Chapter 9
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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.
For the next two days Skye focuses on healing and at Steve and Bucky's request Tony makes sure that there is an area of the tower that is both very comfortable and set up in such a way where Bucky can't hurt herself or others. Due to the fact that everyone knows that Skye will want to help Bucky as soon as he gets to the tower even though she is still weak no one has told Skye that Steve is coming home and as far as they know she doesn't know thanks to her powers. No one is keen on the idea of lying to Skye but due to the fact that everyone knows it is for the best they are going along with it. Though no one likes it.
Bucky, Sam, and Steve are due to arrive soon so Tony, Pepper, Bruce Tripp and Coulson are up on the helipad to meet them, it was decided that they would be the four safest people to meet as unlike Maria, Melinda and Natasha Bucky hasn't seen them before even though he may have seen Coulson it would have been in passing and not directly and it was decided that if Clint or Garrett were present it would just make everyone more nervous and Bruce is their just In case one of them need a doctor.
"Don't tell them right away, let them get settled first." Tony says to Tripp.
"I will." Tripp tells him as they see a helicopter approach.
"Hey Stanger." Tony says when several minutes later the helicopter lands and Steve, Bucky and Sam get out.
"Good to see you too Tony." Steve says and both Pepper and Tony walk over and give him a hug at the same time, "Bucky this is Tony Stark and Pepper Potts." Steve says when he is no longer being hugged.
"Howard's son?" Bucky asks.
"Yeah." Steve answers.
"I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry." Bucky says to Tony, the memory of killing his friend coming back to him, of taking Tony's parents away from him.
"It's not okay, but I don't blame you." Tony tells him, "I blame Hydra, and I will make them pay, for everything they have done, for all the lives they have destroyed." Tony tells Bucky, ever since he told Steve to bring Bucky to the tower he has been thinking of how he would handle the fact that Steve's best friend and someone who was a friend to his father is the reason his parents are dead and he realised that Bucky isn't the one to blame, he wasn't in control he was being controlled. Hydra is the one to blame.
"Are any of you hurt?" Bruce asks, changing the subject.
"No, we're fine." Steve answers, giving Bruce a grateful look before looking between his friends, seeing the guilt on Bucky's face and the pain on Tony's and wondering if her can help them both, "Thanks." He says, "This is Doctor Bruce Banner, and a good friend of mine Phil Coulson." Steve introduces.
"It's an honour really, I read all about what you two did together, it was incredible." Coulson says excited.
"Breath Phil." Tony tells his friends amused.
"And this is Antoine Triplett, grandson to Gabe Jones and Peggy." Steve tells his friend who looks surprised at that.
"It's nice to finally meet you Sir, I've heard stories about you my whole life." Tripp says walking over and sticking out his hand for Bucky to shake to his surprise as while the others have been nice to him, he's guessing because of Steve, Tripp is the only one who doesn't seem at least a bit hesitant.
"Don't call me sir." Bucky requests as he hesitantly sticks out his metal arm to return the handshake.
"Of course." Tripp responds, "I need to talk to you both when you have a minute, it's about Grams." He adds knowing enough to know that Steve and if she knew Peggy would never forgive him if he didn't tell Steve as soon as possible.
"Is she okay?" Steve asks worried.
"No, the doctors don't think she has long, I'm sorry." Tripp tells him.
"How about we move this conversation inside." Pepper offers as compete pain appears on Steve's face.
"Sounds like a good idea, thanks for letting me stay." Sam says.
"No need, everyone else is so you might as well to." Tony tells him and everyone heads inside, Steve barely noticing that his feet are carrying him.
"So everyone has rooms on the floor above but Steve was saying that you would prefer your own space, which is cool, so we set up this for you but if you would prefer it we also have a room ready for you upstairs." Tony explains to Bucky as Steve, Tony, Pepper, Bruce, Sam, Tripp and Coulson walk into the floor that Tony had set up for Bucky.
"Buck, what do you think?" Steve asks.
"I'm fine wherever is best." Bucky responds.
"It's up to you." Pepper tells him, "We don't mind either way, which ever will make you more comfortable." Pepper tells him.
"I think I would like down here for now." Bucky answers.
"That's works." Tony answers.
"So all together including us here there are sixteen people living here. Two of us you've faced before in a fight and another three of us you've seen in passing." Coulson explains to Bucky.
"I hurt them, didn't I?" Bucky asks, "I tried to hurt you." He realises, knowing why Coulson seemed familiar now.
"You were forced to, and we get that." Natasha's voice says from the elevator where she, Melinda, Maria, Clint, and Garrett just walked in, "We don't blame you, because we've been there or at least I have." Natasha explains, "So we're offering to put that behind us, it's forgiven." Natasha tells him.
"We mean that." Melinda adds as she can see Bucky's hesitance.
"You've got a call slate with all of us." Coulson adds.
"Where are Jemma and Fitz?" Steve asks being able to tell that Bucky is getting uncomfortable.
"Sitting with Skye, she's asleep." Clint explains
"How is she doing?" Sam asks curious, "Steve said she was shot."
"She's doing better, but still healing." Coulson answers.
"Sir, there is a call coming in from homeland Security wishing to speak to you Mr Coulson, Mrs May, Ms Hill, Ms Romanoff, and Mr Barton" Jarvis's voice says.
"What is that?" Bucky asks frightened.
"It's nothing to worry about." Steve assures his friend, "Tony's an inventor, like his Dad, he created Jarvis to basically run the house, you get used to it." Steve explains, and the second he says it he realises that it might not have been the best idea to mention Howard after what happened earlier.
"Right." Bucky says uncertainly.
"Homeland Security? What did you do?" Garrett asks his friends.
"Nothing." Coulson, Melinda, Tony, Maria, Natasha and Clint respond, sounding defensive.
"We Steve you've lived here years why don't you give Bucky a tour and we'll go deal with homeland." Tony suggests.
"Yeah, that would be good." Steve responds.
"I'll help." Pepper offers.
Due to the fact that Tony warned them the day before they arrived Steve makes sure that he avoids where Skye is because he knows that she will want to help Bucky even at the risk of hurting herself and he won't allow it. Even though it hurts him to see his friend the way he is he knows that for the moment at least it is the right choice.
It has been two days since Steve, Bucky and Sam arrived back at the tower and it that time it has become more that Bucky is slowly regressing, something that makes Steve worry.
Skye who has gotten completely fed up with being in bed is glad that when she wakes up no one is sitting by her bedside because it allows her to do something that she has wanted to do for days, get out of bed.
She sits on the end of the bed then holding on to one of the nearby machines for support she stands up, just as she does she hears the door open.
"Crap." She says as she does.
"What do you think you are doing?" Clint asks his niece.
"Getting up, I'm sick of being in that bed." Skye tells her Uncle.
"You're in that bed because you need rest." Clint says walking over to her.
"Not that much, Uncle Bruce and Simmons says that I should get up soon, let me go to breakfast." Skye requests.
"Fine, but I'm helping you, lean on me." Clint requests, "And tell you parents that I couldn't talk you out of this." He requests.
"You couldn't have talked me out of this." Skye tells him as she leans on Clint.
"I know, which is why I didn't try." Clint responds.
While Clint and Skye walk out of the room and to where everyone with the exception of Steve and Bucky, who are downstairs, are having breakfast Skye realises something.
"What aren't you telling me?" Skye asks.
"What?" Clint asks.
"You're keeping something from me, you all are." Skye says and then she looks towards the table where everyone is sitting and she realises something when she sees Sam, "Uncle Steve is here, with his friend. Why didn't you tell me?" Skye asks everyone, anger clear in her voice.
"Because we know you." Coulson says walking over to his daughter, "We know you would want to help Bucky even though you are still healing." Coulson explains.
"OF COURSE I WOULD." Skye says angrily, practically pushing Clint away, "Jarvis get Uncle Steve up here NOW." Skye says angrily, "I can't believe you kept this from me too." Skye says to Clint, her voice not raised but betrayal clear.
"I can't believe I did either." Clint admits, "But as much as I hate myself for it I know that it was the right choice, you're still healing and I didn't want you to hurt yourself." Clint tells her.
"We don't lie to each other, you know that." Skye says to him quietly as the elevator beeps, the doors open and Steve walks in.
"What's going on?" Steve asks, "Skye, it's good to see you up." He says to her.
"I understand that you all were worried about me, I do, but you should have told me as soon as Uncle Steve got here." Skye tells everyone, "And not just because I made a promise, but because there is no one in this world who deserves to live with what Hydra has done to Bucky." Skye explains, "No one. тетя Наташа you're the only one who can truly comprehend what happened to him, and so can you in a way Uncle Clint, but it's worse than I know you are picturing." Skye tells everyone, "I may be weak but from when I woke I was strong enough to help and it should have been my choice, and I would have helped him because he shouldn't have to suffer the way he is a second longer than he has to." Skye tells everyone.
"We kept it from you because we were worried." Melinda tells her daughter.
"I know." Skye tells her Mom, "I get it, but it still should have been my choice." Skye tells everyone and she turns to Steve, "I can help him, but you need to stay up her while I do."
"Why?" Steve asks.
"Because it's for the best. He's going to need you help when it's done but it's best that you're not their when it happens." Skye explains.
"Is you going on alone a good idea, I mean he's doing better, but he's still unpredictable." Sam points out.
"I'll be completely safe." Skye tells everyone, "I need to do this." Skye tells everyone and she gets a look on her face which makes it clear that there is no arguing with her.
"Are you sure that you are strong enough?" Melinda asks her daughter.
"Positive, it won't use as much energy as you think it would." Skye explains.
'What are you going to do?" Steve asks.
"Basically, un do what Hydra did with the exception of the direct connection they made between his arm and his mind. He will be in complete control again and have all his memories back, but he will also remember everything that he was forced to do." Skye explains, "That's not going to be pleasant and he's going to need help and support." Skye says looking at everyone individually.
"He's got it." Natasha and Steve say together as both of them get that, Steve wanting to help because he's his best friend and Natasha because she remembers when she was in Bucky's position.
"Good." Skye says, "I'll be back." Skye says and she starts to attempt to walk to the elevator.
"At least let me help." Clint says walking over to her and helps her, "I'm sorry Kid." He says quietly though he knows that apologise don't mean a lot to her.
"We'll talk later." Skye says as the elevator opens and she gets in.
When Skye gets downstairs the first thing she does is uses her powers to put a force field over the elevator doors and the stair well. The force field isn't strong enough to hurt anyone just make it clear that she meant it when she said that she needs to do this alone.
After she puts the force field up Skye makes her way through the floor in search of Bucky. Looking around the floor she finds him huddled in the corner arms around his legs.
"Hey, I'm Skye Coulson." Skye says from several steps away from Bucky as she knows better than to scare him.
"I don't know who I am." Bucky says looking up at Skye, "Everyone calls me different things, or nothing." Bucky responds.
"Well you know you can choose your name, I did." Skye tells Bucky, "And I can speak for the others." Skye says though she is pretty sure that her parents, Clint, Natasha and Tripp at least will too, "But I promise to call you the name you want to be called." Skye tells him, "What do you want me to call you?" she asks.
For several minutes Bucky is quite and Skye isn't quite sure that he is going to answer but then he finally does, "James, call me James." Bucky requests.
"Well it's nice to meet you James." Skye tells him, "Do you mind if I sit?" she asks.
"No." Bucky responds and leaning on the wall Skye walks over and sits next to him, "You were shot, I remember Steve saying, he was worried." Bucky comments.
"Yeah I was." Skye answers, "I'm fine though, Uncle Steve worries." Skye explains.
"Steve doesn't have any siblings." Bucky says the words out of his mouth before he realises what he is saying.
"He has you." Skye tells him, "Uncle Steve isn't my Uncle biologically but in every way that counts he is." Skye explains.
"What do you mean?" Bucky asks, interested as the memories he has make him curious about what his best friend's new life is like.
"It's a long story." Skye answers.
"I want to hear it." Bucky tells her.
"Okay." Skye tells him realising that if she talks to him then maybe he will trust her and he will let her help him, "When I was three months old I was kidnapped by a man who experimented on me, he put this energy inside of me." Skye explains and Bucky cuts her off.
"Like Zola did?" Bucky asks.
"In a way." Skye answers, "He wanted to raise me to be weapon but some of his employees didn't like that so they got me out, and him as well as an entire village died to protect me." Skye explains, "I spent my childhood going from one group home and foster home to another, not realising that my family was looking for me." Skye explains, "That was until I was twenty four and I found my parents, though I didn't realise it." Skye tells him, "It was few months later that I did. Since then I learnt that truth of what happened to me and I discovered that that energy that was put inside me allows me to manipulate electricity and because everything is made up of energy I can know anything including the future and the past." Skye explains, "My Dad he knew Uncle Steve before I found my parents but Uncle Steve thought my Dad died in battle, he did technically but he was brought back." Skye explains, "After I was kidnapped by the son of the man who took me as a child I met Uncle Steve and he became like a brother to my parents and an Uncle to me and because I was de aged for a time I have memories of him being around my whole life." Skye explains and when she does she realises that she may have just over loaded him, "Sorry, I sometimes don't know when to stop talking and that's a lot of really strange things to tell you in one go." She adds as while it's not something that happens often of late it still does on occasions.
"It's okay, I've heard stranger." Bucky tells her, "And thanks for telling me everyone, even Steve, has been treating me with kid gloves, it's nice for someone not to." He admits.
"I get it." Skye tells him, "We are surrounded by people who worry a lot, you might want to get used to it." She tells him.
"I don't think I can." Bucky admits, "Why are you here?" he asks confused.
"I'm here to help you, if you will let me." Skye tells him.
"I'm beyond help." Bucky tells her.
"No, you're not." Skye responds, "I know everything that you were forced to do…." Skye begins to say but Bucky cuts her off.
"Then how can you sit next to me?" Bucky asks, "How can you bare it? You should want to kill me. It's what I deserve." Bucky tells her.
"No, it's not." Skye says reaching out and grabbing his non-metal hand, "You're a good man James, and I know you didn't want to do any of that, you were forced." She tells him.
"I can feel it, that overwhelming feeling that I have to do what they want me to, I'm going to hurt someone else, they want me to." Bucky admits something he hasn't even admitted to Steve though he can't explain it he feels like he can tell Skye, that he needs to.
"I know." Skye says wincing as she moves but moving so that she is sitting directly across from Bucky instead of next to him, "Let me help you." Skye requests.
"How? How can you help me?" Bucky asks.
"You know how I said I can control electricity?" Skye asks and Bucky nods, "Well Hydra used electricity to make you into what they needed, I can reverse it, remove it." Skye explains, "I'll make sure you can still use the arm, but you'll be yourself again and you'll have the memories that they removed back, the ones I know you are still without." Skye explains
"You would do that?" Bucky asks and Skye nods.
"But there is something you need to know, I can un do what Hydra did and give you the memories of before back, but you'll also have the memories of after and you'll still have the strength and speed." Skye explains, "You're going to remember everything that they made you do, and you're going to have to live with that. Do you still want me to do that?" Skye asks.
"Yes." Bucky answers, "Not being in control of myself is worse than the memories because if you don't then they can always make me do more, if you do I can fight back." Bucky tells her.
"Okay." Skye tells him, "This is going to hurt, that's another thing I can't change, sorry." Skye tells him.
"It's okay, I'm used to pain." Bucky tells her.
"Take it from someone who has said that more than once, that's the most depressive sentence a person can say." Skye tells him.
"I know." Bucky responds.
"Give me your other hand." Skye requests and Bucky sticks out his hands and Skye grabs them both, "Okay, once again I'm sorry for how much this is going to hurt." Skye tells him and she closes her eyes and focuses on the one thing she wants to do.
While Skye does that Bucky has to fight not to scream as Skye was right, it hurts. This happens for several minutes until Skye lets go of his hands and he looks at her.
"How are you?" Skye asks.
"Confused, hurting, but better than I've been in a long, long time, thank you, I don't even think that covers how grateful I am, but thank you." Bucky tells her, "Are you okay?" He asks.
"Yeah." Skye answers, "Talk to тетя Наташа." Skye tells him, "She's gone through a lot of the same things as you, she'll get it more than anyone." Skye explains.
"I'll do that." Bucky answers, "But I think at the moment I want to talk to my best friend." Bucky tells her.
"I think that's a good idea." Skye tells him, "Think you could help me up?" she asks.
"Of course." Bucky says and he helps her up, "You didn't make yourself worse did you?" he asks concerned as the last thing he wants is for Skye to have been hurt because she helped him.
"No, I'm fine." Skye assures and they walk out of the room and across the floor in silence.
"Your doing?" Bruce asks as he sees the force field over the elevator doors.
"Yeah, I didn't want Uncle Steve bursting in on us if you screamed." Skye explains as she lowers the force field.
"Probably a good choice." Bucky responds as they get into the elevator.
When they get to the floor above the second the door opens Bucky practically runs out and over to his best friend who is standing with Pepper, Tony and Bruce and hugs Steve, very tightly and Skye watches on with a smile on her face.
"You good Buck?" Steve asks his friend, his brother, when they break apart.
"I'm good." Bucky responds.
"This calls for a celebration." Tony comments.
"Tony it's ten am." Maria points out.
"So?" Tony asks, "Drinks for all." He says and he heads to the connection, Coulson, Pepper and Bruce exchange a look and follow obviously going to attempt to stop him.
"Hey Kid." Clint says walking over to Skye, "Can we talk?" He asks her as he wants to make things right between them.
"Sure, balcony?" Skye asks.
"Balcony." Clint responds and that's where the pair go.
Skye and Clint make their way to the balcony and as soon as the door is closed Clint starts to speak.
"I'm not going to say I'm sorry again because I know how you feel about it, what I am going to say is that I thought you were going to die on me, we all did" Clint reveals to his niece, "and I thought it was going to kill me. You, Nat and your parents are everything to me, and everyone else is not far behind and I thought I was going to lose you, and I felt something I haven't felt since I lost Barney." Clint explains, "When we got back to the tower I couldn't even go in your room, not until Tony made me realise how much of an idiot I was being." Clint explains, "I knew you would be mad for lying and I'm more than prepared for you to be pissed at me because at least you would be okay, I was never going to stop you from helping Bucky I just wanted to give you time to heal." Clint explains.
"We don't lie to each other Uncle Clint, not after everything. I get that that you were worried but you, more than anyone else, should have told me. I need to know that I can trust you to be the one person who always tells me the truth, no matter what, even if it hurts me." Skye tells her Uncle as she knows that there will be times where her parents lie to her to protect her or because they are worried about her and she can accept that from them, but she can't accept that from Clint because he gets more than they do or ever can what being lied to means for her.
"Kid, I'm always going to do whatever I can to make sure you're okay and I will do my best to make sure that doesn't mean lying to you again, but I need to know that you get why I did this time." Clint tells her.
"I do, just don't do it again." Skye says as she gives her Uncle, who is also her best friend a hug.
"Come on you two, you're missing a party." Tony's voice says from the open door.
"Party at ten am, that's a new one for us." Skye comments amused as her and Clint break apart.
"It's actually not." Clint tells his niece.
"Yeah, I'm not even surprised." Skye admits and the pair head back inside.
"Oh hang on." Clint says stopping Skye before she enters the tower, "This fell out of your pocket." He explains handing her the photo. Skye doesn't even have to un fold the picture to know what it is, she just puts it in her pocket and gives her Uncle a grateful look.
Across the ocean Ward is in his room staring at a board that he has kept hidden from his sister and all of Hydra. On the wall is a dozen different pictures of Skye and every piece of information he has about what he knows about where she is and how she is doing. He is staring at the wall when his phone rings, under normal circumstances he would ignore it but considering it is the ring tone he has set for the person he has watching the tower for signs of Skye, a person who he made a connection with himself and not through Hydra, he answers.
"What have you found?" Ward asks into the phone.
"She's at the tower I just saw her have a conversation with Barton out on the balcony." The person responds.
"How is she? Did she look okay?" Ward asks glad that it seems Skye is okay.
"She looks fine." The person responds, "What do you want me to do now?"
"Keep watching, send me any pictures of Skye you take. I want to know whenever she steps foot outside of that building." Ward tells the person.
"Yes Sir" The person responds and Ward hangs up the phone.
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