A/N: Two chapters in one weekend? Look at me go.
I was sent this prompt forever ago and I came up with a good idea but it took three days to write it. Hope you like, Devan Alexander. It's going to be a long one, that's for sure.
Daisy runs into someone from her past while traveling through time.
It isn't really specified in the show, at least from what I could tell, where Skye/Daisy grew up, so I just kind of went with my gut. Enjoy!
OoOoOoO
"2000."
"2000?" Mack looked at Fitzsimmons with a raised eyebrow. "Like Y2K? End of Days? New millennium? That 2000?"
"Wow, you really pulled all the references out for that one." Coulson teased, and then he turned his attention towards the scientists. "Do you know why we are in 2000?"
"No idea." Simmons shrugged. Fitz, who had basically been right next to her the entire time, ran a hand across his stubbled chin.
"Probably just another time jump. More than likely we won't be here very long. Hopefully-"
"How are we jumping through time still?" Daisy asked, leaning heavily on the med table. "I thought that part was over?"
"It should have been, but we haven't uninstalled the time drive from the Zephyr. Powering it back up must have caused it to jump."
"All things considered," Fitz finished, "2000 is not a bad year, at least. But I wouldn't advise leaving the Zephyr. We don't know how long this will last."
"So, what? We just wait?" Mack asked.
"Basically."
"Well, I'm starved." Elena chimed in. "Anyone else wanna grab a bite to eat?"
"No guys-"
"I'm down." Kora raised her hand, flat-out ignoring Fitz's protests. Mack seemed eager to go as well.
"Well, if you are going to go, take comms and stay close." Jemma worried, but the group was already on their way out. She sighed in minor frustration.
That frustration only seemed to dissipate when Alya came padding into the room, just waking up from a nap and rubbing her little eyes. "Mama?"
"Yes, love?" Jemma scooped the girl up, smoothing her sweaty bangs back from her face.
"I'm hungry."
Jemma sighed and looked to Fitz, who silently nodded and left the room in search of something decent to eat on board.
"What did I miss?" Melinda entered, fresh from the cockpit. Phil filled her in on what little details he had, and she huffed in annoyance.
"Again? I was looking forward to a decent shower."
"Shouldn't be too long." Jemma set Alya down on the med table, letting her swing her feet over the side.
"The others went in search of food. You want to go?" Daisy suggested. Truth was, she was famished. A death battle in space could really burn some energy. She had only mustered enough for a shower before collapsing into her bunk on Zephyr one for a brief nap, that is, until they jumped. She had left Sousa sleeping on the bed upstairs, not wanting to wake him.
"At least take comms." Jemma insisted again, knowing that the trio would, in fact, listen to her. "I wouldn't want anyone getting stuck, not when we're so close to going home."
"Yes ma'am." Coulson winked at her and the three left the plane.
"Oh." One look at their surroundings, at the tall buildings in the distance, and Daisy's heart dropped a little bit in her chest. She knew exactly where they were without Jemma having to tell her.
"Hey," Phil bumped her shoulder lightly with his own "You ok?"
"Fine." She plastered on a fake smile. "Let's go."
"Chicago?" May was the first to comment on it as they walked. The trio ducked out of a side alley that the Zephyr was parked in and made their way towards a main street.
"Been forever." Phil continued the thought, glancing around him. "But I think it is."
Daisy was hoofing it ahead of them, wanting to grab food and leave this place as soon as possible. The stores, the alleyways, the people all looked the same. The sign twirler was there on the corner like he had been every afternoon.
"Daisy?"
She had stopped walking without realizing it, so suddenly that a passerby threw a few choice words her way when he almost ran into her. May, realizing that something was very wrong, grabbed her arm gently and pulled her onto a quiet side-street. All she felt radiating off of her was fear-fear and anxiety.
"What's going on?" They were standing in front of her, concerned.
"I uh-" She forced herself to take a deep breath. "I grew up here. 's it's-it's in Chicago."
Phil and Melinda looked at each other, once again seeming to share the same mind.
"Let's get you back, come on." Phil went to help her, but Daisy shrugged off his hand.
"It's not just that-" She leaned against the bricks, feeling lightheaded. Daisy couldn't tell if it was hunger or exhaustion. "July 15th, 2000. That's today. It's the day I ran away for the first time."
Coulson pulled back, letting his hands fall slowly to his sides.
"Why don't we go get some food? You'll feel better when you've eaten." At Melinda's words, Daisy finally relented with a nod.
In fifteen minutes, they had found a restaurant and were seated in a booth, drinks in front of them. After they placed their orders, they sat there in relative silence.
It had been difficult, seeing her look so defeated and worried. They decided to just wait, holding off on bringing it up until she was ready to talk about it.
A slice into her pizza, she paused and started talking. "There was this girl, Macy. Every single time I would come back from a foster family, she would tease me about how I wasn't good enough, or how I was going to be alone, blah blah blah…" She took a bite, mostly to steady herself. "One day I just-I just had enough."
"So, you just left?" Phil wasn't eating, for obvious reasons, so he just folded a straw wrapper and played with it while the girls ate their lunch.
"No." Daisy hesitated, but only briefly. "I punched her in the nose and then ran because I was terrified."
Melinda almost choked on her pasta.
"Well, as director, I don't think I'm allowed to condone that." Phil teased. "But as your friend, I say right on. It is weird, though, that the Zephyr brought us back to this moment in particular."
"You think there could be chronicoms here?" Daisy asked around a mouthful.
"Even if there are, it's not like they would hurt anybody." Phil gestured towards Melinda with his head. "We gave them empathy."
"Humans have empathy too, Phil." She replied. "It's not like that has worked out well."
"Maybe we should check it out, if you're okay with it."
Daisy nodded haltingly.
Phil paid for their food, much to Melinda's chagrin, and the three exited the restaurant and out onto the street. From there, Daisy led them on towards the orphanage, a large, normal looking building that seemed to blend in to the other brownstones around it. The only distinguishing feature was the sign posted by the door, acknowledging the orphanages entrance.
They had just made it to the block when the front door slammed open and a young girl came running out. She bolted in the opposite direction from the three and disappeared around a corner.
"Get back here!" A nun came out not too far behind her, waving a cane. Her face was beet red, her gaze severe. Another young girl, much smaller than the first, followed the nun out onto the street.
"Mary-Sue! Come back!" She called, but her little voice was lost in the distant noises of the city.
"That's Olivia." She leaned over and murmured to Phil, gesturing to the little blonde girl.
"Should we-"
"Is there a problem here, ma'am?" Phil asked before May could finish her sentence, moving forward until he was only a few feet away.
The nun looked between him and the building Mary-Sue had disappeared behind. "No sir, we're fine here."
"Fine? A little girl just ran away?" Melinda's voice rose just slightly.
"It's none of your concern."
"Are you the police?" Olivia looked up at Daisy with wide eyes. Daisy, still a little wary about the whole situation, crouched down to her level.
"No, but we can help."
"I already told you, we do not need your assistance." The nun insisted, placing her hands on her hips. "Olivia, get inside."
With a rough hand on her shoulder, the nun practically shoved the girl back down the sidewalk and in the door. Before she could get there, another nun exited the building.
"Has she gone?"
"Yes, Sister Maria."
"Well, Sister Margaret, do you intend to follow her, or let her get hit by a car?" Sister Maria glared daggers at the woman with ruddy cheeks. Olivia snickered to herself, and Daisy bit her lip.
"Can we help?" Phil offered.
Sister Maria seemed to have not realized they were standing there. She eyed them a moment and sighed defeatedly. "If you can find her, be my guest, but I'll be calling the police here in a moment."
"May, why don't you go?" Phil nodded to her.
Daisy leaned over and, under her breath, muttered "I ran to the library. Turn left, go four blocks and make a right. I'll be at the computer station."
Melinda nodded and took off down the road, disappearing the same direction that Mary-Sue had gone in.
"Well, you can come in if you want." Maria offered. Margaret and Olivia had already gone inside. Coulson and Daisy followed them in.
"Hmm…" Daisy threw Phil a cautious glance as he hummed, "Reminds me of Annie."
Daisy elbowed him lightly in the ribs, trying not to laugh. "Except no Kathy Bates. It's a bit bigger than I remember, not as dark and gloomy."
They moved into the living room, where an older teenager was sitting on the couch with a bloodied napkin pressed to her face. Daisy stiffened, and Phil guided her forward with a hand on her back.
"What happened to you?"
"What's it to you?" Macy sneered back to him.
"Macy, that is no way to speak to our guests." Margaret chastised. Macy rolled her eyes and stood from the couch.
"I'll be in my room." She stomped, rather dramatically, up the stairs.
"What's her deal?"
Maria sighed and slid into an armchair. "If Mary-Sue is in too many homes, that one is in too few." Seeing their confusion, she elaborated. "She has only had one foster family the entire time she's been here. Unfortunately, families seem to only want the younger children."
"Yes," Margaret returned to the living room, unused bag of ice in her hand, "She'll be sixteen next month. I don't know where she will go once she ages out."
"Ages out?"
"Once kids turn 18, they age out. Left to their own devices." Daisy commented absentmindedly.
"It's harsh, but we can't keep anyone after that." Maria nodded. "We barely have the space as it is."
Phil knew that Daisy had run when she was sixteen, and it made sense why now. The orphanage was old and relatively small, and the prospect of getting kicked out when she was 18 must have been a lot for her to bear. Plus, it didn't help that she was being bullied by someone.
Still, though, as he looked at Daisy's face, he wondered if she knew what faced Macy in just two years. Had she realized now, much later, how bad it must have been for Macy as well?
"I'm going to step outside a moment." Daisy murmured, before he could ask. "Excuse me."
He suddenly felt awkward standing there alone, if awkward was something an android could feel.
"Is she yours?" Maria nodded to her back.
"In a manner of speaking." Coulson replied ambiguously. It wasn't like he could just spend an hour explaining the last seven years of their SHIELD relationship. "How many kids do you have here?"
"Fourteen."
Phil wondered briefly if Margaret thought he was an interested foster parent, because she jerked her head expectantly, like she wanted him to follow.
Outside, Daisy was looking up at the roof. "I can see you up there."
"Shut up." Macy was sitting on a window ledge inside, visible from the side yard of the house. Daisy had learned about that spot when she and Victoria had launched eggs at the hobos in the alley next to it.
"Can I come up?" When Macy didn't respond, Daisy began climbing a nearby tree. She knew all the footholds, the steady branches. It didn't take long for her to get onto the roof.
"How did you-"
"I was a foster kid, too, Macy." Daisy sat on the rooftop just outside the window. "I know all the tricks."
One converse-clad shoe hung out the window, and Macy peeked half-way out. "You were?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "Wasn't much older than you when I left."
"Where'd you go?"
"Los Angeles." Daisy shrugged, smile ticking up at the corners of her mouth. "Worked my way around, got to see the country. Wasn't a bad gig."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Macy was halfway sitting on the window-sill, half of her body hanging out the window. Although her tone was sarcastic, Daisy could tell her curiosity was piqued.
"No." She replied shortly. "It sucks, being in this place, stuck here. But picking on other kids around you won't make your situation better."
Macy huffed, but she didn't go back inside.
"I was bullied. Constantly." Daisy relented the fact. Although she had seen Macy as some big bad bully, the girl just looked…scared. Scared like how Daisy had been when she left home, when she got closer to that dreaded move-out day. "For a while, I believed that I could never be anything but the names they called me. But eventually, you have to realize there's more to the world than the worst parts of yourself."
"But how does that help me?" Macy finally slid out of the window and sat on the roof a few feet away. "I get kicked out when I'm eighteen anyway."
"Not necessarily." Macy's gaze whipped up to Daisy, who looked at her with a mischievous smile. "You have options, extended foster care, schooling. You could go to college if you wanted to."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah." Excited that she was finally getting somewhere, Daisy nodded. "but look, you gotta-"
"Be nice to people?"
"Might help a little bit."
The library was cold compared to the warm air outside. She had been in such a rush to get there that when she entered, she was momentarily stumped as to where exactly she was supposed to go.
Thankfully, her new-found abilities came in handy. Something on the bottom floor was radiating a lot of frustration and fear. She followed the feeling to a set of computer tables near the back wall.
"Mary-Sue?"
A young girl sat in a chair, knees drawn up to her chest, biting on her cuticles. When Melinda moved towards her, she dropped her legs slowly.
"That name doesn't suit you."
Mary-Sue turned around, looking at her with apprehension. "I hate it."
"Then change it." May suggested, folding her hands in front of her.
Mary-Sue looked her over, eyes narrowed. Her hair was short, cropped just above her shoulders and very dark. She looked tired, like she hadn't slept properly in days.
"Who are you?"
"A friend. Sister Maria sent me." Realizing that a child like Daisy would probably be very wary of a random stranger who claimed to know her, May sighed. There was a chair open next to Mary-Sue, so she sat in it. "I heard you punched Macy."
Mary-Sue looked down at her bloodied knuckles. "She deserved it."
"I'm sure she probably did."
"I don't wanna go back." Mary-Sue was still looking at her hand, and her voice trembled. She looked so small for a twelve -year-old.
"I know." Melinda nodded. Sympathy was still an emotion she was trying to regain control of. "But if you don't, Macy wins."
"But she's right." The poor kid was close to tears. "Nobody wants me."
How could Melinda sympathize without telling her the truth?
"Of course they do." She glanced around at the stacks, at the silence of the library around them, and sighed. "You could be a superhero if you wanted to be."
Mary-Sue looked up through teary eyes.
"Or a spy, or a novelist," Melinda suggested, trying not to reveal too much, "or a zookeeper even. But if you let bullies like Macy win, you will never be anything more than what they say you can be."
"I like computers." She finally said.
"I know you do." Melinda slipped, though she had been trying so hard not to. When Mary-Sue looked confused, she just said, "Stick with that. Learn computers, become so good at it that nobody dares to bully you. I promise it will lead to amazing things."
Eventually she nodded.
"We should get you home."
Mary-Sue nodded and she stood from her seat, Melinda following suit. Together, the pair exited the library and made their way back to the orphanage, using the back streets they had traversed earlier. Two blocks from the orphanage, Melinda felt a presence behind them.
"Hey Mary-Sue," Melinda paused and squatted, "I need you to do something for me. Can you go wait in that alley right there? I need to take care of something."
"But-"
Melinda ducked her inside and then moved back out onto the side street, one that was empty save for her and the figure several paces away. "I was wondering why we were called back here. Chronicom?"
The man, or at least the android that looked like a man, moved forward. "That child-"
"Mary-Sue stays here." She corrected. "What do you want with her?"
"She killed the others and must be eliminated." So he was here about Daisy blowing up the ship? It seems giving the chronicoms empathy had backfired if this one was mourning his comrades.
"Not gonna happen."
He lunged at her first, and she narrowly missed the punch that was aimed at her head. Fighting Enoch had taught her some things, and she was suddenly grateful for that experience.
She grabbed the outstretched arm he hadn't pulled back yet and used her momentum to effectively break the appendage. Then before he could strike again, she kicked his legs out from under him and he fell to the ground with a loud thud. Chronicoms had the benefit of strength, but she had the benefit of reaction time. Melinda was able to pin him to the ground with a boot. With both hands, she grabbed his head and pulled up, dislodging it from his body.
With a disgusted groan, she tossed the head away from her.
"Woah." Mary-Sue had come out of her hiding place and was regarding Melinda with a wide-eyed expression. "Are you a superhero?"
"Come on. Let's get you home." Without another word about it, she led Mary-Sue down the street.
"Hey you up there." Phil was looking up at the roof from the yard, hands shoved in his pockets. "May is back. We should go."
Daisy squeezed Macy's shoulder and descended from the roof quickly, jumping the last few feet.
"Everything good?"
"Think so." Daisy brushed off her pants.
"Well good." His gaze departed from her as Melinda and Mary-Sue came walking up to the front of the house. "Glad you found her."
"Wasn't the only thing I found." She murmured quietly, noticing that Maria and Margaret had also come outside. Phil seemed to catch her meaning, noticing light bruises across her knuckles.
"Thank you so much for your help." Maria squeezed Mary-Sue's shoulders, seemingly relieved.
"Guys. Got about thirty minutes until the next jump. Hurry back."
"Anytime." Phil nodded. "We should be going-don't want to miss our dinner reservation. You all have a great night."
They departed, with Melinda nodding once more at Mary-Sue before they began the walk back to the Zephyr.
"So you found it? The Chronicom?"
"It's taken care of, though I'm pretty sure Mary-Sue thinks I'm a superhero now."
"What did you tell her?" Daisy raised an eyebrow, looking at May.
"Nothing." Melinda replied indignantly. "Aside from the 'don't let your bully win' mantra. You're a pretty smart kid, you know that?"
Daisy felt a pleased flush rise up the back of her neck. She paused in their walk, turning to the pair. "Thank you, for everything."
"Anytime, kiddo." Phil squeezed her shoulder. Melinda offered her a kind smile.
If Daisy had known, back then, that this was the family she would end up with so many years later, she probably wouldn't have run away at all.
