Chapter 17
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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.
AN2: Thank you for your support for this story. It means a lot.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO STARFIRE25 WHO EDITED THIS CHAPTER FOR ME
Several hours after leaving the facility that is now Peggy Carter's home. Steve and Bucky are out walking around DC, Tripp is in his room getting ready for dinner with his cousin, Coulson and Melinda are in their room and Skye is sitting on the balcony of the suite she is sharing with Tripp, Steve and Bucky with a bottle of tequila that she has drunk a quarter of.
"Hey." A voice says behind her and she turns to see Tripp, "I was getting ready to go, but I can stay if you want." He offers, just being able to tell that she isn't doing too well.
"No, I'll be okay. Go." Skye tells him.
"Are you sure about that?" Tripp asks concerned as he sits down on the second chair.
"Yep." Skye says taking another drink, "Go see your cousin, you don't see her much."
"True, but I don't want to leave you if you're not okay." Tripp tells Skye.
"I am." Skye tells him.
"The Tequila says otherwise." Tripp comments.
"Go, see Sharon, I'll be fine." Skye tells him, "Promise." She adds when it looks like Tripp isn't going to leave.
"Okay, but I'm getting your parents." Tripp tells her.
"Look, I know that I'm not exactly giving off the definition of okay at the moment but the last thing I want, the last thing I need, right now is my for my parents to see me like this, so please Tripp, go have your diner and let me be." She requests.
Tripp is quite for a couple of minutes trying to decide the right thing to do when he finally does, "I'm texting you ever half an hour to make sure you are okay and if you miss a single text I have your parents on speed dial." He tells her.
"Noted." Skye responds, "Tell Sharon I said hi." Skye requests, not sure why she is saying that when she only just met Sharon but it feels like the right thing to say.
"I will." Tripp responds, "I'll see you later." He says getting up and leaving, as he does he wonders whether he has made the right choice or not.
Skye has just responded to Tripp's fist check in message when she hears footsteps behind her. She turns to see Bucky walking over.
"Where is Uncle Steve?" Skye asks curious when she doesn't see her Uncle anywhere.
"He wanted some time alone, seeing Peggy like that isn't easy on him." Bucky explains sitting in the spare chair, "You know I think this is the first time I have seen you drinking Alcohol." He says referring to the Tequila bottle which is now just above half full.
"There's a reason for that." Skye reveals.
"Do you want to talk about why you're drinking now?" Bucky asks as even though drinking around The Tower is quite common, like he said a minute earlier this the first time he has seen Skye drink and considering how much she has drunk he is guessing that there is a reason for that.
"Nope." Skye says drawing out the word and pouring herself another drink, "Do you want one?" she asks.
"No, I'm good." Bucky responds.
"I will tell you why this is the first time you've seen me drinking though, if you're interested?" Skye asks.
"Sure." Bucky responds, actually curious to know her reason.
"When I was a teenager, I learnt that I had inherited my Mom's alcohol tolerance but at the time I didn't know that. All I knew is that I could drink a lot and be fine, which is something I did a lot. More than I should have." Skye explains, "That resulted in me doing some pretty stupid things. It took a real eye opener to make me realise how much of an idiot I was being and ever since I only drink in moderation. It is very rare that I drink more than a couple of drinks." Skye explains, as she finishes her drink and pours another, really not proud of some of what she did in her late teens and early twenty when she was 'screwed up' as she describes herself.
"Have you eaten?" Bucky asks.
"Nope." Skye answers, "Mom and Dad asked if I wanted to go to dinner with them but I said I was going to try and get some sleep." Skye explains, "They are going to finally stop fighting and I didn't want to get in the way of that."
"You should eat you know." Bucky tells her, becoming concerned as it's bad enough that Skye has drunk as much as she has but it's worse than she is doing so on an empty stomach.
"I know." Skye responds.
"I get not wanting to talk, but if you do I'm here." Bucky offers.
"Thanks." Skye tells him sincerely, "But I wouldn't even know where to start." Skye admits.
"Start with the main reason." Bucky suggests, "The top reason as to why you are sitting out hear downing a bottle of Tequila, coz I'm betting you have one." He suggests.
"There is two reasons for that." Skye admits, "The first is that stupid power of mine which is just allowing me to know horrible and painful things and not being able to do anything about what I know lately." Skye says before drinking a large portion in a single go.
"What's the second?" Bucky asks as he can't help with the first but maybe, just maybe he can help her with the second.
"Ah the second." Skye says with a humourless laugh, "Great reason that. My ex-boyfriend, who was secretly working for Hydra the whole time I knew him, called me today." Skye reveals, "I wanted to give him a chance, an open door so that he maybe could walk away from Hydra and redeem himself, make the right decision."
"I'm guessing that's not why he called." Bucky comments as from the little he knows he doubts it.
"Nope." Skye tells him, "He was calling to say that he can't leave his sister Grace, meaning that he can't leave Hydra because of everything she's done for him but the funny thing is that she never wanted him to be Hydra, the only thing she wanted was for her brothers to be safe. As long as he didn't actively try to stop her then she wouldn't even care if he stopped working for Hydra, she just cares that he is okay. He can walk away, he can stop killing but he won't, said he can't." Skye reveals, "But he can he's had a choice this whole time and he just keeps making the wrong one, he called to say we've got to stop going after Hydra members because he will be forced to retaliate but he wouldn't. They haven't re built their numbers enough so Grace wouldn't risk having a head on fight with us because she knows she will lose. He can be a good guy he is just choosing not to and I didn't see that coming. I thought I loved him, and then after I was de-aged I just couldn't love him or even like him in the way he liked me, but I never thought that this was who he really was" Skye reveals, all the alcohol she has drunk being the only reason why she is being so chatty, "I want to sit him down and tell him that he doesn't have to do this, that he doesn't have to be this guy but I know it would be no use, that he wouldn't listen, after everything, even though I know it's useless I still want to help him, how pathetic is that?" Skye asks picking up the bottle and drinking a large mouthful of it, "I need to get out of here." She says standing up.
"Wow, wow, wow, you're in no shape to go anywhere." Bucky says blocking her path.
"Let me go James." Skye requests.
"No, Skye you've drunk over half a bottle of tequila going out by yourself is the last thing you should be doing." Bucky tells her.
"Then come with me if you are so worried, coz I'm going and your not going to stop me." Skye says pushing past him.
As Bucky watches Skye walk across the hotel suit he debates what to do, part of him is telling him that he needs to make sure that she doesn't leave the suite, another part of him is telling him that she clearly needs space and that he should go with her to make sure that nothing happens and a completely different part of him is telling him to just get her parents and let them try and help her, but as soon as that idea comes to his mind he dismisses it and he realises that there is only one thing he can do, one thing he should do and he runs across the suite, catching up with her as she reaches the door.
"So you're coming." Skye says as she opens the door.
"Yeah, I am." Bucky responds as he picks up the room key off the table.
"Good." Skye says and the pair exit the hotel suite.
After he told Bucky to leave him alone Steve continued to walk around DC, thinking about Peggy and what he suspects Skye wasn't saying. Judging by the way she acted and what she said Steve has realised that it's likely that Skye discovered that Hydra gave Peggy her dementia, because after what they did to Howard it would make sense, and she also discovered that there was nothing she could do because there is no doubt in his mind that she would if she could.
Steve is staring at the Washington monument thinking about everything and what his next move is when his phone rings and when he looks down at the caller ID he realises that it is exactly who he wants to talk to,
"Hey." Steve says as he answers.
"Hey." Pepper, Tony and Bruce's voices respond, the three of them clearly on speaker phone.
In their hotel room unaware what is going on with their daughter Melinda and Coulson are sitting on their bed with a Pizza between them, never of them felt like going out to a fancy diner so they just went with Pizza.
"Do you think she is going to be okay?" Melinda ask.
"Skye or Agent Carter?" Coulson asks not sure which she, Melinda is talking about as they have talked about both of them since they returned to their hotel room.
"Skye." Melinda answers, "I know Peggy isn't going to be okay." Melinda admits and Coulson just reaches out and grabs her hand.
"I'm sorry." Coulson says simply as he knows how much Peggy means to Melinda.
"I'm worried Phil." Melinda admits, "It seems like every day the knowledge she has gets harder and harder for her to handle." Melinda admits.
"I know." Coulson responds, "I'm worried too." He admits.
"We need to do something." Melinda says.
"Well try talking to her tomorrow." Coulson says, "See if Tony, Fitz, Simmons or Bruce have found anything, she was starting to drift off to sleep when we left her room earlier, we should let her try and sleep." Coulson says.
"Agreed." Melinda responds, "She cares so much, and I worry that knowing all this pain is going to become too much for her." Melinda admits, not wanting to say it but at the same time she feels she has too.
"I know." Coulson responds the two simple words telling Melinda just what she needs to know, that he is just as worried about their daughter as she is.
It has been twenty minutes since Skye and Bucky left the hotel. Skye is texting Tripp on her phone and having a slight issue standing up and walking in a straight line as all the tequila she has drunk starts to catch up with her. Bucky who is walking next to her is making sure to always be between her and the road and trying his best to help her, something that is hard to do when Skye won't accept a lot of help.
"Skye, you might want to watch where you are going." Bucky suggests.
"Yeah, in a minute, I've just got to message Tripp, if he doesn't hear from me every half an hour he is going to call my parents which is the last thing I want, I really don't want them to worry." Skye explains as she puts her phone back in her pocket.
"There is a dinner open up the road, how about we have something to eat." Bucky suggests as he sees the open signs.
"Oh, burger and fries, I really want a burger and fries." Skye comments.
"Then I guess a burger and fries it is." Bucky says as Skye Tripps over, but doesn't fall thanks to Bucky's fast reflexes catching her, "You okay?" he asks as Skye is standing up but swaying.
"Yeah, I think so." Skye says and Bucky let's go of her and they make their way to the diner, as they do Skye is clearly having issues walking, but it's not bad enough that Bucky has to actually help her to walk yet.
It takes them several minutes to walk to the diner and when they enter they sit across from each other at a booth.
"Can I get you coffee?" The waitress asks.
"Please." Bucky answers and the waitress fills up both Skye and Bucky's cups.
"I'll be back in a couple of minutes to take your orders." The waitress says before walking away.
"When I lived out of my van I loved diner food." Skye reveals, "I couldn't afford it a lot so I would treat myself occasionally, it was a good treat." Skye admits drinking a mouthful of her coffee, "What are you getting?" She asks as Bucky looks at the menu.
"Grilled cheese and fries." Bucky answers.
"I never used to do this." Skye admits as the waitress comes back over.
"What can I get for you?" asks.
"I'll get a grilled cheese and fries." Bucky answers.
"Double bacon cheese burger for me." Skye answers.
"And more coffee." Bucky adds and the waitress nods and walks away, "What did you never used to do?" Bucky asks curious.
"Huh, what?" Skye asks confused then realises, "Let someone close enough so that they can hurt me." Skye admits, "Not that long ago I wouldn't be hurt by Ward because I wouldn't have let myself care enough to be." Skye admits, "But now, I have a group of people who can hurt me, and I let them in, how could I be so stupid?" Skye asks.
"It's not stupid." Bucky tells her, "You're caring about people, letting people care about you, in my opinion that's smart."
"Nope, it's just a guaranty to be hurt." Skye tells Bucky as she takes a drink of the coffee.
Both Skye and Bucky are quite for several minutes Bucky is trying to figure out the right thing to say when Skye speaks again,
"The Clairvoyant had this power for decades and I've wondering how he lived with all the bad things that he couldn't change, I'm having trouble after months" Skye reveals, Bucky is confused about who the Clairvoyant is, or was, but he has a feeling that Steve would be a better person to ask than Skye at the moment, "Then I realised he didn't care, maybe that's the key. Not caring." Skye wonders to herself, almost forgetting that Bucky is sitting across from her, "Of course he didn't have as much energy as me so maybe that's why he was okay." Skye says as the Waitress walks over and puts the food down in front of both of them.
"Thank you." Bucky says.
"Yeah, thanks." Skye responds, "What was I saying?"
"My guess, things you would rather keep to yourself" Bucky reveals as he knows Skye well enough to know that she doesn't like to talk about herself and that if she was sober than she would never tell him these things.
"Probably, I get chatty when I drink, it's a problem." Skye reveals as she takes a bite of her burger, "This is really good." She reveals.
"That's good, but you might want to slow down." Bucky suggests as Skye starts to eat faster.
"No need." Skye assures him, "I'm f…About to be sick." Skye says getting up and running out of the dinner, Bucky pulls out cash from his wallet, leaves it on the table, and grabs Skye's jacket before following her out.
When Bucky leaves the dinner he sees Skye throwing up over a garbage can, he walks over to her and he reaches her just as she stands up.
"I think, nope." Skye says and starts to be sick again, not sure what else to do Bucky just rubs Skye's back.
"I think I'm done." Skye says standing up once more.
"Here, you left this inside." Bucky says handing Skye her jacket.
"Thanks." Skye responds as she sways on the spot as she puts the jacket on.
"Can you walk?" Bucky asks as he reaches out and places a hand on either of her shoulders to steady her.
"I think so." Skye responds as her Phone beeps, "Tripp again, so much for every half an hour." She responds and she sends a message back as she does she doubts that the message will make much sense, "Can you hold this for me?" Skye asks handing Bucky her phone then proceeding to vomit up the last of the coffee and food she ate.
"Sure." Bucky says putting the phone in his pocket, "I'll get us a cab." Bucky tells Skye one she stops being sick once more.
"There is no point." Skye says, "I, vomit all of my shoes, cab won't take us." Skye says, "Have to walk." She admits, the fact that she has vomited up all the food and coffee she had now making the alcohol affect her more.
"Do you think you can?" He asks.
"Sure." Skye admits and she walks and sways almost falling over.
"If I put an arm around you and you leant on me would that be okay?" Bucky asks.
Not trusting herself to open her mouth without vomiting at the moment Skye just nods and Bucky puts an arm around her.
By the time Skye and Bucky arrive back at the hotel twenty five minutes later Bucky is basically carrying Skye.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Skye says to Bucky.
"It's okay." Bucky says as he turns on the lights, being grateful that it seems like they are the first back, "Let's just get you to bed, you'll feel better once you sleep." Bucky tells her.
"Thank you Jameees, you're nice." Skye says as they entre Skye's room.
"Here just lay down." Bucky says helping Skye to lay down, "I'll go get you some water." He says leaving the room.
Bucky has just gotten to the kitchen area of the suite when he hears a ringing sound, it takes him a minute to realises that it is coming from Skye's phone that is now in his pocket, pulling it out he sees a picture of Tripp coming up on the phone. Remembering what Skye said earlier he presses the green button, hoping, and assuming that that means answer,
"Hello." Bucky says uncertainly.
"Bucky, why are you answering Skye's phone?" Tripp asks.
"She gave it to me when she was vomiting earlier, I forgot I had it." Bucky admits.
"How she's doing?" Tripp asks, concern clear, "When I left she had drunk about a quarter of bottle of tequila."
"Well she ended up drinking half a bottle." Bucky reveals, "We went to get some food and she ate some of that but has now vomited most of it. She's laying down now and I'm going to get her a glass of water." Bucky explains.
"Good, that will help." Tripp responds, "Did you tell her parents?"
"No." Bucky answers, "She really didn't want them to know." He admits.
"Probably a good choice." Tripp admits, "I'll be back in about half an hour, see you then." He responds.
"See you then." Bucky responds and he puts Skye's phone back in his pocket before walking over and filling up a glass of water which he takes back into Skye's room.
"Skye, drink this." Bucky says walking over to her and handing her the glass of water.
"Can you pass me my bag?" Skye requests as she accepts the glass of water, sits up and drinks several mouthfuls.
"Your hand bag?" Bucky asks and Skye nods, "Here." He says handing the bag over to her a minute later.
"Thanks." Skye says as she puts the glass of water on the bedside table and she searches through her bag, and after a minute she pulls out a container of pills that Bucky recognizes.
"Aspirin?" He asks and Skye nods, "Huh, seventy years later and it's still used to help prevent a hangover." He comments.
"You can't argue with the classics." Skye says as she swallows the pills and finishes the last of the water, "Thanks James, for everything you did tonight." She says gratefully.
"Get some rest, I'll see you tomorrow." Bucky tells her not understanding why she is thanking him when it is what anyone would do, "Here Tripp called a few minutes ago." He says handing Skye her phone before grabbing the glass.
"You knew how to answer my phone?" Skye says surprised.
"I guessed." Bucky admits, "See you tomorrow." Bucky says.
"See you tomorrow." Skye responds.
Bucky smiles and leaves the room he is just exiting Skye's room and closing the door behind him when the door to the suite opens and Steve walks in.
"Bucky?" Steve asks surprised, "Why are you coming out of Skye's room?" he asks confused.
"Skye was sick earlier, so I took her some water." Bucky explains, not lying but not telling the complete truth either.
"Is she alright?" Steve asks concerned.
"Yeah, she will be." Bucky responds walking over to the kitchen area to put the glass back, "I'll see you in the morning." Bucky tells his friend.
"Yeah, see you then." Steve says as Bucky enters his room. As he hears the door to his brothers room close Steve looks worriedly at Skye's room and debates whether to go check on her, deciding that it would best to just let her sleep he heads to his room instead.
The following morning Skye is woken by the alarm that she set before she started to drink the Tequila, she has a headache but she is quite thankful for the fact that it's not as bad as she was expecting. Once she is awake Skye spends half an hour packing up her stuff and getting changed before heading out to the living area of the suite where both Bucky and Tripp are standing putting a few things into each of their bags.
"Hey." Skye says to them as she walks over
"Hey." Bucky and Tripp respond,
"How you feeling?" Tripp asks curious.
"Better than I expected I would." Skye admits.
"Here, I got you these down at the gift shop this morning." Bucky says handing Skye a pair of sunglasses, "I figured that you would have a headache this morning which wouldn't be pleasant in the car ride so I thought they would help." Bucky explains.
"Thanks James." Skye says grateful accepting the sunglasses.
"And here, put these in your bag." Tripp says handing Skye a couple of bottles of water.
"Thanks." Skye says appreciative as she puts the water into her handbag, "I actually owe both of you a thank you for last night. I was a mess and not that long ago everyone I know would have just let me walk out of here not caring what happened to me, and they never would have texted me every half an hour to make sure I was okay." Skye reveals, "I was a jerk to both of you and you still wanted to make sure I was okay, so thank you." She tells them sincerely.
"You don't need to thank us for doing the right thing." Bucky says.
"He's right it's what any person who gives a crap would have done." Tripp adds, "You don't owe us anything."
"Still, thank you." Skye admits, "And I'm sorry you had to see me like that it's just knowing a lot of bad things and not being able to change them and this Ward thing, just got a bit too much and I lost it." Skye admits, "But it won't happen again."
"What Ward thing?" Tripp asks confused.
"He called yesterday." Skye reveals, "Called to tell me all the reasons why he can't leave Hydra." Skye explains.
"So he called to tell you his excuses?" Tripp asks.
"Yep." Skye admits, "And it made me angry and hurt." She admits.
"That's understandable." Tripp comments as the door and Steve walks in.
"Melinda and Phil are ready downstairs." Steve reveals, "Skye are you feeling better?" Steve asks.
"Uh yeah." Skye answers confused wondering how much he knows.
"Good, I'm glad, I'll see you downstairs." Steve says grabbing several of the bags and leaving the room.
"How much does Uncle Steve know?" Skye asks as she doesn't remember seeing Steve at all the night before, although her memory isn't the most reliable thing at the moment.
"He saw me coming out of your room last night so I told him you were sick." Bucky explains.
"Right." Skye responds, "I know that it's a lot to ask and I won't be mad if you said no but do you think you guys could not tell my parents what happened?" Skye asks.
"They would want to know." Tripp tells her.
"I know they would." Skye tells him, "But if they knew all they would do is worry, but there is no reason to I lost it once, and I'm not going to lose it again, and I don't want them to worry over nothing." Skye explains, "So could you not tell them?" Skye asks.
Bucky and Tripp exchange a look and neither sure that it the right choice but they can tell the undertone of pleading in Skye's voice.
"I won't tell them." Bucky says.
"Me either." Tripp responds.
"Thank you, really, thank you." Skye tells them, "I'll see you downstairs." Skye says leaving the room, putting the pair of sunglasses that Bucky gave her on as she does.
"Did we do the right thing?" Tripp asks once Skye has left the room.
"Well she's an adult so it is her choice about what her parents know." Bucky points out, "And she said it's not going to happen again."
"But you don't feel good about lying to Coulson and Melinda." Tripp comments.
"No, I don't." Bucky admits.
"She said it won't happen again, that it is nothing to worry about, but if it does happen again we know that it is something to worry about and we tell them." Tripp suggests.
"If it happens again, we tell." Bucky agrees as they both pick up their bags and leave the room.
Ten minutes later everyone is checked out and they are waiting out the front of the hotel for the valet to bring the car around.
"How are you feeling?" Melinda asks her daughter, "Steve said you were sick last night."
"I'm good, much better." Skye answers.
"Why didn't you get us Baby Girl?" Coulson asks, "We would have wanted to know."
"I knew you guys were finally making up after fighting, I didn't want to interrupt that." Skye tells her parents.
"You should have, you come first Skye." Coulson tells his daughter.
"I'll remember that." Skye answers.
"Why were you sick?" Melinda ask concerned.
"I dragged James out to get burgers and it was sooo good that I ate it too fast, made myself sick." Skye explains, not lying but not telling the complete truth either, "I've really got to eat slower." She comments as the car arrives.
"You sure you okay?" Coulson asks.
"Positive." Skye answers glad that her sunglasses are hiding her slightly red eyes that will likely be gone by the time they reach New York.
"Good." Melinda says and everyone gets back in the car ready for the drive back to New York. As Skye climbs in she feels her phone vibrate, she pulls it out to see a message from Tripp,
'You just completely lied to you parents.'
Skye smiles at the message and texts back, 'No I didn't, ask James. I was sick after I ate half a burger in seconds so it can be argued that the Tequila is only partly to blame.'
"It's still a lie." Tripp says to her, his voice barely above a whisper as he sits down next to her in the very back row of seats.
"Says the man keeping his relationship a secret from his mentor because you are worried about how he is going to react." Skye says to Tripp.
"Mean." Tripp responds with a grin, making it clear that he's not really mad.
"Whatever you say Tonio." Skye responds, a grin clear on her face as well.
"Hey Coulson, can you put the radio on Tony's dedicated ACDC channel?" Tripp asks, "I feel like listening to it." He says.
"Sure Tripp." Coulson comments.
"Now that is mean." Skye tells him and Tripp just grins back, "Dad can you not put it up too loud, I want to try and get some more sleep." Skye comments.
"Sure Baby-Girl." Coulson responds.
"Truce?" Skye ask Tripp.
"Truce."
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