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: IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DOUBLE UPDATE: Because of how awesome the new ep was and the fact that I am currently working on the final chapter I will be uploading another chapter in about thirteen and a half hours maybe less (It will be when I wake up in the morning which is about ten am Australian Central standard time.
AN3: SPOILERS FOR THE NEW EPISODE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVENT SEEN.
As has been the pattern lately AOS was soo good this week. I liked that Coulson realised that he had been a hypocrite towards May though I sad that it was after he pushed her to far thought at the same time I'm glad she left when she did because I have no doubt in my mind that Ward would have shot her if she didn't leave. Also May was married! I know my headcannon about that isn't likely to be true though I like to think that it will. I was shocked to find out about Tripp being the grandson of one of the Howling commandos and I really hope that he sticks around. I LOVED May's mom and I really can't wait to see May and Hill kicking ass together next week (or at least that's what I hope happens) Please let me know what you thought of the ep.
END OF SPOILERS
By nine o'clock in the morning everyone at the tower except for Tony and Skye are awake and in the kitchen starting to eat breakfast.
"Skye's likely not going to be up for another half an hour to an hour, what about Tony?" Clint ask curious and Pepper, Steve and Bruce snort.
"Likely not for another few hours." Steve explains and Coulson's phone once more rings.
"Hello, he is?" Coulson ask, "How? What? How's that possible?" Coulson asks confused and everyone turns to look at him, "Yeah, I'll tell them. Let me know, thanks. Talk to you later, bye." Coulson says before hanging up.
"What happened?" Clint asks.
"Garrett is awake and he's doing well." Coulson tells them.
"But?" Natasha asks, having a feeling that there is more.
"The last thing he remembers is when he and Maria were waiting at the extraction point, he doesn't remember anything after that. He says his memory is blank." Coulson explains.
"What?" Melinda asks shocked, "Does Maria know why?"
"No, the Doctor is going to run some tests but so far they don't have any definitive results." Coulson explains.
"How could he just forget, what a day?" Clint asks
"Chemicals can do it, the right combination can easily cause a person not to forget." Bruce tells the others and Simmons nods in agreement.
"Quinn." Natasha, Clint, Melinda and Coulson say.
"It's possible." Bruce tells them, "But he would have had to of injected Garrett right after he shot him or sometime before he woke, my bet is after he was shot, that would make the most sense." He explains.
"That means that Quinn or whoever shot him would have had to be prepared, brought the chemicals with him to shoot Garrett." Clint comments.
"Preparation, that fits with Quinn's MO." Melinda says.
"We should check the cameras at the Hub anyway, just to make sure." Coulson tells the others.
"I can do that." Fitz says.
"Good." Natasha tells him, "What did Maria want you to tell us?"
"To let her know before you and Clint go." Coulson tells her and she nods and the group goes back to preparing their breakfast, each of them worrying about how prepared Quinn seems to be for everything.
At the Hub Maria, Ward and Garrett are waiting for the doctor to come back and give them the results of the latest tests.
"What have you got Doc?" Garrett asks when the doctor comes back in.
"Nothing, there is no medical reason why your memory should be gone. You have nothing physical wrong with your brain and there are no chemicals in your blood that would indicate any reason for memory lost, it's possible that the trauma of what happened to you caused you to forget but baring that I can't think of another reason." The Doctor tells Garrett and both Maria and Ward have to fight the smirks that are threatening to appear on both of their faces because both of them are well aware that it would be very, very unlike John to allow a shooting to cause him to forget.
"Thank you Doc." Garrett responds and the doctor nods and the doctor nods and leaves, "Are you two quite alright there?"
"Fine." Maria tells him the amused smirk clear.
"Good, then you can help me bust out of here." Garrett informs them.
"Not happening, Sir." Ward tells him sounding determine and only adding the sir to sound more respectful.
"He's right. You've got a couple of days in here, and then I'll bust you out." Maria tells her friend.
"Knew I could count on you." Garrett tells his friend.
"Of course, I've always got your back." Maria responds with a smile.
At their safe house Ian is on his computer working on some predictions for how some ideas for processes to get the Energy into an adult brain when his sister runs down the stairs still putting on her high heels on as she does, her jacket unbuttoned.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Victoria asks her brother angrily.
"Was I supposed to?" Ian asks looking up from his computer.
"YES!" Victoria says running into the kitchen.
"You didn't tell me to wake you." Ian points out to his sister.
"You should have done it anyway." Victoria tells him, coming out of the kitchen with a travel coffee mug, "I can't be late, not when Hill's likely to be on the war path about what happened to Garrett." She tells him.
"I'm not Father Tori, I can't read minds. If you want me to do something, you've got to ask me." Ian tells his little sister.
"I've got to go, we'll continue this conversation later." Victoria tells her brother leaving.
"I look forward to it." Ian says sarcastically.
"Ian, the chemical that I used to erased Garrett's memory can it be found in blood tests?" She asks coming back into the room.
"No, it metabolises too quickly." Ian tells her.
"Okay, thanks. Now I really have to go." Victoria tells her brother and she once again leaves.
At the tower Fitz and Bruce are on Tony's computers trying to access the cameras at the hub.
"What are you doing?" Skye asks walking up behind them.
"Trying to get into a camera network." Fitz answers.
"Here, let me try." Skye says reaching over them and typing something into the computer, "There you're in." Skye tells them.
"Thanks." Fitz tells her.
"You're welcome." Skye responds, "Where's Mom and Dad?" She asks curious.
"Kitchen." Bruce answers.
"Awesome." Skye says, "Have fun with whatever it is that you are doing." Skye says before heading into the kitchen.
"So we want the cameras by the medical bay." Bruce comments.
"Yep." Fitz says and they access the cameras that they need, neither talking about the fact that a girl who isn't quite thirteen managed to do in seconds what they have been trying to do for over fifteen minutes.
When Skye enters the kitchen she finds her parents Aunts, Sister, and Uncles sitting at the table eating.
"Hi" Skye says happily walking over to them.
"Hey Kid." Clint greats.
"You hungry?" Coulson asks his daughter.
"Yeah." Skye answers.
"What do you feel like?" Melinda asks.
"Whatever Dad's made." Skye comments as she sits down next to her Aunt Pepper. "Where is Uncle Tony?" Skye asks curious.
"Sleeping." Coulson answers, "I didn't actually make breakfast this morning, but there are eggs, pancakes, bacon, has brown, toast, and sausage ready. Which do you want?" Coulson asks curious.
"A bit of everything." Skye answers.
"I'll get it." Melinda tells her daughter standing up and walking over to where the food is.
"Do you know if Garrett is okay?" Skye asks her father.
"He's awake and according to Aunt Maria he is doing really well." Coulson tells her.
"Good, I'm glad." Skye responds as Melinda walks over and puts the plate in front of her.
As Skye starts to eat Natasha and Clint exchange a look debating if it's the right time to bring up the fact that they will be leaving by the end of the day especially considering she didn't take the news that they were leaving well the night before.
"Skye." Natasha says to her.
"Yeah?" Skye asks looking up at her.
"You know how Uncle Clint and I have to leave to go do some important work." Natasha says to her.
"Yeah?" Skye asks.
"Well we've got to go sometime today." Natasha tells her niece.
"That soon?" Skye asks surprised.
"Yeah, we've got to get started on what we've got to do really soon." Natasha explains.
"Oh." Skye comments, "I'm going to go see Uncle Bruce and Fitzy again." Skye says getting up and leaving the room.
"In her memory the only time you guys haven't been around was when she was a little kid and we were all gone." Coulson says to Natasha and Clint, "It's going to take her a little while to get used to you not being there." Coulson tells his friends.
"I know." Clint responds, "I think we should give her some time then talk to her again." Clint comments, "We can't leave until she gets why we're going and she is okay as she can be about it." He tells the others.
"I know." Natasha tells him as they both know both grown up Skye and Child Skye well enough to know that they have to make things right between the three of them before they can consider going anywhere.
"So if you're here I'm guessing the rest of the gang was to." Garrett says to Ward a while after Maria's promise to break him out in a couple of days.
"They were but because we don't know who shot you we thought it would be safer for them to go." Maria explains.
"Ah huh, who do you suspect shot me Maria?" John asks his friend "And don't even think about lying, because I taught you how so I know when you are." He tells her.
"Please if anyone taught me to lie it was Natasha and Melinda and I can lie to you I've done it plenty of times in the past." Maria says and she moves a bit closer to John, "You told me that you were working on a lead on who the mole was and you were going to tell me about what you had found when we met for drinks later. When I arrived at the apartment you were bleeding out and now you don't remember any of that, we can't be positive but we're pretty sure that Quinn is behind this." Maria says to him quite, just loud enough for him to here, not even loud enough for Ward.
"Well that explains everything." Garrett realises, "You need to get back to your people." Garrett tells Ward.
"No Sir, you just woke up." Ward tells his mentor.
"Grant if Quinn or the mole are the ones who shot me that means they are coming after everyone again which means their first target is going to be Skye. With you sitting around here watching me they are down a specialist, which they can't afford to be at the moment." Garrett tells him.
"He's right." Maria tells Ward, "Especially with Natasha and Clint leaving, they will need you more than ever." Maria tells him.
"Where are Natasha and Clint going?" Garrett asks interested.
"They're going to make it a little bit harder for Quinn to remain undercover, don't ask me how they are going to do that because I don't know." Maria tells him.
"In that case you definitely have to go." Garrett tells Ward, "They need you more than I do at the moment, but it means a lot that you're here." He tells Ward.
"I'm staying for another couple of hours." Ward tells his friend, "Then I'll go." He tells Garrett
"Good." Garrett responds.
After sitting out with Bruce and Fitz for a little while Skye got bored and went back to her room, but first she stopped and grabbed a book so that she has something to do.
She is several chapters into the book which she quite likes though she is curious about whose book it actually is because it doesn't seem like the kind of book Uncle Tony would read, when there is a knock on her door.
"Come in." Skye says putting a piece of paper into the book to keep her place as she has a feeling that she is going to be distracted from reading for a little while. Her suspicion is proven correct when Clint and Natasha walk in.
"Hey." Clint says walking over and sitting next to her as Natasha stands.
"What are you reading?" Natasha asks curious.
"Jane Austin." Skye answers, "I found it in the book shelf and I decided to read it, do you know whose it is because I want to borrow it and doesn't seem like something Uncle Tony would read." Skye comments.
"It is." Natasha answers, "And I'm sure that he would be fine with your borrowing it."
"Seriously?" Clint and Skye ask surprised
"Yep, he's started to read the classics lately, I think its Steve's influence. Tony has been a big part of educating Steve about modem thing so Steve has been trying to get Tony to try things he liked back in the forties." Natasha explains.
"I am constantly amazed in how much you know." Clint tells his partner and Skye smiles at her Aunt and Uncle.
"You're leaving now, aren't you?" Skye asks her Uncle and Aunt.
"Soon." Natasha answers.
"But we want to talk to you before we go." Clint tells her, "And give you something." Clint says pulling out one of the phones that Tony gave him and Natasha and giving it to Skye, "This is a completely secure way to contact me and тетя Наташа while we are gone, but you can't call every day." Clint tells her.
"How long are you going to be gone?" Skye asks.
"A couple of weeks, likely longer, we can't say for sure." Natasha tells he niece.
"I know what you have to do is important." Skye tells her Aunt and Uncle, "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to miss you." Skye tells them.
"We'll miss you too Kid, that was never a question." Clint tells Skye and he gives her a hug.
"Skye why we're gone you need to listen to your parents." Natasha tells her.
"I always listen to my parents." Skye responds and Natasha and Clint both try not to smirk at that.
"It's will be really important that you tell them if you notice anything unusual of if there are people that you don't know hanging around." Natasha tells her niece walking over and pushing Clint over a bit so that she is sitting on the bed too.
"And don't hesitate to call if you need something, or if something happens, or If just get an odd feeling about something, okay." Clint tells her.
"Okay." Skye responds.
"Good." Clint responds, "Now I believe if we're quick enough we can start and get a few shots in before they realise, in a water fight with your Uncles, what do you say?" Clint asks curious.
"Only if тетя Наташа joins." Skye tells her Uncle.
"Nat?" Clint asks.
"I think we can do that." Natasha says with a smirk and the Aunt, Uncle and Niece stand up and head to the nearest bathroom, neither Natasha or Skye questing why Clint knows just where to go to get water balloons in the tower.
Out in the main lounge area everyone, including Tony who is now awake, are listening to Fitz and Bruce explaining what they found. Tony, Bruce, Steve and Coulson are sitting on one of the couches, while Melinda, Pepper, Simmons and Fitz are sitting on the other.
"So basically you're saying that you've got nothing." Coulson says to the pair.
"Basically." Bruce answers, "The only people who entered Garrett's room after he was in there are the nurse, doctor and Agents Hill and Ward." He tells Coulson.
"So he was injected right after he was shot then." Simmons comments, "If it was in fact a chemical that caused his memory lost it happening then would make the most sense." She tells the others, "Do you think that between us we might be able to detect a chemical that S.H.I.E.L.D couldn't?" Simmons ask Bruce.
"We might, but we would need a sample of his blood and we might find nothing." Bruce comments, "But we should try." He says.
"I'll call Maria, ask her to send a sample of Blood back." Coulson comments and before anyone car react Tony, Steve and Bruce find themselves getting hit in the back of the head with water balloons and even though he didn't get one thrown on him Coulson's back gets hit because he was next to them.
"What the hell?' Tony asks and he, Bruce, Steve and Coulson turn to see Skye, Natasha and Clint laughing in the doorway and when they turn they each get hit in the face with a water balloon, Natasha throwing two so that she can get both Bruce and Coulson.
"If you want a water fight, then games on, but first can we please put all electronic devices somewhere safe?" Tony asks.
"Yeah, good idea." Clint responds, "You guys in?" Clint asks Pepper, Simmons, Fitz and Melinda.
"Fitzy and Jem are on our team." Skye announces.
"Five minutes to make sure all electronic devices are away, then its war." Tony comments and everyone else nods, and exactly five minutes later that's what happens, Skye, Clint, Natasha, Fitz and Jemma battle against Bruce, Tony, Pepper, Coulson, Melinda and Steve in an all-out water fight.
At the Hub Ward is very well aware that before too long Maria or Garrett are going to bring up the fact that he should go and Maria's phone beeps with a message.
"Coulson?" Ward asks.
"Yeah." Maria answers, "Simmons and Dr Banner want a sample of your blood to see if they can find what chemicals were used to erase your memories." Maria explains.
"Fine with me, if they can get some answers then I'll do whatever I can to help." Garrett tells her.
"Can you take a sample to the tower with you?" Maria asks Ward.
"Of course." Ward responds.
"I'll go get a few things." Maria says leaving the two alone.
"How long after I was shot did you get here?" Garrett asks curious.
"A couple of hours I think." Ward answers.
"Maria found me?" Garrett asks.
"Yeah." Ward answers, "Agent Hill called Coulson and Coulson called me, Romanoff and Barton to his office and told us. When we got here Hill explained to Coulson, May, Barton and Romanoff what was going on and then May and Romanoff took Hill somewhere, I'm not sure where." Ward explains and Garrett manages a small smile at that.
"What's the smile for?" Ward asks curious.
"They did their thing and helped each other, that's what they do." Garrett explains.
"Right." Ward comments a little confused but deciding not to question it.
"You've got to protect that girl, if Quinn had me shot and my memory erased just because I had a lead on the mole then who knows what he is going to do if he gets his hold on Skye, you've got to make sure that he doesn't get his hands on her." Garrett tells Ward.
"I'll do everything I can." Ward tells Garrett.
"Good." Garrett responds and the door opens and Maria and a nurse walks in.
For a few minutes Garrett, Maria and Ward are quite as the nurse draws Garret's blood and puts it in the cooler.
"I'm glad you're doing so good Sir." Ward tells Garrett.
"Stay in touch." Garrett tells Ward.
"Of course Sir." Ward responds.
"There's a transport waiting." Maria tells Ward.
"Thank you Ma'am." Ward responds, "Stay alive." He tells Garrett.
"You too." Garrett responds and Ward leaves the room.
When Ward arrives at the tower over an hour and a half later he finds everyone still in the middle of their water fight. When Simmons and Bruce see what he is holding they rush over to him and take the cooler off of him and head to the lab without even drying off.
"How's he doing?" Clint asks curious.
"Good, really good." Ward answers, "He's joking like he usually does, and isn't letting any of his pain show, but he's Garrett so that's not surprising' Ward reveals
"Good." Clint responds.
"Here." Pepper says handing towels out to everyone.
"Thanks Aunt Pepper." Skye tells her.
"Get dried off then go?" Natasha asks Clint and Clint nods.
"I think we should all get dried off." Coulson comments.
"Good thing we all have changes of clothes here." Fitz comments.
"And you told me we wouldn't need to have several changes of clothes here." Coulson comments and Melinda rolls her eyes.
Ten minutes later everyone with the exception of Bruce and Simmons, who are down in the lab, come back out to the main part of the floor, all of them dry and changed, both Natasha and Clint dressed in tactical gear though without S.H.I.E.L.D logos.
"Be careful." Coulson tells them.
"Of course." Natasha responds.
"If you need an extraction, just call." Melinda tells her friends.
"Thanks." Clint responds and the partners say goodbye to everyone, leaving Skye for last.
"Don't get hurt." Skye tells her Aunt and Uncle.
"We'll do our best." Natasha responds.
"I love you." Skye says giving them a hug.
"We love you too Kid." Clint tells his niece as he hugs her.
"I'll practice dance every day." Skye tells her Aunt as she hugs her.
"You'll have to show me what you can do when we get back then." Natasha tells her niece and Skye nods.
"We've got to go Kid." Clint tells Skye when she doesn't seem to want to let go.
"See you soon." Clint tells her when she finally does let go and after exchanging a look with Coulson and Melinda the two assassins leave the tower.
"So you staying another night?" Tony asks Coulson.
"Well considering I don't think I've got any chance of getting Simmons's out of your lab any time soon, I think so." Coulson tells his friend as he walks over and puts an arm around his daughter.
"I'll order Pizza." Tony comments, "That usually manages to get Bruce out of the lab and I think he'll drag Simmons along." Tony tells the others.
Later that night, after Pizza and after everyone has gone to bed Skye who can't sleep have gotten up and is sitting out in the lounge area with her blanket as even though they just left she misses her Aunt and Uncle, and it feels odd for them not to be around.
"May, what's wrong?" Melinda asks concerned walking over to her daughter who she sees when she got up to grab a drink.
"Nothing." Skye says.
"Yeah, there is." Melinda says walking over and sitting next to her, "What's wrong?" Melinda asks concerned.
"I miss Uncle Clint and тетя Наташа, and I can't explain it but I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen soon." Skye tells her mother.
"Your Uncle and Aunt are going to be back as soon as they can." Melinda tells her daughter, "And what do you mean that something bad is going to happen soon?" Melinda asks concerned as it seems that Skye's power is showing itself once more.
"I don't know." Skye says to her mother, "I don't know what, or when but I just have this feeling that something's bad is going happen, and I'm scared, I don't want to sleep." Skye admits.
Not really sure what to say Melinda is quite for several minutes but then she realises, "May, you're afraid, and that's okay." Melinda tells her daughter, "But being scared of something when you don't know what is just going to make you always live in fear, put it out of your mind, don't let the fear take over." Melinda tells her daughter though she makes a note to talk to Coulson about what Skye has told her as it likely means that they have to be more alert than usual.
"I don't know if I can." Skye responds.
"I know it's not easy and it might take a while but you can try right?" Melinda asks and Skye nods, "Now you said you don't want to sleep, but you have to." Melinda tells her, "But if you don't want to sleep alone then how about you come and sleep in Mine and your Dad's bed with us?" Melinda asks.
"Can I?" Skye asks in a quiet voice and Melinda realises that whatever the feeling is that is telling her that something bad is going to happen, it must be terrible.
"Yeah, come on." Melinda says and her and Skye get up and Melinda pulls her daughter into her arms, and once they break apart they head to Melinda's and Coulson's room.
"Mel? Skye?" Coulson asks surprised to see both his daughter and Wife as he turns on the light.
"Skye's going to sleep in here with us tonight." Melinda tells her husband as she gives him a look which says that she will tell him what's going on later.
"Okay, climb in Baby Girl." Coulson tells his daughter and Skye climbs in and lays between her parents, "Everyone comfortable?" Coulson asks.
"Yes." Skye and Melinda responds.
"Good." Coulson says and he turns of the light and slowly the family drift off to sleep, Melinda and Skye both worrying about what bad thing is coming as they do.
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