Chapter 19
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: I feel that I should warn you that this chapter is very sad, so be prepared for that.
When Coulson and Melinda enter Coulson's office Coulson locks the door so that they can talk without anyone else walking in.
"What are we going to do?" Coulson asks.
"I don't know." Melinda responds truthfully, "We've got to think about what is best for her."
"I'm not sure if living on the plane is what's best for her, not with what we do." Coulson tells his wife.
"As dangerous as is it may be if we stay, it might be more dangerous if we go." Melinda tells Coulson, "If we go we will have to move contently to make sure that no one gets suspicious of her ageing, and she'll just have us to protect her, because we can't ask any of them to leave too." Melinda tells Coulson, "If we stay we will have Tasha, Clint, Ward, Fitz and Simmons looking out for her and she'll have some stability. We might move the plane but the plane itself doesn't change, she'll have stability, or as much as we can give her which is more than she'll have if we go." Melinda tells Coulson.
"You think we should stay." Coulson realises.
"I think it could be for the best if we do." Melinda tells him, "You heard Fury, we can't go home. She's getting a second chance and she can't grow up at home in her room. This plane is the only place apart from the house and her van that she has called home, and the people here are her family, she should grow up surrounded by them in the a place she is comfortable in." Melinda explains.
"And if we have to do a very dangerous mission?" Coulson asks, "What do we do then?" Coulson asks.
"We take Tony up on his offer." Melinda suggests, "We've got so much to work out, everything is changing so fast. We're losing her Phil but we're getting what back what we lost, I don't know how to feel." Melinda tells him, "All I know is that I will not let anything happen to her this time and I think the best way to be sure of that is for us to stay." Melinda tells Coulson.
"I don't know what to feel either." Coulson says putting his arms around his wife and hugging her.
A few hours later everyone is spread out through the plane, everyone thinking about the young woman who they have all started to get to know becoming a baby again in a matter of hours.
Skye herself, the topic of everyone's thoughts, is sitting in her bunk finishing the second of two letters she is writing. Once she finishes the letter she puts it in an envelope and puts both letters in the jacket that she put on because she got cold.
Wanting to talk to everyone before she changes Skye sits on the edge of the bed and she reaches to her cupboard below and gets her box of things she has kept over the years, which she kept on the plane instead of taking to the academy with her so that nothing would get ruined. Out of it she gets a small wooden fan and puts that in her pocket as well. Once she put the box back where it belongs with even more difficulty than she had an hour ago Skye manages to stand up and walk to the door of her bunk. As she looks out into the living area of the plane she sees Pepper sitting and drinking tea.
"Hey." Skye says walking over to her with difficulty.
"Hi." Pepper says getting up and helping Skye to the chairs, "How are you doing?" Pepper asks.
"Not great." Skye admits, "My heads starting to hurt, guess that's too be expected when my brain is cooking itself." Skye comments.
"Can you hold on until Tony is finished what he is doing?" Pepper asks worried.
"Yeah, I can." Skye responds, "Thank you Aunt Pepper."
"For what?" Pepper asks confused.
"For being my family." Skye tells her, "Growing up I was a scared lonely little girl who cried herself to sleep at night because no one wanted me and then Dad and Grant pulled me out of my Van and I wasn't alone anymore. You had no reason to treat me like you have, you only just met me but you have. From the moment you met me you treated me like you had always known me, so thank you Aunt Pepper, that means more to me than I can say." Skye tells her Aunt.
"You never have to thank me for that." Pepper says hugging her niece.
"I love you Aunt Pepper, even if my younger self doesn't say it as much as I should, know that I do." Skye tells her Aunt.
"Oh, I love you too Honey." Pepper tells her niece.
For several minutes Skye and Pepper sit in silence, Pepper still having an arm around her niece.
"Do you know where everyone else is?" Skye asks Pepper curious, "I want to talk to them while I can." She tells her.
"Your parents are upstairs, Steve, Ward, Natasha and Clint are down in the Cargo Bay talking to Fury and everyone else is in the lab. Tony is in intense building mode so I needed a minute alone." Pepper explains.
"Thanks." Skye tells her, "Do you think you could help me up?"
"Of course." Pepper says and she walks to Skye's side and helps her up.
"Should you be walking?" Pepper asks worried.
"Probably not, I was wrong with my whole it will go away theory." Skye explains, "My nerves are cooking as well as brain, it's only going to get worse." Skye explains, "I'll see you later." Skye tells Pepper.
"Let me help you." Pepper requests going to Skye's side.
"No, thanks, but I need to do this myself." Skye tells her Aunt and using the wall of the command centre to support her Skye makes her way downstairs, Pepper watching her every step.
Five minutes after she left Pepper Skye exits the door to the platform above the Cargo Bay. As she looks to the other side of the Platform Skye sees Clint sitting with his legs over the edge and her bow next to him.
With difficulty Skye walks over to him, and then with extreme difficulty Skye manages to sit down next to her favourite Uncle.
"How's the hand?" She asks concerned.
"It's fine." Clint responds.
"You better look after that for me." Skye tells her Uncle referring to the bow, "I look forward to having lessons with you again one day." She tells him.
"I don't know if your parents would be too fond of that." Clint tells her.
"You'll convince them, please." Skye asks her Uncle, "I loved learning it, it was the first time since I taught myself to hack that doing a skill felt right, it's something I really want to do." Skye explains, "Does that make sense?" She asks not entirely sure that it did.
"Yeah it does." Clint responds, "I'll keep it safe for you." He tells her.
"Thanks Uncle Clint." Skye responds and the pair drift into silence, "Guess we're not going to get to finish Firefly." Skye realises.
"We will." Clint tells her, "At what age do you think a kid would be okay watching Firefly?" he asks curious.
"Um, around twelve." Skye responds.
"Okay. We'll watch it then." Clint tells his niece, "Once you're twelve we'll sit down and watch it in one go." Clint tells his niece.
"Awesome." Skye responds with a smile, "Thanks Uncle Clint, for everything."
"No." Clint tells her, "Don't go there."
"I need to Uncle Clint, in a few hours I'm not going to be able to. There are thing I want to tell you." Skye tells her Uncle.
"I already know Kid." Clint tells her, "You don't owe me a thank you for anything and I know how you feel. I know things are going to different and I'm going to miss this you so damn much." Clint admits, "I love you kid." He tells her.
"I love you too Uncle Clint." Skye tells him, "There is something I need you to look after for me." Skye says pulling the fan out of her pocket and handing it Clint.
"You're list." Clint realises the second that he sees it.
"Yeah." Skye says as Clint opens it, "One side is the list of all the foster homes and other places that I stayed at, on the other is all the friends I have lost." Skye explains, "You know you're the only person who knows about all of them." Skye reveals to her Uncle.
"Really?"
"Yeah." Skye answers, "I haven't been able to bring myself to tell Mom or Dad, or anyone else." Skye tells him realising now that she may never get the chance and thinking that maybe it would be for the best.
"Are you sure you want me to look after it?" Clint asks as he carefully folds the fan back up.
"You're the only one who gets the significants of that." Skye tells him, "I could try to explain it to Mom, and Dad, even тетя Наташа and they would try to understand but they still wouldn't truly get it because they were never in foster care." Skye tells her Uncle.
"I still have my list." Clint admits, "On the bottom of a very old shoe that I have kept with me all these years." Clint tells her, "I'll look after it, I promise." He tells Skye as she just gave him apart of her something truly precious something a foster kid never parts with which is why Skye left it on the plane instead of taking it to the academy because she didn't want to risk the sightly possibility that something could happen to it.
"Uncle Clint, will you make sure that I can still talk to you like this when I'm young again?" Skye asks hesitantly.
"Of course I will." Clint tells her, "It doesn't matter if you remember this time or not I will make sure that you know that you can always talk to me." He tells her.
"Thank Uncle Clint." Skye says giving him a hug.
"No thankyous I told you that." He tells her as the door to the lab opens and Natasha walks out and starts to set up the punching bag.
"Can you help me up?" Skye asks interested.
"Of course." Clint responds assuming that she wants to talk to Natasha, Clint helps Skye up but it takes about a minute before she is able to stand on her own.
"Let me help you downstairs." Clint tells her.
"No need, I'm okay." Skye says grabbing onto the railing and making her way downstairs.
Several minutes later Skye has made it downstairs, Clint watching her like a Hawk the entire time. Once she is sure that her legs aren't going to give way Skye walks over to her Aunt.
"Hey." Skye tells her.
"Hey." Natasha responds.
"Where's Fury, Ward and Steve?" Skye asks curious as she looks into the lab and doesn't see the three.
"They went to meet Hill and a retrieval team at the compound." Natasha tells her.
"Oh right." Skye comments, "I really need to sit down." She comments and she makes her way over to the seats on the side of the plane and sits down.
"How's the pain?" Natasha asks interested
"Bearable." Skye answers, "For now anyway." She adds.
"Things are going to get a lot worse for you before Tony finishes aren't they?" Natasha asks worried as she walks over and sits next to Skye.
"Oh yeah." Skye responds, "It's not going to be fun." She admits.
"So you thought about hurting yourself again when you were at the academy." Natasha says to her Niece deciding to change the subject from how much pain Skye is in to how much pain she was in.
"Yeah." Skye admits not proud of herself for that, "It was thanks to Uncle Clint I didn't though. I felt so alone, so miserable, but then he would show up and I would feel better." Skye tells her aunt.
"He has a habit of doing that." Natasha comments.
"When I'm little again can you try to make sure that Mom and Dad don't go over obsessed with being over protective?" Skye asks her Aunt curious, "Make sure they actually let me be a kid and do all the things a kid does."
"I don't know if that will be possible, but I will try." Natasha tells her.
"Thanks." Skye tells her Aunt sincerely, "I want Mini-Me to call you тетя Наташа I know you said that I could call you Aunt in English but I want to call you it in Russian no matter what age I am. It feels right." Skye tells her Aunt, "Please, тетя Наташа." Skye requests.
"Okay, I will." Natasha tells her Niece.
"Thank you, for everything." She adds.
"Have I told you about what happened to me growing up?" Natasha asks curious
"No, not really." Skye responds confused about why she is bringing it up now.
"Like so many of us on this plane my childhood was less than ideal. From when I was a little kid I programed to be two things, a spy and a killer." Natasha reveals, "I feel that every child should get to have a childhood, get to be a kid, have fun, be safe and loved. I know your parents will do whatever they can to make sure that happens and I promise you that I will do everything in my power to make sure of that and that you get to be as much of a regular kid as possible. If I succeed in that then you can thank me." Natasha tells her niece to Skye surprises as she hasn't never heard her Aunt talk like that.
Without another word Skye hugs her aunt, "I love you тетя Наташа." Skye tells her.
"I know." Natasha responds and the pair break apart.
"There are still people I want to talk to before things start to hurt too much, can you help me up?" Skye asks curious.
"Of course." Natasha responds and once Skye manages to stand up she takes no more than one step and she almost falls over.
"I've got you." Natasha says helping her.
"No, I want to do this myself." Skye tells her.
"Stop being stubborn." Natasha tells her and she helps her into the lab.
Once Natasha helps Skye into the lab and to one of the chairs Natasha leaves Skye with Tony and Fitz, Simmons. Fitz and Simmons work on something on the holotable Tony on the other hand is building the thing that is going to save Skye on the other table.
"Hey Guys, can you give me a few minutes with Uncle Tony?" Skye asks Fitz, and Simmons.
"Sure, come on Fitz." Simmons says, "These equations will take a few minutes to run." She says.
"I come talk to both of you when I'm done here." Skye tells the people who are a brother and sister to her.
"We'll be upstairs." Fitz sys and he and Simmons leave the lab.
"You knew this was going to happen didn't you?" Tony asks a couple of minutes after Fitz, and Simmons leave the lab.
"What?" Skye asks faking confusion though she is pretty sure that she knows what he is talking about.
"On the plane when you tensed and looked like you we're in pain, that was you knowing what was going to happen, wasn't it?" Tony asks looking directly at Skye.
"Yes." Skye answers truthfully, "I knew that I would have to face the Clairvoyant and die, but that if I didn't, if we sent in a strike team or if I didn't face the Clairvoyant then anyone we sent in plus all of you would have been killed." Skye reveals, "That's why I knocked Ward out with my Quiver." Skye tells Tony feeling the need to tell someone what she did.
"Did you know that we would find a way to save you?" Tony asks stopping what he is doing and walking over to her.
"No, not until I woke up three hours after we were back on the plane. Just before I came down here." Skye tells him
"So you went down to face the Clairvoyant knowing that you were going to die." Tony realise.
"Yeah, I just didn't know how. I was hoping that it wasn't going to hurt." Skye admits, "Don't tell anyone, please Uncle Tony." Skye requests.
"Unless something happens and I think that they need to know then I won't tell anyone." Tony assures her, "You should have told me Kiddo, I would have figured out a way to save you and all of us."
"I don't think there was one." Skye tells him, "I knew what was going to happen and I accepted it."
"How? How can you be so calm about this? You're going to lose everything you are? You aren't going to be you anymore." Tony tells her.
"But I'm going to get what I've always wanted, I'm going to grow up with a family." Skye tells her Uncle, "There is so much that I want to remember, this last year especially, but there are things that I wish that I would never remember." Skye tells him, "You know that I might remember one day and I will still have my powers, and I'm going to need you to teach me how to control them." Skye tells him.
"Me?" Tony asks surprised and confused.
"You know just as much about my power as I do, maybe more, it was you who realised that the desire matters and who encouraged me to use my knowing power that fist time. When I'm old enough, if I don't remember how, I am going to need someone to tell me how to use the power, and that's you." Skye tells her Uncle, "Electro-Girl needs her Iron Man." She tells him.
"Well she's got him." Tony tells her sincerely as Skye has to fight not cry out in pain which Tony notices.
"I've still got six to eight hours of work. Can you hold on?" Tony asks worried.
"I think so." Skye responds trying not to cry.
"Come on, I'll help you upstairs." Tony says putting his arms around Skye and helping her up. Skye being in so much pain that she doesn't even object.
"I want to talk to Fitz and Simmons." Skye says as Tony helps her to her bunk.
"I'll get them." Tony says, "You've got to rest." He tells her.
"Thanks Uncle Tony." Skye tells him.
"You're welcome." He tells her, "You okay?" Tony asks worried as he helps Skye to sit on her bed.
"I'm okay." Skye confirms.
"Who do you want to see first?" Tony asks curious.
"Either of them." Skye tells him and Tony nods and exits Skye's bunk.
A few minutes after Tony leaves Jemma walks in.
"Hey." Skye tells her sister.
"Hey." Jemma responds, "Tony said you are in pain." She says worried as she sits down on the edge of Skye's bed.
"It's nothing I can't handle." Skye tells her.
"Skye…" Jemma says.
"I'm okay, as much as I can be anyway." Skye tells her, "What's wrong?" Skye asks worried as Jemma looks upset.
"I'm losing my best friend today." Jemma tells her, "How can anything be okay?"
"It's going to be like I'm dying to you." Skye realises.
"In a way, yeah." Jemma admits, "I'm glad that you're not going to die and that you're going to get to be raised by your parents but I'm still going to lose you." Simmons tells her.
"I know." Skye tells her, "You know I've never known what it's like to have a sister, until you." Skye tell her, "Yeah, Lisa, Jessica, Emma and even Anna were close but they weren't really. You Jemma are a sister to me, my big sister and I am so thankful for that." Skye tells her, "I love you." She tells her.
"I love you to." Simmons says giving her a hug having no idea who Lisa, Jessica and Emma are and feeling that it's not the right time to ask.
"Having you be my friend and big sister during the last few months has meant so much to me. I hope Mini-Me knows the same, but I get if you won't be able to." Skye tells her.
"I may be losing my best friend today but that doesn't mean I am going to treat younger you like she's the reason. I'll look out for her, be a sister to her if that's what you want." Jemma tells her friend.
"It is." Skye confirms, "There is something I need you to do for me though." Skye tells her.
"Of course, what is it?" Simmons asks.
"Can you give this to Ward once I've been changed?" Skye asks pulling one of the letters she wrote earlier out of her jacket.
"Of course." Simmons responds.
"And I don't know if I'm going to remember this version of my life, I hope I do because there is so much that I want to remember, but if I don't, give this to me when I'm old enough." Skye requests giving Simmons the second letter.
"How old is old enough?" Simmons asks.
"Over eighteen, if it looks like I am not going to remember when I'm over eighteen give it to me." Skye requests.
"I will." Simmons assures her friend.
"And look after him for me." Skye requests, "I don't know if he's going to be okay with everything that is going to happen." Skye tell her.
"You're talking about Ward right?" Simmons assumes.
"Yeah." Skye answers
"I'll look after him." Simmons assures her and the sisters embrace once more. "I should get back down there and help Tony and Fitz, do you want some pain medication?" Simmons asks curious several minutes later once they break apart.
"There is nothing it can do." Skye tells her, "My brain and nerves are frying. I've got seventeen hours at the most left." Skye tells her friend.
"Well finish the device by then." Simmons tells her.
"I know you will, I have faith." Skye tells her.
"That's new." Simmons comments.
"Yeah, guess it is." Skye realises.
"I better go." Simmons says standing up.
"Can you get Fitz to come up here?" Skye requests.
"Of course." Simmons responds and she exits the bunk.
Several minutes after Simmons has left Fitz walks into Skye's bunk. Clearly Simmons has warned him about how much pain Skye is in as he walks over to Skye's bunk and gives her a hug without a word and Skye lets the tears of pain that she has been trying to hold in fall.
"Jemma can find a sedative that will work. Let you sleep until we're ready." Fitz tells her.
"These are my last hours as an adult for who knows how long, I don't want to miss them just because I'm in a bit of pain." She tells Fitz.
"It's a bit more than a bit isn't it?" Fitz asks.
"Yeah it is." Skye admits.
"So I know that I've got to re-educate you in Doctor Who what else?" Fitz asks wanting to get Skye to focus on anything other than the pain.
"Well Uncle Clint is going to show me Firefly, we have a deal about that, so don't show me that." Skye requests, "Show me what you think I should watch and don't let me look at spoilers." She tells her friend, "But don't even think about showing me the OC because if you do I will kick your ass if I remember." Skye tells him.
"I won't." Fitz tells her, "No matter your upbringing I don't think I could cope with your comments during it."
"I still can't believe you like that show." Skye tells him.
"I thought that it was how it is for all kids growing up in America, sue me." He tells her in his defence.
"You'll look after Jemma and Ward for me right?" Skye asks.
"Of course, we're the Awesome Foursome." Fitz comments.
"I thought I told you to never call us that again." Skye says with a grin.
"Yeah, well I'm going to anyway." He tells her.
"Fitz if you can, come down to the lab." Tony's voice says though the planes' coms.
"Guess you better go." Skye realises, "But could you help me to the couch first?" Skye asks curious.
"Are you sure?" Fitz asks concerned.
"Yeah, I don't want to spend any more time in this bunk." Skye say reaching under her pillow and pulling out her baby S.H.I.E.L.D blanket with her name on it.
"Fitz, thanks for being a big brother to me." Skye says as Fitz helps her to the chair.
"Thanks for being a little sister to me." Fitz responds.
Far away from the plane where the team are trying to prepare themselves for Skye's transformation, Quinn is at the safe house waiting for his father to arrive or word from his sister who went to check in at S.H.I.E.L.D. He is debating what to do when the door to the safe house opens and Victoria comes in looking rattled, which is something he very rarely sees her looking like.
"Victoria what is it?" Quinn ask standing up.
"Dad's lab's downstairs right?" Victoria asks and heads towards the basement.
"Yeah, why what's going on?" Ian asks confused.
"Then killed him, and now they will pay." Victoria says angrily
"Who? Who did they kill? Who's they?" Quinn asks as they enter the basement and Victoria walks right over to a large box which has warning signs all over it, "Victoria, wait! Talk to me, what's going on?" Quinn asks getting between his sister and the box.
"Fury just sent out a message to all level seven and above agents. The Clairvoyant is dead." Victoria tells Ian, "They killed our father." She tells him.
"No, they can't have." Quinn comments shocked, "We just saw him, we left him." He realises.
"They did and now I'm going to do exactly what he wanted us to do." Victoria tells him starting to open the locks to the box.
"No, you can't. Dad was still working on a way to get it into an adult brain, it will kill you if you do." He tells her putting his hand over hers and preventing her from opening the box.
"What else can I do?" Victoria asks, "Father wanted us to become him, become the Clairvoyant, we need his abilities to do that and the only way to get them is through this." Victoria tells her brother.
"Give me some time." Quinn requests, "I'll continue Father's research, find a way for it to be put until the adult brain safety. Until then you've got to cover yourself, it is likely that S.H.I.E.L.D will run fathers DNA and you'll pop up as a partial match, which won't be good for you." Quinn tells his sister.
"Already covered." Victoria assures, "I replaced my DNA with Mom's in all S.H.I.E.L.D systems and databases a long time ago." Victoria informs her brother, "How much time do you need?"
"I'm not sure." Quinn responds honestly, "But we will make them pay, and we'll start with the Coulson's." Quinn promises his sister.
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