Chapter 18
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: Sorry about the cliff-hanger.
"What?" Melinda ask confused, "But you're not hurt. You're fine." Melinda tells her daughter not wanting to believe it.
"No, I'm not." Skye tell her parents, "Because he was right." Skye says looking over at the Clairvoyant, "The only reason that my brain can handle all the excess energy that it has is because it has had time to adapt, but now I just took in hundred times more energy than I already have in seconds, and my brain can't cope with that. I'll be dead in twenty four hours." Skye tells her parents, both of whom look heartbroken.
"Why can't you just push the energy out?" Natasha asks.
"Because there is too much." Skye says, "The amount that I would have to push out in one go to save myself is more than I can." Skye explains, "Pushing it out in small doses will do nothing. I will be dead in twenty four hours and there is nothing I can do." Skye tells everyone.
"No, you won't." Tony says.
"Uncle Tony…" Skye begins to say but Tony cuts her off.
"No, I will not let you die." Tony tells his niece, "If it's this energy inside of you that is killing you then it's simple, we remove the energy."
"I can't." Skye tells him, "I don't even think there is a way."
"Then I'll find one." Tony tells her, "You said I you had twenty four hours, that gives me twenty four hours to find a way to get that energy out of you safely, and I will, because I refuse to let you die." Tony tells his niece.
"We'll help." Fitz, and Simmons say in unison neither of them willingly going to let their sister die.
"Let's get back to the plane, we can do more there." Ward says doing his best to hide the emotion in his voice.
"Can you stand?" Coulson asks his daughter deciding to not let himself think of the thought of his daughter dying until there is no chance, but until then he won't because with Tony, Fitz, and Simmons working on a way to save her there is very little chance of failure.
"Yeah, I think so." Skye says and she attempts to stand but she almost falls until Melinda catches her.
"I've got you." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Let's go." Skye says reaching down and grabbing her bow as even though she may be dying she will not leave that behind.
"What about the bodies?" Steve asks.
"We'll contact Fury. Get him to send out a retrieval team." Coulson tells his hero and the group leaves the room. Fitz carrying the tec that they were sent to retrieve, Skye being helped to walk by her parents.
"Damn it." Skye says when her legs start to shake, "It won't last, but it will for a little while." Skye reveals.
"I'll carry you." Steve offers.
"No, I'll be okay." Skye assures him leaning on her mother more as they make their way out of the compound Coulson on the other side of her, Steve right behind them.
"Okay I need to get a scan on your brain to see just what we're looking at." Tony tells Skye as the group enter the plane a while later, Tony removing his suit as he does.
"We need blood as well it could provide some clues." Simmons comments and Tony nods.
"Jane gave you her number right?" Tony asks Simmons curious.
"Yeah."
"Call her." Tony requests.
"Jane's, an astrophysist, why do you need her?" Coulson asks confused.
"She's also an expert in Thor's electronic energy, that's pretty close to what Skye's is, we need her help." Tony explains as Melinda helps Skye to the table.
As Melinda helps Skye to the table Natasha realises that everyone except for one person is in the lab. Without a word she leaves the lab in search of her partner. She doesn't have to look anywhere because as soon as she exits the lab she hears banging and she turns to see Clint on the platform above the cargo bay punching the wall.
"Stop." Natasha says once she reaches her partners' side, but Clint doesn't listen he just continues to punch the solid steal wall, "Clint, stop." Natasha says putting her hand on Clint's arm.
"I should have left her at the academy, she was safe there." Clint says his voice full of pain, "I never should have taken her with me." He says continuing to punch the wall
"No, don't do this." Natasha says grabbing Clint's hands and stopping him form punching the wall anymore, "This isn't your fault." She tells him.
"Yes it is." Clint tells her, "I shouldn't have let her come with me, if I didn't then she wouldn't be dying right now." Clint says his voice full of pain.
"And if we didn't need to be rescued then you wouldn't have needed to come." Natasha tells him, "We can spend all day blaming ourselves or we can go be with our niece." Natasha tells him.
"I can't, I can't sit by, and watch her die knowing that there is nothing I can do." Clint admits, "Knowing that I am useless."
"You're not useless, you never have could be." Natasha tells him, "Tony, and Jemma, and Leo are working on a way to save her, they are three of the smartest people in the world, they'll find a way." Natasha tells him.
"And if they can't?" Clint asks both of them realising that their normal roles are slightly reversed at the moment.
"Then no one can." Natasha tells him, "If they can't find a way then there isn't one and if that is the case then do you really want to spend Skye's last hours avoiding her?" Natasha asks, "You love her Clint, and you two are closer than any of us. If these really are her last hours do you want to spend them away from her?" Natasha asks knowing her much her partner cares about Skye partly because of how similar they are and the similarities in what they've both been through.
"She was miserable at the academy Nat." Clint tells his partner, "She didn't have a single moment of peace from the other students. All they did was give her a hard time and tell her how much she didn't belong. She made me promise her not to do anything about it so I didn't, I haven't protected her in the last few weeks and I failed her today. How can I face her knowing that? Knowing that I have let her down? That I have failed her?" Clint asks.
"You didn't fail me Uncle Clint." Skye's voice says form the other end of the platform where she is standing with her parents and Steve, neither Skye nor Coulson wearing their vests anymore.
"I'm going to go call Fury." Steve comments feeling that the five need a moment alone and that making sure none of them have to deal with Fury until he knows what is going on would be a good idea.
"For the last two week I have been unhappy and I have been doubting myself." Skye says holding on to the railing with both hands so that she can walk towards her Uncle, "But whenever there was a tap on my window or we'd have a lesson together I would feel better. You made me feel better, you didn't fail me Uncle Clint, you helped me stay strong." Skye says, a double meaning to her words that she is sure her mother and Natasha will pick up on, as she almost falls over but Clint catches her, "Don't blame yourself it wasn't your fault." Skye says to her Uncle, "It is none of your faults." She tells her parents and Aunt, "I don't want any of you to blame yourselves, and if Uncle Tony, Fitz and Jemma can't find a way to save me then I'm begging you not to blame yourselves, It's not what I want." Skye tells them, "You guys are my family and if I die today then at least I'm dying having been a part of the most amazing, the most loving family any one could ever want." Skye tells her parents, Aunt and Uncle.
"They will find a way to save you, because none of us will let there be another choice." Melinda says walking over and hugging her daughter.
After about thirty seconds Coulson walks over and hugs them, then Natasha and Clint join the hug as well surprisingly it being Natasha who joined first.
Meanwhile in the command centre after a small amount of difficulty Steve has made a call to Fury and he has explained that Coulson and the others came to find them and that they have gotten the tec back.
"Get Coulson Captain." Fury requests.
"That's not a good idea at the moment Sir." Steve tells him.
"Is he indisposed?" Fury asks.
"No Sir."
"Then get him." Fury orders.
"Skye is dying Sir." Steve says feeling the direct approach would be best.
"Get to Hill's base, I'll have a team of doctor's standing by ready." Fury tells Steve, showing that that news is affecting him something which he would never usually let show.
"This isn't something that doctors can fix." Steve reveals, "The Clairvoyant made a ball of the electrical energy that Skye possess, he was going to use that to kill us all, and if he was killed before he could then the energy would have killed everyone anyway, because there was no one to control it. Skye took that energy into herself, which from what I understand is too much for her body to handle. Tony, Fitz and Simmons are working on a way to remove the energy safely but according to Skye she has maximum of twenty four hours left until the energy kills her, so that's all the time they have to find a way to save her." Steve explains.
"Are you still at the location where you programed the plane to land?" Fury asks.
"Yes Sir." Steve responds.
"I'll be there soon." Fury tells Steve to his surprise.
"Sir there are five dead S.H.I.E.L.D scientists and the body of the Clairvoyant and several of his men in the compound and we've got the tec." Steve reveals
"Thank you Captain, I'll make sure they are dealt with." Fury says and he is about to stop the conference when Steve stops him.
"One more thing Sir, you should find a way to get Pepper Potts here. She's Skye's Aunt she should be here and if he fails to find a way to save her then Tony is going to need her here." He explains.
"I'll arrange it." Fury informs Steve.
"Was that Fury?" Natasha asks walking into the command centre.
"Yeah." Steve responds, "He's on his way."
"Don't know how much good that will do." Natasha comments.
"He's also going to get Pepper here." Steve adds.
"Good idea." Natasha says glad Steve thought to ask as she knows that it was very unlikely that it was Fury's idea.
"How is she?" Steve asks seeing Skye being helped to her bunk by her parents.
"Dying." Natasha answers simply.
"Where's Clint?" Steve asks.
"He went down to the lab. He wanted to see if there was anything he could do to help." Natasha explains.
"You know it is okay to be upset, Skye is your niece." Steve tells his friend having worked with her long enough to be able to read her pretty well.
"She doesn't deserve this." Natasha tells her friend, "She's been through hell most of her life and for it to end like this, she deserves better." Natasha tells him, "She should get to do great things, and I don't just mean because she has powers, she fearless and strong, smart and a better person that most of us. She should get to be grate not die at twenty five." Natasha admits a tear coming to her eye.
"She will be." Steve says putting an arm around her, "I have faith in Tony, he will find a way to save her."
Down in the lab Fitz, Simmons and Tony are rushing around all doing all different things and speaking to Jane who is on speaker at the same time while Ward watches with a vacant expression on his face.
"Have they found anything?" Clint asks Ward.
"I'm… not sure, I don't understand half of what they are saying." Ward admits.
"Go sit with her Grant." Clint tells the young specialist, "I know you want to but more than that I know she would want you to." Clint tells him as while he hasn't always been the biggest supporter of Skye and Ward relationship he and Skye have spent a lot of time in the last two weeks talking about it and he knows how much his niece likes him, how important Ward is to her.
"May and Coulson are with her, they should have some time alone." Ward responds an the two man become silent both thinking about the girl they both love, in very different ways, and how much they wish they could be doing something to save her.
An hour later everyone with the exception of Melinda, Skye, and Coulson are down in the lab. Melinda Is sitting on Skye's bunk holding her why she sleeps. Coulson is standing watching the two woman he loves not even allowing himself to think of the possibility that he could lose one of them in twenty four hours.
"We just got her back, we can't lose her." Melinda says as she runs her hand through her daughters' hair.
"We won't." Coulson says walking over to his wife and daughter, "They will find a way." Coulson says.
"Sit with us." Melinda requests moving slightly so that Coulson can fit on the bed.
Coulson does just that, he sits down on the bed and puts one arm around his wife and his other around his daughter hoping that he is right because he is positive that he won't be able to handle being wrong on this one.
Two hours later Coulson and May are still sitting with their daughter who is still asleep.
"I'm going to go see if they have found a way." Coulson says carefully moving.
"I'm sure they would have come and gotten us if they had." Melinda comments.
"I know, I just need to go see." Coulson says getting up.
"I'll come." Melinda says carefully moving her daughter off her lap, placing a kiss on her head and getting up and leaving the bunk.
Melinda and Coulson are making their way downstairs when they see Ward coming upstairs.
"Have they found something?" Coulson asks Ward.
"I don't know, I couldn't stay down there any longer." Ward reveals and he heads to his bunk, wanting to be alone for a little while before he goes and sits with Skye.
Five minutes after her parents leave her bunk Skye wakes. When she does she knows exactly what will happen next, and she knows that there is someone that she has to talk to before Tony, Fitz and Simmons actually come up with their plan and she knows where to find him.
With difficulty Skye gets up and grabbing hold of the wall of her bunk she slowly makes her way out of her bunk. Once she is out of the bunk she grabs hold of the furniture so that she can slowly make her way across the room to Ward's bunk.
"Can I come in?" Skye asks from the door once she reaches his bunk.
"Hey, you should be resting." Ward tells Skye looking up, his eyes red.
"I'm dying. Rest isn't going to change that." Skye says taking the two steps to Ward's bunk and sitting down next to him.
"Don't say that." Ward says though it's clear that that is all he's been thinking about, "We've got time. Stark and FitzSimmons are working on a way to get that energy out of you and they're consulting with Jane. They are four of the best scientific minds in the world if anyone can save you it'll be them." Ward tells his girlfriend.
"I know, and they will." Skye tells him, "In exactly seventeen minutes they will find a way to save me." Skye reveals surprising Ward by not sounding happy.
"Why don't you sound happier?" Ward asks confused.
"Because the way to save me is to remove ninety five percent of the excess energy which is less than what my brain needs for me to function, and it won't be able to build the levels up to the right levels quick enough or stop before it builds up to much energy again. The only way for my brain to cope, with the new levels of electrical energy I will have, is to revert back to how old I was when I first got the excess, when my brain was still developing so that it can handle large amounts when it starts to build back up again." Skye explains, most of the science not making sense to her but she knows it makes sense to Tony, Fitz, Simmons, and Jane.
"That was when the Clairvoyant took you, when you were three months old." Ward realises.
"Yeah." Skye confirms and Ward is shocked and now understands why Skye doesn't sound happy, she won't die but she will lose herself which is pretty close.
"Will just you're brain revert back or all of you?" Ward ask.
"All of me, thanks to some sciency thing that Tony, Simmons, Fitz and Jane are currently coming up with." Skye explains.
"You used your powers to find out if they could save you." Ward realises, "Is that a good idea at the moment? You could have made things worse." He comments worried.
"I'm already dying I don't think things could get worse." Skye comments, Ward tensing at that reminder, "But no I didn't. I woke up and I knew, I guess I don't have to concentrate to know things when I have this much energy inside of me." Skye reveals.
"Does it hurt?" Ward asks worried.
"It's starting to, I imagine it will get worse." Skye tells him moving so that she is siting closer to him and Ward puts his arm around her.
"Will you remember?" Ward asks interested.
"I'm not sure, I think there will be echoes and maybe one day I will remember everything, but I don't know when." Skye reveals, "I won't be me anymore. I'll be who I should have been." Skye revels.
"Well I'm sure that the you that I will make sure to meet in twenty five years will be very much like how you are now, you're Skye, there's no changing you." Ward tells his girlfriend.
"It won't be twenty five years." Skye reveals.
"What?" Ward asks confused.
"The electrical energy will increase my ageing time because unlike last time it will be trying to build itself up to the level I have now but in a way that I can handle it. I don't know exactly how fast I will age, I don't even know if there even will be a pattern, but I know that I will age quicker." Skye reveals and the pair drift into silence neither not really sure what to say.
"We should go downstairs." Ward says several minutes later, "You should be there when everyone else finds out what is going to happen." He tells her.
"Yeah I guess I should." Skye says and the pair get up and head downstairs. Ward helping Skye to walk as they do.
Almost ten minutes after they leave Ward's bunk Skye and Ward walk into the lab.
"Skye." Coulson says rushing to his daughter side and him and Ward help her to a chair.
"Good timing." Tony tells her, "We think we've found a way to save you." He reveals.
"You have." Skye tells them, "And I know what it will do to me." She adds.
"You do?" Fitz asks surprised.
"I do." Skye confirms.
"Are you okay with that?" Simmons asks, "Because we can try to find another way." Simmons tells her.
"There isn't another way." Skye tells them, "As well as knowing your idea, what it will do, and what it means, I also know that it is the only option I have apart from dying." Skye reveals.
"Does someone want to explain this idea to those in the room who aren't genius or have a knowing power?" Clint asks.
"We have an idea about a way to save Skye that could work." Fitz explains as he Tony and Simmons continue to work on the holotable.
"Not could, it will." Skye tells the three.
"Why I do I think that whatever this idea is that it will do more than just save Skye?" Melinda asks as she notices the looks that Skye, Tony, Ward, Fitz and Simmons have on their faces.
"Because it will." Tony explains, "Fitz do we have everything we need?" He asks.
"Yeah, but I would prefer if we got a stronger containment case for the energy just in case." Fitz reveals.
"How strong of a containment case?" Fury asks walking in to the lab with Pepper next to him.
"Pepper?" Tony asks surprised and Pepper walks over and hugs her boyfriend clearly knowing what is going on.
"Sir?" Coulson asks surprised, "What are you doing here?" he asks surprised.
"Captain Rogers told me about Skye, I wanted to come to see if there was anything I could do to help." He explains.
"How did you get here so fast?" Steve asks surprised.
"I have my ways." Fury responds.
"Thank you for coming Sir, it means a lot." Coulson tells his friend who gives a simple nod in response
"Now how strong of a containment case do you need?" Fury asks Tony, Simmons and Fitz.
"A strong as you can get here in next fifteen hours." Tony tells him, "That's how long it will take us to make what we have to make." He reveals then he looks directly at Skye, "So you know what this means." He says to her.
"Yeah." Skye responds.
"Are you okay with that?" Tony asks.
"I don't know if okay is the right word." Skye admits, "But it's what I'm choosing." She tells Tony.
"What's going on?" Coulson asks worried, "What is going to happen?" he asks worried.
"They can save me." Skye tells her father, "But in doing so the only way my brain will be able to cope is to revert back to the age that I was when I first got the excess electrical energy, an age when my brain is still developing so that it can slowly adapt to the levels of electrical energy that I will have." Skye explains, "Uncle Tony, Fitz and Simmons have come up with a way to revert my body as well as my brain to that age. I will be three months old again, but thanks to the energy my ageing will be accelerated." Skye explains.
"Though it is impossible to predict how accelerated." Simmons adds.
"You'll be three months old again." Melinda realises looking at her daughter.
"Yeah." Skye says, "Guess we're getting our second chance." Skye tells her parents.
"But we'll lose you." Coulson realises.
"I might remember someday." Skye tells her parents, "I know that this is going to be odd, for all of you." Skye says not looking at just her parents but the rest of her family as well, "But ever since we found out about each other we've said how much we wished that you guys got to raise me, well we get this chance now. I know that it's now how any of us wanted it, but it's what we've got." Skye tells her parents, "You'll get to see me grow up, I'll get to have a good childhood, surrounded by the people who love me." Skye comments and Melinda and Coulson hug her.
"We'll go home, the three of us." Coulson tells his daughter, "You'll grow up at home." Coulson tells her.
"I'm sorry, but that won't be possible." Fury says and everyone turns to look at him.
"Why not Sir?" Coulson asks trying to keep his voice calm.
"Skye said it herself her ageing will be accelerated, how are you going to explain that to people?" Fury asks and neither Coulson nor Melinda have an answer for him, "Will you still have your abilities?" he asks Skye.
"Yeah, but I won't be able to use them until I'm older and have either been told about them or remember." Skye tells the director.
"Staying in one place with Skye will be dangerous for all three of you, you don't know who will come after her especially if they find out that she is a child with power." Fury explains.
"The Clairvoyant is dead, he's the only one who could know." Clint comments.
"His network is still alive, Quinn, Mike, the Mole, and it's likely that they could still want Skye." Natasha realises.
"What's your suggestion Sir?" Melinda asks knowing that he must have one for him to even suggest it.
"If Skye was going to age normally then I would say you could raise her anywhere you wanted and we would deal with any threats but because she isn't then things are different." Fury tells them, "I know it won't be ideal but I think the best idea would be for all of you to stay on the plane, I will permanently assign Barton and Romanoff here. If they need to be called away for missions they will, but their permanently post will be here with all of you." Fury reveals.
"And that won't be dangerous?" Coulson asks, "I trust everyone here Sir, and I know that we will all protect Skye, but the work we do isn't safe. My daughter will be a child and I won't put her in that kind of danger." Coulson tells Fury.
"It's the best choice Dad." Skye tells her father causing everyone to once more look at her, "What do you think will happen to me if people see a child suddenly quickly ageing? Or if The Clairvoyant's people come after me or someone else who realises I have power, nothing good." Skye tells everyone, "I won't be able to protect myself, but this plane is the safest place for me, being with all of you is what's best for me. You get to pick the missions you do, pick the safer ones and if something end of the world bad comes up then you'll figure it out." Skye tells everyone, "I know it's not the way you would want me to grow up but it's the safest choice." She tells her parents.
"If something very, very dangerous and end of the world big comes up then you can bring her to the tower or I can come and get her and bring her to the tower." Tony comments to everyone, including Pepper's surprise, "Pepper and I will look after her if something happens which makes it just too dangerous for her to be on the plane for a little while." Tony tells Coulson and Melinda, "It's ultimately up to you but what's better way to protect her than with a team of agents watching her, plus FitzSimmons can monitor her ageing and electrical levels give you more of an idea of what you are looking at." Tony tells them.
"I think we need to talk about it." Melinda says looking at Coulson.
"Yeah, we do." Coulson responds, "Upstairs." Coulson says.
"Yeah." Melinda responds, "Come get us if anything changes." Melinda requests and her and Coulson leave the lab.
"I better go get that containment case for you." Fury says leaving the lab.
"I'll be right back." Clint tells Natasha and he runs out after Fury.
"What's that about?" Skye asks confused.
"No idea." Natasha responds truthfully.
"Sir, a minute please." Clint requests before Fury can make his call.
"What is it Agent Barton?" Fury asks.
"I don't know if you are aware or not but the two weeks Skye spent at the academy wasn't easy, the other students continually gave her a hard time and made accusations that she only got there because of her last name and now with her not going back it is likely that that is what everyone will believe and I can't allow that." Clint tells his boss.
"What would you like to do?" Fury asks.
"If possible I would like you to go to the academy and tell the students that Skye left because we received a call about a team that we both have worked with in the past were in danger so we left to help and Skye was severally injured while doing so." Clint requests, "She deserves more than what those students think of her." Clint tells Fury.
"I agree." Fury responds, "I've heard about what has been going on, I'm surprised you didn't do something about it." He comments.
"I wanted to." Clint admits, "But I promised Skye I wouldn't, she said that it would make it seem like she was receiving more favouritism." Clint reveals, "One more thing Sir." Clint requests.
"What is it?"
"James Williams is never to be assigned to work on the same continent as me, if he is then I will not be responsible for my actions." Clint instructs before heading back into the lab leaving Fury to make his phone call.
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