Chapter 19
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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 so much for your support of this story and of me, it means a lot.
Over the next week and a half it becomes clear that Bucky has found his place at the tower, as while he still spends a lot of his time with Steve and getting to know the others, more often than not when they are not working on other things you will find Skye, Fitz, Simmons, Tripp and Bucky together doing something.
As she has gotten the final all clear from Bruce, who Skye realises knows what her scars are from but like Jemma doesn't mention it, Skye has increased her training resulting in her training with Natasha, Clint, Her mother, and occasionally her father and others more than even because she admitted to Clint that due to the fact that when she is training she is so focused on something it results in her having more control of her knowing ability.
It is six am and Skye is up and changed for her Tai-Chi lesson with her mother.
"Morning." Skye says when she gets down to the gym.
"Morning." Melinda responds, "How was last night?"
"Not great, but not horrible." Skye admits.
"Skye your father and I don't mind if you wake us up, if you have nightmares you can come to us." Melinda tells her.
"I know." Skye tells her Mother, "Honestly it wasn't that bad." Skye admits actually telling the truth, "I didn't even get that overwhelming feeling that I needed to get out of my room, and I even managed to get back to sleep. That's a pretty good night for me." Skye reveals.
"If I could I would take away all your nightmares." Melinda tells her daughter.
"I know you would." Skye tells her mother and they hug, "We should get started." Skye tells her mother.
"That we should." Melinda responds and that's what the mother and daughter do.
An hour later Maria, Clint and Natasha arrive for their morning workout session.
"I thought you decided that you would run with Steve, Bucky, Sam and Tripp." Melinda asks her friend.
"Not after seeing how far they run." Maria comments, "I mean Steve and Bucky I get they are super soldiers they don't get tired easily, but Sam and Antoine, I have no idea how they do it." She comments.
"They're trying to beat Steve and Bucky, that's how they do it." Garrett comments as he and Coulson walk in, both of them wearing their workout gear.
"That makes sense, I'm pretty sure Steve and Bucky are trying to beat each other." Melinda comments.
"There is no doubt about it." Natasha answers.
"So are we all group sparing today or what?" Maria asks.
"Completion I think." Natasha answers as she and Melinda exchange a grin.
"Kid, Archery Practice?" Clint asks his niece, really not wanting to experience what Natasha and Melinda's grins mean for him, and Skye nods.
"Can we do more of the hand to hand fighting with the bows?" Skye asks her Uncle curious as he nods.
"How you doing today?" Clint asks, his voice barely as whisper as they walk over to collect their bows.
"I'm okay." Skye answers, "I tested out our latest theory last night." Skye reveals.
"And?" Clint asks eagerly.
"One nightmare and I was able to get back to sleep." Skye reveals.
"Kid, that's great." Clint says happily.
"Yeah, it is." Skye responds with a grin, "Thank you so much." Skye tells him.
"No need, you did all the hard work." Clint points out.
"Because you had the idea." Skye reminds him as they grab their respective bows out of their cases.
"Because you told me that focus seems to once more be the key." Clint argues, "How about we just say that it's a group effort and leave it at that." Clint offers.
"Deal." Skye responds, "So what are we starting with?" Skye asks.
"Firing while moving and switching to using the bow as a weapon without warning." Clint tells Skye.
"Gotcha." Skye tells her Uncle as they get started.
After almost two hours everyone in the Gym starts to pack up what they are using and Coulson and Garrett are laying on the mats looking slightly exhausted while Maria, Natasha and Melinda look amused.
"Couldn't you have gone easy on them?" Clint asks, "They are old men after all." He comments.
"Hey." Coulson and Garrett say, both of them clearly insulted.
"Never." Melinda, Natasha and Maria respond.
"You turn to pack up." Natasha says to Garrett and Coulson as she leaves the gym, Melinda and Maria not far behind her.
"Is it my turn to take these back to the armoury or yours?" Skye asks her Uncle as she closes the case to her bow.
"Mine." Clint answers picking up both the cases, "See you at breakfast." He tells her.
"Yep, see you then." Skye responds and the pair leave the gym and go their separate ways as Coulson helps Garrett up.
Skye is on her way to her bathroom to get cleaned up when she sees Tripp and Bucky.
"James, Tonio." Skye calls out.
"So you're sticking with calling me Tonio." Tripp comment, doing his best to hide the grin that is threatening to appear on his face.
"You said I could." Skye says worried.
"And I meant it, you are basically my cousin after all." Tripp comments, letting the grin show.
"Mean." Skye says with a pout, "How was your run?" Skye asks the pair.
"Good." Tripp answers, "Sam and I kept a good solid pace the whole time." Tripp answers.
"Steve and I over took them four times." Bucky says with a grin.
"That is because you and Steve are show offs." Tripp agues and Skye rolls her eyes
"You know you guys have had this argument every day this week." Skye points out, "I know because I have had to listen to you two." She tells them.
"We know." Bucky and Tripp responds.
"I'll see you at breakfast." Skye tells them, amused by their antics.
"See you then." They both respond and the trio each head to their respective bathrooms.
An hour after morning workout's stoped everyone is arriving in the dining room for breakfast, which is technically around the time that normal people would considering brunch, as it has become tradition that everyone has breakfast and dinner together.
"So what's the plan for today?" Sam asks.
"The usual would be my guess." Steve comments looking at the others who nod.
"Sir, reception is calling." Jarvis informs Tony.
"This is never good this time of the day." Tony comments walking over to the phone, "Hello. Yes. Who for? Someone will be down to collect them shortly." Tony says hanging up the phone, "Great." Tony says sarcastically.
"What's wrong?" Bruce asks.
"There is a Federal Marshal downstairs with Subpoena's for Congress." Tony reveals looking less than thrilled.
"Who for?" Pepper asks.
"You, Me, Phil, Maria, Melinda, Natasha, Clint, Steve, Sam, and Garrett." Tony explains.
"Specific list." Sam comments surprised.
"Considering everything I would have expected you to be on that list." Tripp comments looking at Skye as he isn't very surprised that he isn't because he wasn't a high ranking S.H.I.E.L.D agent but everything about Skye was realised in the open, which means they would likely want their hands on her.
"They don't know that I am back in the country." Skye reveals, "As far as most organizations are concerned I left the States after the Triskelion and never came back." Skye reveals.
"We need to collect them." Tony explains and the others nod and leave the room leaving just Skye, Tripp, Bruce, Bucky, Fitz and Simmons.
"I'm guessing they don't know about me either?" Bucky asks as after everything he has done it would be a safe bet to say that they have questions for him.
"Nope." Skye answers.
"That is very interesting group they want." Bruce comments with a frown.
"I get everyone else, but why Sam?" Fitz asks curious, "He wasn't apart of S.H.I.E.L.D or had any connection to it."
"But he was at the Triskelion." Skye points out, "My best guess is that this is more to do with what happened that day and what came after more than anything else." Skye explains.
"Great." Tripp comments sarcastically.
"I'll call the lawyers." Pepper's voice says as everyone walks back into sight Pepper collecting the papers off everyone as she does.
"How bad is it?" Skye asks.
"They want us all to appear in front of Congress tomorrow morning to talk about S.H.I.E.L.D, the fall of the Triskelion, our parts in it, and our actions since." Maria explains.
"What I want to know is how did they get all of our names, because you didn't mention us all when you talked to them right after did you?" Tony asks Natasha.
"No." Natasha answers, "I only mentioned those of us who were at the Triskelion not those of us at the Hub." She explains, "They must have put the rest together from the people they know we have been working with in the last couple of months." She explains.
"What do we do?" Garrett asks.
"We wait until Pepper is off the phone with the Lawyer then we go from there." Coulson says.
"Eat, this call will take a while." Tony tells everyone and everyone begins to eat breakfast though as they do there is a clear tension in the air.
After ten minutes it becomes clear that no one is eating anymore but it is also clear that no one is moving. Everyone is sitting in silence waiting for Pepper to come back with an explanation.
"Sir Cornel Rhodes in on the phone." Jarvis informs Tony.
"Thanks Jarvis." Tony says walking over to the phone to speak to his friend.
For several minutes every one hears Tony talking to Rhodey on the phone,
"Rhodey was calling to warn us, they are calling him in to. They want to know what his part was in all of this." Tony informs everyone.
"He doesn't have a part in this." Coulson comments, "We kept him out of this so his career wouldn't be damaged." Coulson points out.
"He called us idiots for that." Tony reveals, "But he's going to be their too."
"And we have to be." Pepper says walking in, "According to the Lawyers, who will meet us in DC later today to go over a plan, we have to."
"Don't we just tell the truth?" Steve asks, "We did nothing wrong, we tried to fix what was wrong." He says.
"Congress doesn't care about whether you did the right thing or not." Maria informs him, "They just want someone or people to blame and right now we are who they can." Maria explains, "We will tell the truth but we should also listen to the Lawyers advice, they know what they are talking about." Maria explains to Steve.
"But just because you listen to what the Lawyer said doesn't mean you actually have to do it." Tony says and for the first time since they go the Subpoena's smiles can be seen throughout the room.
"So I guess now we work out who goes." Melinda says.
"Well everyone who got a subpoena has to." Pepper says.
"I should stay here." Skye comments and everyone turns to look at her, "No one knows that I am back in the country, for now at least I think we should keep that a secret." Skye explains.
"I've got to agree with that." Maria comments, "With what you can do it would be best for you to stay out of Congress's hands until we figure out what their plan is." She explains.
"Bucky should stay too." Steve says, "They didn't ask for him and I won't have them punishing him for things I couldn't control." Steve announces.
"Steve." Bucky says.
"Don't argue." Steve tells his friend.
"Tripp, Fitz, Simmons, Bruce, what do you want to do?" Coulson asks.
Fitz and Simmons exchange a look not sure what the right choice should be, "I think we'll stay." Simmons says and Fitz nods.
"Antoine?" Maria asks her boyfriend.
"I'm not fussed either way." Tripp answers, "Where do you want me?" he asks.
"Here." Coulson answers after some thinking, "I think it would be best if you stayed here." He comments.
"Yes Sir." Tripp answers.
"I'll come, as support." Bruce offers and Tony, Pepper and Steve all get small smiles on their faces because they know that going to DC being around that many people of authority is something that Bruce hates but he's going to do it anyway to support them.
"So I guess I'll call the airport and get the plane gassed." Tony comment, "Though it still might not be easy for us to actually get permission to land." He mutters.
"I don't think that is a good idea." Natasha says and everyone looks at her, "Just think about it, all of us on one plane, our destination known, makes for a pretty good target." She comments.
"Driving it is." Tony comments, "Good thing I have a car that seats eleven." He comments, "Garage in half an hour, I guess." He says and everyone nods and gets up.
"Can we talk?" Skye asks her Uncle Clint quietly.
"Sure." Clint responds and while everyone else makes their way out of the room Skye and Clint make their way over to one corner.
"What's up?" Clint asks.
"I think I could possibly, maybe, be ready to tell Mom and Dad." Skye admits, knowing that she won't have to say what she might be ready to tell them because Clint will already know.
"If you are ready then, then that's great." Clint tells her, "But don't force yourself." He tells her.
"I'm going to wait until after you get back from DC, see if I still think it's a good idea to tell them." Skye explains.
"Sounds good." Clint tells her, "Are you going to be okay while we are gone?" Clint asks
"Yeah, I'll be fine, I have James, Tonio, Jem, and Fitzy to keep me company, I'll be fine." Skye answers, "Plus I think it's the perfect opportunity to practice our other theory." Skye explain to her Uncle.
"Are you sure?" Clint asks a hint of concern clear.
"Yeah, I am." Skye assures her Uncle, "Now you should go get ready, and remember you're going to be facing Congress, wear a suit." Skye tells her Uncle.
"Do I have to?" Clint asks sounding like a child.
"Yep." Skye says with a grin, "I'll see you down in the garage." She says after giving her Uncle a hug.
Forty five minutes after everyone was up in the living room everyone is down in the garage and the bags of everyone who are coming is packed into what looks like a very large SVU.
"How are we all going to fit in that?" Clint asks.
"There are two seats at the front, three rows of two seats and one row of three seats." Tony explains, "But each of the three rows of two seats can have an extra seat added." Tony explains, "Surprisingly not the biggest car I own." He reveals.
"Who's driving?" Melinda asks.
"Me." Tony answers.
"Be careful." Coulson tells Skye, Bucky, Tripp, Fitz and Simmons though it's clear that he is looking right at his daughter.
"Us? You are the one heading into the lions den." Skye tells her father, "But if it makes you worry less I will." Skye tells her father as she hugs him.
"Good luck." Tripp tells everyone.
"I'm going to see Sharon later tonight is there anything you would like me to tell her?" Melinda asks her nephew.
"Yeah that she needs to stop giving Skye ideas on ways to annoy me." Tripp comments.
"You started it." Skye defends.
"I didn't think you would go to Sharon for help." Tripp argues.
"You gave me the idea." Skye points out.
"Is there anything else?" Melinda asks, speaking over the bickering pair.
"Nah, Aunt Melinda, I'm cool." Tripp says saying the name he has been trying to get the courage to say again for weeks.
"Good." Melinda says her smile being the only reaction to what Tripp said, "See you both in a few days." Melinda tells her nephew and daughter.
"Bye." Skye says giving her mother a hug.
"I love you May." Melinda tells her daughter.
"I love you too Mom." Skye responds and when she breaks apart from her mother she literally gives Tripp the push he needs to embrace his aunt.
"Say hi to Grams for me." Tripp says quietly to his Aunt as he hugs her.
"I will." Melinda assure her nephew, "Watch out for May for me." Melinda requests.
"Of course." Tripp responds and the pair part.
"And look after yourself." Melinda tells him.
"All in." Tony says ten minutes later when everyone finishes saying their goodbyes to each other.
Maria, Garrett and Sam, once Maria finishes kissing Tripp goodbye are the first to get in and they climb all the way back to the back three seats. Next is Natasha and Clint, then Coulson and Melinda then Bruce and Pepper and finally Steve and Tony who are in the front.
"See you in a couple of days." Coulson says as they drive off.
"Guess it's just the five of us." Simmons comments.
"Guess it is." Skye responds, "I'm going to go use the treadmill, I'll see you guys later." Skye tells them as one thing she has learnt lately is that she doesn't have a really high level of stamina so Natasha recommended adding a cardio workout's in a few times a week.
"You know you could run outside." Tripp tells her.
"I could, but I choose not to." Skye tells her cousin.
"We'll be in the lab." Fitz and Simmons respond and they leave the room.
"So are you ready for that sparing session?" Tripp asks Bucky.
"I'm still not sure that it is a good idea." Bucky says as he really doesn't want to hurt Tripp.
"Look, I'm not worried about you hurting me because I trust you, and this could be good for both of us." Tripp tells his friend, "It will help you to learn to control your strength more and it will help me lean to fight against someone a lot stronger than me." Tripp tells Bucky.
Hearing Tripp say that he trusts him when he has so many reasons not to means a lot to Bucky, "Okay." Bucky says still worried about hurting Tripp but wanting to try it.
"Good." Tripp responds and the pair head up to the gym.
"So Tripp is calling you Aunt again." Coulson says to Melinda.
"Yeah he is." Melinda says grateful for the fact because she has missed it.
"Why did he stop?" Coulson asks curious as before they were divorced he remembers the little boy who loved his Aunt Melinda, and he is aware that Melinda continued to spend time the Carter and Triplett family after they divorced so he has been wondering why Tripp no longer calls her Aunt and why every time they have interacted in recent times it has been professional, almost cold between them.
"Because he wanted things to be professional at work." Melinda explains, "He didn't want to be treated differently."
"That makes sense." Coulson admits, "It hurts you that he and Sharon were on mission when we had the wedding, doesn't it?" Coulson asks.
"Yeah it does." Melinda admits, and it hurts that Tripp's mother couldn't make it, she thinks to herself "But I understood." She admits.
Coulson doesn't say anymore he just reaches over and grabs his wife's hand.
For about half an hour Skye uses the treadmill then she goes and gets cleaned up and for a few hours she has been sitting in the main living room finishing what Tripp caught her doing a week earlier. There are two reasons why what she is working on has taken so long the first is because she hasn't been working on it as much as she would like and the second is that because she wanted to make it full proof and make sure that she didn't overlook anything.
"And done." Skye says as she finishes putting the last of the code in, "But I think I should wait to use it." Skye mutters as doing what she is planning to do wouldn't be the best idea when almost everyone she cares about are currently facing congress.
"That would be a good idea Miss Coulson." Jarvis informs her.
"Jarvis, you know what I am doing?" Skye asks surprised.
"Of course." Jarvis answers, "I can upload your maze to the network but keep it hidden until it is needed if you would like." Jarvis offers.
"That would be great." Skye says, "I'll add the encryption to keep it hidden until it is needed." Skye comments and that's what she works on for another ten minutes.
"The maze is uploaded." Jarvis informs Skye.
"Thank you Jarvis." Skye says as she closes her computer, "Okay, let's see if I can do this." Skye says walking over and sitting cross legged on the coffee table as she want's space just in case what she is planning doesn't go to plan.
"Okay, let's start with focusing on how to fire an arrow." Skye says to herself and she closes her eyes and runs over and over in her head how to fire an arrow.
"What are you doing?" Tripp's voice asks and Skye opens her eyes to see Tripp and Bucky standing not too far back from the table, both of them having looks of confusion on their faces.
"Damn it." Skye says annoyed.
"Why are you on the table?" Bucky asks curious.
"And seriously, what are you doing?" Tripp asks.
"I'm going to test a theory that Uncle Clint and I have about my knowing power. I'm going to focus on the specifics of learning a skill and at the same time I am going to focus on whether there are any threats and the reason why I need to know." Skye explains, "I am hoping that it will enable me to get the information in smaller pieces so that I have more time to deal with it, enable me to control the flow of information more." Skye explains.
"And if it doesn't?" Bucky asks.
"Then I'm about to get a lot of information at once." Skye reveals, "Guys you can stay if you want, just sit down and be quite." Skye requests and Bucky and Tripp exchange a look and sit down both of them knowing that if this doesn't go the way Skye is hoping it to then she is likely to need help.
Once she sees Tripp and Bucky sit down Skye closes her eyes and for over fifteen minutes all three of them are silent as Skye does what she explained to Tripp and Bucky and Tripp and Bucky watch her.
As they are watching her Bucky and Tripp slowly notice a look of horror appear on Skye's face.
"Skye's what is it?" Bucky asks worried as he and Tripp stand up and walk over to the table.
"Skye talk to us." Tripp says worried as Skye opens her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Bucky asks concerned.
"Damn you Grace Peirce." Skye says sounding more furious than either Tripp or Bucky have ever heard her.
"Skye, talk to us, what is going on?" Bucky asks, but just by the fact that Skye mentioned Grace Peirce he knows that it something serious.
"Unless we can stop it, in two and a half hours thousands of people are going to be killed and injured." Skye reveals.
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