Chapter 53
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August 20th 2014. Melinda 47. Tony 44.
It has been two months since Melinda's birthday. In that time Melinda has been making a few trips to DC to see Tony and Tony has made a couple of trips to base.
It is a Wednesday morning and Melinda is in Phil's office being briefed on a mission.
"Take Bobbi, Skye, and the Quinjet. It could be nothing, but I want to be sure." Phil responds.
"I could take the suit, be there and back in an hour." Melinda tells Phil, as even though she tries not to use the suit it does come in handy on occasions.
"I considered that but in case this isn't nothing I would prefer you weren't alone." Phil explains.
"What do you think this place is?" Melinda asks.
"I don't know." Phil admits, "We've been tracking leads on Hydra, Rania, Skye's father, Ward, Agent 33, and all of them seem to be connected to this place somehow, and I want to know how and why" Phil explains.
"Do we know if anyone is currently there?" Melinda asks.
"No, we don't exactly have access to Thermal satellites anymore, even with Stark's recent help." Phil comments, he knows that Skye could hack into one but he's decided to only use that in an emergency which he wouldn't class this as, "I'll monitor things from here, and if anything feels off get out of there."
"And if we find people there, what do you want us to do?" Melinda asks.
"Use your judgment." Phil says and Melinda nods.
"We'll be wheels up in twenty." Melinda says before leaving the office, "Bobbi, Skye, gear up, we're leaving in the Quinjet in twenty." Melinda says as she walks through the common are a few minutes later.
"Mission?" Skye asks Bobbi as they both stand up.
"I assume so." Bobbi responds.
"Why only you two? That doesn't seem fair." Hunter comments.
"Life's not fair Hunter." Skye responds. "Plus we're they best that's why it's us." She adds as she and Bobbi leave the room.
"We should go see what the director wants us to do." Simmons tells Fitz, Hunter and Mack.
"If he has a task for us he'll tell us." Mack tells Simmons.
Forty minutes later Skye, Melinda and Bobbi are flying in the Quinjet to the destination that Phil gave Melinda.
"So where exactly are we going?" Skye asks curious.
"A property in the Californian desert, it seems to be somehow connected to everyone we've been interested in for the last few months." Melinda explains.
"Do we have any idea what to expect when we get there?" Bobbi ask.
"No." Melinda responds, "Bobbi I want you to enter through the back, Skye and I will enter through the front." Melinda instructs.
"Yes Ma'am." Bobbi answers and Skye nods.
Four hours later Melinda has landed the Bus near the location and Melinda, Skye and Bobbi are traveling by foot.
When they arrive at the location all three of them pull out ICERS and Melinda uses hand signals to signal to the others what they are meant to be doing.
"In position." Bobbi's whispered voice says through the coms a few minutes later.
"Now." Melinda whispers back and Skye breaks open the front door and they rush into the place that looks like a house.
As Skye and Melinda make their way through the house they end up in the living room where they find a man standing with his hands up, clearly surrounding, but when Melinda looks at the man she doesn't believe what she is seeing.
"No, this isn't possible." Melinda says.
"Hello, Melinda."
"May, you know this guy?" Skye asks surprised.
"No. This is a trick." Melinda says before firing her ICER. Once the man has fallen to the ground Melinda walks over to him and attempts to pull of what she figures must be a mask on his face but she discovers there's not.
"The rest of the place is clear." Bobbi says walking into the room, "What's going on?" Bobbi asks Skye.
"I don't know." Skye responds before walking over to Melinda, "May, what is it?"
"I've seen this man before." Melinda responds.
"Where?" Skye asks.
"In the picture's my mother gave me of my father."
"I thought your Father died when you were a year old." Skye comments, remembering what Antoine told her.
"I thought that too. This shouldn't be possible. He looks like he hasn't aged a day." Melinda says before firing several more ICER rounds into him, "We're taking him back to the playground." She informs Skye and Bobbi.
"I'll collect everything that could provide some answers." Bobbi say sand Melinda nods.
"Are you okay?" Skye asks concerned once Bobbi has left the room.
"Help me get him to the plane." Melinda requests, avoiding Skye's question.
"Sure." Skye responds.
As soon as they get everything back to the Quinjet Melinda informs Bobbi that she is flying back, something which surprises Bobbi, Melinda on the other places the man in one of the chairs, straps him in and cuffs him before sitting down herself right across from him with her ICER raised.
Five hours later Bobbi touches down at the Playground. As Melinda along with Skye and Bobbi, Melinda and Bobbi moving the man, are walking down the ramp and into the hanger, where they find Phil and Simmons waiting.
"Are you sure it's him?" Phil asks Melinda as soon as he sees her.
"I'm not sure of anything." Melinda admits, "Simmons can you run a DNA test?"
"Of course." Simmons says and she walks over, "I'll need a sample from you." She says to Melinda, handing her what looks like a long cue tip. Melinda opens her mouth, runs the cue tip along the inside of her mouth, takes it off and hands it back to Simmons who puts it in a baggy, "I'll need his as well." She says and Bobbi takes the cue tip opens the man's mouth and hands it back to Simmons.
"We should get him to vault D, the ICERS will wear off soon." Bobbi says and Melinda nods so they leave the hanger.
"How was she on the way back?" Phil asks Skye.
"I couldn't say, she sat across from him with the ICER raised the whole time, not saying a word." Skye responds, "Whoever this guy is he knew her Coulson, he greeted her as Melinda." Skye reveals.
"Let's go to the lab." Phil says and Skye nods.
Half an hour later Melinda and Bobbi walk into the lab after securing the man, when they walk in they find everyone else.
"Have you got the results yet?" Melinda asks Simmons.
"Not yet, but they should be done shortly." Simmons responds and Melinda nods and stays at the back of the room. After a couple of minutes Phil walks over to her.
"How are you doing?" Phil asks concerned.
"I don't know." Melinda admits, "I've seen enough to know that nothing is impossible but this, I never even considered this could be possible." Melinda tells Phil, "After I read that file I had some doubts about whether he was dead, but I never thought this." Melinda informs Phil.
"You wouldn't have. I know we've seen some weird stuff, but this, is more than that." Phil tells Melinda.
"The results are in." Simmons says.
"And?" Melinda asks walking over to the computer.
"It's positive, he's your father." Simmons informs Melinda.
"Melinda?" Phil asks concerned when Melinda has been quiet for several minutes.
"I…." Melinda says before leaving the room.
"What do we do?" Skye ask Phil.
"I don't know." Phil admits.
"Should we call May's Mom?" Fitz asks, "She should know about this."
"No. We shouldn't call Deputy Director May until Melinda wants us to." Phil says as he pulls out his phone.
"Who are you calling?" Bobbi asks interested.
"Someone May would want here." Phil says as he puts the phone to his ear, "Tony, its Phil."
"Is Melly okay?" Tony asks concerned as that is the only reason why he can think of for Phil to call him.
"Physically she's fine, but no, she's not okay." Phil explains.
"What happened?"
"It's better I don't explain over the phone." Phil informs Tony, "But you should get here, soon."
"Phil? What's going on?" Tony asks it being clear from his voice just how concerned he is and Phil is pretty sure that he has never heard that much concern in Tony's voice before.
"Just get here Tony." Phil says before hanging up.
"Why didn't you tell him what's going on?" Hunter asks curious.
"Because I don't know who else is listening." Phil explains.
"PHIL. PHIL." Tony yells into the phone once Phil hangs up, "Damn it." He says angrily.
"What's going on?" Natasha asks as along with Clint and Bruce they are in the lab at Avengers tower with Tony.
"I don't know." Tony admits, "That was Phil, he said that Melly's not physically hurt but that she's not okay and I should get to the base." Tony explains grabbing the stuff in the lab he needs, including his easy to transport Iron Man suit.
"I'm coming with you." Clint tells Tony, who looks at him surprised, "Mels is my sister, if she's not okay then I want to do whatever I can to help." He says and Tony nods.
"I'm coming too." Natasha says, as she knows that for Phil to call Tony then whatever is going on must be big.
"I'll let the others know what's going on when you get back." Bruce tells them.
"Thanks." Tony says and along with Natasha and Clint he leaves the lab.
Back at the base Skye is searching the base for Melinda. When she looks though the training room door and sees Melinda beating up a punching bag she pauses as she remembers Tony's words and debates whether she should go in or not.
"Give her time." Phil's voice says and Skye turns around to face him.
"I want to help her." Skye tells Phil.
"I know you do, but you can't right now." Phil tells her, "She needs time." Phil explains as she walks over to Skye, "Her worlds been turned upside down, again, she needs time to think about just what that means, to deal with it." Phil explains.
"I don't like this." Skye tells Phil.
"Neither do I." Phil responds, "If I thought it would help I would go in their right now and try and get Melinda to talk to me, but I've known her long enough to know that she needs time after something like this." Phil explains.
"Just how long have you two known each other?" Skye asks curious.
"Thirty years, plus a few months." Phil answers.
"Seriously?" Skye asks shocked, "That's like five years longer than I've been alive." She comments.
"Thanks for that, really." Phil responds, "I really like to be reminded of how old I am."
"Sorry." Skye responds, "That's just, wow." Skye admits, "So you guys have known each other most of your lives." Skye realise.
"Yeah. Melinda was sixteen I was seventeen when we met." Phil informs Skye.
"Wow." Skye responds, still surprised, "I had no idea you guys have been friends for that long."
"Yeah, we have." Phil answers, "I'm just as worried as you Skye, but I know that if we try and approach Melinda now nothing good will happen."
"Do you think Tony will be able to help her?" Skye asks curious.
"I think he has the best chance." Phil admits, "But I don't even know if he will be able to." Phil explains and Skye nods, "Why don't we head back to the common area, wait with the others." He suggest and, clearly reluctant, Skye nods and they both head back towards the common area.
It has been about an hour and a half since Phil called and because they couldn't risk flying, because it would give away their location, Tony is speeding towards the playground in one of his cars.
"Tony I know you're worried about Mels but personally I would prefer that we made it to wherever we are going in one piece." Clint informs Tony from the backseat as Natasha is sitting in the front.
"I'm not going that fast." Tony argues.
"You really are. Slow down." Natasha tells him.
"No. I need to get to Melly." Tony responds.
"Yeah and you won't get to Mel in one piece if you don't slow down." Natasha informs him.
"I'll slow down a bit, but that's it." Tony responds.
"That's all I'm asking."
It has been about two hours and fifteen minutes since Phil called Tony and the alarms that tell him that someone has arrived at base go off.
"It's Stark, and he's not alone." Bobbi tells Phil before he has a chance to look at the screen.
"Who's with him?" Phil asks curious.
"Barton and Romanoff." Bobbi answers.
"I want you all to wait here, I need to talk to Tony, Clint and Natasha alone first." Phil says picking up a tablet.
"We will get to meet them though, right?" Skye asks, excited about meeting more Avengers.
"Of course, but I need to talk to them first." Phil says as he walks out of the room.
Before heading to the garage, because he knows it will be a few minutes before Tony pulls in, Phil goes up to his office and collects to spare lanyards to give Clint and Natasha before heading down to the hanger where he arrives just as Tony pulls the car in.
Before Phil can even say anything Clint has rushed out of the car ran over to him and is hugging him.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Clint tells Phil as he hugs him.
"It wasn't your fault Clint." Phil responds as he returns the hug, "I don't want you to blame yourself." He says.
"I'm so glad you're okay." Clint says as he and Phil break apart, "I never want to go through losing a brother again." He informs Phil.
"I'll do my best." Phil responds, "Hey, Nat." Phil says to Natasha a little worried about how she is going to react.
"I don't know whether to be thrilled that you're alive or pissed at you for doing something as stupid as taking on Loki alone." Natasha tells Phil.
"Missed you too Nat." Phil says with a grin, having known Natasha long enough to know what she is really saying.
"Don't even think about doing that again." Natasha tells Phil before hugging him.
"Where's Melly? Is she okay? What happened?" Tony asks once Phil and Natasha break apart only having waited as long as he has because he knew that Natasha and Clint needed their time with Phil first.
"I'll explain what happened in a minute, but first you need to see this. It's a live stream to vault D." Phil says before handing the tablet over to Tony.
"This isn't possible." Tony says when he sees what's on the screen, a look of complete disbelief on his face, "How is this possible?" he asks Phil.
"Tony, what is it?" Natasha ask, concerned about his reaction.
"We're still working on the how, but according to the DNA test it is him." Phil explains.
"How do you find him?" Tony asks, still having a lot of trouble believing what he is seeing.
"Melinda, Bobbi and Skye were investigating a location that has connections to all the things we've been doing lately, they found him there. According to Skye he knew who Melinda was right away." Phil explains.
"Where is she?" Tony asks.
"Training room." Phil answers and Tony hands the tablet to Clint before rushing out of the hanger.
"I don't understand, what is going on? Who is this guy?" Clint asks.
"According to DNA results he's Melinda's father." Phil answers.
"That's not possible." Clint says as Natasha just looks surprised, "Even if Mels's Dad did somehow survive the car accident he would be in his seventies, not his late twenties or early thirties. This isn't possible." Clint says.
"A few months ago I probably would have said the same thing but this isn't the first time in recent times that we have come across someone who's reversed their aging process or hasn't aged at all." Phil reveals and for several minutes all of them are quiet.
"How's she doing?" Natasha asks concerned, breaking the silence.
"As well as can be expected." Phil says, "Here. You're going to need these." Phil says handing them each a lanyard, "Do you want to meet the rest of the team?"
"Sure. Anyone we know?" Clint asks.
"Bobbi, but that's it." Phil responds.
After leaving Phil, Clint and Natasha Tony heads straight for the training room. He arrives there several minutes after leaving the hanger and when he does he finds Melinda beating the punching bag with more force than he's seen her use on a bag since after Bahrain.
"You know we could put on the suits and fight, save you from hurting yourself or anything else." Tony says as he walks over to Melinda.
"Phil call you?" Melinda says making it sound like a question thought they both know it's a statement.
"Yeah. Clint and Natasha are here too." Tony responds and Melinda continues to punch the bag, "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Nope." Melinda responds as she continues to hit the bag, this time even harder.
"Are you sure?" Tony asks as he holds the bag steady, "Because your actions are saying otherwise." Tony comments, "Come on Melly for the sake of the bag, and your hands, talk to me." Tony requests, "Please." He adds.
"I….I don't know what I am thinking." Melinda says walking over and sitting on the large pile of mats, "When I walked in that room I couldn't believe it." Melinda says as Tony walks over and sits next to her, "I've always wanted to see my father again to spend time with him."
"I know." Tony responds, as he reaches over and grabs Melinda's hand, "Ever father's day you would shut yourself in your room all day." Tony responds, "Or attempt to anyway, but Jarvis or Uncle Gabe or even Dad would always drag you out." Tony says.
"I hated that day so much." Melinda admits, "I don't know if you knew this, but every father's day I was always jealous of you Jacks and Mark, because you all had a Dad to spend it with and I didn't." Melinda reveals.
"I knew, I always knew." Tony responds, "We all did."
"I used to wish for the chance to spend a day with him and now, it's the last thing I want." Melinda responds.
"Well what do you want?" Tony asks, "Whatever you want I will help you get it." Tony tells her.
"Honestly, I want answers." Melinda admits, "I want to know where he's been the last forty six years, I want to know why he faked his death, why he hasn't aged, and why he was at a place that has links to Hydra." Melinda explains.
"As much as I don't want to say this I think they only way you're going to get your answers is if you talk to him." Tony informs Melinda.
"I know, but can't. Can I just sit here for a while?" Melinda asks.
"Of course you can." Tony says letting go of Melinda's hand so that he can put his arm around her, "Take all the time you need."
"Thank you for being here Anthony." Melinda says as she leans into the arm Anthony has around her.
"No need to thank me Melly, there is no where I would rather be." Tony responds as he places a kiss on Melinda's head.
For about half an hour Melinda and Tony sit in silence. Tony with his arm around Melinda, Melinda leaning into the hug.
"It's time." Melinda finally says, "I can do this."
"Are you sure?" Tony asks.
"No, but I need to." Melinda responds.
"Do you want me to come with you? Because I can if you want." Tony informs Melinda.
"Thanks, but no. I have to do this alone." Melinda responds.
"Okay well I'll watch the live stream from Phil's office, if you want my help just signal the camera and I'll come in." Tony tells Melinda.
"Thank you." Melinda responds, "Have the others with you. Nat and Bobbi are two of the best interrogators in the world, they'll be able to pick up on things I don't see." Melinda explains.
"Sure, I can do that." Tony responds as Melinda stands up, "If you need anything I'll be watching."
"Thank you." Melinda says and they kiss before leaving the room and heading in different directions.
While Melinda heads down to vault D Tony heads to the common area where he finds everyone sitting around.
"How is she?" Natasha asks being the first one to see Tony.
"Considering everything she's doing okay." Tony admits, "She's going to talk to him. I'm going to watch from Phil's office and she said for all of you to watch with me, especially you and Bobbi." Tony say looking at Natasha, who nods knowing exactly why Melinda would have wanted that.
"Let's go." Clint says and everyone rushes upstairs.
Because she wants to give Tony and the others enough time to get to Phil's office and because she wants to be completely fine when she faces him Melinda spends a couple of minutes outside vault D collecting herself before she walks in.
When Melinda walks down the stairs and into vault D she finds the man who according to DNA is her father sitting, awake, cuffed to the chair just like she and Bobbi left him. So after she temporarily lowers the barrier Melinda walks in the second part of the vault and walks over and sits across from him, putting the barrier back up as she does.
"Melinda. I know this must be shocking for you." The man who Melinda is internally referring to as Zachary as she will not refer to him as her father, "I am happy to see you." He reveals it being clear that he is trying to play the part of a father.
"No, you don't get to act like that, not after forty six years." Melinda responds, "I want to know what happened? What happened the day you were meant to have died?" Melinda says.
"That's a long story." Zachary responds.
"We've got time." Melinda responds.
"Well I guess I should start at the beginning." Zachary responds, "I come from a long line of special people, you come from a line of special people. Everyone in our family has a gift, you have a gift, my twin sister and I, your Aunt, have the same gift, we don't age." Zachary explains, "I never told your mother that. After you were born I realised that soon your Mother, and Peggy and Howard were going to realise and start asking questions, so when your mother was on a mission I faked my death, being sure that everything I knew Howard and Peggy would check for would tell them that the person in the car was me." Zachary explains.
"Why didn't you just tell them the truth? Mama, Aunt Peggy and Uncle Howard would have accepted you." Melinda says.
"They would have accepted me for what I am, not who I am and what I have done." Zachary explains.
"Tell me, who are you? What have you done?" Melinda asks not sure if she wants to know or not.
"I don't think I should tell you."
"You don't get to decide what I should know." Melinda says, "You've been gone for forty six years. I've spent most of my life thinking you were dead so you owe me the truth." Melinda tells Zachary, "And if you can't do that then I walk, and you'll never see me again, it's a simple as that." Melinda informs him, fully meaning her words.
"I sold out my sister." Zachary answer, not wanting Melinda to walk, "I told people, bad people about her, and about her gift to protect myself and then I ended up working for them." Zachary explains.
"Who? Who'd you work for?" Melinda asks and as Zachary looks anywhere but at her and she remembers where she found him she realises, "Hydra, you work for Hydra." Melinda realises, disgusted.
"Yes."
"Why the hell would you work for Hydra?" Melinda asks, not even bothering to keep the anger out of her voice.
"Because at the time it was either be on their side or be an enemy and I wasn't going to be an enemy." Zachary answers.
"How could you have lived with yourself? Especially when you knew people who gave up everything to fight Hydra?" Melinda asks and then she realises something, "You meeting Mama wasn't an accident. You targeted her so that you could stay close to Uncle Howard and Aunt Peggy." Melinda realises.
"I needed to make sure they didn't discover the truth." Zachary responds, there being no emotion in his voice at all.
"She loved you, they trusted you." Melinda says, actually letting her fury show, "She blamed herself for your death."
"I know. I loved her too. I love you." Zachary informs Melinda, "I tried to get you many times when you were growing up, but the security that your mother and godparents had surrounding you was too strong, I never could get myself or anyone else close enough."
"There was a reason for that." Melinda says, "We're done here." Melinda says standing up.
"Wait, Melinda. I'm your father, let me explain." Zachary begs.
"No. You are not my father, you've never been my father. I have three fathers, Jarvis, Uncle Howard and Uncle Gabe were my father's, not you. They may have had their issues, and god knows they weren't perfect, but they are a thousand times the father you could ever hope to be." Melinda says, "There is no explanation I would have accept for what you've done. Making me believe that you have been dead for my whole life I may have been able to forgive with time, but using my family, being a member of Hydra that I can never forgive." Melinda says, "Goodbye Zachary, you'll never see me again." Melinda says walking to the barrier.
"Melinda wait!" Zachary says and Melinda doesn't turn around, "You have a daughter." He says getting desperate, as he doesn't want Melinda to walk away.
"What?" Melinda ask turning back around.
"You have a biological daughter." Zachary says to Melinda's shock.
