Isabelle Hartley

(Episode tag 2x02 Heavy is the Head)

"I just wanted to report that Mack and Tripp are working on cloaking so I'm free if you want me back in the field" Skye said as soon as her father opened the door to his office.

"That won't be necessary, May's still out there" He told her, still standing in the doorway, neither moving to allow her in, or forcing her away.

"What about Hartley and Idaho?" Skye questioned, remembering his lack of comment from hours ago. Phil finally makes his way back into his office, turning his back to her and that's all answer she needs. He steps back behind his desk, flipping through files and refusing to meet her gaze.

"They're not out there are they?" It takes every ounce of strength she has not to let her voice crack at the question, her face remaining impassive as she feels her throat tighten. Phil's eyes meet hers momentarily before going back to his files.

"It was that thing wasn't it? The object?"

"It was Creel" Her father tells her and that doesn't make Skye feel any better about her mother being out there alone, she tells him as much.

"Sir, I need to get back out there and help May take him down" She insists.

"No"

"She's my partner, I'm not hiding behind a cover anymore, I'm a trained specialist and I can handle myself" She tries again.

"That's not what this is about"

"What is it about?" Skye asks, starting to lose her cool. "The object? The symbols? Because I can't help if I don't know what's going on" Skye nearly shouts at him, tired of being held at a arms distance for months. Phil comes around his desk to stand in front of her.

"If you'd like to help, go down to the bunks and pack up Hartley's things" Skye instantly recoils as if she's been slapped, blinking rapidly as her eyes begin to water. Phil realizes his mistake as soon as the words are out of his mouth. "Skylar, I'm sor-" He stops mid sentence when she raises her hand to halt him. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in to calm herself. She takes a few seconds before looking back up at him.

"I know you're the boss now and you're trying to compartmentalize everything, but take it from someone who learned the hard way... It's not healthy and it doesn't work. I understand that this is a new role for you, for all of us, but you need to utilize what you have" When Phil made a face as if to argue that, Skye explained further. "I've been at this base all winter, dad. When I could be out recruiting right along with you, getting us tech from my other contacts and data from old SHIELD data drops. Don't even get me started on Theta Protocol" When her father's jaw dropped she chuckled darkly. "You weren't the only one Fury trusted. But you keep doing what you're doing Sir, you should try to loosen up though, try yoga or something" Her voice laced with snark as she walked to the door.

"Skylar"

"I'll pack up Hartley's bunk" She said, efficiently cutting him off. She spared him no glance back as she made her way out of the office, swinging the door shut hard as she did so.

Skye took the framed picture of Izzy and Jane off the night stand and just stared at it, her finger tracing the smile captured on her friends face. She heard Hunter enter but didn't look up until he spoke.

"Izzy's sister, Jane" He explained as he leaned in the doorway, Skye just looked up at him surprised, never sure how to act around him. At Skye's lack of response he moved into the room, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Her favorite person in the world, after me of course" He told her, making Skye smile as she thought of just how much of an argument Vic would have put up at that statement.

"Looks like they liked each other" Skye said, still smiling at the picture.

"Yeah, those two... When they got together was a lot of laughs and bottles of wine" Skye's smile fell just a bit, remembering the girls nights they used to have, herself, Vic and Izzy and Bobbi, back when Bobbi and Skye were still rookies and there hadn't been tension between Skye and Vic. She finally looked back up at Hunter but he wasn't looking at her as he continued talking. "Izzy was good when it came to family" He said, and Skye could only nod in agreement, her throat tightening again. "Which is why I'm taking this" He said reaching into the trunk for the necklace she had just put in there, and Skye couldn't even make her mouth open to object.

"Belonged to her Mum, died of breast cancer about five years back, Jane has it now too" He told her.

"That's awful" Skye comments, Izzy had never told her that Jane was diagnosed too. Then again, Izzy had been having a hard time just looking at her since she got to the Playground. Not that Skye blames her, she would probably react the same way after receiving news of her wife's death.

"Yeah" Hunter draws out before looking back up at her. "Life can be a mean drunk that way, never knows when to stop punching" He tells her as if that isn't something she already knows. It shocks her how little Hunter knows about her when she knows so much about him.

"How'd you guys meet?" Skye asks, already sensing the answer.

"Through my psychotic ex wife" He tells her and Skye has to force herself to laugh, raising her eyebrows and biting her tongue at the thought of Bobbi. "Those two were good friends back in the day" Skye disagrees, they never stopped being good friends, Bobbi and Izzy were quite a pair even when they didn't get to see each other often.

"I'm really sorry" Skye tells him, realizing he's lost a great friend, just as she has. "It's tough to lose people you care about"

"Secret to that? Don't get attached" That actually makes Skye chuckle.

"Tried that, didn't work" She tells him. "For you either" She says and when he makes a face she gestures to Izzy's necklace still laying in his hand. He laughs.

"You know you remind me a bit of Izzy" He tells her, a smile on his face. "Raw but sharp, you got skills" This makes Skye laugh again as she reaches over to Izzy's nightstand drawer. She opens it and pulls out a few photos.

"I would hope so, considering she helped train me" She says. She watches as Hunters mouth drops open before she hands him the photo. It's one that was taken at Skye and Bobbi's specialist graduation. In the picture she was sandwiched between Izzy and Vic, all in matching SHIELD suits. Hunter looked up at her, face reminiscent of a fish.

"Vic was my SO" Skye told him. "I spent a lot of time with the both of them"

"My apologies, training under the dragon lady couldn't have been easy" Skye laughed as Hunter shivered at the name, thinking Vic would love that she still inspired fear from beyond the grave. "Iz hadn't talked about her much as of late, I figured she went Hydra" Skye's frown only seemed to deepen at that as she looked down at the picture in her hands of the two women on their wedding day.

"She was killed" Skye said softly as she looked back up at Hunter. "By Hydra, I was the one that called Izzy with the news" Skye left out the part that her murderer currently resided in their basement. "She hadn't been talking to me much at all as of late either" She sighed.

"She didn't blame you" Hunter told her instantly and Skye held back a sneer at him, as if he knew anything. Skye finally let out another dark chuckle.

"I guess now we'll never know, life's a mean drunk that way" She said looking up at him again and he nodded. They both seemed to recognize that the conversation was definitely over and Hunter stood making his way to the door.

"If you hear anything about Creel, let me know" He said before leaving the room.

Skye looked down at the pictures in her hands, placing the wedding photo on the top of Izzy's belongings in her trunk. She chuckled at the next one, just of her and Bobbi, holding their new badges out to the camera, aviator shades on their serious faces. The next one making her eyes water as she looked at both her and Bobbi's faces pressed cheek to cheek smiles completely taking over both of their expressions, eyes glittering.

The tears finally dripped out as she looked at the last one, her and Bobbi sandwiched between both of their SO's, a smile on everyone's face, which was rare for Vic. Skye shook her head thinking of all the lives lost so far and at what cost. She wiped her tears quickly letting out a sigh before standing. She slipped the three pictures in her back pocket, along with the one Hunter left on the bed. She looked around the room once more seemingly having everything she closed the lid of the trunk and locked it. She gave the room one last look before she picked up the trunk and made her way out of the room, fleetingly thinking of Bobbi again and all the memories she shared with the three women.

AN: Guys! I'm sorry for the wait! I truly am! Writers block and a broken computer should not be mixed! I have a few chapters for you guys though so hopefully I'm forgiven! Reviews are always welcome and THANK YOU for reading! Enjoy!