The morning sun beamed through the little window and May hadn't felt this content in a while. Skye was draped over her on one side, her hands tucked up adorably under her chin as she snuggled into her shoulder. Jemma was on the other, hugging onto her like a koala.
May sighed, loathsome to leave the comfort of her two omegas, but resolute to complete her usual Tai'chi. As soon as she shifted to sit up Skye whimpered in her sleep, seeking out contact with May as the Alpha's hands moved from her skin. May smirked, indulging Skye by tucking her into her side - Skye's nose nuzzled into her neck and May's hand around her bare back. The omega relaxed instantly. May couldn't bring herself to leave.
May could feel Natasha's jealousy leak through the bond as she moped – frustrated that May got to cuddle both their omegas, while she on an undercover mission alone and hadn't even met Skye yet.
May thought to her, 'You'll meet her soon enough'.
'Even tomorrow isn't soon enough' Nat replied glumly, although May could feel the excitement there at the prospect of soon, 'Kid needs me there.'
'She's doing fine,' May retorted defensively.
Nat snorted, but her response was interrupted by her suddenly dropping out.
'Maria's asleep but she says she might be able to swing a visit to the BUS,' Bobbi chimed in and although it was Skye and Jemma pressed against her side, May almost felt like it was Maria's sleeping form. May sympathised with Nat, it sucked to have the thoughts and feelings of the others when they're together and you're not.
'We got a strange mission report last night. It may be an enhanced,' May said, 'Probably worth her tagging along.'
'I know.' Bobbi chimed back, smugly, 'That's why I'm telling you.'
'It'll be good to see her.'
Bobbi sighed, 'Well I guess I'll see you when I see you.'
'Soon?'
'Soon.'
"That is really quite remarkable," Jemma exclaimed, staring in wonderment at the man literally floating in mid-air in a random forest. They'd been sent there after mysterious reports of a man floating, and the battery in his car had been blown right through the hood.
"That is so cool!" Skye squealed, "Do you think someone with powers did this?"
"I wouldn't call a man's death cool," a warm voice said from behind them.
Skye turned, heart skipping a beat to see the stern deputy of SHIELD stood behind her with her arms crossed. An amused quirk to her lip. She was dressed in a tactical suit, hair in a ponytail and every bit the senior agent of SHIELD.
"Maria!" Jemma gasped, almost dropping her tech equipment to barrel into Maria Hill's arms. Her stern face dropped in favour of holding Jemma close and breathing in her scent. The embrace effectively ruined Maria's stern-senior agent appearance.
Skye hung back, but Maria's cool blue eyes soon fixed to her own. Skye swallowed, she was attractive – sure. They are all were but hearing about someone and actually meeting them. A whole other thing.
"Skye," Maria greeted, "Boy have I heard a lot about you."
Skye crossed her arms defensively, highly aware of how the nanny bracelet caught the light, "You too, Deputy."
Maria eyes twinkled with humour, but her face swapped to serious again, "The body. Any sign of an enhanced?"
"None that we can see," May interjected, steering them back on track. Skye didn't get much chance to speak to Maria and she wasn't really sure what to say. Didn't matter anyway since she was quite content to let Jemma prattle on about their crazy adventures already.
Maria kept glancing at her through the rear-view mirror, and Skye had that feeling you get in the therapy chair – as if someone was trying to get a read on you.
"Mind if I come in?"
Skye looked up from the conference table, tearing her attention away from trolling through Cross' frankly boring social media trial. Maria stood in the doorway, posture relaxed but inquisitive. She smelt faintly of the same enticing cinnamon as the rest of them, although it seemed oddly muted.
She seemed cool, confident, collected. If May's aura was a fiery, simmering red, Maria's was a calm ocean. It was…refreshing.
"Sure," she said, with a shrug, leaning forward against the table, keeping her posture as relaxed as possible. She'd been feeling kind of all over the place for the past few days.
"Got anything on Cross?" Maria asked, coming to join her at the table. Skye glanced toward her but she was still relaxed so shrugged.
"This guy's social media is like a college kid's resume," Skye replied, gesturing to the screen, "Gym teacher, varsity football coach, literal boy scout and a volunteer firefighter. Makes Captain America look like 'The Dude'".
"The Big Lebowski" Maria hummed, amused, "Not my favourite film."
Skye cocked her head, reading Maria's open body language, "You've worked with Captain America, right?"
"Yep," Maria said, "Don't tell me you're after all the juicy gossip. The tabloids are bad enough."
"You caught me," Skye smiled, holding her hands up, "I was going to get the inside scoop on his weird retro vids. You know those ones with the dancing girls? There's this really funny meme, Star Spandex Man with a Plan..."
"The war propaganda?" Maria laughed, "You can ask him yourself."
Skye scoffed, "Me and those guys? Unlikely."
"May didn't tell you?" Maria frowned.
Skye's heart jolted, apprehensive, "Tell me what?"
"Our main base, it's in the Tower," Maria said, "We have an apartment. Stark kitted it out for us."
"Oh," Skye said, taken aback, "Um I guess I should've known but…I just thought that since you were all SHIELD…"
Maria's face pinched tighter, for the first time her scent taking on more than just an amused and open demeanour. Skye backed away a little, and she noticed, she seemed to shake herself, and the scent cleared.
"There's a lot to talk about," Maria said, a note of finality in her voice, "We should've been…I'm sorry I didn't find an excuse to come find you earlier."
Skye shrugged, "Well you are the deputy director. I'm sure you're busy saving the world and wrangling the Avengers and all."
Maria was looking at her with that analysing gaze again, Skye looked away, tapping at the tablet and checking up on the results even though there was no new data flagged.
"Do you want to be a SHIELD agent, Skye?" Maria asked, quietly. Skye glanced up, surprised.
"Sure, I do," she answered, a little defensive that Maria was questioning her ability to be an agent.
"Why?" Maria probed. Skye frowned, feeling irritation (that seemed to always be simmering away now) rise to the surface.
"Because you do good here," Skye crossed her arms, "And you can use my skills."
"It's not about what you can do for us," Maria chastened, albeit softly, and Skye narrowed her eyes – Maria seemed to be sending calm scents and it worked damnit, "Or about how useful you are to SHIELD. It doesn't matter that the rest of us are agents if you don't want to be."
Skye didn't have a reply, she didn't know what Maria wanted her to say. She hadn't even considered not joining SHIELD. Her options hadn't exactly been plentiful, and the BUS beat her van any day.
"I've helped people," she finally decided to settle on, "Mike Peterson. And I stopped Quinn."
Maria nodded, "Okay," she conceded, although Skye sensed a 'we still need to talk' tacked onto that, "How are you feeling? Be honest."
Skye snorted, "Irritated at that question."
Maria rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say more but Coulson was at the door.
"You found something on Cross?"
Jemma was infected. It wasn't an enhanced person, or a weapon, but a virus. An alien virus that they didn't have the cure for, and she was running out of time.
The ripple effect was felt throughout the bond, May's anxious pacing and fearful concern seeping through from the rest of them through her. Even Maria was antsy, concealing thinly veiled terror beneath her calm scent as the clock ticked and Jemma's condition worsened. The numbing silence from Jemma was even worse – Skye not realising Jemma hadn't fully blocked her out until this point.
Maria was busy making calls to anyone who could listen.
Skye didn't know what to do. She was restless, biting her fingernails. Finally, May stopped her pacing, taking a look at Skye before beckoning her over to sit in front of her. Skye followed grateful for the comfort, as May ran her hands through her hair and began to braid. Wordlessly communicating what they both felt.
Completely helpless.
Skye couldn't sit couldn't still, even though every time she squirmed it tugged on her hair.
May was precise with her braiding, taking her time with each strand, but when she finished it neatly and there was no news from Jemma, she undid it to start over again.
"I could hack into the place where they make vaccines?" Skye blurted out, "Or I could blackmail Stark into working on the problem? Or-"
"Natasha has already offered," Maria responded in a measured tone, from where she had been hung up on by Fury, "I've got dozens of scientists in every SHIELD lab working on the problem."
"The best person to solve this problem is doing her very best right now," May added, "Right now, we wait and we believe in our girl."
"But she could die," Skye protested, voice cracking around the word.
"I know," May replied, voice tight.
Fitz came sprinting through carrying the box with the Chitauri helmet. Skye perked up, following him down to the lab – none of her mates protesting as they followed suit. Jemma looked awful, her face pasty and skin clammy with sweat. Her eyes bloodshot and tears welling up in them.
They waited with bated breath as they prepped the new rat, a hopeful smile on Fitz' face as he zaps the rat and…it squeaks. Nothing happened.
"I can't breathe," Skye managed to say, around her tight chest. They waited, nothing happened, and Skye was about to sigh in relief when…there was a zapping sound, a blue light and the rat floated into the air.
"No," Skye breathed, feeling like the floor had dropped out from underneath her. Maria had her arms around her in a heartbeat. Jemma glanced to them, her eyes filling with tears that matched all of theirs.
"I know the protocol in these circumstances, but could you please tell dad first?" she implored Maria, her voice breaking, "Mum would take it better if-"
"Of course," Maria said, her own voice stuttering on the words.
"No, Jemma you have to-" Skye begged, "There's still time you have to try, please."
Jemma offered her a sad little smile. Skye's fingers felt ice cold, Jemma couldn't die. That couldn't happen. She was sunshine and science and tea and -
"Would you mind if I have a brief moment alone with Fitz?" Jemma asked, her watery eyes flitting between all three of her mates. It sounded wrong, that sounded like a death note, not a chance to find a cure.
"There's still one thing more to try," Jemma tacked on, but Skye didn't believe her.
'Jemma please.'
Skye didn't want to move, but Maria led her away with a murmured sound of empty platitudes. May looked – and felt – numb through the bond.
"This is wrong," Skye sobbed, "We can't just give up-"
"We're not giving up," Maria repeated, as they reached the stairs, "There's still time-"
Suddenly an alarm blared out through the speakers, Skye glanced around surprised.
"The hangar doors are opening!" May exclaimed in a panic. "Maria take the controls!" she yelled, sprinting through the plane to the hangar. Immediately Maria took off in tandem. Heart in her throat Skye sprinted after May.
She reached the gantry just as May grabbed the parachute from a panicky Fitz, "It worked but she jumped!" he shrieked over the wind.
May leapt out of the plane – the straps of the bag not even fully on.
Both Jemma and May were sopping wet, but Skye launched herself at Jemma, pulling her in for the tightest hug she'd ever given. She breathed in Jemma's scent, committing the memory of her pulse, the memory of her slightly flowery smell – like freshly cut grass on a dewy morning.
Moroccan sun warmed her back and she clung tighter, unwilling to ever let go. Jemma was warm and alive.
"I'm sorry," Jemma breathed beneath the tight hold, "I couldn't let the plane explode with you in it-"
Skye pulled back, "That was so very brave," she said, giving Jemma a succession of kisses that tasted of sun and salt water, "And stupid. Don't ever do that again."
"I promise," Jemma said, allowing Skye one last kiss, before looking behind her, biting her lip. Maria stood there, arms out ready for a hug, stern relief on her face to see Jemma alive.
"I'm never going to live this down, am I?" Jemma mumbled.
Skye smiled sympathetically, "Probably not."
She let her go, watching as Jemma fell into Maria's arms too.
The Moroccan hotel was beautiful. Nestled amongst a large coast-side town full of white buildings and blue roofs that glinted under the hot sun. Coulson and Maria had set them up in this hotel, after extensive negotiations with the Moroccan government to extract May and Jemma from the water.
Since there were four of them, they'd booked the King suite. It looked out over the ocean with a stunning view. She looked out over the balcony, bare feet against the warm tiles in just a plaid shirt and shorts, breathing in the warm sea breeze as it whipped gently in her hair. It was peaceful, the most at peace she'd felt in a while. Her emotions were still in turmoil, but right now, with Jemma back and alive? It felt okay, except…there was still something nagging at her. Something that suggested Maria's concern for her wellbeing might not be so misplaced.
She leant against the wrought-iron balcony railing, contemplating. May's mark on her neck had settled down into the shimmering silver to match Jemma's and it didn't hurt at all. Right
now she could feel May's presence lingering – like a string tether around her heart. Was she angry at May for the marking? Should she be? Was she ready to be bonded to these people forever? She didn't feel angry, yet…
"Dinner!" May's voice rang out. Skye pushed away from the railing, padding back inside to the little kitchen suite past the billowing white curtains and over the intricate mosaic of tiles. She smiled at the domestic scene – Maria beamed at her as she passed out the takeaway she'd managed to order. She took her seat next to Jemma at the little table.
"This looks delicious," Skye exclaimed, eager to dig into the mouth-watering food. She'd never had authentic Morrocan food before, "I could get use to this," she announced, after taking the first heavenly bite of lamb couscous.
"I'm starving," Jemma said, practically inhaling her meal, "Where did you get this from?"
Maria smiled, "This is the good stuff, I made friends with the hotel owner. I don't speak Arabic, but Bobbi does. Although I don't think my pronunciation was quite there."
May shook her head, "Nothing like last time we were in Sudan. You told them you were pregnant instead of 'where is the pregnant lady?'"
"Now that's a story…."
Skye listened contently as the sun set outside, casting a warm evening glow over the group as Maria regaled stories – the unclassified versions of course. Skye didn't mind, there was good food and some laughter, and she felt warm. Not simply because of the hot climate.
They moved onto discussions of the weirdest places they'd slept, but Skye regretted being honest when she got concerned looks for 'station toilet'. At least it didn't ruin their evening and Maria quickly changed the subject before she could be questioned on it.
It felt good to relax, although they all quickly grew tired – especially after the emotionally taxing day. Skye tried to commit the memory of them all laughing in a luxury hotel in Morroco to her mind. Just in case.
"Move over," Skye ordered to May, but it came out as more of a whine, "I watched her jump out of a plane, I want cuddle rights."
"And I jumped out after her," May grumbled, tightening her hold on Jemma.
May had Jemma in a koala-like grip in the middle of the king-sized bed. The suite wasn't designed for a pack, but some countries didn't recognise pack bonds in the same way they did for pairings. Regardless of that, the large bed should fit them all.
Skye looked to her beta, exasperated, "Tell her!"
Maria's mouth twisted in amusement, "I'm not going to be the middle woman for your arguments."
"Isn't that what betas' are supposed to be?" Skye complained, crossing her arms.
"Quit whining," May ordered, muffled by her face still buried in Jemma's neck.
Maria patted the space in front of her, on Jemma's other side, "There's space for both of you. Come lie down before you lose it."
Skye huffed but slid into the space Maria indicated, quickly snuggling up to Jemma's chest. She had to put up with May's arms getting in the way, but at least she was able to snuggle up under her chin. Maria turned off the lamp light.
"Would it be okay if I held you?" Maria asked into the dim darkness, "Or would you prefer it if I cuddled next to Melinda instead?"
Skye contemplated it, but she was too tired to really care.
"Go ahead," Skye mumbled, "I've been told I'm a kicker though."
Maria chuckled, "I'm sure it'll be fine. Melinda isn't so great either, one time she kicked Nat out of the bed and in retaliation Nat-"
"Don't give her ideas," May interjected, but it was too late as Maria finished with, "-tied her legs to the bed."
Skye perked up, twisting around to face Maria, face visible in the soft light spilling through the thin curtains, "What?"
"You heard me," Maria smirked.
Skye was struggling to process the strict and domineering alpha allowing herself to be tied up by anyone.
"But May would-
"Gag you both if you don't shut up and go to sleep," May interrupted sternly, the threat not entirely empty, "I'm tired, Jemma needs to recover, and we've got to get up early."
Skye rolled her eyes, but to her surprise Maria did too. Skye shared a mischievous smile with her, if Maria continued to give her blackmail material on May, she's positive they'd get along just fine. She scooted back over to cuddle Jemma, Maria wrapping her arms securely around her, but kept her face a distance away on her pillow.
She was out like a light, surrounded by her mates.