Chapter 7
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AN: Thank you to all who have added to alerts, read, reviewed or any combination of the three. It means a lot to me.
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Okay so now that I hopefully have your attention I have two things to let you know. The first is that this chapter is earlier than normal because I'm going to go see Captain America : The Winter Solider tonight and the second which I apologise for is over the next couple of days I'm going to be insanely busy, I have several uni assignments due and I'm volunteering at Oz Comic Con Adelaide this weekend which means I'm going to have about zero free time, which means like no time for writing, so I'm not going to be able to update until Monday, at which time I'll update a chapter as soon as I wake and one the normal time as an apology, I'm soooo sorry and you're support means so so much.
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"So what kind of ice-cream do you want?" Steve asks Skye who is walking between Steve and Tony holding both of their hands.
"Three different types I'm thinking." Tony comments.
"Since when is your name Skye?" Bruce asks from behind.
"Oh, so I'm not three so I can't answer?" Tony asks, "I get it." Tony responds.
"I want Chocolate and Chocolate and Chocolate." Skye comments.
"That sounds good Kiddo." Tony tells her.
"Are you going to get the same Uncle Tony?" Skye asks curious
"Not quite, I'm going to get Coffee Ice cream." Tony tells her.
"Oh, can I try that?" Skye asks.
"No." Tony, Pepper, Steve and Bruce say together.
"Not until you're older." Tony tells her, "And preferably when you're parents have to look after you." He adds under his breath.
"Bet's on which one of them is going to be the most hyper?" Bruce asks Pepper as they enter the Ice cream parlour.
"Too impossible to predict." Pepper responds.
"Uncle Steve I can't see the ice cream." Skye tells her Uncle and Steve picks her up so that she can see.
"Which do you want?" Tony asks Skye a couple of minutes later.
"I can't choose between that one and that one." Skye says pointing to two different flavours as because she can't read the names she is choosing based on how they look.
"Well my motto is never choose so how about both?" Tony asks Skye and she nods, "Okay in one bowel we'll get one scope of Chocolate addiction and one scope of chocolate mousse." Tony tells the person behind the counter, "I'll have Mud Pie, s'moreo and Beantown Buzz." He says, "Steve?"
"I'll just get two scopes of strawberry." Steve answers.
"Wow, you're boring." Tony tells his friend, "Pepper I'm guessing you want vanilla?" Tony asks and Pepper nods, "And Bruce you'll get Mint or cookie monster, right?" He says to his friend wanting to get him back for his comment earlier.
"Tony." Steve says in a scolding tone of voice.
"They both sound good so I'll take both, thanks Tony." Bruce tells his friend with an amused smile as he knows that both Tony and Steve are two of the few people who don't care about 'the other guy' but Tony is just more willing to make jokes about it.
Once all the Ice Cream is ready Tony pays and they group take theirs over to their table, Steve carrying Skye's for hers.
"That taste good?" Pepper asks Skye a couple of minutes later when she has ate several spoonful's of ice cream and has gotten some over her face.
"Uh huh." Skye tells her Aunt.
"You know that looks really good, want to give me a taste?" Tony asks his niece curious reaching his spoon over to try and taste some.
"No. My ice-cream." Skye says picking up the bowel and hugging it to her chest.
"Well how about we make a deal." Tony says to her.
"What deal?" Skye asks unsure.
"I'll give you a taste of the Mud Cake ice cream if you let me try some of the Chocolate Addiction? How does that sound?" Tony asks.
"Um okay." Skye says putting her ice cream back on the table.
"That's yummy." Skye says after having a taste of Tony's ice cream.
"So yours." Tony tells her.
"I wonder if they do take away containers, we could use some of this at the tower." Bruce comments.
"I'll find out." Tony says getting up and heading over to the counter.
"Aunt Pepper, will Nicky find Mommy and Daddy?" Skye asks.
"He'll do his best." Pepper answers not wanting to lie to her.
Twenty five minutes later the group arrives back at the tower, Tony carrying about seven different containers of Ice Cream.
"What do you want to do now Kiddo?" Tony asks her.
"Eat more ice cream?" Skye asks Tony.
"No." Bruce says before Tony can answer because he knows his friend well enough to know what he is going to say, "Maybe later, but not right now." He tells her, "What else do you want to do?"
"Well Jem was going to teach me to read, can you?" Skye asks Bruce.
"Yeah, I think I can do that." Bruce tells her.
"There are books in her room." Pepper informs him.
"Then lead the way." Bruce says to Skye and she goes running in the direction of her room.
"Shouldn't we have heard from Fury by now?" Steve asks as he and Tony head to the kitchen so that Tony can put the ice cream away.
"I would have thought so." Tony comments, "But it could be harder for them to track down the plane than we thought it would be." He comments, "I don't like this waiting either." He tells Steve.
"Did we do the right thing, pushing Skye to tell us everything?" Steve asks concerned.
"We didn't have a choice." Tony tells him, "We made it as least traumatic as possible for her which was all we could have done, Fury might have just demanded she tell him everything." He tells Steve.
"I don't think he would have." Steve tells him, "I think he cares about Skye." Steve tells him.
"Yeah, he probably does." Tony comments, "And that's the problem. Think about everything he put Phil through because he cares about him so much and wanted him alive again." Tony points out.
"Good point." Steve admits and Tony's phone rings.
"Speak of the devil." He comments, "Have you found them?" Tony asks.
"Yeah, he's found us Tony." Melinda's voice says.
"Good, are you okay? Phil was hurt right? Is he okay?" Tony asks.
"Everyone but Phil is okay." Melinda answers, "Power had just come back to the plane when the team Fury sent arrived, so Ward and Fitz and Clint are staying to get it back in the air and to an S.H.I.E.L.D base in Northern Australia. Simmons, Tasha and I have gone with Phil on the plane that Garett and his agent showed up in and getting him to the medical base." Melinda explains.
"How bad is it?" Tony asks.
"He hit his head pretty badly, Simmons thinks there is bleeding in his brain." Melinda explains.
"I'll get Steve to fly us to Australia." Tony comments
"No." Melinda answers.
"No?" Tony asks confused, "Why not?"
"It's too dangerous for Skye." Melinda tells him, "Quinn's the one who caused us to lose power, I'm sure of it, and if you come here then she is in danger from not just Quinn but any agent who finds it odd that a child is ageing a lot quicker than she should be." Melinda reveals, "She's safer with you." Melinda tells him as, as hard as it is for her to be away from her daughter she knows that's what's best for Skye, "Where is she?" Melinda asks interested.
"Reading with Bruce." Tony answers, "Do you want to talk to her?"
"Please." Melinda requests, "Fury said she helped find us?" Melinda asks as Tony makes his way to Skye's room.
"She had a nightmare of what happened." Tony explains, "With some help from me and Bruce she was able to tell us where you were." Tony explains, "We made sure that it was as less traumatic as possible." Tony tells Melinda and he arrives at Skye's room, "Kiddo, there is someone who wants to talk to you." He says from the doorway.
"Who?" Skye asks confused from where she is sitting.
"Why don't you find out?" Tony asks sticking his hand with the phone out for her to grab.
"Okay." Skye says confuse but she walks over and grabs the phone, "Hello?"
"Hey Sweetheart." Melinda says to her daughter.
"Mommy!" Skye says happily, "I've missed you, Uncle Tony said we couldn't call. What happened? When can I come home? Is Daddy okay?" Skye asks worried.
"I've missed you too." Melinda tells her daughter, "There was an accident and Daddy was hurt, It's going to be a little while before you can come home. You're going to stay with Uncle Tony until then." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Why? Why can't I come home?" Skye asks.
"Because we're not home at the moment." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Where are you?" Skye asks confused.
"We're on our way to Australia." Melinda explains, "Daddy's hurt, he needs a doctor." She explains.
"Jem and Fitzy are doctors." Skye comments in a matter of fact tone of voice.
"Yeah, they are." Melinda tells her, "And Jem is helping, but Daddy needs a different doctor." Melinda explains.
"Is he going to be okay?" Skye asks.
"The doctors will do everything they can to make sure that he is." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Melinda, we're landing in ten, you've got to get off now." A voice that Skye doesn't recognize says.
"I've got to go, I love you May." Melinda tells
"Love you Mommy." Skye responds.
"Tell Uncle Tony I'll call later." Melinda requests.
"I will." Skye assures and Melinda hangs up.
"So Clint filled me in. I'm guessing that was your daughter." Garrett says to Melinda, Melinda knowing exactly what Clint filed him in on and knowing that it was just the most basic of basic information.
"Yeah, she's staying with Friends." Melinda answers.
"Tony Stark's a friend?" Garrett asks surprised.
"What makes you think I was talking to Tony Stark?" Melinda asks.
"Well you were talking about a Tony and I know before New York Phil minded him, and it would make sense especially considering his connection to Natasha and Clint." Garrett tells her
"Yeah, It was Tony, and he is a friend, a good one." Melinda tells Garrett, "Skye's with him and it's the safest place she could be." Melinda reveals.
"That's good, I'm glad." Garrett answers, "It must be a shock finding her again then all a sudden she is a little kid again." He comments.
"You have no idea." Melinda tells him.
"Prepare for landing." Natasha's voice says over the coms.
"He'll be okay." Garrett tells Melinda who is staring at where Coulson is laying, "He's too much of a stubborn son of a gun to die. He survived New York, and he'll survive this." He tells her.
"He didn't survive New York." Melinda thinks to herself but she doesn't say it as because they have known Garrett so long it should be Phil's choice as to whether he knows the truth.
Back at the tower after the call with her mother Skye laid down on her bed clutching her teddy bear not saying a word. Tony, Pepper, Steve and Bruce have all attempted to get her to talk but she has remained silent.
All four of the adults are in the lounge room of the floor trying to come up with a way to help Skye.
"We need to do something." Pepper comments.
"What can we do?" Tony asks, "Please if you've got an idea I'm up for it." He tells her.
"She's a three year old, what do three year old girls like to do?" Bruce asks, and Tony, Steve and Bruce all turn to Pepper, almost in unison.
Pepper rolls her eyes at them, "Skye's not a normal three year old." Pepper reminds them.
"But she doesn't know that." Steve tells her, "Or at least she doesn't realise, just think. What is something you liked to do when you were her age?" Steve asks.
Pepper thinks for a minute and then she comes up with a great idea, "If I get her to agree do you three agree to do whatever it is?" She asks the three.
"Of course." All three of them respond.
"Good, wait here." Pepper says and she heads to Skye's room amused that none of the three, two of which are two of the greatest scientists there are, thought to ask what exactly she was going to suggest to Skye.
At the base in Australia Phil has been taken into surgery to relieve some of the pressure on his brain to prevent brain damage or worse from occurring. Melinda, Natasha, Simmons, Garrett and Tripp are waiting in the waiting area, where they have been for almost an hour, for both news, and Clint, Fitz and Ward to arrive.
"He'll be okay, this isn't the first brain injury he's had. Remember Mongolia?" Garrett asks Melinda.
"You mean when Melinda and I saved you ass?" Natasha asks curious.
"You didn't save my ass, my ass didn't need saving in Mongolia." Garrett comments.
"What do you call what happened?" Melinda asks becoming interested in the conversation.
"I was biding my time until I could come up with a creative escape." Garrett comments.
"Please that was not you biding your time; that was you in serious trouble." Natasha comments.
"I knew what I was doing, thank you very much. Which is more than the two of you can say with half of what you've done." Garrett informs them, Melinda and Natasha both roll their eyes but neither of them comment.
"How long have you all known each other?" Tripp asks curious as he and Simmons have been watching the entire interaction with interest.
"Longer than any of us want to admit." Clint says walking in with Ward and Fitz, "Any news?" he asks.
"None." Natasha answers.
"I met Melinda and Phil at the academy then Clint and Natasha years later when they four of them were already the hotshots of S.H.I.E.L.D." Garrett explains.
"Because you're such a no body." Clint comments.
"I'm just one of Fury's favourites with you, not also a big star too." Garrett says not sounding bitter at all, because he doesn't mind, but just stating a fact.
"I've always wondered about that." Ward comments, "Why do people call you Fury's favourites?" He asks curious.
"Because that's what we are." Clint answers, "Me, Nat, Mels, Phil, John, Blake, Sitwell, Maria. We are the agents that Fury trusts, well as much as Fury trusts anyone, the most." Clint explains, "Phil more than the rest of us, but we all gained that name a long time ago." He reveals.
"Why isn't Victoria Hand considered to be a part of that group too?" Simmons asks interested, "I thought she would fit the profile." She comments.
"Hand's a great Agent and as a level 8 Fury does trust her, but there is something that all of us realised on our respective first days that she never embraced, which is why she isn't in the group of Fury's favourites." Garrett explains.
"What's that Sir?" Ward asks interested.
"That being a part of S.H.I.E.L.D is more than a job, it's a family." Clint answers.
At Stark Tower Pepper has entered Skye's room and sat down on her bed next to her.
"I know you Miss your Mommy and Daddy." Pepper tells the young girl, "And you're home, but I was thinking that maybe we can do something so that you miss them just a little bit less." Pepper comments.
"I want to go home." Skye tells her.
"I know you do, but you can't at the moment." Pepper tells her.
"I want Mommy and Daddy." Skye tells her Aunt.
"I know you do Sweetie, and if they could be here they would." Pepper tells her, "But they can't, not at the moment anyway." She tells her, "So I was thinking how would you like to help me give Uncle Tony, Uncle Steve and Uncle Bruce a makeover?" Pepper asks her niece as it was something she liked to do when she was about Skye's age.
"I don't know." Skye says looking up at Pepper with an uncertain expressions on her face.
"Come on, it will be fun." She tells her.
"Okay." Skye tells her, "Can teddy come?"
"I think Teddy has to." Pepper tells her and the pair get up and leave the room.
Twenty minutes after Clint, Fitz and Ward arrived the group are still waiting for news.
"When was the last time we were all together?" Garrett asks curious.
"Phil's Birthday, Three years ago." Clint answers, "But Maria was with us then." He comments.
"You were my SO three years ago, where was I?" Ward asks curious.
"You were on mission in Chechnya, it was actually thanks to what we did that we were able to get you out safely." Garrett explains.
"I was compromised, but I needed the information." Ward remembers, "You were out of contact for forty eight hours but when you contacted me again you told me everything I needed to know and I got out." Ward realises.
"There was a leak." Clint says remembering, "Phil, Maria, Nat, Garrett and I were pissed because Fury had us going through Intel and basically running back end from the safety of HQ while you and the rest of the team were serious trouble." He says remembering.
"We had a shit load of Intel to go through and not long to do it, but Fury wouldn't let us bring anyone else in because we didn't know where the leak came from." Garrett explains, "Phil left and when he returned an hour later you were with him." He says to Melinda.
"He pulled me away from a really old bottle of scotch." Melinda comments remembering.
"We didn't sleep for two days, but it was worth it." Natasha informs the others.
"We plugged the leak, got you and the team out, got the intel you were sent to get and then went out for some drinks to celebrate Phil's birthday, and Maria Tazered Phil, Clint and I" he explains.
Before Ward can ask why Maria Tasered them the doctor comes out.
"Who do I talk about Agent Coulson with?" The Doctor asks the group.
"I'm his wife but you can talk to all of us." Melinda answers and the entire group braces themselves for the news, hoping that it is good news.
After Pepper went to talk to Skye Tony, Steve and Bruce have stayed out in the lounge room hoping that Pepper have managed to get through to Skye.
"Hey, look who has come out of her room." Tony comments when he sees Skye, Skye shrugs and turns to Pepper who is behind her,
"Who are we going to put make up on first?" Skye asks Pepper.
"None of us." Bruce answers.
"You said that you would do whatever it was that I had to say to get Skye to come out of her room, to do that I asked for her help to give you all makeovers, so that's what is going to happen." Pepper tells the three superhero's and all three of them get looks off horror on their faces.
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