Chapter 21
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.
Three days later.
It has been three days since the truce between Coulson and Gonzales and even though it is clear that everyone is worried about what is going to happen next they are all also enjoying the relaxation as they have nothing major going on.
"Really you're leaving without saying goodbye, why am I not surprised." Melinda says as she spots Nicky trying to leave through the main doors at four am, "You know the kids would like a goodbye one of these times." Melinda says walking over to him.
"I know." Nick tells her, "But I hate saying goodbye to them, so it's easier if I don't say anything." He admits walking over to her.
"Easier on who?" Melinda asks.
"I don't even know."
"Look after yourself Nick." Melinda requests.
"I will." Nick says walking the last few steps that separate them, "You look after yourself too Melinda." He says.
"I always do." Melinda says and Nick hugs her.
"I'm glad you and Phil got your acts together." Nick tells Melinda as he hugs her, "If he hurts you I'll kick his ass." Nick says and Melinda rolls her eyes.
"I'll kick his ass myself." Melinda tells Nick.
"I don't doubt it." Nick says with a grin, "Bye Melinda."
"Bye Nick." Melinda responds and Nick leaves. When Melinda walks back towards the common area she notices that the light in the lab is on so she walks in and she notices Leo working on something.
"Leo. What are you doing up?" Melinda asks her son walking over to him.
"I couldn't sleep." Leo admits.
"Nightmares?" Melinda asks and Leo nods.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Melinda asks her son.
"No." Leo answers, "I want to work." Leo tells his mother.
"Okay." Melinda says making herself comfortable on one of the benches, "I'm here if you need anything." Melinda tells her son.
"Thanks Mum." Leo responds and Mother and son drift into silence.
Three days later (Six days since truce)
It has been three days since Nick left the Playground and even though they tried not to show it Skye, Leo, Bobbi and Clint were a little disappointed that he one more left without saying goodbye.
"Sticks, really? What does this teach me?" Skye asks her mother as it is currently late afternoon and they are both down in the gym training, fighting each holding two sticks and using them to fight.
"It is teaching you to use different things as weapons, control, accuracy." Melinda tells her daughter.
"I get that I do but what's wrong with gun training?" Skye asks, "I mean you use your hands, Bee uses her Battle Staves, Clint uses his bow which he is teaching me to use in his marksmanships lessons, and Natasha and Maria use whatever is handy, which is kind of amusing, so what's wrong with good old fashion guns?" Skye asks curious.
"Hey." Maria says insulted as she is over in the corner fighting with the bag. Natasha and Bobbi were in the room earlier but they are now running laps of the playground, or more accurately racing each other though the playground, "Sorry." Maria says when Melinda turns to glare at her.
"Anyone can pull the trigger of a gun, but learning the control, the skill, the disciple of other weapons teach you to be different, to see pulling the trigger differently." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Right." Skye says, "So learning other methods of fighting is important. Got it." Skye says as she and Melinda continue to fight.
"Yes it is." Melinda tells her daughter.
"It's going to take me forever, or at the least years, to be as good as you guys." Skye tells her mother.
"It will take times, and I have no doubt that you will be good, but Skye you have something that none of us have." Melinda informs her daughter.
"What's that?" Skye asks confused.
"Your powers." Melinda tells her daughter.
"You want me to what, use my power to fight?" Skye asks confused.
"I want you to think about it." Melinda tells her daughter, "Decide whether it would be something you are comfortable with. Now that you have control it's up to you to decide what you do with it." Melinda informs her daughter, "If you don't want to use your power to fight then you don't have to, but you should decide for yourself what you want to do. Now that you are in control you don't have to use your ability at all if you don't want to, but you can use it if you want, to fight or do whatever you want, it's your choice."
"I'll think about it." Skye responds and they continue to fight.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?" Phil asks walking into the room.
"Yes, but what's up?" Melinda asks.
"I've got some new intel I was hoping you could look over for me." Phil says to Melinda, "But it can wait." He says.
"No, it's okay. You should go." Skye says as honestly she could use a bit of a break.
"I remember this lesson, I can take over if you want." Maria says walking over Melinda and Skye.
"Would you mind?" Melinda asks Skye.
"No." Skye responds as she likes spending time with Maria.
"Just let me towel down and I'll be right there." Melinda tells Phil who nods.
"So Mom taught you to fight with sticks too?" Skye ask Maria once Phil and Melinda have left.
"Oh yeah." Maria says with a grin, "Has she got Confucius on you?"
"Yep." Skye answers and they continue to fight.
For the next hour Skye and Maria spend ten minutes fighting then five minutes rest then repeat. They are once more fighting with sticks and it is becoming clear that they are both starting to get a little tired.
"Where's Mom?" Bobbi asks walking into the room and Skye is slightly distracted which causes Maria to land a hint on the side of Skye's face.
"I'm so sorry." Maria says racing to Skye's side.
"I'm okay." Skye assures her and Bobbi.
"Let me have a look." Maria requests and she takes a look at Skye's head as Bobbi rushes over to her sister.
"You okay?" Bobbi asks concerned.
"I'm fine Bee." Skye assures her sister as she looks up and Maria who is checking her head, "Right?"
'Yeah, it's basically a scratch." Maria tells her, "I'm sorry." She says bruising Skye's hair away from the cut.
"It's okay, accidents happen when training." Skye assures her, "I'm fine. Don't feel bad." Skye her recognizing the look of guilt on Maria's face, "Please, don't." Skye says reaching up and grabbing Maria's hand, "it's okay." she assure her.
"I think that's enough training for today." Maria says and Skye nods and they both drift into silence, neither noticing that Skye is still holding Maria's hand.
"So, where is Mom?" Bobbi asks breaking the silence and causing Skye and Maria, who have been staring into each other's eyes, to look away.
"With Coulson." Skye tells her sister.
"Right." Bobbi says with a nod, "So I've sent Hunter to get Chinese how would you feel about Chinese, beer and movies?" Bobbi asks her sister curious.
"You sent your ex-husband to get food?" Maria asks amused and Bobbi nods.
"I think that's a good idea." Skye says, "Do you want to join?" she asks Maria curious.
"Sure." Maria responds.
"I'll find Natasha and Simmons ask if they want to join too." Bobbi tells her sister.
"Sounds good to me." Skye answers, "So, meet in your bunk in ten?" She asks her sister curious.
"Sure."
"I'll see you there, I want to have a quick shower first." Maria says finally letting go of Skye's hand before leaving.
"So, want to talk about it?" Bobbi asks her sister curious, once she is sure that Maria is out of hearing range.
"About what?"
"About whatever is going on between you and Maria." Bobbi says.
"I'm not even sure." Skye admits, "I think, maybe I like her" She admits, knowing her sister will pick up on what she is really saying, then realises something, "Are you sure that you want to talk about this? I mean Maria is your best friend."
"And you're my sister. If you want to talk, I'm here." Bobbi tells her.
"Thanks for the offer, but I need to figure out a few things for myself before I talk about it." Skye admits.
"Okay. Well I'm always here if you do." Bobbi tells her.
"I know." Skye says and she hugs her sister, "Love you Bee."
"Love you too Kye." Bobbi responds.
While Skye, Bobbi, Natasha and Maria are in Bobbi's bunk eating food, drinking and watching movies everyone else is in the common area eating dinner.
"So where are Speedy, Bobbi Bear, Simmons, Tasha and Maria?" Clint asks curious.
"Bob's bunk I think. I have no idea what they are doing, all I know is that I was sent to get food." Hunter comments.
"Chinese?" Clint asks and Hunter nods, "Then Bee and Speedy have invited the others to his bear, food and movie night." He realises and the others nod, "So, Little Lion, me, you, X-box?" Clint asks his brother.
"Sure." Leo answers, "Hunter, want to join us?" He asks.
"Sure. I'd like that." Hunter says happy that they thought to include him, that they want him to join them.
Four days later (ten days since truce)
It has been four days since Skye, Bobbi, Maria, Natasha and Simmons spent the night in Bobbi's room with food, beer and movies and Leo, Clint and Hunter played x-box together.
It is early morning and Melinda and Phil are in his office trying to trace leads on Gonzales.
"You would think that a version of S.H.I.E.L.D would be easy to find." Phil comments.
"We're hiding. It makes sense that they are too." Melinda says.
"But where? How?" Phil asks, "It takes money and resources to hide, the only reason we are able to hide is because we have Nick and his toolbox. What does Gonzales have?"
"My guess, someone with deep pockets who hate us." Melinda comments.
"Deep Pocket." Phil repeats.
"Hates us."
"Quinn." Melinda and Phil say together.
"So we don't work on finding Gonzales, we try and find Quinn." Melinda realises, knowing that it will be the easier option of the two.
"I'll get word to Stark, see if he can help." Phil says.
"I'll tell the others." Melinda says heading downstairs.
It has been a couple of hours since Leo and Jemma were told that Quinn could be the one working with Gonzales and they reworking on patterns and trying to figure out where he is and what he is doing, but so far they haven't gotten any leads, Ian Quinn has seemingly disappeared which has lead them to the conclusion that the chances of Quinn working with Gonzales is high.
"What are you working on?" Simmons asks Leo curious.
"Nothing. Not really." Leo admits, "I just trying to distract myself." He admits.
"Oh, can I help?" Simmons asks curious.
"No. But thanks." Leo admits and he continues to work in silence.
"Leo. We need your help with something." Clint says walking into the room a few minutes later.
"What's going on?" Leo asks.
"Have you forgotten what today is?" Clint asks and Leo is confused until he realises.
"Yes. I can't believe it." Leo says feeling guilty.
"We all forgot too." Clint admits, "So we need to do something to make it up to her.'
"What have you forgotten?" Simmons asks curious
"It's Mum's birthday today." Leo informs Simmons.
"And you forgot?" Simmons asks and she gets two nods back, "Let me know if there is anything I can do to help." She says and they both nod.
"Speedy and Bobbi Bear are in Speedy's bunk." Clint tells Leo, who nods.
"I'll see you later." Leo tells Jemma and both brothers leave. After they do Jemma goes looking for Hunter, Natasha and Maria.
"We've got to figure out something to do for her." Bobbi tells her siblings.
"Of course, but what?" Clint asks.
"We could make a nice dinner." Skye suggests.
"None of us are exactly great cooks." Leo says.
"Maybe we should ask for help." Clint suggests.
"Coulson's the best cook here, but he and Mom are together. We need to talk to him alone, but how we do that without making Mom suspicious is the question." Bobbi says.
"Maybe with some help you'll be able to do what you want." A voice says and everyone turns to see Natasha, Hunter, Simmons and Maria.
"Simmons reminded us of what we forgot, so what can we do?" Maria asks.
"We want to do a nice dinner for Mom, but Coulson is the only one who can cook so we need to talk to him, but we need Mom to be distracted." Skye explains.
"It's been a while since Mel and I have spared, will that work?" Natasha asks
"Yeah, it would." Clint answers, "We're going to need supplies and people to help Coulson."
"Hunter and I can get supplies." Bobbi offers.
"I'll be happy to help Coulson." Skye says and Leo nods.
"Maria, Simmons and I will help set everything up." Clint says and the others nod.
"Let's get to work." Bobbi says and that's just what they do.
A couple of hours later, after making sure that she has been distracting Melinda for long enough Natasha and Melinda walk into the common area where they find the entire room decorated and food and cake on the table.
"Happy Birthday." Everyone tells Melinda as she enters.
"We're sorry. We forgot what today was, I hope this makes up for it." Clint tells his mother as he and his siblings walk over to her.
"It more than makes up for it." Melinda says pulling all four of her children into a hug, "I love you."
"Love you too." Skye, Leo, Bobbi and Clint respond.
"You should thank Coulson, he cooked." Bobbi informs her mother.
"Well, thank you." Melinda says walking over to Coulson and kissing him, something which all of Melinda's children avoid watching.
"You're very welcome." He responds.
"And thank you to you for what you've done." Melinda says to Natasha, Hunter, Simmons and Maria.
"You're welcome." Hunter says, "Let's get this party started." He tells everyone and that's what they do.
Four days later (Fourteen days since truce)
It has been two weeks since the truce between Coulson and Gonzales and even though everyone at the playground have been enjoying some relaxation they have all been on the lookout for anything they may have to deal with, anything connected to Gonzales and clues on where Quinn could be and what he is doing being top of the lab.
It Is before lunch and Skye and Maria are down in the gym training together, something they have continued to do on occasion since Maria took over Melinda's lesson.
"Nicely done." Maria says as Skye has knocked her to the ground and is currently straddling her.
"Well I am good." Skye says with a grin and before she can do anything she has been flipped and she and Maria have now swapped places so that Maria is now on top, "If you wanted to be on top all you had to do was ask." Skye says with a grin, not being able to help the comment.
"Don't get to cocky." Maria says, trying not to show her reaction to Skye's comment, or what she is thinking herself.
"Kind of missing a vital part of the anatomy for that." Skye responds and Maria rolls he eyes.
"You're insufferable." Maria informs Skye, making no effort to move.
"And yet you've been spending all your time with me instead of with anyone else." Skye points out as in the last few weeks she and Maria have been spending a lot of time together, they have become quite close.
"That's because you're also fun." Maria responds.
"You're not so bad yourself." Skye responds and they both exchange a grin.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Natasha's voice, amusement clear, says from the doorway.
"No." Maria says getting off Skye and standing up while sticking out her hand to help Skye up.
"What's going on?" Skye asks curious.
"Not sure. Coulson wants everyone in the common area." Natasha says.
"Okay, I've really got to change, before that so tell him I'll be five minutes at the most." Skye says running to the bathroom, as she does that Natasha walks over to Maria.
"So, you and Skye?" Natasha asks raising an eyebrow.
"What about us? Nothing's going on." Maria tells her friend.
"I never said there was." Natasha responds, though everyone who has been paying attention to them in the last few week's suspects there is.
"You wouldn't ask that question if you didn't think there was." Maria points out.
"True, but I did just walk in on you straddling her."
"She straddled me first."
"Not helping your case." Natasha tells her friend amused, "You can talk to me Maria."
"I know. It's just that things are complicated." Maria says and Natasha doesn't say anything else as she knows that Maria will, "Skye and I have become friends in the last few weeks and I do like her, but she's my best friends little sister and the daughter of my mentor."
"And you're worried about how they will react." Natasha realises.
"I'm worried how Skye will react." Maria tells her friend, though she is worried about how Skye's family will react she is more concerned about how Skye would react if she told her, "I don't know if she feels the same way, I don't even know if she likes girls." Maria admits then sighs, "Look, Nat, I know you like to play matchmaker but can you not this time, not yet anyway." Maria requests.
"I won't get involved, not yet." Natasha says as she knows that this time it's better if she doesn't.
"Thank you." Maria says relieved and they walk in silence to the common area.
Five minutes later Skye is the last one to walk into the common area and she quickly hurries over and takes the last empty seat at the table where everyone except for Melinda and Phil are sitting.
"I'm not going to beat around the bush so I'm just going to say this, Ward is alive." Phil informs everyone. He and Agent 33 are together and they just abducted Bashki." Phil tells everyone.
"Great, with everything else that is going on that's the last thing we need." Clint says while everyone looks worriedly at Skye, "Do you we know anything about their plans?" he asks.
"No. Not yet." Melinda answers, "But we know that Agent 33 is using the Nanomask to change her face constantly."
"That makes things slightly harder." Bobbi says with a frown, "Are we thinking that Ward has a bigger plan in motion?" she asks.
"He always does." Skye says, "I thought this was done when I shot him." Skye says before getting up and leaving the room and without a word Melinda gets up and follows her daughter.
When she leaves the room Melinda spots Skye half way down leaning against the wall so Melinda walks over to her and puts her hand on Skye's back.
"I want him gone, I want him to never be a factor again." Skye tells her mother, turning to face her, "I hate him so much, and I know that thanks to his obsession I'm never going to be safe when he is alive. I'm always going to be looking over my shoulder." Skye tells her mother, wondering how she is going to move on when she always has to worry about him.
"Skye you can't let him get to you like this." Melinda tells her daughter, "I know that you have every reason to be afraid of him and he's done that you should be, but you cannot live in fear, because if you do then he wins." Melinda says to her daughter.
"Thanks Mom." Skye says before hugging her.
"You're welcome." Melinda responds as she returns the hug, "We should head back in there. There are still some things we need to discuss." Melinda tells her daughter who nods and they both head back into the common area.
"Are you alright?" Phil asks concerned when Skye, when she and Melinda walk back in.
"Yeah, it was just a bit of a shock to find out my personal psychopath is on the loose, or that one of them is anyway." Skye says, "Please tell me that the next thing you have to say isn't that Cal has been sighted." Skye requests.
"No, it's not. Cal hasn't been seen, as far as we know, since Wisconsin." Phil tells everyone.
"Good." Bobbi says relieved as that is one less thing for her sister to worry about, "So what else do you have to tell us?" she asks curious.
"Gonzales is recruiting." Phil tells everyone.
"What kind of specialities?" Natasha asks.
"Field agents and Specialists according to May's mother." Phil informs everyone.
"So he's preparing for a fight." Hunter realises.
"Which means we need to as well." Natasha says.
"Leo, Simmons I want you two to go through our S.H.I.E.L.D records and figure out what tec Gonzales may have access to." Phil tells them, "Remember that he may have Quinn and his resources at his disposal."
"Yes Sir." Leo and Simmons answer.
"Skye and I have been working on her marksmanship, we can keep doing that." Clint says and Coulson and May nod.
"Bobbi, Maria, Hunter and I can reach out to our contacts and see if we can find anything." Natasha suggests.
"That would be good." Phil says.
"I'll reach out to mine too." Melinda says and everyone nods.
"Come on Speedy, let's go to the range." Clint says and they both get up and head out.
"We'll be upstairs if you get anything." Phil says and he and Melinda head upstairs and Leo and Simmons head to the lab leaving Natasha, Bobbi, Hunter and Maria.
"Okay. What's going on with you?" Clint asks his sister after over two hours of Skye practicing her marksmanship.
"Nothing." Skye answers.
"You're lying, something's up and it's more than this Ward thing." Clint says, "I know you Speedy, talk to me." He requests and Skye looks around to make sure no one else is in the range of hiding in the hallway.
"I think I like Maria." Skye admits as after over a week of thinking that is the conclusion she has drawn.
"Of course you like her, you two have gotten close in the last few weeks." Clint says and then notices the look his sister is giving him, "Oh, you mean like her as more than a friend." He realises, not surprised about Skye liking a female as like his siblings, mother and Nick he's known that Skye is bisexual since she was a teenager.
"Yeah." Skye says leaning against the edge that divides the corridor to the range, "But I don't know what to do. My recent history has been Miles and Ward and look at how well they turned out. Then there is the fact that she is Bee's best friend and was trained by Mom, I don't know what to do." Skye admits, as even though Bobbi was fine to talk to her about her feelings for Maria something actually happening between them could cause Bobbi to react differently, and she can't help but worry about the danger she'll be putting Maria in.
"You be honest." Clint says walking over to his sister, "You talk to Maria and tell her how you feel."
"What if she doesn't feel the same way?" Skye asks, worried about being rejected.
"I think she does." Clint says, "But if she doesn't you and me junk food and dong whatever you want." He says.
"Thanks Clint, But I don't know if I can." She admits.
"You need to Skye. This could be something good for you, but you'll never know unless you admit it." Clint says, knowing both his sister and Maria well enough to know that they could be good together, they could be good for one another, "And you shouldn't be afraid because you're worried that who are family are will put her in danger, Maria can take care of herself." Clint tells his sister, knowing what she is worried about even though she didn't say it.
"Does that mean you're going to tell Natasha that you like her?" Skye asks her brother curious.
"That's different."
"How?"
"Natasha's my best friend, my partner, I risk losing so much if she doesn't feel the same way." Clint admits.
"But wouldn't knowing for sure be better than always wondering?" Skye asks her brother as she has heard her brother talk about Natasha for years, she knows how he feels about her.
"Not if it destroyers everything we have." Clint admits and before either can say anymore Natasha walks in.
"Taking a break?" Natasha asks seeing what they are doing.
"Yeah, Clint was helping me with a problem." Skye says, "I'm going to take your advice, you should take mine." She tells her brother, remember what her mother said about not living in fear.
"It's not that simple Speedy."
"Make it that simple." Skye says as she walks out of the room.
"What was that about?" Natasha asks pretending to be curious but she already knows as she was listening out in the corridor for several minutes.
"Just helping Speedy with something." Clint admits.
"So are you going to take her advice?" Natasha asks as Clint turns to face the range.
"How much did you hear?" Clint asks turning back around to face her.
"Enough." Natasha answers, "For the record it wouldn't destroy anything."
"Really?"
"Really." Natasha confirms and she walks the few steps that separate them and kisses him.
"So what's going on between you and my sister?" Bobbi asks a few minutes after Natasha has left the room, "Don't look surprised, I've seen the way you two have been acting around each other." Bobbi says, wanting to know where Maria stands with everything, and Hunter is feeling like maybe he should leave but he really wants to know where this conversation is going to go.
"I like her, I like her a lot but I don't know if she feels the same way." Maria admits, surprised by how much she has grown to like Skye in the last few weeks and wondering if she feels the same way and worried that she doesn't.
"She does." Skye says walking in from the corridor.
"We'll give you guys some privacy." Bobbi says standing up, "Don't even think about hurting my sister Hill." Bobbi says as like Clint she thinks that Maria and Skye could be good together but she also feels like her sister has been through too much to be hurt again and she doesn't want Maria to hurt her.
"I'll do my best not to." Maria says.
"Good, because you'll pay if you do." Bobbi says, "Come on Hunter." Bobbi says.
"I'm alright here." Hunter tells her.
"OUT." Maria and Skye say together and Bobbi basically drags Hunter out.
"Sorry about her." Skye says as she walks over to Maria.
"It's okay. I know what I am getting myself into." Maria says as Skye sits down in Bobbi's vacant seat.
"And you still want to get into it?" Skye says, wishing that she thought of a better way to phrase that.
"Yeah, I do." Maria says.
"Good." Skye says with a grin.
"Good." Maria responds, also smiling.
Up in Coulson's office he and Melinda are doing everything that they can think of to try and discover what is Gonzales's latest plan is.
"Anything?" Phil asks as Melinda closes the laptop that she is working on.
"No. It seems like no matter what he is doing Gonzales is being careful about it." Melinda comments.
"Not surprising when we are meant to be on a truce right now." Phil comments.
"Which means we need to figure out where he is and what he is doing." Melinda says and they drift into silence, both of them worried about what Gonzales is planning.
After about ten minutes of silence there is a knock on the door and not even waiting for either of them to say anything it opens and Skye walks in.
"Nick, Steve and Tony are here. They say we have a problem." Skye informs her mother and Phil and after exchanging a worried look they both follow her downstairs.