Chapter 38
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.
AN: Thank you to all who have added to alerts, read, reviewed or any combination of the three. It means a lot to me.
AN2: THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUHC. ALSO You will recognize a line from episode thirteen in here because I couldn't resist using it.
It has been a week since Skye went to Stark tower and Steve Rogers had dinner with the Coulson women. It is the middle of the night and Skye wakes up thirsty. As she gets up and walks downstairs she is surprised to find her Mother sitting on the couch in the dark.
"Mom, what's wrong?" Skye asks worried walking over.
"Nothing." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Yes there is." Skye tells her mother sitting down next to her cross legged. "Do you want me to pull out the double chocolate ice-cream to make you talk?" Skye asks curious "Because I will."
Melinda manages a small smile back but doesn't say anything.
"Wait, have you been crying?" Skye asks worried.
"A little." Melinda admits.
"Talk to me Mom, please." Skye requests but Melinda is still silent, "Okay if you won't talk to me then how about Dad? Do you want me to call him?" Skye asks her mother hoping the answer is yes.
"No, don't call your father." Melinda requests.
"Is there something I can do? Anything?" Skye asks wanting to do something to help.
"No, go back to bed Skye. One of us should get some sleep." Melinda tells her daughter.
"No way, I'm not going anywhere." Skye tells her mother a she moves so that she is sitting right next to her mother and puts the blanket that Melinda has over her over both of them.
"I love you Mom, if you ever want to talk I'm here." Skye tells her mother.
"You didn't even consider using your Powers to find out what's wrong did you?" Melinda asks the minutes later
"Of course not." Skye tells her mother "You obviously didn't want to talk about it so I won't force you."
"Thank you." Melinda tells her daughter knowing how much she hates secrets and appreciating that she won't use a way she has to find out what's wrong even though she could.
"Of course." Skye responds.
Half an hour Skye has fallen asleep but Melinda is still awake thinking about a lot of different things one of which is that she wishes she could have a drink.
When Skye wakes up the next morning he finds her Mom looking just as awake as she did hours earlier.
"Did you get any sleep?" Skye asks her mother curious.
"A little." Melinda lies not wanting to worry Skye more.
"Which means you really got none." Skye realises. "Don't lie to me, please Mom." Skye requests.
"I don't want you to worry about me." Melinda tells her daughter.
"I'll worry more if I know you're lying." Skye tells her mother clearly not happy with being lied to.
"I'm sorry Skye." Melinda tells her, "My sleeping habits, how I'm doing, and other questions like that are all questions I am used to lying about. Even to your Dad and Aunt and Uncle, but like you they know when I'm lying, but I still try. I don't like people worrying about me." Melinda explains to Skye wanting to get her to understand that she didn't lie to hurt her.
"I'm going to worry Mom. For the first time in my life I have people that I truly love and care for enough to worry about, and that's you and Dad and everyone else. I'm going to worry, just like you worry about me." Skye tells her mother.
"I'll try to answer honestly in the future." Melinda tells her daughter, "But you've got to try and do the same."
"Deal." Skye responds, "Do you want breakfast from that Dinner up the road again?" Skye asks curious.
"That would be good."
"Usual?" Skye asks curious and Melinda nods.
"I'll get changed and then get going." Skye says moving the blanket off her and heading upstairs.
Half an hour later and Skye is walking down the front steps out of the house when her phone rings. Looking down at the caller id she smiles when she sees it.
"Hey." She says answering.
"Hi, I didn't wake you did I. I didn't realise what the time was until after I already pressed call." Ward's worried voice answers.
"No you didn't wake me, I'm actually on my way to get breakfast for me and Mom. What is the time anyway?" She asks realising that she doesn't know.
"About six forty five, your time." Ward answers "Why are you going to get breakfast don't you have food at your house?" Ward asks confused.
"Yeah we do, but neither me nor Mom want to risk doing anything to Dad's kitchen so we get our breakfast from this local diner and either have take out or very carefully heat up meals Dad made us for dinner." Skye explains.
"What about lunch?" Ward asks realising that she forgot one meal.
"Whatever." Skye answers, "Two days ago we each ate about two boxes of chocolate each for lunch." Skye admits truthfully.
"When you get back here I will not make training easier on you just because you have spent six weeks eating crap." Ward reveals.
"Don't worry, once Mom is off bed rest we're going to start working out together." Skye explains, remembering the conversation that happened when they were eating said boxes of chocolate, as she enters the dinner.
"Good." Ward respond.
"Hold on a sec." She says into the phone, "Hi can I get two large coffees to go and two big breakfasts, scrambled eggs in one sunny side up in the other also to go." She says to the person behind the counter
"Will be about ten minutes."
"Thanks." Skye says walking over to a table, "You still there?"
"Yeah I'm here." Ward answers. "Oh FitzSimmons wanted me to say hello to you and to tell you that you better call them."
"I'll call them later." Skye comments, "How's everything going?"
"Good. Your Dad clearly misses you and May, but Agent Barton is keeping him in line."
"How exactly is he doing that?" Skye asks worried.
"Mainly being as annoying as possible so Coulson has to deal with him instead of how much he misses you guys." Ward explains.
"Please tell me you are getting pictures." Skye requests.
"I believe FItzSimmons has been filming it for you." Ward informs her.
"Awesome"
"So what have you been doing?" Ward asks curious as he walks out into the living area
"Hanging around with Mom mainly." Skye answers, "We've been watching a lot of movies and TV. I think we're well above double digits for the amount of times we've watched Grease." Skye reveals.
"Is that my Niece?" Clint's voice asks though the phone line.
"Put him on." Skye requests.
"Hey Kid." Clint tells Skye.
"Hey Uncle Clint." Skye tells her Uncle. "So Ward said you're making things harder on Dad." Skye tells her Uncle.
"Just to distract him because you and Mels aren't here." Clint answers, "It's all in good fun." He explains as Skye collects and pays for her order and walks out of the dinner.
"Does he know that?" Skye asks curious.
"Of course he does." Clint answers, "But he deserves some of it."
"Why?" Skye asks interested.
"Because due to the fact that Mels can't drink he has banned all alcohol on the bus." Clint explains.
"Seriously?" Skye asks shocked. "He does realise that by the time Mom is back on the bus she'll be able to drink again, right?" Skye asks surprised.
"I don't think he does." Clint answers.
"Has there been a mutiny yet?" Skye asks curious.
"Not yet, but It's pretty close to it." Clint answers.
"You know the cupboard in my bunk where I keep a whole bunch of food?" Skye asks her Uncle.
"Yeah, of course I do." Clint responds confused about why she is mentioning it.
"Right at the back of the cupboard there are several bottles of cheap stuff if you get desperate." Skye informs her Uncle.
"Thanks Kid." Clint says sincerely.
"Now tell the truth. Are you still being horrible to my boyfriend Uncle Clint?" Skye asks.
"YOU'RE WHAT?" Coulson's voice asks.
"I'm on speaker aren't I?" Skye asks becoming worried.
"Kind of, yeah." Clint answers.
"A little warning please next time." Skye tells her Uncle as she walks in the front door.
"Sorry, how was I meant to know you would say that just as your Dad walked over?"
"Look Dad I can explain." Skye comments causing Melinda to look up at her confused.
"Try, Agent Ward go wait in my office." Coulson instructs.
"Look we kissed just after Mom woke up, which Director Fury and Agent Hill saw on the camera's so everyone knew within minutes." Skye explains, "We've been trying to figure things out. Please don't Kill Grant Dad." Skye request.
"Why will Phil want to kill Ward?" Melinda asks confused, "What's going on?"
"I'll explain in a minute." Skye tells her mother, "Dad?" She asks worried.
"I'm still here." Coulson comments, "Why didn't you tell us sooner? I'm guessing from what I can hear of you mother that she didn't know either." He comments.
"No she didn't." Skye answers, "Am I off speaker?" she asks.
"Yeah." Coulson answers.
"Because we kissed when Mom woke up and had a brief talk about how we wanted to be together but we haven't seen each other since. But he's already been threatened by Tony and Uncle Clint and I'm not sure who else, but I assume to тетя Наташа as well and possibility, Hill and Fury or FitzSimmons. What if he realises that being with me is too complicated? What if by the time Mom and I get back to the plane he doesn't want to be with me?" Skye asks her Dad, "I didn't tell you when we first kissed because you hadn't slept in days and I haven't told you since because I didn't know where the relationship was going and you and Mom are the most important people to me and I didn't want to change that, I don't want you guys to hate me, but what if he finds someone better while I'm gone, and maybe." Skye begins to say but she starts to hyperventilate
"SKYE." Melinda says worried rushing to her daughters' side as fast as she can.
"Hey look at me, breath, just breathe sweetheart." Melinda tells her daughter.
"SKYE? MEL?" Coulson's voice asks through the phone that Skye has dropped on the ground.
"She's having a panic attack." Melinda informs Coulson through the phone.
"Mels get her to focus on you." Clint says stealing the phone out of Coulson's hand knowing what to do because he and Natasha have helped her through a panic attack before, "Breathe deeply in and out and get her to copy you as you do. Talk her through it." Clint instructs.
"Okay, Skye look at me." Melinda tells her daughter, "Just breathe in and out, like this." Melinda says doing what Clint described.
For ten minutes Melinda does what Clint describes and slowly Skye gets her breathing under control.
"I'm okay now." Skye tells her mother.
"We will never hate you." Melinda tells her daughter, "Never, and if Ward doesn't see how amazing you are then he's an idiot." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Thanks." Skye tells her Mother. "Dad." She realises picking up the phone off the ground.
"Yeah, I'm here Baby Girl. Are you alright?" he asks worried.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Skye assures her father.
"You're Mom's right, we can never hate you." Coulson tells his daughter.
"Thanks Daddy." Skye says calling him Daddy for the first time because at the moment she feels like a little kid, not a grown adult.
"I've got a specialist waiting in my office, so I better go talk to him." Coulson comments.
"Don't be too hard on him." Skye requests, "Please Dad." She requests.
"He wants to date my baby girl, I'm not going to be easy on him." Coulson tells his daughter.
"Okay just have Uncle Clint there, you won't kill him if there is a witness." Skye comments.
"You're Uncle Clint might help." Coulson reminds her.
"Maybe, but we have a deal." Skye comments. "Love you Dad." Skye tells him.
"Love you to Baby Girl." Coulson tells him, "Tell your Mom that I will talk to her later." Coulson requests.
"I will." Skye tells her father "And Dad, no matter what happens between me and Ward you'll always be my number one guy." Skye says before hanging up.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Melinda asks worried
"Yeah, I'm fine." Skye assures her mother, "This isn't weird is it? Me and ward having a relationship after the thing you guys had?" she asks her mother worried.
"You know about that?" Melinda asks shocked as she didn't know that she did.
"I heard you guys fighting before Dad was taken, remember." Skye comments, "I figured it out. Not sure on when it ended though." Skye admits remembering when she first found out that she was upset but that was quickly over shadowed by Coulson's abduction.
"When you're Dad was hurt." Melinda tells Skye "Phil did what he has done ever time in the last twenty years when he finds out that I was seeing someone, he threatened Ward. We ended things because we didn't want it to get complicated, it was never meant to be anything more than a fling. He realised that I still had feelings for your father and I think he was starting to realise he liked you." Melinda explains.
"Is that why you guys stopped talking?" Skye asks realising that the timeline matches up.
"Yeah, are you okay with this?" Melinda asks worried because from what she has seen Skye really likes Ward and she wouldn't want her fling with Ward to jeopardise something that could be good for her daughter.
"It's odd, I'm not going to lie, but I like him Mom, I guess we'll see how it goes." Skye tells her mother. "Now I'm hungry. How about we get started on this breakfast." Skye says pulling the bag with their food over.
"Sounds good." Melinda tells her daughter and the pair get started on their breakfast sitting on the floor next to each other in the living room.
"Why didn't you tell me that Skye has panic attacks?" Coulson asks his friend once Skye has hung up the phone.
"Because she asked me not to, she said she was going to tell you and Mels in her own time. She used to have them a lot when she was a teenager and she's had a few in the last few months. That's all I know, if she hadn't told you guys in the next few weeks I was going to, but I wanted to give her a chance to tell you herself." Clint explains to his friend.
"The panic attack you and Tasha helped her through, what was it about?" Coulson asks interested.
"It was the third day after Mels woke, you remember the one. Mels oxygen levels got dangerously low and you sent us to the plane for the night. It was then both Nat and I realised what was going on right away and Nat was able to help her through it, that's how I knew what to do." Clint explains.
"Thank you." Coulson tells his friend.
"Of course." Clint responds.
"I've got to go talk to Ward." Coulson tells his friend.
"I'm coming with you." Clint tells his friend.
"What is this deal you and Skye have?" Coulson asks his friend interested.
"I won't hurt or maim Ward unless he does something to deserve it." Clint explains as they walk up the stairs.
When Coulson and Clint enter Coulson's office they find Ward waiting by the couch.
"First my wife now my daughter?" Coulson asks angrily.
"Hang on what?" Clint asks confused, "You had a thing with Mels?" he ask a hint of anger
"You didn't know?" Coulson ask surprised.
"No, why would I?" Clint asks surprised.
"Tasha knows." Coulson answers.
"Huh." Clint comments surprised.
"Sir, this is different than what happened between Agent May and I." Ward comments feeling like it is safe to interrupt now that Coulson and Clint have finished talking, "I really do care about Skye and I will never intentionally hurt her. She is an amazing person Sir and I want to be with her." Ward tells the overprotective Dad and Uncle.
"From what I know she likes you as well Agent Ward and for reasons I don't understand she wants to be with you too. If I could stop her without her ending up hating me I would, but I can't. So here are the rules, if I even get the slightest hint that you are going to hurt her or do anything I don't like then I will transfer you to Barrow, Alaska where you will spend the rest of your days doing the night shift guarding Blonsky's cryo-chamber, and if you do hurt her I have a team of superhero's on speed dial, all of whom are quite protective of her who would be more than willing to make you pay in every way they know how." Coulson tells Ward, "Do I make myself clear?" he asks.
"Yes Sir." Ward responds.
"Dismissed." Coulson and Clint say together.
"Blonsky's cryo-chamber?" Clint asks his friend.
"You've heard the stories." Coulson states.
"Of course, not complaining actually impressed with the creativity." Clint tells his friend. "So now explain the whole Mels Ward thing? I want to know whether I should accidently hit him with an Arrow during our next mission." Clint tells his friend.
Coulson sits down behind his desk and begins the story.
Three days later things have settled down, Clint did 'accidently' hit Ward with an arrow during the latest mission, but he made sure that he did basically no damage, only graze the young specialist, because he didn't want Skye to mad at him but he felt the need to do something.
Ever since the night that Skye woke up and found her Mother on the couch Melinda has only gotten a few hours' sleep but as she has taken to staying in her room Skye isn't aware of how much trouble her mother has had sleeping.
It is a little after midnight and Skye is woken by screaming coming from her mother's room. Getting up and running into her mother's room Skye finds her in the middle of a very bad nightmare. Skye rushes to her mother's side and tries to shake her awake but that turns out to be the wrong choice as Melinda reacts and accidently throws her into a wall in a reflect.
"Oh god Skye, I'm so so sorry." Melinda says rushing to Skye's side when she wakes and realises what she did.
"I'm okay." Skye assures her mother.
"You're bleeding." Melinda realising that Skye hit her head and the back is bleeding.
"I'm fine." Skye assures her Mother, "Are you alright?" Skye asks worried.
"I hurt you, oh god Skye, I'm so sorry." Melinda repeats becoming upset.
"Mom, I'm okay. I promise you." Skye tells her, "You didn't mean to, I know it." Skye tells her mother. "Hey it's okay." Skye says reaching out to grab her hand.
"No, I hurt you, all I do is hurt people. I'm a horrible person." Melinda says before racing out of the room.
"Damn it." Skye says getting up and following her mother hearing the door to the bathroom close and lock as she does.
"Mom." Skye says knocking on the door.
"Stay away Skye, I'll just hurt you." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Mom it was an accident, it wasn't your fault." Skye tells her mother but receives no answer in responds. "Okay I need help." Skye says walking across to her room, as she does she feels blood drip down the back of neck.
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