Chapter 2
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AN2: Thank you so much for your support of these stories, it keeps me writing so thanks.
Because she is so exhausted Skye sleeps for almost sixteen hours and surprisingly she doesn't have any nightmares, something that has become even more common than usual since she left her family.
"Oh grate." Skye says when she realises her cheeks are wet because she must have feel asleep crying, something else she hasn't done in a really long time, "Shower, food, disappear." Skye mutters to herself as that has become her life lately. Placing a couple of things in her bag and grabbing a couple of things Skye walks into the bathroom to have a shower.
Once she has her shower Skye walks back out into the main part of the room, once more dressed in her mission tank and pants. She walks over and sits on the bed as she does her hair, as she does she looks over and sees the picture of her family sitting right next to the phone and before she even knows what she is doing she picks up the phone and dials the number for the new phone Coulson got after the Triskelion.
"Hello? Who is this?" Coulson's voice ask, but Skye can't bring herself to say something, even though she wants to more than anything so instead she hangs up, "No, they are safer Skye, you will never stop being hunted, it's better this way, they matter more than your happiness." Skye tells herself repeating something she has said to herself a lot over the last week, "When does breakfast end around here?" Skye asks getting up and looking for something that tells her meal times, doing her best not to think about how much she misses her family and how much both they and her are hurting, "Perfect." Skye mutters to herself when she notices that there is still twenty minutes left of breakfast.
Because she knows that she can't take her bow down to breakfast and she can't use her powers unless she absolutely has to but she needs a weapon just in case so searching through her bag she finds the knife that Garrett got her for her birthday and she puts it inside her boot and grabbing a top which she does the buttons up as she walks she leaves the room and heads down to breakfast.
At Stark tower Melinda and Coulson are in the elevator going up to what has come to be known as the 'family' floors after spending the night and morning at the House when Coulson's phone rings, he frowns when he sees a number he doesn't recognize,
"Hello? Who is this?" He ask and he receives no answer, "Hello?" Coulson asks once more and he hears the hang up tone as the elevator doors open,
"Phil what is it?" Melinda asks
"Tony trace the last call on my phone." Coulson says as he walks out the elevator and sees Tony, Pepper, Natasha and Clint having lunch.
"Good morning Tony, how are you? You know that's how one usual greats a friend." Tony comments.
"I think Skye just called me, please trace it." Coulson requests.
"On it." Tony says eyes widening and everyone rushes over to the computer.
"What did she say?" Clint asks.
"Nothing, that's how I know it was Skye." Coulson tells his friend.
"Okay the call came from a b&b in France." Tony comments, "And give me a minute..."Tony says and he laughs when he sees who the room is registered under, "It was definitely Skye, but I would have thought that she would be better at coming up with allies." He comments.
"What do you mean?" Melinda asks.
"The room that the call came from is registered to an Antonia Pepper." Tony explains.
"Yeah, I would have expected her to be more creative." Natasha comments then she notices what her partner is doing, "What are you doing?" she asks as he died a number on his phone.
"Yes Hello, I would like to speak to one of your guests, Antonia Pepper." Clint says into the phone.
"Of course, I can transfer you to her room, oh hang on, she's walking down the stairs right now." The woman at the reception at the hotel that Skye is at.
Skye is walking down the stairs at the bed and breakfast deciding to have a quick breakfast before hitting the road again,
"Ms Pepper." A voice says "Antonia." The woman repeats and when she does Skye realises the name that she is going by,
"Sorry, I was in my own little world, what's up?" Skye asks walking over to the woman.
"Phone call for you." The woman says handing over the phone. Even though she has a fair idea who is on the other end of the phone she can't bring herself to hang up quite yet,
"Don't hang up Kid, just listen, please." Clint's voice says and it's the pleading in his voice that causes Skye not to hang up even though all her instincts are telling her that she should, "I know you're worried about us, that you are putting us in danger by being around, but we all have people after us, and we protect each other it's what we do." Clint tells his niece knowing that she is listening even though she hasn't said a word, "We love you Kid, and I know you're blaming yourself for Miles's death and Lard's and the villages who died when you were a baby, but their death's aren't on you, they aren't your fault." Clint tells her, "I wish I could tell you that nothing will happen to us but I can't, but I can tell you that we miss you and that we are stronger when we are all together, so come home Kid, please just come home." Clint tells his niece his voice almost breaking.
"I…" Skye starts to say but she quickly hangs up before she can say anymore and without a word to anyone else Skye runs back upstairs, ignoring how hungry she is, something which she has experience with she goes to her room and start to quickly pack the few things that she hasn't already put into her single bag
"Damn it." Clint says annoyed as he hangs up the phone,
"She listened, that's something." Pepper tells Clint trying to make everyone else feel better
"Let's go." Coulson says.
"You can't." Natasha tells him.
"Why not?" Coulson asks surprised, "I am not leaving my daughter alone."
"All of us are being followed Phil, you know that. As much as I want to find Skye and go to her if we do we'll be leading the US Government and who knows who else right to her." Natasha points out, "We can't do that to her."
"We need to do something." Coulson says.
"We monitor." Tony suggests, "Natasha's right, if we go after her we will be leading others right to her but if we do our best to keep an eye on her…" He begins to say.
"Then we'll know exactly where she is and be able to help if she needs it." Melinda realises.
"Exactly, it's not the greatest plan but for now it's the best we've got." Tony tells everyone.
"As soon as our every move isn't being watched I'm going to find my daughter." Coulson says.
"And I'll help, but we've got to be smart about this for all of our sakes." Tony tells him and its then that Natasha realises that Clint is no longer in the room so she leaves the room in search of her partner.
Skye left the Bed and Breakfast by lying to the woman at the front desk by saying that there was a family emergency that she had to go to. Once she is out of the building Skye gets on her bike and drives away.
She spends several hours riding then once she is sure that she is far enough from the Bed and Breakfast that she can take a break she pulls off at a rest stop that has no security camera's, takes of her helmet and sits on the grass, her bag close enough to her so that she can pull out her bow if it's needed. As she sits she thinks about her next move, and even though she doesn't want to she thinks about her Uncle's words.
She knows that she hurt them by leaving which is the is the last thing that she wanted to do but she also knows that if she had stayed there would be a more than strong possibility that they would have been hurt so much worse and she couldn't allow that.
For over an hour Skye sits and thinks until she finally realises what she should do next. So after running to a from a tree to wake up her legs which have fallen asleep Skye grabs her stuff, puts her helmet back on and gets on her bike and rides away, but unlike when she left the Bed and Breakfast hours earlier this time she has a destination in mind.
Natasha who just left Coulson, Melinda, Tony and Pepper to try and find Clint walks into what is the 'kids' lounge where she fins Fitz, Simmons and Tripp playing scrabble,
"Has Clint been through here?" Natasha asks the three.
"Yeah, a few minutes ago, is there a problem?" Tripp, who ever since everyone moved into the tower has been doing his best to help and hold everyone together, asks.
"Depends on your definition of a problem." Natasha comments, "Where did he go?"
"Stairwell." Tripp answers, "Can I help?" he asks but Natasha left as soon as he said stairwell.
"If there is one thing that I have learnt in the last couple of years it's that you should offer your help but stay out of it until you asked." Simmons tells Tripp, "It makes things so much easier."
"Right." Tripp comments, "What do you think is wrong with Agent Barton?"
"The same thing that is wrong with everyone else." Fitz answers, "He misses and is worried about Skye."
"He's her Uncle right?" Tripp who is still not completely familiar with everyone's relationships yet asks.
"Yeah, but they are close, really close." Simmons explains.
"You know the relationships in the place is confusing." Tripp comments.
"We know." Fitz and Simmons respond.
"Fitz, is it here?" Simmons asks excited.
"I can't see why Skye would have taken it with her.' Fitz comments and Simmons gets up and runs out of the room.
"What's that about?" Tripp asks confused.
"When we were on our Christmas holiday, after we had drunk several bottles of wine that Skye really shouldn't have been drinking because she was only fifteen, while most of the others were having a skiing competition Skye, Simmons and I made a chart to explain everyone's relationship to each other." Fitz explains
"Which you are going to be added to." Simmons comments as she walks back in with what looks like a large white board.
"Okay, one why am I being added to it? And two Why did you keep it here?" He asks confused
"We kept it here because it was less likely to be found." Simmons says putting it down on the table in front of them, "And you're being added to it because you are one of us and are connected." Simmons explains and as she does she notices that Fitz is staring at where the name Grant Ward is written.
"Fitz?" Simmons asks concerned.
"May I?" Fitz asks referring to the cloth that Simmons brought along with the board.
"You may." Simmons tells him and Fitz erases Ward's name from the board.
"Now this should tell you everything you need to know." Simmons says to Tripp.
As soon as she heard Tripp say that Clint went to the stairwell Natasha knew exactly where her partner went and she realises that it should have been the first place she checked.
Heading to the stair well Natasha heads up to the roof where unsurprisingly she finds her partner sitting and watching the city. Natasha walks over and sits next to him, not really sure what she should say at the moment, so the two partners sit in silence. Natasha knowing that Clint will speak when he is ready.
After driving for several more hours Skye pulls off at a house in the outskirts of a small village. She parks her bike, takes of her helmet and walks to the front door where she knocks and waits for an answer.
"Hi." Skye says when the door opens to reveal Mike Peterson.
"Skye?" Mike says surprised, "How did you find…. Right stupid question, you always knew where I was didn't you?" He asks.
"I could have always found out, but I didn't until now." Skye explains, "Before you say anymore you need to know I'm putting you in danger just by being here and I wouldn't usually do that but I'm desperate. I need one night, just one night, where I don't have to go by a fake name, I need to be Skye again, and I know that it's not fair to you to be here considering how much danger I would be putting you in and if you want me to go, just say so and….." Skye says but then Mike cuts her off before she can say anymore.
"Come in Skye." Mike tells her.
At Stark tower Natasha and Clint have been sitting in silence for a while.
"I thought I could get her to listen, get her to come home." Clint says.
"She's stubborn and she hates people getting her because of her or when she thinks it's because of her. I don't think anyone can convince her of anything until she is ready to listen." Natasha explains.
"Her forth night at the academy I was held up in meetings so I snuck into her room later than what I had been and she had somehow gotten her hands on a bottle of tequila. She had drunk most of it before I arrived." Clint reveals, "How the other cadets were treating her was finally getting to her, but she said she was used to it, but that it didn't matter because at least they were giving her a hard time rather than someone else." Clint explains, "I don't know if Mels and Phil know this but when she was at the Orphanage she would always make sure that people picked on her and gave her a hard time rather than someone else because she felt that she could take it, and that's what she's doing now, and I worry about what it's going to do to her." Clint explains, "I wish there was a way for me to get through to her that she doesn't have to take everything on herself, that she doesn't have to do this alone, be everyone's protection." Clint tells his partner.
"I know." Natasha says simply not sure what else to say.
Back at Mike's place Skye is sitting at his table while Mike is getting them drinks.
"So what are you doing in Europe?" Mike asks curious.
"Have you been playing attention to the news?" Skye asks.
"Of course, and I'm sorry I know S.H.I.E.L.D was important to you." Mike says as he walks over and hands Skye a cup of tea and sits down himself.
"Thanks. Well as well everything about S.H.I.E.L.D being released to the public everything S.H.I.E.L.D had on what I can do was also released." Skye explains.
"And you're being hunted, everyone wants to use your abilities for themselves." Mike realises.
"Exactly, and they aren't afraid to go through my family to do it." Skye tells him, "S.H.I.E.L.D's fallen, most of the facilities aren't secure anymore and pretty much every government and intelligence agency in the world wants to get their hands on me so I left, it was the only way to protect my family." Skye explains.
"What about Quinn and Hand? What happened to them? Weren't they being held at a S.H.I.E.L.D facility?" Mike asks worried.
"They were." Skye confirms, "But they are both dead now, Ward is Hydra and he killed them out of revenger for what they did." Skye explains.
"Wow, I'm sorry I know Ward was important to you." Mike tells her surprised about that.
"Thanks, on the plus side I had been using my power to find out what Ward's plans were and when I discovered that he wanted to get Quinn and Hand's research I got to It first and destroyed it. Now the only information on what my power is and what it can do exists in my head." Skye tells Mike.
"That's good." Mike responds, "Have you talked to your parents since you've been gone?" he asks curious.
"No, it would make things so much harder if I did." Skye tells him as she takes a drink of her drink.
"Skye, even if you are staying away from parents for their protection, I've got to tell you from experience that nothing hurts a parent more than being away from their child." Mike tells her.
"Have you told Ace you're alive?" Skye asks turning the conversation back around onto Mike.
"No, they made me into a monster, its better that he never sees me like that." Mike tells her realising what she is doing but letting her get away with it anyway.
"No I'm the one speaking from experience, nothing hurts more than thinking that you are alone, that you don't have a parent, I'm sure that your sister is great, but it's not the same." Skye tells him.
"I know." Mike responds, "Guess we're two peas in a pod, people staying away from the people who we love the most to protect them." Mike comments.
"It's the cross we bare." Skye responds.
"Are you hungry?" Mike asks several minutes later.
"You know, I don't actually remember the last time I ate." Skye admits truthfully.
"Really?" Mike asks and Skye nods, "You need to eat Skye, I might not be the best cook but I'm okay, I'll whip us up something." He tells her.
"Well if you don't burn everything that you cook then you've got me beat." Skye tells him.
"It shouldn't be long." Mike comments getting up and heading into the kitchen.
Once Mike goes Skye pulls out the ID making kit from her bag and starts to work on her newest identity.
Half an hour later Mike comes out with two plates of food and puts one down in front of Skye,
"What are you doing?" Mike asks curious as he sits back down.
"Creating a new identity, my last one was discovered." Skye explains.
"Jane Phillips, is that the name you're going by?" Mike asks.
"Yeah, after Dad." Skye explains.
"You need a middle name." Mike tells her.
"Right, any ideas?" Skye asks curious.
"How about Mary?" Mike suggests.
"Jane Mary Phillips, it'll do." Skye says.
"It suits you." Mike tells her.
"My real name suits me, but it'll do." Skye tells him and she puts down what she is doing and starts to eat, "This is really good." Skye comments.
"Not really, by looks of it you're just hungry." Mike comments when Skye has eaten a quarter of her plate in only a couple of minutes.
"It's a bit of both, but this is good." Skye tells him.
"Thanks." Mike responds.
Once Mike and Skye finish eating Skye takes the plates into the kitchen and washes them up because she wanted to be helpful.
"I have another room upstairs where you can sleep." Mike tells her.
"Thanks Mike." Skye tells him sincerely, "It means a lot, I owe you."
"You saved me Skye, gave me back my life you don't owe me, I still owe you." Mike tells her and they head upstairs.
"Here, the sheets are clean, night Skye." Mike tells her.
"Night Mike." Skye responds and she heads into the room.
Once the door closes Mike stands several meters down the hall but close enough so that he can see Skye's door so that he can stop anyone from entering. He plans to stay in that position all night so that Skye can get a peaceful night sleep for once, as he has a feeling that that isn't something she's hasn't had a lot of lately.
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