Chapter 33
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AN2: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
Twelve hours later Natasha and Clint get a shock when they look over to Coulson and Skye and see that Coulson is actually asleep, so is Skye, but it's the fact that Coulson is which is so surprising.
"About time." Clint comments.
"Now if only we can get him to change." Natasha comments.
"I think that would be even more of a miracle." Clint comments. "Can you handle things here? There's something I want to do."
"Sure." She answers, "What do you want to do?" Natasha asks curious.
"Well for one check in one the others, and for the other I'm going to ask Hill for her help in getting Skye all official documents, a licence, a passport, everything. I realised earlier that she must not have any. I think she would like to have some." Clint explains as one of the things he and Skye has talked about is how she has never felt like she belonged anywhere because she didn't know who she was.
"Yeah, I think she will." Natasha comments "Go, I've got them, just bring…." Natasha begins to say but Clint cuts her off.
"Coffee, I know." Clint says and exits the room.
Clint's first trip after leaving the room is to head to the conference room, as he walks he realises that it must be night time as there is hardly no one around, not that it really matters the only time that matters is how long Melinda has been unconscious for.
When he enters the conference room he sees that the only person awake is Tony. Ward is asleep on his chair. FitzSimmons are asleep lying next to each other, very close, on the floor, and Pepper is asleep on the couch. Not wanting to wake anyone else up Clint signals to Tony to come outside which he does.
"What happened?" He asks Clint concerned.
"Nothing." Clint answers "Well unless you count Phil falling asleep as something." He corrects.
"I consider that a miracle." Tony comments, "If nothing's happened then why are you here?" he asks as the last update someone came to give was to explain what happened between Fury and Skye.
"I just came to see how everyone was doing before going to see Hill." Clint explains.
"Why are you going to see Hill?" Tony asks interested.
"I need her help" Clint explains "Skye said earlier that she wants to start to go by a slightly modified version of her birth name, I want Hill's help to get Skye all the real official documents for that." Clint explains.
"Do you think now is a good time to do that?" Tony asks curious.
"When you've never had a home or even known your name or birthday, having things that say them mean a lot." Clint explains.
"I'll come, I don't really feel like sleeping." Stark comments.
"Really?" Clint asks surprised.
"From what I know that kid hasn't had an easy time in her life, and now this. She deserves something good, if you say this is something that will mean a lot to her then I want to help." Tony answers.
"You looked into her?" Clint asks surprised as the pair begin their walk to Hill's office.
"I tried to, didn't have much luck." Tony answers "But I've found out a few things." He answers and the things he has found makes him worried about the girl, and after what he has seen and the comment she made to him when they first got to the base he realised that she reminds him of himself.
Clint nods not surprised that Stark didn't have much luck as Skye told him that she has deleted her history.
A few hours later Skye wakes up but Coulson remains sleeping.
"Has anything changed?" Skye asks Natasha and Clint quietly when she realises that her Dad is asleep.
"No." Natasha answers "Doctor Streiten had to increase her oxygen for a while but her levels are back up." She explains.
Skye nods. "How long has he been asleep for?" She asks curious.
"A few hours." Clint answers.
"That's good, he needs some sleep." Skye comments.
"He also needs a shower and to change his clothes." Natasha comments.
"That's not going to happen to Mom's awake." Skye comments.
"That could still be days." Clint comments as all of them think or not at all.
"The only person on this earth who could get Dad to leave Mom's side right now is Mom." Skye tells them, "You both know that."
"Yeah we do." Clint answers.
"You know you need a shower and to get changed as well." Natasha tells Skye.
"I know." Skye admits.
"Why don't you go back to the plane, have a shower, grab something to eat." Natasha suggest.
"I don't want to leave, not when Mom could wake at any time." Skye tells Clint and Natasha.
"It will still be another twelve hours at least." Clint tells her, "Doctor Streiten said she won't wake for at least twenty four hours, it's only been twelve."
"Yeah, okay, I guess I could go." Skye comments though she still sounds hesitant.
"I'll come with you. I need to stretch my legs." Natasha comments.
Skye nods in response, "If Dad wakes tell him I won't be long." Skye tells Clint.
"Of course." Clint responds and Natasha and Skye leaves.
"Looks like it's just the three of us." Clint comments as he puts his feet up on Natasha's chair.
"How are you feeling?" Natasha asks Skye curious once they reach the plane.
"Stronger." Skye answers.
"Any lasting effects?"
"Not really, I still feel weaker than I should, like I'm really overtired but apart from that I feel fine." Skye answers.
"Good." Natasha answers.
"How about you?" Skye asks curious "You did take a bullet too."
"I'm fine." Natasha answers.
"Is that the same fine Dad's been saying he is or are you really fine?" Skye asks curious.
"I'm really fine." Natasha assures.
"Good." Skye answers as they enter the second level of the plane.
An hour later Natasha and Skye are back in Melinda's room and an hour after that Coulson wakes.
"Mel?" He asks as soon as he wakes.
"Still the same." Clint answers, "No changes."
"Has her oxygen levels gone down again?" He ask worried looking at the monitors.
"They did once, but Streiten just increased her oxygen again and they went up again." Natasha answers. "He's decreased it again and she's fine."
"You should have woken me." Coulson tells his friends.
"You needed sleep, if something serious had happened or if her oxygen levels didn't increase again within a few minutes then we would have woken you, but nothing happen happened and her levels were fine in a couple of minutes so there was no point." Natasha tells him.
"You really needed sleep Phil, and we're are not going to apologise for letting you get it." Clint tells his friend as Coulson checks his watch to see how long he has been asleep for.
Coulson isn't the only one who is waking up. In the conference room the rest of the team and Stark and Pepper have awoken to the breakfast that Hill organized for them.
"Have there been any updates?" Ward asks.
"Clint was here a few hours ago, there's no change." Tony answers.
"She should wake soon right? That's what the Doctor said." Fitz comments.
"In a few hours the sedation will be completely out of her system so she can, but it could be days before she does." Simmons explains.
"Or not at all." Tony comments.
"Yes, that's still a possibility." Simmons confirms.
"I don't think Coulson and Skye could handle it if she didn't." Ward comments.
"Clint said that Coulson was sleeping." Tony informs the others wanting to give them the only tiny bit off good news that he has.
"That's good, it had been what fifty hours since he last slept?" Fitz comments
"Something like that." Ward answers.
"I feel so useless." Simmons reveals. "I wish there was something we could do to help them."
"We're here for them, that's all we can do." Pepper tells the young scientist who she has gotten close to in the last few days.
"I know, I just feel so useless." Simmons comments.
"You're the furthest thing from useless Jemma." Fitz tells his friend.
Five hours later, it has been twenty four since Melinda's sedation has been reversed and Dr Streiten is in Melinda's room doing another check.
"How is she?" Coulson asks once he is finished his exam.
"Apart from the continuing fluctuations in her oxygen levels everything is good, amazingly so." Streiten informs Coulson.
"Is that a concern? Her oxygen levels?" Coulson asks worried.
"Yes." Streiten answers "But as she is reacting positively to the increase levels of oxygen it's not as much of a problem as it could be, but they still need to be monitored closely." Streiten comments.
"Does that mean she's going to wake up soon?" Skye asks.
"From these signs she could wake at any time, or it could be several days. There is no way to tell." Streiten explains.
"And what if she doesn't wake now that the sedation is worn off?" Clint asks.
"That could mean any one of a lot of things." Streiten answers "None of which we have to be concerned about right now. Because she is on pain medication that could also affect when she wakes." Streiten explains. "I will decrease her medication slightly but that also means that she will be in pain when she wakes." Streiten explains.
"Then why lower her pain mediation?" Skye asks.
"Because it is acting similar to a sedative at the moment. Once she is wake her pain medication will be increased again if needed which means she will sleep more." Streiten explains and Coulson, Skye, Clint and Natasha nod.
"Thank you Doctor." Coulson tells her.
"I'll be back in half an hour." Streiten informs him before leaving.
"Is it your turn or mine for a coffee run?" Clint asks Natasha curious.
"I'll go." Natasha informs him.
"Let me." Skye says getting up.
"You sure?" Clint asks surprised as Skye has been leaving her mother's side a few times as possible.
"Yeah." Skye says leaving the room.
"I think it's still hard for her to see Melinda like this." Coulson explains as he knows it's hard for him to see Melinda like this it must be just as hard if not more so for Skye.
"Not surprising." Natasha comments.
When Skye finds the Coffee machine she finds it broken.
"Dam it." Skye says angrily "Why can't anything work, come on you stupid thing, work." Skye says hitting the coffee machine with her plastered arm.
"Ouch." Skye says before turning so that she is back facing the wall, which she slides down and just sits on the ground holding her arm, looking down, doing her best to stop the tears that are threatening to fall.
"Skye?" Simmons voice as concerned.
Skye looks up surprised and she sees Simmons, Ward and Fitz walking towards her.
"Are you alright?" Simmons asks concerned as she kneels down on Skye's left side.
"Yes, no, I don't know." Skye responds.
"Well those are three answers." Ward comments as he kneels on her right side.
"You need to learn better jokes." Fitz comments as he kneels in font of Skye.
"You need to learn to appreciate jokes." Ward responds.
"Guys, not now." Simmons tells them.
"No, it's okay." Skye assures her, "I could use a classic FitzWard fight to distract me at the moment." She comments.
"How's your Mum?" Simmons asks concerned.
"The same." Skye answers, "Don't know when she'll wake up or even if she will. Her oxygen levels keep changing, Dad's falling apart. Uncle Clint and тетя Наташа are trying to be there for us, but Mom like this is hurting them too, and I just want her to be okay." Skye says tears coming to her eyes once again.
FitzSimmons and Ward don't say anything because they don't know what they can say, so instead in Unison the three of them lean forward and put their arms around Skye which becomes a group hug with Skye in the middle.
When then finally break apart a few minutes later Skye looks at them, "A year ago I didn't have a family, and I never thought I would, but now I do, and I don't just mean my parents. Thank you for being my family." Skye tells them.
"No, thank you for being ours." Simmons says and the two girls hug again.
"So because of the fact that you were hitting the coffee maker I'm guessing you were on a coffee run." Ward comments when Simmons and Skye break apart.
"Yeah." Skye answers.
"Then come on Rookie, there's another coffee maker not that far away." He tells her standing up and sticking out his hand.
"Thanks." Skye says grabbing his hand and Ward pulls her up and into a hug which makes Simmons and Fitz's smile.
"You're stuck with us now." Fitz comments.
"Thanks Fitz." Skye tells him.
"To coffee." Simmons say and her and Fitz leave the room.
"He's right you know, there is no getting rid of us now." Ward tells Skye.
"I'm glad." Skye tells him.
"I'm glad you're glad." Ward says looking at Skye.
Neither sure who moves fist but Ward leans down and Skye stretches up and their lips meet and the pair exchange their first kiss. It is tender and sweet and lasts a couple of minutes before they break apart.
"We should go get the Coffee, Uncle Clint and тетя Наташа will send out a search party if I'm not back soon." Skye comments.
"Right, good point." Ward comments knowing that it is something that they would do.
"So lead the way." Skye tells Ward not letting go of his hand.
Ten minutes later Ward re-enters the conference room.
"You're an idiot." Tony says walking over to Ward as soon as he enters.
"Hello to you too." Ward says confused.
"Kissing the daughter of S.H.I.E.L.D's favourite agent in a building that is full of security cameras. Could you do anything more stupid?" Tony asks him.
"Who saw?" Ward asks slightly worried hoping that it was Barton because at least he has already threatened him.
"Director Fury." Tony answers, "Considering her considers himself to be her protector, he's not the person you want seeing you kiss her."
"Oh." Ward says slightly worried.
"Do you have any idea what you are getting yourself into?" Tony asks.
"Um…" Ward says not exactly sure if he does know.
"Let me spell it out to you." Tony tells him "Her parents are two of S.H.I.E.L.D's best agents, two of the world's best scientists consider her to be their little sister, her unofficial godfather is the director of S.H.I.E.L.D, her Aunt and Uncle are the two best assassins in the world, and a team of superheros see her as one of our own." Tony reveals "If you hurt that girl at all there will be no safe place in this world or any other for you to hide." Tony tells him because he is sure that if Ward hurts Skye, Thor would hunt him down if they asked. "Remember that." He tells him.
"Yes Sir." Ward responds.
"Glad we understand each other." Tony comments before returning to go and sit down next to Pepper and Ward lets out a breath he didn't realise he was holding.
When Skye heads back to her Mother's room, still thinking about the kiss with Ward, she gets worried when she sees Natasha waiting outside.
"What happened? Is Mom okay?" Skye asks worried as she runs towards Natasha, doing her best not too spill the coffee she has as she does.
"Your mother's fine." Natasha assures her.
"Then why are you waiting out here?" Skye asks confused.
"I'm waiting for you actually." Natasha answers.
"Why?" Skye asks confused.
"Because Clint and I just had an interesting chat with Maria." Natasha answers.
"About?" Skye asks confused.
"You kissing Agent Ward in a break room."
"How did she know about that? It happen like ten minutes ago." Skye says shocked.
"This is S.H.I.E.L.D ребенок, there are camera's everywhere, and you're a Coulson. Fury and Hill have been keeping an eye on you." Natasha explains.
"Fury saw too?" Skye asks worried.
"Yep." Natasha answers.
"What's he going to do to Ward?" Skye asks worried.
"Nothing." Natasha answers "Unless he hurts you then he will have to deal with a lot more than just Fury." She explains.
"тетя Наташа." Skye says.
"It's the rule ребенок, we won't let anyone get away with hurting you." Natasha tells her.
"I've never had people look out for me like that before." Skye reveals touched by the overprotectiveness of everyone but at the same time feeling like she doesn't deserve it.
"Now you do." Natasha promises her, "I don't know about you but I think you should wait a while to tell your Dad about this newest development, at least until he's had more than a few hours' sleep in several days, what do you think?"
"That that sounds good." Skye tells Natasha putting the coffee down on the table so she can give Natasha a hug "Thank you тетя Наташа." Skye tells her.
"No need ребенок. " Natasha responds and once the pair break apart they both head back into Melinda's room.
The next twenty four hours pass in much the same way as the previous. As Skye knows there is a chance that her Mother could wake at any time she doesn't leave her side unless she has to go to the bathroom. Even though she knows that she has to talk to Ward about everything she doesn't want to risk not being there where her Mom wakes so she doesn't move from next to her Dad.
As every hour passes Coulson becomes more worried that Melinda isn't going to wake up, even though every time Dr Streiten preforms one of his checks he assures Coulson that everything it okay and that the fact that Melinda hasn't woken yet is nothing to worry about he can't help but do just that.
"We've got to do something, he has been by her side for over seventy hours and in that suit for over eighty. He's a mess." Clint says quietly to Natasha not loud enough for Skye or Coulson to hear as since Melinda has been hurt Coulson is the only person who hasn't changed his clothes or showed, the only one who hasn't left her side unless he absolutely had to.
"If you've got any idea of how we can get him to leave then please share." Natasha requests.
"We could tell him about Ward, I'm betting that would get him up." Clint comments.
"In his current state its possibly he would kill Ward." Natasha points out.
"Good point." Clint realises. "Think Fury ordering him will work?" he asks thinking that is unlikely but wanting Natasha's opinion anyway.
"Considering he has already threatened to quit once, no." Natasha responds.
"There has to be something that could get him to go have a shower and change out of that suit." Clint comments.
"There is, Melinda." Natasha tells him.
"The one thing we don't have at the moment." Clint comments looking up at his sister.
"She'll wake soon, she has too." Natasha comments as she will not accept any other option.
"I hope you're right." Clint tells his partner.
Like his friend Coulson is thinking the same thing that Melinda has to wake up because he won't accept any other outcome.
Twelve hours later and Coulson is the only one in the room awake, he is standing right by Melinda's side holding her hand while Natasha, Clint and Skye sleep in their respective chairs.
"Mel, if you can hear me then please wake up." Coulson requests. "Please, open your eyes, for me please." Coulson requests.
For more than ten minutes there is no sign that Melinda is any closer to a waking. Coulson is back sitting down next to Skye when he hears what sounds like a groan of pain coming from Melinda.
"Melinda?" Coulson asks getting up so quickly that he wakes Skye.
"Dad?" Skye asks confused.
"Melinda, can you hear me?" Coulson asks once he's at Melinda's side and he receives another groan in response.
"Hey I'm right here, open your eyes for me, Please Mel. Open your eyes." Coulson requests as Skye who realises what is happening rashes to her father's side.
"Phil?" Melinda asks clearly in pain as she opens her eye.
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