natasha who is worried about her partner, and Maria who realises that her friend needs a distraction are in the lab sparing. Surprisingly they are the only ones currently present.
"So when are you going to tell John about you and Tripp?" Natasha asks.
"Are you actually curious?" Maria asks slightly surprised as she ducks Natasha's punch.
"No. I just want to know when so I can be sure to be there with a bag of popcorn to see a John freak-out. I haven't seen one of them in a while." Natasha explains and Maria rolls her eyes.
"When I tell him you'll know, the whole tower will know." Maria tells her.
"How's Tripp doing with keeping things a secret?" Natasha asks curious, "Considering everything I would have thought he would want to be honest."
"He does." Maria responds, "He feels it's the right thing to do and that we should tell him."
"You know that the reason why you don't want to tell John is because if you do, you would be admitting that whatever it is between the two of you is serious, that it is something real, and you're not ready for that." Natasha tells her friend.
"I hate it when you do that." Maria informs Natasha.
"You only hate it because I'm right." Natasha responds, "The rest of us knowing is fine, but John, he's different, telling him is like admitting that Tripp means something to you and that scares you." Natasha tells her friend.
"Have I mentioned how much I hate that you can practically read my mind, because I do. I told you I only like it when you do it to other people." Maria says.
"Like I said, you only hate it because I'm right." Natasha tells her as she knocks Maria down.
"You might be." Maria responds as Natasha helps her up, "Are we done talking about this now?"
"We're done." Natasha says.
"Good." Maria says as she throws a punch.
It is four hours after they leave the tower that Skye and Clint get back.
"Where you going?" Clint asks as Skye jumps off the motorbike the second it is put in park.
"I need to go talk to my parents." Skye says leaving the garage, walking past a shelf and putting her helmet there as she does.
Thanks to her powers Skye doesn't have to search the many floors of the tower to find her parents, she finds them in one of the office areas going over paperwork.
"Hey." Skye says from the doorway interrupting the papers that they are both reading. When they both look up and see her standing where she is they both get up, run over to their daughter and hug her.
"Are you alright?" Melinda asks.
"We were worried." Coulson adds.
"Yeah I'm okay, promise." Skye tells her parents, "I put it behind me a long time ago." She reveals.
"But it still wasn't easy for you to hear that he had been released." Melinda says.
"No, it wasn't." Skye admits.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Coulson asks his daughter.
"There's no point." Skye says, "тетя Наташа told you everything you needed to know." Skye explains.
"Skye if you ever do want to talk, we're here." Coulson tells his daughter.
"I know." Skye tells her parents, "And that means so much, but like I said, it's behind me, and that's where I want it to stay" She tells him, "So how about I help you with the files." Skye offers.
"You want to help with paper work?" Melinda asks surprised.
"Sure, why not?" Skye asks.
"Well if you're sure." Coulson says and Skye nods, "Start with these." Coulson says moving a pile of the paper work so that it is in front of the third chair that table that Coulson and Melinda are sitting at.
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