Chapter 34
Life is Full of Ups and Downs
"You look like hell." May growled as she set the mug of coffee in front of Coulson.
"Been there and back more times than I'd like to count," he smiled back as he pulled his chair into the table.
"Sure as hell feels that way," Daisy agreed around another spoonful of colorful cereal.
May cast her a warning glare and she returned it with a 'what' glance of her own.
"Still eating candy for breakfast, huh?" Coulson nodded toward Daisy's bowl. She started to answer around a mouthful but one look from May had her merely nodding with a little added eyebrow wriggle. Coulson smiled back and sipped his coffee. He didn't say anything but it was perfect, just the way he would have done it himself.
"Well, other than Daisy's bowl full of marshmallow treats there's not a lot here. We're running low on supplies and after Skye's little escapade in the subway I don't think it's wise to venture out to restock." May informed him. "There's bread so toast is an option."
"I'm not all that hungry." Coulson remarked as he took another sip of the morning brew. "Simmons insisted I eat something before she paroled me."
May responded with a grunt. "Twelve hours ago you could barely hold your head up and now you sit here like it was nothing."
Daisy chewed another mouthful of crunchy sweetness and looked to her father for his comeback. Keeping any comment to herself at this point seemed her wisest choice.
"It was a headache, May, just a little worse than usual." He set his mug down but kept his hands wrapped around it, tapping one finger on the handle. "Besides," he continued, staring into the liquid the mug held. "Simmons can't really do anything more."
"What do you mean?" Daisy stammered as she dropped the spoon into her bowl and stood with both hands on the table.
May simply stared at him, boring her questions and opinions into him with only her eyes. He smiled back his answer as he placed a hand over one of Daisy's. "You both need to relax. I'm not going anywhere." He squeezed her hand once as she sat down and looked to May. "She's done every test she can with what she has and she's found nothing. I'm just cursed with these damn pains. I can live with it.""
"It's my fault," Daisy mumbled as she slumped in her chair. "I never should have asked you to go back into that damn program. I should have just left it alone. I had no right."
"Stop right there," Coulson ordered in his director's voice. "We…" he looked at May. "I…I went into that program with you and May because I wanted to…I wanted to have all those memories with you and wi…we needed to make them. We all needed something good after everything we've dealt with in the last…hell in years. We just needed a break."
May folded her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him.
He looked at her and smiled, took another drink and once again set down his mug. "The headaches started long before all of this."
May let out a small huff and looked away, biting off the comments she would not say in front of Daisy.
She needn't say anything. He could read her thoughts. He knew her that well and almost smiled at the sound of her rant in his mind. "They started small, just little twinges whenever I…when I thought too much about our situation. When I thought about all we had to lose. I guess they just got worse when I let my guard down."
Daisy looked at him and then at May and then at him looking at May. Suddenly she felt as if she was crowding the room. She quickly drank the last of her coffee and stood taking her bowl and mug to the sink. "I'm going to find Simmons." The girl announced. "Maybe she can straighten this out or at least confirm that AC didn't just order himself out of the med bay." She smiled at Coulson and gave May a quick nod before exiting the room.
The couple watched as their daughter hurried out the door both knowing why she'd been in such a hurry to leave. They turned to each other with one fleeting glance. Both picked up their respective cups and drank.
The silence was deafening.
xx
Melinda lay against Phil's chest, listening to the beat of his heart and watching it rise and fall. "I'm worried about Skye, Phil." She stated softly, but startling him as he was drifting into slumber.
He took the hand that lay on his chest into his own. "I thought you said Dr. Simmons gave her a clean bill of health." His voice was groggy with sleep.
Melinda let out a soft breath. "She did, but I'm worried, Phil. Something is just not right. She was so upset this afternoon. She cried for hours over Daisy."
"Daisy? A flower?" Phil mused
"No Phil, Daisy. You remember, Daisy. She talked about her all the time when she was a toddler." Melinda lifted her head and looked at him. "We thought it was so cute when she told us all those stories."
He looked back at her. "But she stopped all that when she started school. I thought she just grew out of it."
"And when she was so sick, so feverish and delirious, Daisy was all she wanted, all she talked about." Melinda reminded him.
"It was the fever, Mel." He assured her with a gentle hug.
"No, Phil, I think it was more than that. She talked about Daisy again today as if she was real as if she's been here all this time. She said Daisy was her and she was Daisy. She's afraid something's happened to her and her family. Her family, Phil." Melinda sounded more than concerned. "She's never, ever said anything about Daisy's family. She called someone her May mommy and that she knew it wasn't make-believe."
Phil kissed her temple. "She's been so sick, Mel. She must have had some wild dreams."
"Oh, Phil," Melinda tried to contain her sob. "What if she…what if the fever caused some sort of brain damage or she's got some mental issues or…"
"Shhhh," Phil hushed her with a squeeze. "She's fine, Mel, she's fine. You know she's always been dramatic with that wild imagination. She's tired and maybe just needs to get back to a normal routine. We've all been through a lot." He thought for a moment. "What'd ya say we all take a vacation, go someplace sunny and warm, just escape all this gloomy winter cold?"
Melinda thought for a moment. "That might be good for Skye. She loves the beach and the sun would do her good."
Phil kissed the top of her head. "I will make arrangements tomorrow. We can be in sunny Puerto Vallarta by the weekend. We'll spend some time there, maybe do a little globe trotting with our little one. She'll be too busy to worry about anything but getting better and having fun. And missing school for that long should put her right over the moon." He laughed at how much his little one hated going to school.
Melinda smiled. Her worries were not relieved but at least she had some hope. Phil was right. They all needed to just get away from everything and feel better.
xx
Skye lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling, debating on whether or not to carry through with her plan. Mommy had ears like a moth. She could hear you thinking about doing something you shouldn't do. But Skye could be very quiet. She'd seen Daisy be quiet and knew she could do it just the same. If she got caught she could just say she was hungry. She really didn't eat much dinner, just a couple nibbles on a piece of bread and two or three sips of soup before being sent back to bed. Of course that was after she said she didn't feel well enough to eat. Mommy probably thought the threat of getting sent to her room would work, but Skye had a plan even then because was tired of resting, tired of laying on the couch and spending hours in bed just staring at that dumb ceiling. She wondered if Daisy's mother was making her stay in bed or if her Dr. Simmons was jabbing her with butt shots.
They were the good thoughts. Skye tried to hold on to those good thoughts because the others were terrifying. She pushed away the thoughts of Daisy being captured by whatever bad guys with all those guns that were after her and her family. Skye had seen them in the subway and heard how angry they were. If that giant and the fast lady hadn't come to save her they probably would have shot her…shot a little kid. Only then she wasn't a little kid. She was big. She was Daisy and those bad guys wanted to get her really bad.
Daisy wasn't bad. She was good. Skye knew it, she felt it because she knew she was good and no matter what she would never turn into a bad person. Skye knew Daisy loved her May-mommy just as much as she loved her own mother and that was a lot. And Daddy…Skye loved her dad, she even loved Daisy's dad. They were more alike than the mommies and she couldn't help it. For a moment she thought about the other set of parents and yes she loved Daisy's mother too. She loved them both because they were her parents. Skye knew how it felt to be so scared that she'd never see her parents again. She had felt that way only a few weeks ago and knew exactly how Daisy would feel if her mom and dad were hurt or…or killed and what if that person came back and blew up the rest of their home.
All those bad thoughts made her want to throw up…but mommy wouldn't believe that was why and she'd pull out her rotten thermometer and call Dr. Simmons and then there'd be more shots and…
Skye shook off the thoughts…good and bad. She just needed to talk to Daisy just to know she was okay, that everyone was okay. The only way to do that was to get back to her laptop and it was downstairs. She'd never seen that game before but somehow she just knew it was the way to make a connection. She wasn't even sure how she knew, but she did. It was like some weird memory or dream kinda thing, but she knew it was real and it was her only chance.
Skye put one foot on the floor and then the other. She stood frozen, listening for any indication that her mother had heard. She tiptoed across the room and listened at the door for a few seconds before putting her hand on the knob then listened again before turning it. Waiting a few more seconds, she slowly opened it just enough to slip into the hall and stood staring at the closed door at the opposite end. Once satisfied she hadn't been heard she turned toward the stairs and stood at the top. Skye knew the stairs would creak as soon as she stepped down and smiled at her only other option.
"What the hell? I'm already in trouble. Go for it." She told herself as she mounted the railing and slid silently to the bottom where she slipped off on the outer side and lowered herself to the floor without touching a step. Pulling down a fist in celebration she mouthed 'YES!' then quickly froze and once again listened. It occurred to her, standing there in her bare feet, that if mommy could hear so well she might just be able to do the same thing so she squeezed her eyes tight and listened as hard as she was able. Hopefully, it worked because all she heard was the weird buzzy sounds that the house made when it was quiet.
Skye nodded to herself, satisfied she was in the clear and headed for the little desk where her laptop waited. She stopped, realizing once she sat down her back would be to the hallway and the door. She wouldn't know if mommy or daddy or yeye walked up behind her, mostly because she'd be concentrating so hard on making that silly program work and trying to get an answer. She thought for a moment then picked up the laptop and moved to the living room. There was a perfect spot behind the big chair next to the fireplace. She could see the stairway from there and anyone that might come down the stairs, but at the same time the shadows of the mantle and draperies would keep her hidden. It was the perfect hiding place and she'd used it dozens of times. Of course she hadn't used a laptop those other times and surely the lighted screen would reflect against her face, so they'd see her right away.
Setting the laptop on the floor, Skye pulled the woolen blanket from the back of the sofa and draped it from the mantle to the back of the large wing backed chair. She flipped open the laptop and waiting for the screen to light then set it on the floor and tiptoed to the base of the stairs. She listened again but heard nothing that sounded like she'd been caught. The dark blanket hid the soft light of the screen just enough and she knew she could dull that light even more with just a few clicks. Satisfied that she'd be safe in her 'hideout' she hurried back and slipped behind the chair, grabbing a few pillows from the sofa as she passed.
By the time Skye had settled herself into a comfortable position the computer was up and running. She clicked the tab at the top of the page and there it was…an answer. Someone had found her message and answered. She would have screamed a loud 'YES!' if the situation was different, but settled for a simple smile and happy wriggle. It said Daisy was okay and she'd get the message, but Skye had no way of knowing how long ago the message was returned or who had returned it. She tapped the home keys lightly, considering her next move. A loud crack caused her to jump. She pulled the screen low and froze in place listening intently but heard nothing.
"Just the house," Skye whispered to herself. She peeked around her blanket fortress into the darkness. It was harder to see now that her eyes were more used to the soft light of her screen, but nothing seemed to be moving and she knew if someone was on the stairs they would creak and break the silence of the night. Pulling her head back she pushed the screen up and typed into the box on the screen.
CAN I SPEAK WITH DAISY?
IT IS IMPORTANT
The little girl leaned back against the pillows and waited for an answer. She wondered if it was the middle of the night where Daisy was and if anyone might be awake. Maybe the time was different there. She decided to ask when someone answered her. The large grandfather clock in the foyer bonged three times causing Skye to jump. 'Three o clock,' she thought. Mommy would be furious if she knew she was up and using her laptop so early in the morning…or late at night. It was hard to keep that straight because it was dark like night but really it was morning or maybe it was just almost morning but certainly not dawn. Skye shook off the silly thoughts and concentrated on the cursor blinking on the daisy covered screen before her.
HELLO SKYE
She watched as the letters appeared in the dialogue box and could barely contain her excitement. She started to type before the last letter of her name appeared only to find out she had to wait until the other party was finished before she could start.
DIASY?
Skye typed so quickly she misspelled the name and did not stop to make the correction.
NO SHE IS NOT HERE NOW
BUT SHE IS FINE
Skye frowned at the answer but was happy someone had heard her. She stopped considering the fact that some jerk could be teasing her and this wasn't a way to contact Daisy at all. Daddy had warned her about people trying to get information from kids on the internet and at school they learned about computer safety. She flicked the taskbar and found no indication that she was even connected to a web site or a browser. That in itself was really weird because how could she chat with anyone without some sort of connection. Was this some kind of game that just went along with you? That would be another question to ask as soon as she found Daisy.
WHO ARE YOU?
Skye typed. If someone was going to ask questions she would be the one doing it. She watched the cursor blink for much longer than it would take someone to type their name. It was taking too long and she felt defeat creeping up on her as a tear formed in one eye. She'd been fooled…been stupid enough to think this was some magical way to talk to her big friend. She wanted to slam the screen down and throw the laptop across the room but it would make too much noise and in all honesty she didn't really want to break it. She put one hand on the screen, resigned to close it and drag herself back to bed where she could cry into her pillow.
FITZ
The letters appeared all at once. Just one word…one name, but she knew who it was. It was the quiet man in the computer room where the beds were and where she and Daisy's parents went to sleep and woke up back in her house. It was the last place she was before she and Daisy got so sick and everything changed. Dr. Simmons liked Fitz and she trusted him. Skye never told anybody about Fitz…never said his name or talked about him…so there was no way anyone would know. There was no way anyone could pretend to be him. She quickly scrubbed away the unspent tears and typed back to him.
DR. SIMMONS FRIEND?
Skye waited again for answer. It seemed to take a long time and maybe, she thought, it was part of the program. Maybe her messages were taking just as long to get to him.
YES
She smiled at the reply eager to get more information about her friend…friends in…in…in that place where Daisy lived. Skye thought about what to ask.
IS IT NIGHT THERE?
That seemed like an okay question to ask. She waited, counting 'one one thousand…two one thousand…three…' until the answer appeared. It was twenty five seconds, almost half a minute.
IT IS MORNING
Skye smiled. It was morning here too, but really not real morning. She wondered if Fitz meant the same thing.
I THINK YOU ARE FAR AWAY
She typed back and exactly twenty two seconds later a reply appeared.
VERY FAR
Skye laughed a silent laugh. She didn't really know how she got back and forth to where Daisy lived or how Daisy got to her but she knew it was someplace far away. She liked talking to Fitz but really wanted to talk with Daisy. She tried again.
I NEED TO TALK TO DAISY
IS SHE STILL SICK ?
This time it took almost forty seconds for the answer to appear and Skye wondered what was taking so long. Maybe there was something Fitz didn't want to tell her. Sometimes when mommy or daddy didn't want to scare her or tell her something bad they would hesitate and she always knew it wouldn't be good. Skye braced herself for whatever Fitz would reply.
DAISY I S WELL
SHE IS WITH HER _
Skye watched the cursor blink and waited for the sentence to finish but nothing happened. She raised her fingers to ask why but froze when her blanket fortress was quickly pulled away. She looked up into the fiery eyes of her mother who stood above her holding the flimsy camouflage.
"What are you doing?" Melinda demanded, making no effort to lower her voice. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Skye's mouth hung open for a second before she snapped it shut and tapped the taskbar then slowly closed the small computer sending the room into total darkness. Darkness was great right this minute because she could not see the fury painted across her mother's face and hoped her mother did not see the guilt on hers. She pulled herself into the corner and squeezed her eyes shut. Nowhere in her arsenal of crazy excuses could she concoct a believable reason for being where she was or doing what she was doing.
Melinda stood over her child debating on whether to yank her out from her favorite hiding place just wait until Skye got the unspoken message and crawled out on her own. Melinda rarely slept soundly but after she and Phil had spoken and decided it would be more than a good idea to get away from everything they spent a few minutes enjoying each other's company and satisfying each other's needs before both fell into a deep slumber. When she woke she rose to check on their daughter and found the girl's bed empty. Of course the first place she checked was the bathroom and found that just as empty. Halfway down the stairs she heard the telltale sound of keyboard tapping and the soft blue light that shone from under the Queen Ann chair in the living room was a dead giveaway. Now she waited for her daughter to respond.
"I am waiting, Skye." Melinda folded her arms over her chest and tapped one foot on the carpeted floor.
Skye pushed herself up against the wall, leaving her laptop on the floor. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and the lights from the street coming through the large picture window helped her to see the angry form of her mother blocking her exit. Melinda stepped aside and jerked her head just a fraction indicating the little girl should move. Skye complied, inching past her mother without turning her back. She stopped with her back against the chair and her mother a few inches in front of her.
"I will ask one more time. What are you doing up at this hour?" Melinda repeated softly, in a tone that was much more frightening than when she yelled. Skye really hated when her mother spoke through her teeth.
"I…I was…I…I," Skye stammered, searching desperately for some excuse that might save her. She looked up at her mother and found no sympathy, only a nonverbal command to continue. "I…I couldn't sleep and…and…and I thought…I mean…I wanted to…my laptop…maybe do….a…a…little…research…you know…kinda…like before…sch…" Even Skye could hear the ridiculousness of that.
"You are down here in the middle of the night with that laptop? Skye, you were just sick for how long? You know the rules about that and you're down here now? What were you doing?" Melinda demanded.
"I…I was just…just playing a game…" Skye kinda lied but not really…the truth was in there somewhere…maybe. It was a game, just a little game that let her contact that other place. She didn't know how it worked but it did. Mommy didn't need to know that part. That was her secret but it was a good secret, a secret that didn't hurt anybody.
"Playing a game? At three thirty in the morning?" Melinda's voice was getting a little louder. "One week, Skye, one week without that damn thing, do you understand me?"
Skye felt like all of the air was let out of her. Her knees felt wobbly and she wanted to fall right down on the floor. She took a quick shocked breath before grabbing her mother's wrist and pleading. "No, mommy, no please. I'll do anything. Please don't take my laptop away, please." Skye couldn't keep the tears from her plea. Mommy couldn't take the laptop. If Daisy didn't come back it was her only hope. She dropped her hands to her sides and clenched her fists as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I need it, mommy. I really need it. Punish me different…please, mommy. I'll stay in my room for a week. I won't watch any TV. I'll go to bed right after supper. Please, mommy." She stopped and looked into her mother's glare then carefully considered and reconsidered her next plea but she was desperate. "You can spank me, right here, right now."
"Enough," Melinda stopped the child's pleas as well as her bouncing. "I said one week, Skye. Would you like to make it two?"
"Mommy, please you can't!" Skye's plea turned into a demand. "I won't let you! It's mine and I need it! You're not taking it, you're just not!"
For a moment Melinda was astonished at her child's defiance. "I beg your pardon?" She asked slowly, giving the girl a subtle warning as she dropped her arms and took a small step forward.
Skye stomped one foot and spoke back through her tears. "I said no, you're not taking my computer away." She reached behind herself and dug her nails into the upholstery of the chair's arm, determined to stand her ground.
Melinda drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. She stared at the floor for a second before looking her child in the eye. Raising one hand she pointed toward the stairs. "You go to your room and get back into bed, right now Skye. This discussion is over. We will continue, at length, in the morning." She spoke calmly and evenly, letting her daughter know there was no debating the issue.
Skye stared back. She thought about Daisy and what she might do. Daisy took a lot of risks but she was brave and not afraid of the consequences. She knew she was going to be Daisy someday and well, maybe it was time she started. She wondered if Daisy ever told her mother 'no' and if so, what might have happened. But Daisy was a grown up and her May-mommy couldn't punish her…well, not like the mommy that stood in front of Skye, right now, could. Skye was determined. She wasn't backing down. It was too late anyway. She was going to be punished no matter what she did now.
Skye looked at her mother and took a breath of her own, then let it out in one word. "No." She replied just as evenly and calmly as her mother had spoken and stood her ground.
Melinda was finished. This was it, the veritable straw that broke some desert animal's spine. She had more than her fill of whatever had gotten into her child in the last month. Skye was testing, pushing the limit and as far as Melinda was concerned she had gone well past it. She took several cleansing breaths before turning and walking away into the darkness of the living room.
Skye watched her disappear into the shadows and let out the breath she was holding. She had truly expected a much different reaction. Listening to the soft rustle of her mother in the distance Skye slipped back behind the chair and picked up her laptop. She stepped back and debated where to put it. She could probably be up the stairs before her mother returned but no matter where she stashed her treasured electronic her mother would find it. Anyway that would only make things worse. In the end, she knew she'd probably never see it again. How dopey could she be? Desperate times certainly make desperate things happen but they also make you really stupid.
Before Skye could make any other move, Melinda was back. She held out one hand and nodded toward the laptop. Skye shook her head and held on tightly but Melinda easily took it from her and set it down gently on the seat of the chair. Taking Skye's wrist she led her to the kitchen, sat on the first chair available and without a word pulled her insubordinate child over her knees.
Skye lay in bed crying into her pillow. Mommy had held her hand all the way to her room and tucked her back into bed. She kissed her on both cheeks and told her she loved her very much. She also told her she'd spend all day in her room and probably wouldn't see her laptop for a very long time. Now she lay on her tummy crying bitterly. Sure she'd had her share of spankings and yeah, she deserved everyone one but this time…wow, mommy had never, ever spanked her like that. What was she thinking doing such a stupid thing? And she lost her laptop anyway.
'Dumb move, kid,'
Daisy's voice came from everywhere.
xx
"Simmons!" Daisy demanded as she slammed her hand down on the desk in the lab and glared at Jemma who had been looking through one of salvaged microscopes.
"Daisy," she smiled calmly, ignoring her friend's bellowing entrance. "Right on time, I was certain I'd be searching for you for hours." Jemma stood and walked around Daisy toward the med lab at the opposite end of the room.
Daisy let out a frustrated huff and followed. "I'm talking to you Jemma, don't just walk away." She growled.
"Technically you're shouting at me, but I'm fairly used to that by now." She replied as she drew a hypodermic syringe from a silver tray on the counter. "This should only take a few minutes and then you will be completely finished with all of the boosters after that nasty episode." The doctor smiled as she tore open a small alcohol wipe and dropped a pair of rubber gloves next to the instrument. "Shall we?" She raised her eyebrows as she held a hand out toward the table before her.
"You're not even listening. I am trying to have a conversation here." Daisy complained as she stomped toward the table. "I need to know what's going on with Coulson and why you can't do anything for him?"
"Would you like to lie down?" Jemma smiled as she pulled on the gloves.
Daisy narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips as she turned away from the young doctor and let her jeans drop just enough to give Simmons a target. "You really enjoy this don't you?" She grumbled under her breath as she bent and rested on her elbows.
"I enjoy seeing you healthy." Jemma smirked as she rubbed a small area with the alcohol wipe. "I also enjoy seeing Coulson healthy and I cannot do anything more for him…medically."
Daisy looked over her shoulder and watched as Jemma squirted a spritz of liquid from the gargantuan needle she held in both hands. She turned away and closed her eyes. "What do you mean 'medically'? What's wrong with him?"
"I don't think the question is what's wrong with him at all." Jemma replied matter-of-factly.
"If there's nothing wrong wi….DAMN IT, JEMMA! YOU COULD AT LEAST GIVE ME A WARNING!" Daisy squealed as the doctor pressed the injection into its target.
"And have to deal with you hemming and hawing for five minutes because you're not ready?" Jemma almost laughed. "Just be still for a few minutes and this will be all over."
"Yeah," Daisy spoke through her teeth as she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. "Until the next time," she spoke in a forced voice and drew a deep breath exhaling loudly when Jemma withdrew the hypodermic and rubbed the site with another alcohol swab.
"Would you like a bandaid?" She smiled as she shook a box of fluorescent colored patches. Daisy merely sneered as she hiked up her jeans and folded her arms over her chest.
"Tell me about Coulson," she said slowly. "Why aren't you keeping him here? Did you let him go or did he just walk off on his own?"
Jemma shook her head. "Neither, actually. The director doesn't need to be here at all. Like I said there is no medical or physical reason for his headaches. I can continue to give him pain killers but that could lead to more serious issues. He needs to face facts before he can even hope to relieve the pain he is mostly bringing on himself."
Daisy wrinkled her whole face in confusion. "What…the hell are you talking about?"
Jemma had walked from the med lab room and headed back to her station with Daisy close behind. She lifted the large book she had used earlier and dropped it on the one desk in the room. She flipped the book open to the first marker and smiled at her younger friend. "We have a lot to talk about and then you and I and hopefully, Fitz have a lot of work to do."
Daisy wrinkled her face a second time and stepped closer to the large text book.
xx
Fitz held his fingers over the keyboard. He wasn't quite sure what to type. Daisy was with her parents?…her bosses?…her friends? He couldn't decide and didn't really know how much the kid knew or needed to know. He hadn't been paying a lot of attention to what went on with her while she was 'visiting'. His mission during that time was just to get her back where she belonged and bring Daisy back at the same time. He was determined at that time to just crash the whole system as soon as he made things right. He did not want to get to know her or be a part of whatever everyone else was falling in love with. It was temporary and eventually it would be gone for good. That was the plan. Give the 'family' a few memories…fake memories that would feel real then dump the whole thing. But then there was Skye, little Skye and her innate ability to worm her way into everyone's heart.
Fitz leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Again it was all his fault. He'd designed the little avatar using all the memories he had of the kid Coulson pulled out of a van in some back alley in LA. Fitz smiled remembering the day she dragged all of her worldly belongings onto the Bus and how he was smitten immediately. He almost blushed at the way he showed her the bunk…the last bunk…next to his. He remembered the silliness of their pranks and practical jokes, of game nights and junk food. They were all so innocent then, but she…she was more innocent than they were and deserved none of the horrifying experiences that befell her. So he designed a Skye that would have a happy childhood with two loving parents. A Skye that would grow up in a regular house on a regular street and go to a regular school and do all kinds of regular kid stuff. A Skye that wouldn't cry herself to sleep or wonder why she was left on a doorstep or had the world pulled out from under her time after time. Skye deserved a little happiness…no she deserved a lot.
So now the question…what was he going to do…how would this fiasco end and who would be hurt again because of him?
He turned back to the laptop and noticed the connection had been switched off. Fitz ran a hand through his hair and breathed a sigh of relief. The kid had said it was night there, probably had been sent off to bed. He closed the laptop and debated on how to tell Daisy about this new development.
"I don't know," Jemma said as she entered the room. "Do you really think it will work? I mean it isn't even real."
"You know as well as I do, it's real enough." Daisy smiled as she followed Simmons.
"Are you sure you feel well enough to do this again?" Jemma sounded more like a doctor than she had a few seconds ago.
"Jemma, I'm fine…one hundred percent." Daisy flicked a finger at a table full of pens and paper shimmering it until the pens rolled to the floor and the paper drifted behind.
"I hope you are going to clean that up," Fitz sighed.
Daisy laughed a small laugh and bent to retrieve the items.
"Enough parlor tricks, Daisy." Jemma shook her head. "I am serious. It might not be wise for you to return so soon after being so ill. We aren't even sure if what ever infected you isn't part of this program."
"Don't be such a worry wart, Simmons," Daisy scoffed as she hopped up onto her usual gurney immediately grimacing at the dull throb in her back side. She squirmed a bit then laid back and clasped her hands across her midsection. "Come on, hook me up just like we planned."
"What are you two doing?" Fitz demanded as he stepped toward the gurney.
Daisy propped herself up on one elbow. "It's simple Fitz and all part of the plan. You send me in. Give me an hour or so to get situated and then you tell Coulson and May I've taken it upon myself to visit the 'family'." She wriggled her eyebrows a few times. "Then you send them in after me and I'll take care of the rest."
"Have you lost your mind?" Fitz asked quickly then turned to Jemma. "Has she lost her mind? Have you both lost your minds? Are you aware of this? What are you…"
"Shhh," Jemma shushed him. "We talked about this Fitz. It's up to us to get Coulson to…to release his feelings toward May and thereby provide a self cure for those dreadful headaches."
"That was all speculation." Fitz reminded her. "You told me yourself it was only a theory."
"But it's the best theory we've got." Daisy quipped. "Anyway we've tried everything else." She lay back down and waited a second then lifted her head. "Come on, what are you waiting for?"
Fitz shook his head as Jemma placed the headset on Daisy and began attaching the leads that would help keep them aware of her vitals while she 'visited the other side'. He stepped to the computer and waited for the blip that would tell him Daisy was ready.
Simmons gripped Daisy's hand and gave it a soft squeeze. Daisy raised the opposite hand in a thumbs-up gesture as her eyes slowly closed.
She faded into the darkness of Skye's bedroom just as Melinda kissed the kid and told her she'd lost her computer indefinitely.
xx
"Daisy!" Skye squealed out loud, pushing herself off the bed and ignoring the reminder her backside gave her. She mad dashed across the short distance and threw herself into Daisy wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her face in her midsection. She looked up at her big self. "I missed you so much. I thought I'd never see you…"
"Skye!" Melinda threw open the door and stormed into the room. "What do I have to do to make you understand?"
The child spun around and stood in front of her adult-self, blinking at her mother who was having none of this.
Melinda pointed at the bed. "Get back in that bed and stay there. If I even think I hear you up again we will repeat exactly what happened in the kitchen. Is that what you need?"
Skye shook her head and covered her bottom with both hands but stood in place.
"Now, Skye," Melinda growled.
Daisy gave the girl a soft shove and Skye dove back into bed quickly sliding under the covers and closing her eyes tightly. "Good night, mommy," she said softly. "I love you."
Melinda let out a soft breath and moved to the bed side. She brushed Skye's hair from her face and kissed her cheek, then her forehead. "I love you too, baobei. Go to sleep."
Skye nodded without opening her eyes, turned on her side and pulled herself into a tight ball. Melinda reached across the bed and brought Ling-a-ling close enough for the child to wrap the little dog in a tight hug. She kissed her daughter again then slipped out of the room, pulling the door closed behind her.
Skye waited until she heard the door at the end of the hall close then opened her eyes. Daisy was still there.
'I guess it's better if I think to you.' She smiled at her big self.
Daisy smiled as she sat on the edge of Skye's bed.
'I thought you were gone forever.' Skye frowned.
'Never,' Daisy thought back. 'I'm yours for good kid. Can't get rid of me.'
Skye started to laugh then pulled the blanket over her mouth. 'Can't get rid of yourself.'
Daisy's brows went high as she shook her head. 'We were pretty sick, huh?' Her face looked more serious.
'It was scary.' Skye agreed. 'Dr. Simmons came and helped me. She helped you too?'
'She's the bestest.' Daisy agreed.
Skye nodded her head and tried to hide a wide yawn. Daisy looked at the small clock on the nightstand. 'Maybe you should get some sleep. It's pretty late.'
'Or early,' Skye proposed. 'When does it stop being late and start being early? It's really confusing, don't you think?' The little girl scrunched up her nose and Daisy saw herself in the child's expression.
'Stop stalling, kid. Don't forget I know all your tricks. Hell, I invented them.' Daisy laughed. 'Time is relevant. Didn't anyone ever tell you that?'
'I got a shot today.' Skye said around another yawn.
'Yeah,' Daisy smiled at her little self trying to hold her eyes open and failing miserably. 'Me too.'
'Dr. Simmons let me yell damn, real loud as many times as I wanted.' Skye pulled her little dog close and snuggled into her pillow.
Daisy smiled again. 'Yeah, me too, kid.' She watched as Skye's breath slowed and she relaxed into sleep and pulled the blankets up around her. She started to stand.
Skye grabbed her hand. 'You won't leave, will you?'
Daisy eased her wrist free and laid the girl's hand back on the mattress. 'No way, kid. I'll be right here when you wake up.'
Skye nodded her head and smiled as she finally let sleep overtake her.
xx
It was a little after nine when Skye opened her eyes. She rolled over and immediately knew she had not dreamt the events of last night or early morning or whenever it was. She looked around the room and felt an emptiness in the pit of her stomach. Maybe she hadn't dreamt her mother's wrath but Daisy was nowhere to be seen. The disappointment was devastating.
'Don't jump to conclusions,' Daisy's voice spoke from…from inside her head?
"Daisy?" Skye said out loud. "Where are you?" She slipped out from under the blankets and stood next to the bed looking in all directions, then fell to her knees and peered underneath.
'I don't have to hide, kid. They can't see me anyway.' Daisy laughed.
"Where are you?" Skye barked.
'Just checking on something,' Daisy answered standing right next to her little self.
"How did you do that?" Skye smiled rubbing both sides of her head. "You can go in my head? How do you fit? Can I do it too? Could you see what I'm thinking?"
'Slow down and shhhh, before your parents think you're losing it.' Daisy warned.
"They can't hear me from all the way downstairs." Skye shook her head. "So tell me, how'd you do it?"
'Not important,' Daisy replied. 'But I have to ask you a big favor. I need your help.'
"You need my help?" Skye poked her own chest.
Daisy nodded. 'I need you to let me take charge for a couple hours.'
"Why?" Skye narrowed her eyes. "You're not gonna get me in trouble again are you?"
Daisy snorted. 'I think you do that well enough all on your own.'
Skye shrugged her shoulders. "Are we going to your…your house?"
Daisy shook her head. 'That hasn't worked out too well for either of us. No, I need to…to encourage my parents and I need to start here.'
"I hope you can do it from my room cuz I am totally grounded today." Skye sighed.
Daisy rolled her eyes and thought for a moment. 'They have to let you eat and use the bathroom and I don't think either of your parents would just ignore you all day long.' She thought about Coulson and May making their way into this world when they found out she once again entered the Fitzwork on her own. It wouldn't be pretty but it would get them there.
"I suppose," Skye agreed. Anyway she wouldn't be spending the day in her room then would she. She'd be off in that…well wherever it was she and Daisy went when they weren't really anywhere. She could see and hear what Daisy was doing anyway, so it might be fun. "Okay," Skye agreed and closed her eyes for the moment it took to let go of her little self and let Daisy be in control.
"Damn!" Daisy groaned as soon as she slipped into her little self. "What the hell?" She massaged her bottom with both hands. "What the hell did you do, kid? I'm gonna have to eat breakfast standing up!"
'Oh, that,' Skye giggled as she admired her big self body, another perk to letting Daisy take control. She got to use Daisy's body. 'I kinda told mommy she couldn't do something…then I told her no a couple times. She got a little mad.'
"A little?" Daisy squeaked. "I don't know what you did or said, kid, but I would advise not doing or saying it again anytime soon and remind me NEVER to pull such a stupid stunt."
Skye giggled again. 'Well, if I knew you were coming it never would have happened.'
"So it's my fault?" Daisy sucked in a quick breath and massaged the throb behind her.
'I guess it was kinda.' Skye shrugged then remembered mommy's warning about the long discussion they were going to have. 'I…ah, I think I should warn you that there's gonna be a lot of talk about it, probably as soon as you have breakfast so don't get me in anymore trouble, okay?'
"Damn it, kid, I don't think I could get you in anymore trouble. Geez, makes me glad May wasn't around when I was your age." Daisy scowled as she slipped her feet into Skye's slippers and pulled on her robe.
Skye didn't giggle. She felt sorry for her big self not having her May-mommy when she was little. 'She would have loved you a real lot, Daisy, even if she punished you cuz you were being a real brat. She would still love you.'
Daisy stopped with her hand on the doorknob. Somewhere inside she knew Skye was right. She felt the love Melinda had for this little girl and finally understood that just as she was Skye…Melinda and May were also the same person. She was counting on that.
'And Daisy?' Skye stopped her for a moment. 'Don't say hell or damn. It isn't healthy for us.'
xx
Daisy stepped into the kitchen quietly and slipped into her chair with a quick grimace.
"Good morning, angel," Phil smiled over the top of the newspaper he was reading. Melinda let out a soft huff as she sipped her tea and glared at the girl for a second. Daisy gave a weak smile.
"Morning, daddy," she smiled back at her father. "Good morning, mommy."
Phil folded the paper and laid it on the table. "How about some French toast?" He waggled his eyebrows at her.
Daisy looked to Melinda who gave a curt nod then back to Phil and nodded her own affirmation. "Thank you, daddy," she mumbled as he stood and started for the refrigerator.
"I hear there was a little trouble during the night." Phil remarked as he cracked an egg into the bowl he had set on the counter.
Daisy shrugged her shoulders. "I guess." She offered without raising her head.
"Your mom filled me in on your little escapade. Not a very smart move on your part." Phil shook his head as he plopped a piece of thick bread into the egg mixture.
"I'm really sorry." Daisy offered, not really sure what she was apologizing for but from the heat in her seat she knew it must have been a doozy.
"We are never, ever going to have another incident like that again. Are we, Skye?" Melinda raised one eyebrow.
Daisy shook her head, still wondering what the hell the kid had done.
Phil set two slices of French Toast in front of the girl and handed her a small bottle of maple syrup. Daisy took it and squeezed it onto the warm bread. "Thank you, daddy." She said softly.
The man sat back down in his seat and folded his hands in front of him. "What ever possessed you to speak to your mother the way you did, Skye?"
Daisy swallowed the bit she was chewing. She wasn't sure what the girl had said but it must have been something insane. She shrugged her shoulders and put down her fork, folding her hands in her lap.
"Skye?" Phil prodded. "We're waiting."
Waiting? Daisy thought. I don't even know what I…she said or why. Now would be a good time to just jump in here kid and help me out. She thought to her little self and waited for some sort of sign that did not come.
"I…I guess I just lost it my mind for a couple minutes." She offered.
Melinda looked at Phil and he immediately knew what she was thinking. No their little girl did not have a mental problem she was just angry and desperate to keep her laptop. So yeah, he believed she lost it for a minute or two.
"It isn't going to happen again, is it Skye?" Phil asked calmly.
Daisy shook her head.
"She will be thinking very hard about it for a few days." Melinda added. "I do not enjoy punishing you Skye. It breaks my heart." She paused and took a deep breath, looking away from her child for a moment then turning back. "I never want to have to do that again, but I will not hesitate to correct your behavior if I have to, do you understand me."
Daisy nodded quickly then realized Melinda, exactly like May, would not accept that answer. "I understand."
"The laptop is going to my office for a few weeks and you will spend the day in your room, except for lunch and dinner of course." Melinda reminded her.
Daisy started to nod then repeated. "I understand. I am sorry, mom…mee…mommy. I'm sorry for everything I said and did."
Melinda sipped her tea and nodded. "Finish your breakfast, Skye"
Daisy didn't really understand why, but a tear slipped over her cheek. She brushed it away quickly, but it was followed by a second and a third and more than she could wipe away fast enough. "I really am sorry for all of it." She sniffed and wiped both eyes with her sleeve.
"Come here, baobei," Melinda sighed as she pushed her chair back from the table and opened her arms.
Daisy was out of her chair and in those arms in an instant, sobbing on this mother's shoulder for something she wasn't even sure she did. Melinda kissed the back of her child's head and held her close, rocking from side to side. "I forgive you, baobei and I love you so very much." For several minutes mother and child held each other and forgave each other. When Melinda stood her little girl in front of her she pulled a Kleenex from her pocket and wiped the girl's eyes. She kissed her cheek and smiled a sad smile. "Sit down and finish your breakfast. Your punishment stands, Skye. I won't change my mind."
Daisy nodded as she slid back on to her chair. Phil smiled as he placed two fresh pieces of toast in front of her and again handed her the syrup. He took the first batch and finished it himself.
Once again Daisy poured the syrup over her toast then cut a small piece and popped it in her mouth. Even in this world Coulson…or Phil…or daddy made the best French Toast. She chewed slowly. She'd draw out this breakfast as long as she could, hopefully when May and Coulson arrived she could wrangle a parole or even a pardon. Hell, May would be just as much in the dark as she was. She hoped.
"Mommy?" she asked quietly as she pushed the pieces of bread around on her plate. Melinda looked up and waited for the child to continue. "How do you know you love daddy?"
Phil swallowed his own piece of toast and smiled at his wife, waiting for her answer.
Melinda set her tea cup down and eyed Phil before turning to Skye. "That's a little difficult to explain, Skye. I just know."
"But how do you know?" Daisy pried. "Do you love him because he loves you back or did he love you first and then you loved him back?"
Phil and Melinda looked at each other. Neither knew how to respond to this question.
"Did you tell mommy you loved her so she would know?" Daisy directed her question toward Phil. "Did you tell her right away?"
Phil smiled at his little girl and her attempt to stall her confinement. "I met your mommy the second day of college when I was about nineteen." He smiled at Melinda. "They made us partners in a self defense class. She wiped the floor with me."
Daisy smiled at him. "Really, mommy fought you."
"It wasn't a real fight, Skye. We were practicing and well, daddy wasn't very good." Melinda smiled.
"I let her win." Phil whispered to his daughter with a wink.
"And then you fell in love?" Daisy asked.
"Not quite," Melinda rolled her eyes.
"Well, not really," Phil agreed then closed his eyes and leaned back for a moment before he stopped and smiled at the little girl.
Daisy smiled to herself knowing that Coulson had just arrived. If all went well May would follow shortly and her plan was already in motion.
"So you didn't fall in love after she beat you at self defense." Daisy prodded, knocking him back on course. She knew he would slowly remember the conversation and neither he nor May would be sure if she was big or little her.
"Ah, no…no we…we ah…" He stumbled over his words.
"We hated each other," Melinda laughed. "Didn't even speak to each other unless we had to and every time we had that self defense class."
"So how did you stop hating each other?" Daisy pressed.
Phil smiled. "It wasn't really hate. It was more like we just couldn't find anything we liked about each other, but we kept ending up in the same places like the library and the cafeteria and then we got paired up for some case work so we saw a lot of one another."
Melinda's cup slipped from her hand and dropped the fraction of an inch to the saucer as she shook her head once. May was with them and unlike either Daisy or Phil immediately knew everything she needed to know to join the action or the conversation. She rubbed her temple once and stared down at the little girl who sat across from her. Daisy looked away quickly.
"Then what?" the little girl begged her father to continue.
"Well, I guess we started giving each other a hard time, lots of teasing and joking. You're mom had a lot of admirers…" he smiled.
"And your father spent a lot of time with his car," May added.
"Hey, I had my share of ladies," Coulson objected.
"Two or three at least," May teased and Coulson laughed as he brought his coffee to his lips.
"We had to take an elective to have enough credits to finish our first semester so we ended up in this ballroom dancing class and yep, you guessed it the teacher made us partners. We were pretty good." Phil smiled as he set down the cup.
"Your father loved it. Me? Not so much." Melinda admitted.
Daisy giggled imagining Coulson waltzing May around the floor. They must have been so cute.
"She teased me about it and I teased her back. We started stopping for something to eat after class and I'd walk her back to her dorm." Phil recalled.
"Like I needed his protection," May snorted.
"Maybe I needed yours," Phil laughed and May joined him.
"Then she dropped out and I was without a partner," Phil shook his head. "I tracked her down and asked her to come back but she had already enrolled in a martial arts class and flat out refused. I was devastated and had to finish the course with the instructor as my partner."
"She was a lovely woman." May reminded him.
"She was seventy years old." He reminded her with a raise of one eyebrow. May laughed a sputtery laugh.
"So what happened?" Daisy begged.
"Well, I missed her so much I started hanging out outside the gym where she had her class just so we could go to that greasy diner and I could walk her back." Phil smiled.
"And then you fell in love?" Daisy asked eager for the answer.
"Not quite," May shook her head as she stood and carried her cup to the sink. She returned and held out a hand to the little girl. "Let's go, Skye, you've asked enough questions."
Daisy let out a frustrated sigh and took her mother's hand. She'd gotten a lot of information and lunch was just a few hours away. She'd get another chance.
May walked her little girl into her room and closed the door behind them. She turned and smiled at the child for a second before her demeanor changed.
"What the hell, kind of game are you playing, Daisy?" May barked causing the child to jump and step back in fear.
"Daisy?" Daisy repeated, hoping to hide her big self inside her little self.
"Don't play me," May leveled a finger at the girl and took a step toward her.
Daisy put up both hands in defense. "Okay, okay…you got me." She admitted as she backed into the side of the bed.
"Explain," May demanded in one word.
"I…I can't," Daisy shrugged.
"You can't? Can't? Or is it more like you won't?" May pressed as she stepped closer. "I have just about had it with this nonsense Daisy and I am very, very tempted to just take advantage of your little self, take you over my knee and show you exactly how fed up I am." She took another step.
Daisy's hands came up again. "No, no, May wait, no…you can't…you can't do that. Think about Skye. She's just a little kid and she had nothing to do with this and…and…"
May stopped and let out a frustrated breath. "And she got her ass blistered last night. Geez what was I thinking and she used that damn paddle? What is wrong with that woman? If I wasn't me I'd knock some sense into myself."
Daisy scrunched up one side of her face and realized how goofy she must sound when doing pretty much the same thing but yeah, Skye had already gotten punished and Daisy wasn't about to let it happen again. Anyway she promised the kid she wouldn't get her in trouble.
"I needed to get both of you here and I didn't think you'd just go along with it." Daisy explained.
"Damn right," May agreed.
"I'm trying to help Coulson with the headache thing, so just go with it, okay. Fitz will pull us out in about two hours so I don't have a lot of time. Please May, just go with this and I'll explain everything, please." Daisy begged.
May narrowed her eyes and let out a breath. "This better be good, Daisy or else."
"I promise." Daisy nodded.
May smiled as she turned toward the door. Daisy followed only to be stopped by May's hand on her chest as she reached the threshold. "Stop right there, little girl." May grinned down at her daughter's little self. "I believe you have been confined to quarters for the day."
Daisy rolled her eyes. "Come on, May." She laughed as she tried to push the woman's hand away but it remained where it was planted.
"Right here," May pointed to the room as she spun her child back into it. "In your room for the rest of the day."
Daisy let out a long breath and shook her head as she turned and stopped her mother just as she was about to close the door. "May?" The woman looked at the child. "Can you at least get her laptop back to her, please?"
May smiled. "I'll see what I can do."
She pulled the door closed as Daisy let herself fall back on the bed
…immediately regretting it.