Chapter 24
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 so much to you awesome people. For those of you who were wondering what Natasha calls Skye means Child in Russian and it is pronounced ree-BYOH-nuhk
The next morning Coulson is the first up. Once he wakes and gets changed he heads down to the kitchen where he sees Natasha drinking coffee.
"How did it go last night?" Coulson asks.
"Fine, no problems." Natasha answers having decided hours ago that if Skye wants her parents to know about their conversation then she can tell them, she isn't going to tell them in case Skye doesn't want them to know.
"What is Melinda up to? Things seem a lot more rocky than normal." Coulson comments as he pours himself a cup of coffee, attempting not to spill it as he does.
Before Natasha has a chance to answer the doors to Melinda's and Skye's bunks open and they both walk out.
"Hang on, this is definitely not autopilot and if you aren't flying then who is?" Coulson asks Melinda.
"I'm am going to kill him." Melinda says calmly walking into the cockpit.
"Ah, that explains it." Coulson comments sitting down.
"Um, shouldn't we go stop that?" Skye ask her father walking over.
"No, Melinda and Clint threaten to kill each other daily." Natasha explains. "In twenty years they haven't actually done it yet." She explains.
"You're up early." Coulson comments.
"Yeah, my arm was hurting, it woke me up." Skye explains to her Dad.
"Do you want some medication?" Coulson asks his daughter as thing suddenly get a lot smoother.
"Yeah, thanks." Skye responds and Coulson nods and goes and gets the pain medication.
"So Mom and Clint threaten to kill each other a lot and it's nothing to worry about?" Skye asks Natasha surprised.
"Yes, I'm actually surprised that it hadn't happened since we've been here." She explains "Although your mother did duct tape Clint to a chair yesterday." She adds.
"How did I miss that?" Skye asks with a grin though she is disappointed that she missed it.
"It was when you were sleeping." Natasha explains.
"They're odd." Skye comment.
"I thought that for twenty years." Natasha informs her
"Everyone has." Coulson says walking back over. "Here." He says handing Skye Panadol
"Thanks." Skye responds.
"So plan for today?" Coulson asks Natasha.
"You and I go see Stark. Then we all try and find Quinn." Natasha explains.
"Can I come?" Skye asks "I want to meet Tony Stark." She tells her father.
"Not today." Coulson tells his daughter knowing that it is dangerous.
"Come on Dad, please. I'll behave, I promise I won't hack into any of his systems." She tells her father.
"If you did I wouldn't mind." Coulson tells his daughter amused as he pictures the look on Stark's face if his Twenty Five year old Daughter had managed to hack into his system "But it's too dangerous."
"I would be with you and Natasha, there is no safer place." Skye argues because she really wants to meet Tony Stark.
"Except here on the bus with your Mom, Clint and Ward." Coulson tells his daughter "I promise another time I will introduce you to him, even take you to Start Tower if that's what you want, but not today." He tells his daughter as he knows that with Quinn and The Clairvoyant on the loose it's too dangerous.
"I'm holding you to that." Skye tells her father. "When you do, do I have to stick to that no hacking his systems thing?" Skye asks her father hoping the answer is no she doesn't have to stick to that
"I'll let you know." Coulson tells his daughter.
"Stark has the best security on his systems, you might want to prepare yourself if you plan to try." Natasha advices.
"I hacked S.H.I.E.L.D from my van with a laptop I won in a bet, I'm not worried." Skye tells Natasha with a shrug.
"Are you sure introducing her to Stark is a good idea, between them no electronic system would be safe." Natasha comments looking at Coulson impressed with what Skye managed to do.
"I'll get back to you on that." Coulson comments.
"You've already said yes, you can't go back on that." Skye tells her father.
"I won't." Coulson tells his daughter "I'm just worried about what will happen when you do meet." Coulson explains as Clint walks out from the cockpit.
"What are we talking about?" Clint asks curious as he walks over.
"About how considering Skye managed to hack S.H.I.E.L.D from her van with a laptop she won in a bet, introducing her to Stark may not be the best idea." Natasha explains.
"Wow, impressive Kid." Clint tells her "Is that what got you on S.H.I.E.L.D's radar?" he asks curious remembering what she said the day before.
"Yep." Skye answers.
"Oh, Mels said touchdown in an hour." Clint tells Coulson.
"Good." Coulson answers. "Because she was more concerned with killing you she didn't have her morning coffee, I'll take her some." He comments before pouring another mug and taking into the cockpit.
"So what did Mom do to you?" Skye asks Clint once Coulson has exited the room "She said she was going to kill you but I've been assured that that would never actually happen, so what did?" Skye asks curious.
"Threw me out of the pilots' chair." Clint answers simply like it is no big deal "Surprisingly not as bad as what I was expecting, Mels is getting soft." Clint comments with a smirk.
"Don't let her hear you say that." Natasha tells her partner.
"Trust me I won't, I have a small bit of self-preservation." He comments.
"You sometimes do, not very often." Natasha tells him.
"Kid, this is the most important question I will ever ask you." Clint says looking at Skye "Do you cook like your Mom or Dad?" He asks his voice completely serious.
"What?" Skye asks laughing at the fact that he got all serious to ask her that.
"It's an important question, your mother has destroyed several stoves while your Dad is an incredible cook. So which one are you like?" Clint asks.
"My Mom has destroyed stoves?" Skye ask surprised.
"Several." Natasha answers.
"But in all fairness to your Mom Nat here is partly to blame for one." Clint explains "So are you a stove killer or an incredible cook?" Clint asks.
"Well I haven't destroyed any stoves, but I have almost destroyed a microwave and almost set fire to my van using a hot plate, so I would say I'm closer to Mom's skill level than Dad's." Skye explains.
"Okay you can join your mother on the list of people not allowed in the kitchen." Clint comments.
"I already am." Skye says remembering when the team made breakfast together and her and her mother weren't allowed in the kitchen.
"Don't worry, if Coulson had his way no one but him would be allowed in any kitchen he considers to be his." Natasha tells Skye.
"You know that makes me feel better." Skye tells her and Natasha just gives her a small smile back in response.
An hour and a half later the plane is touched down and everyone is down in the Cargo Bay preparing for Natasha and Coulson to leave.
"Won't Lola draw too much attention to you guys?" Skye asks her father concerned.
"Not where we're going." Coulson tells her "Plus it is less noticeable than the S.H.I.E.L.D car." Coulson tells his daughter "We're going radio silent. Only break if there is an emergency. Should be back in a couple of hours at the most. You're in charge." Coulson tells Melinda who nods and he and Natasha get in Lola and drive out of the plane.
"Hey Kid, do you want to hear the story of when Natasha stole Lola?" Clint asks curious as he knows from Natasha that Skye wasn't too happy about not being able to meet Stark so it could cheer her up.
"Seriously? Natasha stole Lola?" Skye asks shocked.
"Yep." Clint and Melinda both answer. "It didn't end well." Clint informs her and as they leave the cargo bay neither of them nor anyone else noticing the less than impressed look that Ward has on his face.
"So will it just be Stark or will someone else be with him?" Coulson asks Natasha five minutes after they leave the plane.
"Not sure." Natasha answers honestly "Pepper could be with him or Banner or the Cap." Natasha explains.
"Right Fury said something about that, said that Banner and Stark are good friends, but I though he and the Cap didn't get along too well." Coulson comments.
"They have their moments." Natasha answers "But I think that if Stark had managed to contact the Cap and tell him that you're alive, that I was going to see you, and then that I'm called to cryptically meet Stark somewhere, Cap would want to be there to find out if you were doing okay." Natasha tells her friend
"Really?" Coulson asks surprised.
"Yeah, he was pretty affected by your death Phil, him and Stark." Natasha explains, "When Clint and I left to others to go see Melinda he asked if we were going to go tell your girlfriend the Cellist, that Stark told him about, what happen to you and I said no. I told him that we were going to go tell someone more important to you, and once we explained who he asked if he could come to offer his condolences, but Clint and I told him it wasn't a good idea because we didn't know how Melinda was going to react." Natasha explains.
Coulson is surprised by Natasha's words, he didn't think that he had that kind of effect on them "I told him I watched him when he was unconscious." Coulson reveals causing Natasha to laugh.
"Only you would say that to someone Phil." Natasha says once she finishes laughing and her voice turns serious "You also scarified yourself Phil, believed in us when we didn't, he respects you for that." Natasha explains. "And we all owe you, we wouldn't have saved the world if it wasn't for you." She tells her friend.
"He's not alone." Coulson comments not sure what to make of Natasha's words, as they near to figures standing near the path that they are driving down, one of the figures is Tony Stark like they expected, and the other is Steve Rogers.
"Looks like you're going to see for yourself what I have been trying to tell you." Natasha tells him,
"Nice ride." Tony comments as Coulson pulls up behind Tony's car.
"Don't bother Stark, he doesn't even let Melinda drive the thing." Natasha says as she exits the car and Stark walks over to look at Lola.
"I'm with him there, no one in their right mind would let their ex-wife drive a car like this." Stark comments as he look closely the car.
"Melinda's more likely to destroy him if she's mad, not his car." Natasha tells him "Let's walk." He tells the other three and the group head off into the woods that they pulled off near.
"It's really good to see you." Steve says shaking Coulson's hand once they reach a clearing about five minutes later.
"You too." Coulson responds.
"You're an idiot." Tony tells Coulson "What were you thinking when you went after Loki alone?"
"That someone had to." Coulson answers "Have you found the file?" He asks wanting to know just how much Stark knows.
"Yeah I have." Tony answers "I'm sorry, I'm glad you alive, but he shouldn't have done that to do it." He tells him.
"Done what?" Natasha asks confused.
"She doesn't know?" Tony asks surprised.
"I haven't gotten around to telling her." Coulson admits as he purposely left it out of his story about what he has been up to, "I only found out the truth a couple of months ago and the only person I told was Melinda, not even Skye knows everything."
"I showed Steve the file, hope that's okay." Tony tells him and Coulson nods "I didn't tell Pepper everything though, figured it would be best like that." He comments
"Thanks." Coulson tells him.
"Do one of you want to start talking?" Natasha says to them clearly unimpressed that she is the only one who doesn't know what is going on.
"I was dead for days Tasha, but Fury wouldn't accept that. He did everything he could to bring me back, and when I was brought back I begged for death, I didn't want to live anymore." Coulson explains "So they changed my memories made me think I was in Tahiti and I believed that. I finally found out what really happened when Rania put me in a memory chamber and I demanded the truth." Coulson explains to Natasha's shock.
"Okay, less depressive topic. What are you doing here?" Stark asks several minutes later.
"That's not much better." Natasha comments still surprised by what Coulson revealed.
"Why? What's going on?" Steve asks concerned.
"Coulson, his team, Clint and I are going 'off book' to further notice." Natasha explains.
"Which means?" Stark asks.
"That we are on our own, we have no backup or support from S.H.I.E.L.D." Coulson explains simply.
"That seems drastic." Tony comments.
"It's what we have to do." Natasha explains "Quinn escaped and the Clairvoyant wants Phil and his daughter for something and we can't let that happen. Going of book while we try to track down them both is the best option we have to keep everyone safe." Natasha explains.
"I've read everything that S.H.I.E.L.D has on the Clairvoyant, you've had a busy few months." Tony says looking at Coulson.
"That we have." Coulson answers.
"Do you need more help?" Steve asks having been giving the cliff notes version of what Stark knows during the drive.
"Not at the moment, but thanks." Coulson tells him.
"What we need is a go between. If there are things that Fury thinks we really need to know he will contact you and you'll pass it on to us." Natasha informs Stark "If there are things we need Fury to know we will tell you and you'll pass it on for us, that's if you're willing." She says to Stark.
"I can do that." Stark answers.
"Good." Natasha tells him.
"So this team of yours, they any good?" Stark asks curious.
"The best." Coulson answers "But you already knew that." Knowing that it's likely that he has researched them.
"Yeah." Stark admits. "What about your systems? If you're going off book I assume you don't want to be traced or hacked. Do you want me to have a look at you systems to make sure you're covered?" Stark asks.
"Thanks but we've got it covered. My daughter and two of the members of my team got us off line from serves and databases and my Daughter created the firewalls and encryption herself. We're covered." Coulson informs Stark.
"You sure about that? Or is this your fatherly pride talking?" Stark asks.
"Stark, Skye managed to hack S.H.I.E.L.D from her van with a laptop, I don't even think you could have done that." Natasha tells Tony.
"Okay that is impressive." Tony admits. "So how do I contact you?" he asks.
"You don't." Natasha tells him "We'll contact you, it's the only way to keep everyone safe."
"If you need help just let me know and I'll be there." Steve tells Natasha and Coulson
"Thanks Cap." Coulson and Natasha respond.
"How is your Daughter sir?" Steve asks curious, "Stark said that she was hurt." Steve comments.
"She's doing okay." Coulson answers "She pulled one of her stiches yesterday and her arms hurting and she's feeling guilty about what has happened but for the most part she is doing okay." Coulson explains.
"That's good." Steve comments "I'm glad you found her. Natasha told me that you have been looking for her for a very long time." He comments
"A very long time." Coulson answers. "Melinda and I never stopped."
"Oh that reminds me, when things are all sorted Pepper wants you, Melinda, and your daughter to come over for dinner." Tony tells Coulson.
"Skye will like that." Natasha informs Coulson "You did promise her a trip to Stark Tower."
"You did?" Tony asks surprised.
"She wasn't happy that she couldn't come with Natasha and me today. She really wants to meet you." Coulson tells him.
"Well as soon as you're able to you have to bring her around." Tony tells him.
"I will." Coulson tells him.
"Oh and Pepper is pissed at you for not telling us that you were alive." He adds.
"And you're not?" Coulson asks.
"I was until I read what Fury did to you, my anger is more at him than you." Tony tells him "But that doesn't mean that you're completely off the hook about not telling us that you're alive Phil."
"Did you just call me Phil?" Coulson asks surprised.
"Well that is apparently your name so I thought why not?" Tony comments.
"We should get going." Natasha comments several minutes later when Coulson hasn't said anything due to shock.
"Remember what I said, if you need help just ask." Steve says shaking Natasha's hand once they are back at the cars.
"We will Cap."
"It was good to see you again." Steve tells Coulson "I'm glad you're alive. Thank you for what you did." Steve tells Coulson.
"No, thank you Captain for what you do." Coulson tells him.
"We couldn't have done it without you." Steve tells him shaking his hands.
"Stark." Coulson says sticking his hand out for Tony to shake. Tony does shake his hand but he uses it to pull Coulson In for a hug. "If you ever need to talk about what happened, just call, and don't ever do something that stupid again." He says to Coulson quietly.
"Agent Romanoff." Tony says to Natasha once he breaks the hug with Coulson who is standing in shock.
"Stark, I'll be seeing you soon." Natasha tells him.
"I don't doubt it." Stark says as he and Steve get into his car.
"Coulson you alive?" Natasha asks her friend as Tony and Steve drive off.
"Phil, hello?" Natasha says waving her hand in front of Coulson's face but he is so surprised that he doesn't even react.
"Guess you won't be needing these." Natasha comments reaching down and grabbing the keys out of Coulson's hand.
"Don't even think about it." Coulson says snapping out of his shock.
"Finally, let's go then." Natasha comments getting in Lola's passenger side.
"Right." Coulson comment getting in the driver's side.
"Did that really happen?" Coulson asks curious, wanting to be sure.
"Stark, hugging you? Yep. I wish I had a camera Clint and Melinda would have loved to see that." Natasha comments as Coulson starts the car and drives them back to the plane.
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