Chapter 23
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.
AN: Thank you to all who have added to alerts, read, reviewed or any combination of the three. It means a lot to me.
AN2: Thank you all so so much. A lot of reviews have been asking about SkyeWard, its coming it's just taking the slow path.
An hour after they left Agent's Hill's base the team are in the Air far away. Melinda has set the coordinates on the plane to a random far away location so that their Auto Pilot won't give away their intended location. Skye and FitzSimmons are down in the lab while Coulson, May, Natasha, Clint and Ward are in the command centre going over their security plan.
"At least two of us will be awake at all times." Clint tells the others "We will rotate the night shift so that we can all get some rest. One of the two awake will always be near the bunks close to the entrance to the cockpit just in case, the other will do sweeps of the plane every fifteen minutes but otherwise will be stationed near the bunks." Clint explains "Mels, Nat and I are all qualified to fly, Phil I know you're not, but what about you Agent Ward? Are you qualified?" He asks.
"Yes Sir." Ward answers.
"Good. Mels is our primary pilot but the three of us should be ready just in case." Clint instructs.
"Stop calling me that." Melinda once again repeats.
"Nat, plan for Stark tomorrow?" Clint asks ignoring Melinda's comment just like he always does.
"Simple go in as un noticeable as possible. This is the only time we should give him advance warning, other times we need to see or talk to him we should just show up where he is going to be." Natasha suggests "It should just be me and you to go see him." Natasha says looking at Coulson "Everyone else should be safely away."
"Me and you, you sure? We don't know how Stark is going to react to me being alive." Coulson reminds her.
"I know, that is why it should be us." Natasha tells him, "And you know that." Natasha points out.
"I do." Coulson confirms "Clint, what else you got?" Coulson asks as ever since they left the base Clint, the best out of them when it comes to tactical plans, has been coming up with the most ideal security plan for the bus.
"Everything Sir." Clint says and he continues to explain the very detailed plan he has spent the last hour coming up with.
Down in the lab FitzSimmons are working on the Night Night gun while Skye just watches, and despite the fact that it hurts, is pacing the lab.
"You need to sit down." Simmons tells her friend when she realises what she is doing "You are still meant to be on bed rest, sit down."
"I'm fine." Skye tells her friend.
"Your winching with every step you take, sit down." Fitz tells her.
"Fine." Skye says and she reluctantly sits down "Happy?"
"It's for your own good, if you don't rest it will take you a lot longer to heal." Simmons tells Skye.
"Who cares if I take longer to heal? Maybe then no one else will get hurt because of me." Skye tells her friend.
"Don't say that." Simmons tells her.
"Why? It's the truth. Miles and a whole lot of people are dead because of me, we're all going 'off book' because of me, five of the best agent's S.H.I.E.L.D has are currently working on a security plan because of me, Mom and Dad are broken because of me, Mom and Dad are divorced because of me. Everything that is happening is because of me." Skye says becoming upset.
"Hey, you can't blame yourself for all of that." Fitz says walking over and kneeling in front of his friend "Miles death is Samuel Lard's fault. We're going off book because of Quinn and logically if you think you're to blame for that then so is Coulson. Everyone upstairs are doing what they do, and you didn't break your parents Skye, I saw them when you were taken and when you were found, you fixed them." Fitz tells her "So no more blaming yourself." Fitz tells the person who is like a sister to him.
"He's right, and you know he is." Simmons says walking over to Skye and Fitz.
"It feels like it's my fault." Skye admits to her friends, "You guys and Mom and Dad have all told me that it's not but that doesn't change the fact that it feels like it is." Skye explains.
"Then you've got to stop thinking about it." Simmons suggests.
"How do you suggest I do that?" Skye ask curious and Fitz and Simmons exchange a look both trying to come up with an idea.
"I know, stand up." Simmons tells her.
"Didn't you just tell me to sit down?" Skye asks surprised.
"Yes I did, and you will sit down again, but come over here first." Simmons tells her before walking back over to the Holotable.
"I thought you said I needed two semesters at the Academy before I could touch that?" Skye asks surprised.
"We're willing to make an exception this once." Fitz answers.
"Huh, you guys do it to." Skye mutters to herself.
"Do what?" Simmons asks confused.
"Nothing." Skye quickly answers.
"Here, just watch what we do then you can have a go." Fitz tells Skye before starting to demonstrate how to use the Holotable.
"Okay, as cool as this is there is actually something I could use your help with." Skye comments as she starts to imitate the actions that Fitz's is doing with the Holotable.
"Of course, what do you need?" Simmons asks curious.
"I want to try and get my parents back together." Skye explains.
"That is a horrible idea." Fitz informs her.
"No it's not." Skye tells him "When Dad first told me all about him and Mom and their history I made a comment "You loved her." And he said "I do." Not I did, but I do. Dad still loves Mom and you saw Mom when he was hurt, there is clearly something there and she told me that they could never be just friends. There is still something between them and I want them happy, and I think them being together will make them happy. I'm the reason they got divorced so I've got to do whatever I can to help them get back together." Skye explains to her friends.
"Skye most children of divorced parents think that it is their fault but that doesn't mean that it is." Simmons tells her friends.
"My parent's divorced really is." Skye tells her friend "The lost me, they broke, they couldn't be together anymore. That is my fault. I need to do what I can to fix it, will you guys help me?" Skye asks her friends.
"Skye forget for a minute that they are your parents." Simmons tells her friend "This is May and Coulson that we are taking about, this has the very likely possibility of going very very bad."
"I can't forget that they are my parents, that's my point." Skye tells her, "They should be together and I'm not just saying that as a kid who wants her parents together. Even before I found out who they were I thought that they should be together. Mom smiled for Dad and Dad talked about Mom with love in his eyes. They're good together, but I think they need help to realise it." Skye explains.
"If you can come up with a plan which limits the bad outcome for us as much as possible then I'll help." Fitz tells his friend.
"Seriously?" Skye asks surprised and Fitz nods.
"You're amazing, yay." Skye says giving Fitz a hug.
"And you're bleeding." Simmons comments noticing blood on Skye's shirt.
"What?" Skye asks confused before looking down at her shirt. "Oh."
"Fitz, help her to the table." Simmons instructs, "This is why you should be resting." Simmons instructs her friend as she collects what she needs and Fitz helps Skye to the table.
"Take of your shirt." Simmons tells her friend "Go get Coulson and May." She tells Fitz.
"No, not yet." Skye tells her friend. "There is no point worrying them if all I did was pull a stich a bit." She argues as she unbuttons her shirt.
"You have blood on your shirt, they are going to realises." Jemma tells her friend as she walks over to her
"Fitz, could you?" Skye ask completely removing her shirt and handing it to Fitz.
"Of course, but if it's more than just a pulled stich, I'm getting your parents." He tells Skye collecting her shirt of her and going over to the sink.
"Thanks." Skye says thankful "So, how bad?" Skye asks Simmons.
"Not as bad as it could be, but you have to rest." Simmons tells her friend "You opened your most serious wound. This is going to hurt." Simons advices her friend as she gets to work, "If you don't rest you are going to be in a lot more pain and a lot worse shape." Simmons inform her.
"Guys, we need you up stairs." Ward says walking in and then realising what is going on "What happened?" He asks concerned walking very fast over to Skye and Simmons.
"I opened my wound a bit, it's no big deal." Skye assures Ward.
"Actually it is, a very big deal." Simmons tells her.
"Coulson, May, come down to the lab." Ward says through the coms.
"Great, thanks for that." Skye tells Ward sarcastically "I really didn't want to worry them." She reveals.
"I am not going to apologise for that." Ward tells her.
"Any chance you can be done before they get down here?" Skye asks Simmons really not wanting to worry her parents.
"None." Simmons tells her as the lab door opens and Coulson, May, Natasha and Clint walk in.
"What happened?" Coulson asks concerned as he and Melinda rush to their daughters side as soon as they see that Simmons is working on her.
"It's nothing I just pulled my stitches a little." Skye tells her parents trying not to get them to worry.
"Pulled stiches isn't nothing." Melinda tells her daughter "Simmons?" she asks concerned.
"She'll be fine, she just needs to rest more." Simmons explains as she starts to re dress Skye's wound.
"See, I'm fine. Why did you need us upstairs?" Skye asks curious.
"Am I the only one who having flashbacks to when Mels was in the exact same position saying the exact same thing?" Clint asks curious and receives identical unimpressed looks from Melinda, Coulson and Natasha "Guess so." He comments "We wanted you upstairs because we wanted to go over the rules." He explains.
"What rules?" Skye and FitzSimmons ask as Fitz gives Skye back her shirt.
"The ones to keep us all safe." Ward answers.
"Until further notice no one is to leave the plane alone. If you are not trained in combat you will always be accompanied by someone who is if you leave the plane. If you plan to come down here either to the lab or Cargo Bay then you will inform someone else where you are going and keep on coms, preferably you wouldn't go alone. Everyone will keep their eye out for anything unusual and report it if you think there is something odd going on, even if you are not sure or if it's just a hunch. We're on our own, we are all the backup we have, it's important that we look out for each other." Coulson orders.
"Yes Sir." FitzSimmons reply and Skye nods.
"Now, you need to rest." Simmons tells her friend.
"I'll help you upstairs." Coulson tells his daughter and leaning on Coulson for support Skye slowly make her way upstairs.
"Hey Dad, why does Clint keep calling Mom Mels when she clearly doesn't like it?" Skye asks curious as they near her bunk.
"Because she does actually like it." Coulson explains.
"But every time he calls her that she says not to?" Skye asks confused.
"She can't admit that she likes it." Coulson admits "It's a matter of pride, don't try to understand it, trust me it's very difficult to do. She actually likes it when he calls her Mels, though I'm positive that if anyone else called your Mom Mels she would make sure they only did it once." Coulson explains.
"Does that include you?" Skye asks curious.
"If I called her Mels, yes. Mel, no." Coulson explains as he helps Skye into her bed, as when they were together he used to call Melinda Mel all the time.
"If you can't get away with it then why can Clint?" Skye asks interested.
"Because Clint is the little brother your mother never had." Coulson explains simply. "They annoy each other, almost kill each other at times, but they care about each other and would do whatever it takes to protect one another. They're brother and Sister, annoying each other is what they do." Coulson explains as he sits down on the edge of Skye's best.
"That sounds nice." Skye tells her father "To have someone like a brother who annoys you but still cares about you." Skye comments as she knows she has never had that.
"From what I've seen you and Fitz are starting to develop that." Coulson tells his daughter.
"Yeah I guess." Skye comments realising that her Dad does have a point "Do you think that if things went differently, if I never got taken, that I could have had a little brother or sister?" Skye asks curious.
"I don't know, maybe." Coulson answers honestly, "You're Mom doesn't know this, but just before you were taken I was seriously thinking about resigning from S.H.I.E.L.D, being a full time stay at home Dad. I didn't want to miss a single moment of you growing up, but I missed them all." Coulson reveals, "I'm so proud of you Baby Girl, you've grown up to be an incredibly, smart, beautiful young woman, but I didn't get to see you become the woman you are. I missed it all, your first steps your first word, first day at school, first date, first time driving. I wanted to be by your side always and I wasn't." Coulson tells his daughter clearly getting upset.
Skye reaches out and grabs her father's hand "I know it's not the same but you get to be by my side now. No matter what happens you'll be there." Skye tells her father, "I wish you got to see me grow up, I wish I got to grow up with you and Mom, but we can't change what happened. We've just got to make the best of what we've got." Skye tells her father, "I love you Dad." Skye says saying the words for the first time in her life.
"Oh, I love you too Baby Girl." Coulson says to his daughter giving her a hug as his heart fills with joy as he hears the words from his daughter that he has been hoping he would get to hear for twenty five years.
Half an hour after helping Skye to her room Coulson leaves his daughters bunk. When he exits his daughter's bunk he sees Melinda, Natasha, and Clint sitting at the table.
"How is she?" Melinda asks concerned as Coulson walks over.
"Okay, she's asleep." Coulson answers "FitzSimmons and Ward?" He asks as he sits down.
"Downstairs, FitzSimmons wanted to work on something, Ward decided to stay down there with them." Clint explains.
"Good." Coulson comments. "I'm really glad you are here." Coulson tells Clint and Natasha as he realises that he hasn't had a chance to say it yet.
"We're really glad you're alive." Natasha tells Coulson.
"I'll drink to that." Clint comments.
"It's not even three pm." Melinda comments.
"Really Mels, do you want to go there?" Clint asks his friend curious.
"Clint." Coulson says in a warning tone of voice.
"It's not three pm yet, which means that there doesn't have to be a reason behind drinking." Melinda comments ignoring Coulson's concern because she knows that Clint is just messing with her.
"Now that's the Mels I know." Clint comments with a grin.
"Can I please suggest we hold on that to at least after dinner?" Coulson requests knowing that it is an almost futile request.
"What do you think Mels, Nat? Should we wait?" Clint asks the two women.
"It's an interesting notion." Melinda comments.
"An unusual one as well." Natasha adds.
"Please remember that two of us have to be sober enough to do security tonight." Coulson reminds them.
"Technically only one of us do." Clint comments "We or You specifically can assign Ward to security then only one of us have to be sober." He points out "And have you forgotten who you're with? Do you know how much we would have to drink to get drunk?" Clint asks his friend curious.
"Yes, I know exactly how much." Coulson comments. "We all do. No one knows our Alcohol tolerance like each other." He reminds them.
"I don't know whether that is a sad or amazing thing." Natasha comments
"Bit of both." Melinda answers and all four of them laugh.
"So you never answered, drinking? Now or later?" Clint asks curious.
"Later, come on." Melinda says standing up "I want to show you what this bus is capable of." She tells Clint knowing that he is the only one who will appreciate it.
"Does that mean your finally going to let me have a go at the stick of one of your planes?" Clint asks curious getting up to follow Melinda.
"Nope, but you can watch." Melinda tells him, causing both Natasha and Coulson to smile at the look of a kicked puppy that Clint got on his face.
"Ten minutes to one of them is unconscious?" Natasha asks Coulson curious.
"Five, potentially." Coulson answers "Look Tasha, there is something I need you to do for me." Coulson tells friend.
"What?" Natasha asks curious as Coulson's voice has gotten very serious.
"The Clairvoyant, Quinn, this is personal for me and Melinda. Both The Clairvoyant and Quinn have taken Skye, they crossed a line, I need you to make sure Melinda and I don't." Coulson reveals to his friend.
"Phil you and Melinda are the most professional people I know. No one can separate personal feelings from the job like you can, not even me. The fact that you are asking me this is proof of that." Natasha tells her friend.
"These are the people who took my daughter Tash, these are the people who are the reason she grew up like she did. Every bad thing that has happened to her happened because of them and when we find them I don't know what I am going to do." Phil admits.
"You'll do the right thing, you always do." Natasha tells her friend, "It's too quiet." She says changing the subject but with the unsaid conformation that if she has to she will do as he asked.
"It really is." Coulson says and without a word they both rush to the cockpit.
When they get to the Cockpit they are greeted with a sight that makes them both laugh, Clint duct taped to one of the chairs.
"Where did you get the duct tape from?" Coulson asks Melinda curious.
"Supplies closet behind you." Melinda answers.
"What did he do?" Natasha asks curious though she makes no effort to cut her partner loose.
"Not what he was told." Melinda says simply.
"Well, we'll leave you to it." Coulson comments, both him and Natasha ignoring Clint's help me look because they both know that he will cut himself loose soon enough.
"This defiantly seems like old times." Natasha comments as her and Coulson leave the cockpit.
"That it does, all we need is you and Melinda doing something stupid after drinking way too much Vodka and it will be exactly like it." Coulson comments.
"Not everything we did was stupid." Natasha argues.
"Do you want the list?" Coulson asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Why not? We've got some time." Natasha comments and the two friends walk over to the couches and sit down.
After a delicious dinner cooked by Coulson with Natasha's help the eight agents are sitting around the table in the couch area, all of them sitting on the floor instead of the various more comfortable pieces of furniture.
"How is this a good idea?" Ward asks.
"It's not, but it's not the worse one that he has ever had." Coulson comments.
"Not cool man." Clint tells his friend "My ideas are nowhere near as bad as some peoples." He says looking at Natasha and Melinda as he comments.
"You've got a point there." Coulson admits.
"Oh like your ideas are so smart mister-create-a-cover-as-a-champion-show-jumper-despite-the-fact-that-you-didn't-know-how to-ride-a-horse." Melinda comments remembering the incident from before they were married, when they were fresh out of the academy.
"I'm almost afraid to ask, what happened?" Skye asks her father interested.
"I got a few quick lessons from someone who did know how to ride a horse and broke an arm." Coulson comments.
"Ouch." Skye comment sympathetically, "Who gave you lesson?"
"Your mother." Coulson answer.
"Didn't you break that arm not during the op but trying to show off afterwards?" Clint asks curious with a grin as he knows the answer.
"I have no idea what you are talking about." Coulson comments though the grins that both Natasha and Clint have on their faces and the small smirk that Melinda has on hers indicate that Clint was telling the truth.
"Dad showing off on a horse. I can't see it." Skye comments.
"I wasn't showing of." Coulson defends.
"Yes you were." Melinda whispers quietly to Coulson so that none of the others can hear "And you know it, but you didn't have to bother." She tells him.
"It was one of the first times we worked together since the academy, I had to make you think that I was a kick ass as you." Coulson whispers back.
"And Melinda and Phil will start us off by doing to shots and two dares or truths each." Clint comments.
"Wait what?" Coulson asks confused hearing what Clint said, "When was that agreed on?"
"When you two were off in your own world." Natasha comments.
"One shot, one dare or truth." Melinda corrects.
"Agreed." Natasha and Clint say after looking at each other.
"What exactly is the point of this?" Simmons ask Skye who is sitting across form her parents between Simmons and Ward. Simmons is sitting next to Fitz who is sitting next to Clint who is sitting next to Coulson who is sitting next to Melinda who is sitting next to Natasha who is sitting next to Ward.
"No idea." Skye answers honestly "But it's fun, and I'm getting even more stories on my parents, it's great." She comments, almost without a doubt sure that this would never have happened if Natasha and Clint weren't there.
"Okay I have a truth for both of you." Clint comments once Melinda and Coulson do their shot "Frankfurt, real or not?" He asks to the confusion of everyone but Natasha, Melinda and Coulson.
"Real." Melinda and Coulson say without hesitation "Did you really waste one of your truths on that?" Melinda asks surprised.
"Just getting started Mels." Clint tells her.
"Okay, I am going to put a stop to this before you two start a war, or Melinda and Tasha get started on the Vodka because the last thing I want to deal with is the fallout from either of those options." Coulson says picking up all the bottles of Alcohol off the table "How about we just talk, without the drinks." He suggests as he places all of them back into the bar.
"Okay, what is the story with you guys and Vodka?" Skye asks Natasha and her mother interested.
"We're competitive, so quite often we like to see who can drink more, and if we are drinking vodka that leads to us thinking that really bad ideas are really good ones." Melinda explains to her daughter.
"Like?" Skye asks interested.
"Sparring in Phil's Kitchen." Melinda says.
"Going to see Director Fury, after he had pulled us from a mission." Natasha adds.
"Seeing which one of them can do the most summersaults' in a fountain" Clint adds.
"Re writing a whole mission plan that was to be presented to director Fury first thing in the morning, then forgetting that that is what they did." Coulson explains.
"And about a hundred other things that really weren't smart." Melinda explains.
"And another fifty you don't remember." Clint adds.
"Yes but you and Phil are all too happy to remind us." Natasha tells him.
"Okay, I think I got it. You guys plus Vodka not good." Skye comments.
"It can be great." Clint comments "But only if you're just watching, not if you have to clean up after them or…"
"Protect them." Coulson adds.
"Save them."
"Talk down from doing something truly idiotic"
"Deal with the Aftermath."
"Deal with Director Fury."
"Or if you get pulled into the middle." Coulson and Clint explain.
"Sounds fun." Skye comments honestly.
"Well you are defiantly your mother's daughter Kid." Clint says with a smile.
"Yeah, I am." Skye answers also smiling.
For a couple of hours the group stays sitting around the table and talking, opening up to each other as they do. Then slowly they all head to bed until it is just Natasha and Clint, who are running security up.
It is almost three am when Natasha who is the stationary guard hears a noise from Skye's room. She rushes in and to find Skye sitting up in bed looking terrified.
"Skye, what happened?" Natasha asks as she checks the small room for any sign of trouble.
"Nothing, just a nightmare. No need to worry." Skye tells her.
"Do you want me to get your parents?" Natasha offers.
"No, it was just a nightmare. Plus they sleep less than me, they should get as much as they can." Skye tells her.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Natasha offers.
"No, you'll just tell me what everyone else has. That it's not my fault that I shouldn't be guilty for Miles's, or the Agent's or the villages deaths because it wasn't my fault, but it was. All of them would still be alive if it wasn't for me, no words can change that." Skye tells her parents friend.
"You're right. Words can't change the fact that people have died or the guilt you feel whether it's warranted or not." Natasha says taking several steps closer to Skye "But you can choose what you do with that guilt. You can let it eat you up inside, slowly destroying you, or you can decide to do something about it. Save others, make a difference, help them. It may take a while and you may never be able to, but you can try to make up for all the death you feel you have caused." Natasha tells Skye.
"You know that is the first helpful thing anyone has told me when I said I was feeling guilty." Skye admits.
"Not surprising." Natasha tells Skye "You're Dad's a sentimentalist and your Mom feels more guilt than the population of a small country. They want you to be able to do what they can't, move pass the guilt, and let it go." Natasha says walking over and sitting down on Skye's bed "I don't know the full story, so tell me. Why do you feel guilty for Miles's death, and Agent's and Villagers?" Natasha asks curious.
"Miles was killed to lure me to the warehouse. The Agents were killed because they were sent to investigate me, and the villages died protecting me." Skye explains.
"From the Clairvoyant's people right?" Natasha asks
"Yeah."
"Then no matter what you feel he's to blame too." Natasha tells her "I'm not going to tell you not to feel guilty or that it wasn't your fault because that won't change how you feel. What I am going to say is The Clairvoyant he played a part in this no matter what you feel you have to admit that. We will stop him, but even that probably won't help your guilt, only you can do that. Take the time, do what you have to do to wash away the death. It's the only way there is." Natasha explains.
"Become someone that they would be proud to have given their lives for." Skye mutters to herself.
"Exactly." Natasha tells her.
"Thanks." Skye tells her.
"Any time." Natasha responds standing up.
"Goodnight Natasha." Skye tells her as she lays down once more.
"Goodnight ребенок." Natasha says with a small smile before leaving Skye's room.
After Natasha leaves Skye ponders Natasha's words and swears to herself and all those who have died because of her that she will make them proud, that she will make a difference and make up for everything that has happened because of her.
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