Took the Long Way Around to Come Together

sorry this took so long, broken fingers heal slowly and the road back to using them again is very long, thank you for your patience

Hope this meets your approval

Daisy dropped down on the bed, letting out a breathy sigh. She stared at the cursor blinking on the still open lap top and absently bit her bottom lip. Looking away, the girl tried to blink back the tears that spilled over her cheeks.

This was all her fault, the whole damn mess! She'd been selfish…childish in her desire to live the life she'd been denied by that monster, ridiculous in trying to get back something that was not hers in the first place. Daisy sniffled back a sob and ran the back of her hand under her nose. She berated herself for the catastrophes she created across two dimensions and now everyone she cared about was in danger here and there.

The girl held her fingers above the keyboard, unsure what to say or even how to say it. She knew Jemma and the rest. She knew they would never leave Coulson and May behind just as much as she knew she did not deserve that same loyalty. But Jemma and Mack and Yoyo and Fitz would give it. Even Piper who she knew hated her guts would not willingly leave her behind, but if they didn't get out the thing that somehow was part of her but left behind would end all of them. Her stomach turned with the irony.

Four years ago she would have done anything to rid herself of the inhuman curse and now she knew it was what made her what she was. It was hers as much as she belonged to it. But, separate they were a threat to everyone and everything. Daisy drew a deep breath and said a quick prayer someone was able to see her message.

xx

"They've got everything they can into the Zephyr." Yoyo announced as she entered the rubble that was once Fitz's makeshift frame base. She opened her mouth to continue but was silenced by a look from Jemma.

A pile of metal, wires, and electrical circuit boards filled the table top, now held up with four stacks of rocks and chunks of concrete. Fitz stood over it mourning as if it were laid out on a bier. There was very little left although Mack had combed through the debris multiple times. What wasn't crushed beyond repair was fried when the electrical boards disintegrated. Anything that might have been worth saving was lost when two more quakes shook the already unstable base. The young man jumped when Mack dropped a large black square to join the pile.

The large man brushed his hands together then wiped them on his thighs. "That's it, Turbo. The rest is either gravel or melted beyond recognition." He picked up a small circuit and turned it a few times before tossing it back into the pile.

Fitz shook his head. "There's barely enough to put together a piss poor laptop." He flipped the piece he was holding into the air and watched as it skittered across the dusty floor. The floor trembled beneath his feet and everyone reached for something to hold for balance.

It lasted only a few seconds and softened to little more than a shiver. Mack stood first, taking a tentative step. He glanced at the cracked ceiling and blinked away the falling silt. "This place isn't gonna take much more." Looking at the faces of the remaining team he swallowed and shook his head. "There's gotta be something in storage that hasn't been wrecked and we can probably pirate some nonessentials from the Zephyr."

Jemma looked to the overturned gurneys and headsets strewn across the floor. The biometers had shaken loose and crashed as well. Little remained to be repaired. She drew a shaky breath and spoke although her voice cracked with emotion. "We can't just leave them."

Before anyone could respond the laptop blipped demanding their attention. Jemma turned and brushed the slit from the cracked screen.

"You've got to go, Jemma." The words appeared slowly, blurring in and out of focus.

"No sir," she typed back quickly. "We can't leave you. We won't."

"It's me, Jemma. I'm sorry I can't stop what's happening there, but you have to go before it's too late." Daisy typed back.

"Fitz is working…" Jemma began, but Daisy's words appeared faster.

"No, just go. We'll be okay." Daisy lied.

Jemma stood back from the small keyboard and bit her bottom lip, struggling to control the tears that freely flowed. Even if Fitz could manage to recreate this program wherever they ended up, there was no guarantee he could find them. Every line of program that tracked them was gone. It was Fitz's failsafe. He purposefully designed the program to shred in the event of any tampering. He kept no copies. There were no backup files. Even with the young doctor's eidetic memory there was no way to get to this point. He'd gotten there accidentally and it was highly improbably that he could purposefully recreate that accident.

Before Jemma could respond the floor began trembling again. She grabbed the nearest stable pile of rubble and watched in horror as the laptop slipped from the rock she'd placed it on and crashed to the floor. Several keys slid across the shaking floor. The screen separated from the keyboard bouncing twice before standing on end for a second then flopping face down in the dust. Small tendrils of smoke lifted up to join the falling silt. A soft hiss emanated from it followed by a quick spark then a sputter before it crackled once then fell silent. The doctor stared at it for only a moment before the tremble became a violent shake, dropping a large piece of ceiling concrete onto the mini-computer, crushing their last and only means of contact.

Mack pulled Jemma from the spot before more of the crumbling ceiling dropped around her. He pushed her into Fitz's waiting arms then shoved all of them toward the quickly crumbling doorway. The run to the hanger was akin to a trip through a demonic carnival fun house, complete with angled hallways, sparking light fixtures and obstacles that fell or rolled into their path. The large man urged Elena to use her speed to get to the plane while he assisted Fitz and Jemma to get there as well. She refused to leave him and their friends, the people that had become family. Together they made their way through the building's tantrum toward the hanger and escape.

xx

Daisy stared at the blank screen. The cursor had disappeared along with the white letters of Jemma's conversation. She felt a slight vibration against her thighs a moment before jagged lines zigzagged across the screen and a hard buzz sounded from below the keys. Daisy pulled her hands back reflexively. The screen blipped a few times and she felt the silent stillness of the laptop as it shut down then immediately rebooted showing a bright blue screen dotted with apps representing games and programs a ten year old might use. Gone was the little smiling daisy that opened Fitz's program. The count down clock in the upper right corner reappeared ticking away Skye's allotted computer time.

Daisy blinked a few times to quell her growing panic, flexed her fingers and rapidly typed her way into the computer's hard drive. She scanned code desperately searching for traces of Fitz's cartoon avatar. The girl exhaled the breath she had not realized she was holding and typed again swearing under her breath. She swiped the sweat from her brow with the back of one wrist and frantically searched through every bit of every byte. Despite her every effort Daisy could not duplicate Fitz's communication with…

"With what?" she asked out loud as she blew an exasperated breath over her lip. "Another world…some other dimension?" Daisy shook her head and let her exhausted fingers fall flat on the keyboard. The laptop let out a shrill beep and she slid her hands to her lap. For a moment she stared at the childish icons…that's what they were. Old school…icons…not apps as they were called in that 'other world'. She ran her hand affectionately along the edge of the screen as she slowly lowered it to close the device.

"You better have listened to orders Agent Simmons…" she smiled despite the tear that ran over her cheek. "Even if you've got more seniority…stubborn mule that you are…" She spoke to the laptop as if it were her friend and drew a shaky breath. "Be safe, Jemma Simmons…be safe." Daisy whispered as the device clicked closed.

She sat for a few seconds feeling the warmth of the laptop slowly diminish and the soft hum of its workings go silent. It was useless to try to stop the tears from flowing, not tears for her own fate or even her new found parents…both sets, but for her friends. She closed her eyes and let her head drop back and for a moment she looked to the ceiling.

"I don't know if you're real or if all that crap…uh, stuff the Sisters tried to teach us was true…but," Daisy swallowed and drew a deep breath. "But if it is…please don't make them pay for my stupidity…please let them be okay." She closed her eyes again and leaned forward pressing her hands to her forehead. "I'm so sorry…" she sobbed, rocking back and forth, keeping her mourning as quiet as possible so not to alert Coulson or May.

xx

May paced to the bottom of the staircase then back to the kitchen for the tenth time…well, at least the tenth time. She hadn't really been counting. She stood for a moment watching Coulson giving Skye a cooking lesson. If you could call flipping a cheese sandwich on a frying pan cooking. She let out a huff and paced back toward the stairs.

"How the hell long does it take to tell Simmons to get her ass in gear?" She fumed as she practically marched into the kitchen.

Coulson looked up from plating one of the sandwiches. "Simmons wasn't anxious to…" He looked down at Skye and cocked his head a bit, finishing his statement without words.

May shook her head. "Should have let me take care of this…" She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the man.

Daisy slipped into the kitchen quietly. She slipped the laptop from under her arm and laid it on the table next to Skye. "Here's your laptop kid…won't have any more problems with it." She sighed.

"Daisy?" Coulson couldn't hide his concern.

"I don't know. It just stopped." She shook her head and held out a hand toward the device. "It's just a kid's laptop."

May moved closer and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. Before she could speak the dishes on the table shivered, slowly bouncing across it. She grabbed Daisy's hand as a chair bounced up and down before tumbling to its side. Skye jumped to her feet and moved closer to Coulson, eyes wide with fear.

Coulson looked at Daisy with expectation.

Daisy shook her head and held both hands out in front of her. "Hey, it's not me." She wobbled her hands back and forth without adding to the momentum.

The vibration stopped, holding everyone in place…waiting for what might come next. Before anyone could comment or Skye could form a question, the back door was pushed open admitting two men bundled against the storm that swirled outside.

May stepped to defend her family, Daisy at her side. She took a stance and raised both fists. Her daughter mirrored her pose prepared to hold her ground.

The first man stomped the snow from his boots and pulled off a pair of heavy mittens before tossing the hood from his head. May's fist stopped inches from the man's face as Skye skirted around her and into the man's arms.

"Yeye!" the little girl shrieked. "Oh, Yeye, where were you. Everything is all mixed up and…and…"

"Shh, shh, sunnu…" the man held her close for a moment. "We will fix it." He hugged her but looked into May's eyes. "All will be well. I promise."

"Baba," May mouthed as she motioned for Daisy to stand down.

William smiled, lifting Skye to the floor. "I will need to get out of these heavy garments before everything is as wet and cold as I am." It almost sounded as if he would break into laughter. The second man had already begun pealing off the layers of winter clothing he wore. William stepped forward and held out a hand. "Agent May," he nodded toward May then turned to Coulson. "Director," he greeted the man. "Thank you for keeping my granddaughter safe."

Daisy looked to the little girl who only an hour ago had thought May and Coulson were her parents. Things were changing rapidly and she wondered if the loss of Fitz's program had also ended his framework or whatever the hell was holding all this insanity together.

May shook her father's hand, silently acknowledging his attempt to keep most of what was happening. Coulson gave the same nod showing he also understood. William pulled off his heavy jacket and slipped his feet from the boots he wore. He set them against the wall on the heavy carpet and hung his coat. He smiled as he turned toward his companion.

"This is my very good friend, Mr. Liu." He stepped aside as the shorter man held out a hand to Coulson, who shook it firmly.

"You're all better!" Skye exclaimed. "Yeye was worried about you."

The man pushed his glasses up on his nose and looked at the small girl in confusion then turned back to May, Coulson and Daisy. "Actually it is Dr. Liu," he corrected then smiled at Skye. "And yes young lady I am feeling quite well."

"You made yourself better?" Skye's eyes were wide. "Yeye never said you were a doctor."

Again the man smiled at the child's wonder. "No child, I am not such a doctor. I am one that studies numbers and calculations. I tried to build other men's dreams."

"You can build a dream?" She was still amazed.

Dr. Liu chuckled. "Everything that is was once a dream, little one. Someone imagines what can be and another one makes it reality. That is the doctor I am."

Skye nodded. "I know, kinda like Fitz. Right, Daisy? That makes you and him dream doctors." She giggled a little. She paused and chewed her bottom lip. "Daisy's got a dream. Maybe you kin build hers cuz I think Fitz's machine got broke."

"Skye," May gently scolded.

"How did…" Daisy scrunched her forehead in confusion.

Skye shook her head. "Member, Daisy? Member we're the same. When you talked to Jemma to tell her to go and all the rocks fell and broke the computer…you remember."

Daisy looked from May to Coulson then back to Skye. "But how did you know?"

Skye shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno." She raised her brows and thought for a moment. "I just sometimes know what yer thinking." She quickly put up a hand…but not always…only when you don't block me. You were real sad about Jemma and I guess you fergot…so I could…" She shrugged again, looked to her toes and mumbled, "sorry".

Daisy looked to the others in the room, all waiting for her response. She wanted to be angry but it would be wasted. It wouldn't change anything. Okay so the kid could sometimes know what she was thinking, but she said the rocks fell. What rocks? Just how far did that connection reach and how much more did Skye know about what was happening there. Maybe it was just a fluke. Daisy shook the thoughts away. "It's okay, kid. I'll just be more careful from now on." She laid a hand on the little girl's shoulder.

Dr. Liu shook his head. "That perhaps is not such a good idea."

"I should let her…" Daisy searched for the right words. "Just know what I'm thinking?"

The man shook his head. "Have you noticed the snow?" He asked, apparently attempting a change of subject.

"So now we discuss the weather?" May huffed.

"There are times when the course of nature is affected by forces we control." William remarked and he and Skye moved toward the large kitchen widow and watched the rapidly falling snow.

Coulson let out a soft chuckle. "I have yet to meet someone who controls nature."

"Is not the ability to move mountains a control of what is nature's job?" Dr. Liu asked Coulson but focused on Daisy. She ran her hands up and down her arms feeling the heat in her cheeks. "Even when not intentional, it still changes the course of what will or will not be."

"You can't be insinuating that Daisy is somehow respon…" Coulson was on the defense of his agent as well as his daughter.

Dr. Liu held up a hand. "It is not the time for accusations, Director. Your young scientist found the answer to that question I have sought for a lifetime. My colleagues and I have worked on this conundrum for decades never finding the bridge to gap the sister worlds Dr. Everett spoke of until we discovered the link between you and Skye."

Daisy's jaw dropped. "You knew. All this time you knew?" She approached William, stopped by May's hand on her arm.

The man turned and shook his head. "Not from the beginning only from the night you pretended to sleep walk and made your way into Phillip's data. This was tracked by the agency and assigned to Dr. Liu's department. Since then he has know and has been working to reciprocate, sending one of our own across the dimensions." He smiled and placed a hand on his granddaughter's head. "Who would have thought this little one would do just that."

Daisy pointed a finger. "That was an accident! No one meant for her to…"

"Yes, yes," Dr. Liu interrupted. "A series of accidents that lead to this," again he nodded toward the snow falling outside the window.

"This?" Coulson asked, looking in the same direction.

"Since the girls began, shall we say, visiting each other's worlds the snow has not stopped." Dr. Liu nodded. "It took us a while to realize it and the fact that it became worse when all of you arrived. At this point everything has come to a standstill and our scientists predict that as long as you are here it will continue. Apparently the forces that be feel we are more suited to stay in the dimension in which we belong." He explained.

"Yeah, well that ship has sailed." Daisy huffed.

"Daisy," May warned through her teeth.

The girl threw her hands in the air. "There it is May. There it is. That's me all over. Everything I touch," her voice rose to a squeaky pitch before she took a breath and broke down. She turned to May with tears in her eyes and spoke just above a whisper. "Everything I touch…"

Before May could react Coulson gathered the girl in his arms and felt her sob against his chest. He looked to May and then the elderly scientist while William held Skye just as close.

Dr. Liu shook his head. "It is not lost. There is a way. It presents a great risk, but should we decide to take it I feel any damage done can be corrected." He stepped forward and placed a hand on Daisy's shoulder. "You take on more than your shoulders can hold, young one. This is not your doing and perhaps something meant to be for all of us. There are many scholars that claim nothing happens by accident and we are all where we are meant to be." He turned slowly and faced the other occupants. "Perhaps now it is time to move to that next place."