Chapter 54

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August 20th 2014. Melinda 47. Tony 44.

While Melinda is in Vault D talking to Zachary Tony, Phil, Skye, Natasha, Clint, Bobbi, Hunter, Fitz, Simmons, and Mack are in Phil's office watching the live stream of what is going on.

"You have a biological daughter." They all hear Zachary tell Melinda.

"Come on Melly, don't let him get to you." Tony mutters to himself shocked at the news but more concerned about Melinda than anything.

"Is he telling the truth?" Clint asks Natasha and Bobbi, knowing them both long enough to know they will be able to tell.

"He's getting desperate, he wants Melinda to keep taking to him, I would say he's telling the truth." Natasha comments.

"So would I." Bobbi says agreeing.

"You have thirty second to explain that." Melinda says, "Because I think I would know if had a daughter." Melinda informs Zachary, clearly making it seem like Zachary's words hasn't affected her.

"Good Mel, don't let him see that he's affected you." Natasha comments.

"Twenty nine." Melinda says once Zachary hasn't said anything, making it clear that she isn't bluffing.

"My sister couldn't have children." Zachary says quickly, "It was a birth defect." He explains, "She always wanted to have children but she could never conceive herself. I'm a gifted scientist and I searched for decades to find a way to help her, but I never found something that worked." He explains, "On the day I left, before I dropped you at day care, I performed surgery on you." Zachary says and Skye, Fitz and Simmons gasp while the others just look angry, "I removed some of your eggs and ovarian tissue and so you would never find out what I did I infected you with a formula I created to help my sister, that didn't work on her, and it caused you to produce even more eggs, triple what I took." Zachary reveals and Melinda is struggling not to react for that, "Once I was done I injected you with another formula that healed you, leaving no sign of what I did."

"You're sick. I am disgusted with you" Melinda says, truly meaning her words and feeling violated and even sick.

"I don't blame you for that." Zachary admits, "My sister was to when I told her what I did, and when I gave her the frozen eggs." He admits, "She said that she was never going to use them, but then, years later, she fell in love and got married, and her and her husband wanted kids more than anything." Zachary reveals, "So she fertilized your eggs with Cal's, her husband's sperm, and Jiaying got pregnant with a daughter, a little girl they called Daisy." Zachary reveals.

"Oh my god." Skye says completely shocked.

"Skye, what is it?" Phil asks concerned.

"My father he said his name was Cal, and he called me Daisy." Skye explains, "This can't be a coincidence."

"Looks like Melly doesn't think so either." Tony notes as he notices Melinda looking at the camera for a brief second.

"I can help you find her." Zachary tells Melinda, "You won't find her without me, and you're too much like your mother and godparents not to try, you need me." Zachary tells Melinda.

"I don't need anything from you." Melinda says before lowering the barrier and walking out of the room, raising the barrier once she is passed it.

"Tasha, Bobbi was he telling the truth?" Clint asks about a minute later once everyone is over their shock.

"Yeah, I think he was." Bobbi says, "He obviously wants or needs May and he thinks the way to get to her is by telling the truth."

"I agree." Natasha says.

"Skye, are you okay?" Phil asks concerned.

"I don't know." Skye admits, "What he said about special people is exactly what Rania and Cal said, I want to know. I need to know." Skye admits, "Can you run a DNA test?" Skye asks Simmons.

"Of course." Simmons responds as what sounds like an alarm goes off from Phil's computer.

"What's that mean?" Natasha asks preparing herself for a fight.

"Melinda's open the roof above where he suit is, she's leaving." He realises, "She's running." He says looking up at everyone else.

"Can you blame her, that's a whole lot of crap she's just discovered." Hunter comments.

"Thank you for that Hunter." Phil comments, "If she's in stealth mode then we won't find her."

"Guess it's a good thing I have a pretty good idea where she's gone then." Tony comments.

"Are you sure?' Skye asks it being clear that even though she is shocked about what she just heard and what it could mean she is also worried about Melinda.

"I think if she's not where I suspect she's gone then she truly doesn't want to be found." Tony says, "I'm going to go check." He says walking out of the office.

"Can you run the test now?" Skye asks Simmons.

"Of course." Simmons responds and the two of them leave the office.

"Do you have any other Hydra members in custody here?" Natasha asks.

"One. But he's still unconscious from a suicide attempt." Phil answers.

"Hunter and I will go keep an eye on him, just in case." Bobbi says.

"We will?" Hunter asks surprised, then notices the look on Bobbi's face, "Right, we will." He responds and he and Bobbi leave the room, Fitz and Mack follow after them as they aren't really sure what they should be doing.

"Do you think Tony will find Mels?" Clint asks.

"Only if she wants to be found." Phil responds, "Despite everything else I'm really glad to see you guys." He admits.

"So are we." Natasha says as Clint's phone rings.

"It's Maria." Clint says, "Hey Maria."

"What's going on?" Maria ask.

"What can I say?" Clint asks Phil.

"Nothing, not over the phone." Phil responds.

"Phil said I can't tell you anything over the phone." Clint informs Maria.

"Put me on speaker." Maria request and Clint does that, "Phil, how bad is this?" Maria asks.

"Bad, really bad." Phil answers.

"Which base are you at?" Maria asks.

"You want to come here?" Phil says surprised.

"With Pepper, Rhodey, Bruce and because they just arrived back at the tower Steve and his friend Sam." Maria explains.

"I think that's a good idea." Natasha says and Clint and Phil turn to look at her, "Something feels off. He admitted way too much and from what you have said he allowed himself to get caught way to easily, I would be more surprised if he didn't have a bigger plan." Natasha explains, having a feeling that whatever Zachary allowed himself to get captured for wasn't just to tell his daughter the truth.

"I think you're right, and with Melinda and Tony MIA for who knows how long we could use all the help we could get, just in case." Phil says, realising that it makes the most sense, "We're at the place children go." Phil tells Maria.

"Got it, see you in a few hours." Maria says before hanging up.

"I've got to go find Skye." Phil informs Clint and Natasha.

"Sure, go." Clint says and Phil nods and leaves the room.

"You're going to watch the prisoner with Hunter." Natasha informs Clint.

"Why? What are you and Bobbi going to do?" Clint asks.

"We're going to have a conversation with the conscious prisoner" Natasha responds.

"Ohh... good idea." Clint responds and they walk out of the room.


After leaving his office Phil heads straight to the lab where he finds Simmons, Mack and Fitz but no sign of Skye.

"Where's Skye?" Phil asks.

"I don't know, Sir. She left after I took her DNA sample." Simmons answers.

"Thanks." Phil says before leaving the lab, going in search of Skye.

For about half an hour Phil searches the base looking for Skye before he finally finds her sitting on the floor in Antoine's bunk. So he walks over and sits down next to her.

"How you doing?" Phil asks curious.

"I don't know." Skye admits, "How could a father do that to his baby daughter?" Skye asks.

"I don't know." Phil admits.

"Do you think May is okay?"

"I don't know that either." Phil admits, "I wish I did." He informs Skye, "How are you feeling with everything you heard?"

"I'm still processing." Skye admits, "I can't explain it, but I've just got this feeling that it's true." Skye explains, "Or maybe I'm just hoping it is."

"It's okay to hope for something." Phil tells Skye.

"No it's not, because it just means that it will hurt more if it's not true." Skye admits.

"Skye no matter what the DNA test tells you it won't change anything between you and me." Phil tells Skye, "I'll always be here for you."

"I know." Skye responds, "You know when you and Cal were fighting and I called Dad I wasn't talking to Cal, I was talking to you. You're my Dad, not him, and nothing will change that." Skye informs Phil.

"I don't know what to say." Phil says, shocked as he has considered Skye to be his daughter for a while but he wasn't completely sure if she felt the same way.

"You don't have to say anything, Dad." Skye says and shocked Phil just puts an arm around Skye. "If the DNA test says that May is my Mom, how do you think she's going to react to that?" Skye asks Phil.

"I'm not sure."

"You guys have known each other a long time, you must have talked about your opinions on having kids." Skye comments.

"Yeah we did. Once. Our first day of our second year at the academy." Phil responds.

"And? What did she say?" Skye asks.

"You've got to understand that Melinda, and Tony, grew up having a Butler as more of a parent to them than anyone else. A big reason for that was because of this job and the sacrifices you have to make to do it." Phil explains, trying to be as delicate as possible, "Because of that Melinda didn't want to be a parent unless she could be more of a parent than her mother was to her, she only wanted to be a parent if she could be the kind of parent a child deserved, something she didn't think she could be doing this job." Phil explains.

"Oh." Skye says, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

"That being said I have no doubt that if you are Melinda's daughter and she knew about you from the beginning there would have been nothing in this world that would have stopped her from trying to find you." Phil reveals.

"You really think so?" Skye asks surprised, "Even after how I was conceived?"

"I know so." Phil responds, "You didn't choose how you were created, that can't be held against you, you're as innocent as Melinda in this. Family is important to Melinda and after the way she grew up, if she knew about you, Melinda would have done whatever it took to find you and make sure that you had a better childhood than she had, even if she had to resign from S.H.I.E.L.D to do it." Phil says, knowing that without a doubt as Melinda would never let a child of hers grow up like she did, and Skye nods, not sure what else to say.


Because he knew that it would be quicker than driving Tony got his suit out of the back of the car. Put it on and on stealth mode before flying out of the Playground, hoping that he will find Melinda at where he suspects she may have gone.

About five minutes after he left the playground Tony flies over The Estate and he flies in the window that leads to the Lab as that window is always kept open as it is the one place where the floor is reinforced enough to handle a suit landing. As he flies in he is glad to see Melinda's suit so he lands next to it, opens it and steps out and goes in search of Melinda.

Not bothering to check the bedrooms Tony just heads straight to his and Melinda's secret place, having a feeling that he will find her.

Just like he suspected he would Tony finds Melinda sitting about half way down the tunnel, her legs against her chest, so he sits down next to her and for over half an hour they are both silent, Tony not wanting to say anything until Melinda is ready to talk and Melina not being ready to talk yet.

"I feel violated." Melinda finally says after about forty minutes of silence, "I was sick after I left vault D." She admits.

"That's understandable." Tony responds.

"How could he do that?" Melinda asks, anger clear, but also pain.

"I don't know."

"He used Mama, Uncle Howard, Aunt Peggy, he's Hydra." Melinda says, disbelief in her voice, "My father is Hydra."

"I know." Tony says, "But that doesn't mean anything for you. You're still Melly, nothing that man has done or will do can change that." Tony says as he reaches out and grabs Melinda's hand.

"He said I have a gift." Melinda comments.

"I heard." Tony responds.

"What if it's something horrible?" Melinda asks.

"Then you'll turn it into something great." Tony responds and for several minutes Melinda is quiet.

"I may have a daughter, Skye might be my daughter." Melinda says, her voice barely above a whisper.

"How do you feel about that?" Tony asks.

"Shocked." Melinda responds, "I always told myself that I would never be a mother unless I could give a child the time they deserve, be the parent they deserve, something I knew I could never do being a specialist." Melinda says, "So I made the decision not to have kids because I knew that I could never be the kind of parent that a kid deserved and after the way we grew up I would hate myself for that."

"I know." Tony responds as he feels the same way.

"I may have a daughter and if she is Skye then she's been out there for twenty five years and I had no idea." Melinda says.

"That's not your fault." Tony says, "You couldn't have known, he took that away from you."

"I know that." Melinda says, "But that doesn't change the fact that most of Skye's life hasn't been easy."

"Melly if she is your daughter, and if you knew about her, you would have done whatever it took to help her, to be a mother to her, to be the parent that we never had. I know you would have." Tony tells Melinda who nods and for several minutes Melinda is quiet.

"Skye asked Simmons to run a DNA test." Tony reveals, "How do you think about that?"

"I think we both need to know." Melinda admits.

"And if the test tells you that Skye is your daughter, what are you going to do?"

"That's up to Skye." Melinda responds.

"Melly. What do you want?" Tony asks, "Just for a second think about what you really want and say it." Tony says as he's pretty sure that he knows what Melinda would want, but he wants her to admit it because he knows that she needs to, "You can tell me." Tony says a few minutes later when Melinda has been quiet the entire time.

"For months I've been seeing Skye as more than a student, I've been seeing her like a daughter." Melinda admits, "If the results are positive then I would want to be her mother, in whatever way that may be, but only if Skye was okay with it." Melinda admits.

"Did that help to admit?"

"Yeah, it did." Melinda responds, "What are your thoughts on all this?"

"I'm furious at Zachary." Tony says, "I can't believe what he did to you, to our family, and I hate that he's put you in so much pain." Tony admits, "I'm surprised that Skye may be your daughter but at the same time I know that whatever the DNA test shows, whatever you and Skye decide and whatever else may happen, I'll be here for you, no matter what." Tony tells Melinda who responds by kissing him.

"Can we stay here for a while? I'm not quite ready to go back." Melinda admits.

"Sure, we can stay as long as you want." Tony responds.


It has been about two and a half hour since Phil walked into Antoine's room to find Skye. After they conversation about Melinda and whether she wanted kids they have mainly been quiet something which surprises Phil as Skye is never really quiet.

"Phil, you in here?" Clint's voice asks after knocking on the door and pushing it open.

"Yeah. What's up?" Phil asks.

"Maria, Steve, Bruce, Pepper, Rhodey and Sam have just arrived." Clint reveals.

"How'd they get in without setting of the alarms?"

"Maria has a lanyard." Clint explains.

"Of course she does. I'll be right there." Phil tells Clint who nods, "Do you want to come? Meet some more Avengers?" Phil asks Skye curious.

"No thanks." Skye responds, something which shocks and worries Phil.

"I'll be back soon." Phil tells Skye who nods and reluctantly he gets up and leaves the room.


Phil has walked half way down the corridor when he finds Clint waiting.

"Where's Nat?"

"With Bobbi interrogating Zachary." Clint explains, "I was watching the unconscious guy with Hunter, but when we realised we had visitors Mack took over." He says and Phil nods

"Where are they?"

"Common area." Clint answer and Phil nods.


A couple of minutes later Phil and Clint walk into the common area where they find Maria, Pepper, Bruce, Steve, Rhodey and Sam waiting. As soon as Pepper sees him she rushes forward and hugs Phil.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She tells Phil.

"We all are." Steve adds.

"Thanks Pepper, Captain." Phil responds as he returns the hug, "Captain, Colonel, Doctor, Maria." Phil greats, "And I don't believe we've met." He says to Sam.

"Phil Coulson this is Sam Wilson, he helped me fight Hydra and has been helping me with a few other things since." Steve explains.

"It's nice to meet you." Sam says shaking Phil's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too." Phil responds.

"What's going on Phil? Why are Mel and Tony MIA?" Maria asks.

"Clift notes version?" Phil asks and Maria nods, "Melinda and two of my agents were investigating a location that we believe have connections to Hydra. Melinda found a person who looked identical to her father, who she believed died when she was a year old, there, and when I say looks identical I mean he looks just like the pictures she saw, he hasn't aged a day." Phil reveals and everyone looks surprised by that, "Melinda knocked him out and brought him back here where the DNA test proved that he is in fact her father. Melinda talked to him and he informed her that he started a relationship with her mother so that he could be close to Director Carter and Director Stark and make sure that they didn't realise Hydra was within S.H.I.E.L.D which he happens to be a member of." Phil reveals and everyone looks shocked and Steve looks pissed, "He faked his death, but before doing so he performed surgery on Melinda to steal some of her eggs to give to his twin sister who liked him doesn't age, but who couldn't have children." Phil explains, pausing to take a breath, "After he faked his death he attempted to kidnap Melinda many times over the years but he could never get close enough because of the security that Deputy Director May, Director Carter and Director Stark had around their children. When he realised that Melinda was going walk out the room he informed her that she has a biological daughter, that his sister did use the eggs he stole and from her. From what he said we believe that that daughter is an agent here by the name of Skye, but we're waiting on the DNA test to confirm that." Phil explains.

"Simmons said the results of the test are in but she won't tell them to anyone except for Mels or Skye." Clint explains.

"Good to know." Phil responds, "Melinda left here in her Iron Man suit right after and Tony followed. We haven't heard from either of them in hours." He explains, "And that's the cliff notes."

"Wow, big day." Maria comments.

"Yeah, you could say that." Phil responds.

"Where is this guy now?" Steve asks, wanting to have more than a few words with him.

"Being interrogated by Natasha, and Bobbi Morse who is one of the best." Phil explains and Steve nods.

"Do we know where Melinda flew off to?" Pepper asks, it being clear that she is worried about her friend.

"No. Tony said he thinks he knew where she went, and if anyone can find her it's him." Phil says.

"You're right there." Rhodey comments, "Those two always find each other, eventually."

"And we always will." Tony's voice says and everyone turns to see Melinda and Tony standing at the doorway.

"Are you okay?" Pepper asks Melinda concerned, "Phil told us."

"I don't know if I'm okay." Melinda admits, "But I am happy to see you." She admits, not sure how things between her and Pepper will be now that she is in a relationship with Tony, even though Tony has assured her Pepper is fine with it.

"I'm happy to see you too." Pepper responds, "I've been worried, and I've missed you." She admits, giving Melinda a hug.

"Missed you to." Melinda says quietly as Pepper hugs her.

"I'm happy for you and Tony. Tony and I wouldn't have worked in the long term, and as a friend to both of you I want you both to be happy." Pepper whispers to Melinda as they hug.

"Thanks Pepper." Melinda responds, "I mean what I've said. I've missed you." Melinda admits as Pepper is her closest friend who hasn't been a part of S.H.I.E.L.D and she's missed her a lot in the last year, "Where's Skye?" Melinda asks Phil once she and Pepper break their hug.

"Trip's room." Phil answers and Melinda nods.

"Simmons has the DNA results but she won't tell anyone but you or Skye." Clint says as Melinda walks out the room.

"How she doing?" Maria asks Tony after Melinda left the room.

"Honestly, I think that considering everything she's doing as good as she can be." Tony admits, "She's angry, feels violated and betrayed, but she's also worried about Skye and about how Aunt Lian is going to react." He explains.


After leaving the common area Melinda heads to the Lab where she asks Simmons to print of the DNA results, without telling her what they say and put them in an envelope. Once Simmons has done that Melinda heads down to Antoine's bunk.

"Can I come in?" Melinda asks as she stands at the threshold.

"May! You're back." Skye says surprised, "Of course you can come in." Skye says and Melinda walks over and sits next to her, "Are you okay? That was a lot."

"I think it will be a while before I'm okay, but I'm better than I was." Melinda admits.

"Good." Skye responds and for several minutes both of them are quiet as neither is sure how to bring up the fact that they may be mother and daughter.

"So….what does this mean?" Skye asks after a few minutes, deciding to bring it up.

"It doesn't have to mean anything if you don't want it to." Melinda says, and Skye has to try not to look disappointed at that, "But that being said, before today I cared about you, I saw you as more than a student, I saw you as someone I am very much proud of and if I am your mother I would very much like to be your mother, but only if you want me to." Melinda explains.

"I would like that, a lot." Skye admits, "But I guess we should find out before we start making plans." Skye comments, it being clear that she is trying not to get her hopes up.

"Skye even if the DNA results don't say you are my daughter I would consider it an honour if you let me consider you to be." Melinda reveals a in the last year Skye as made her way into her heart. Skye is so shocked by that that she doesn't say anything, she just hugs Melinda.

"Thank you." Skye says as they break apart.

"I asked Simmons to print of the results and put them in an envelope." Melinda says pulling it out of her jacket, "I haven't opened it yet." She informs Skye.

"Well I guess we should." Skye responds.

"Would you like to open it or do you want me to?" Melinda asks.

"Can you?"

"Of course." Melinda says and she opens the envelope.

"So? What does it say?" Skye asks after about a minute when she realise that Melinda's face is impossible to read.

"There is a 99.8 percent chance that you are my daughter." Melinda tells Skye with a grin, the biggest smile Skye has even seen on Melinda's face.

"Really?" Skye asks taking the piece of paper off Melinda to have a look.

"Really." Melinda confirms.

"I have a Mom." Skye says after seeing the conformation for herself.

"Yeah, you do." Melinda confirms and Skye hugs her once more.

"Can I tell everyone?" Skye asks excited.

"If you want to." Melinda says and Skye nods so they both get up and head out of the room.


Melinda and Skye are about half way between the bunks and the common area when they hear alarms going off everywhere.

"Is that what I think it is?" Skye asks Melinda.

"Proximity alarm." Melinda says with a nod, "Seems like it's coming from all directions."

"Hydra." Skye guesses and without a word both of them, Melinda grabbing hold of Skye's hand, run towards the common area.