Chapter 22
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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 the support you give me for these stories, it means more than I can put into words.
It has been three days since Skye feel asleep between her parents and in those three days she has become very annoyed with the fact that she can't walk and frustrated by trying to figure out who to name the New Director of SHIELD.
Due to the fact that all day she seems to be snapping at everyone Skye has shut herself in one of the empty office like rooms and is trying to figure out.
"AGH, THIS IS USELESS." Skye yells and because she has to do something she starts to throw the papers she is working on and everything she is using.
"Skye." A voice says from just outside the room.
"Tonio?" Skye asks.
"And James." Bucky's voice says, "Can we come in our will you throw things at us?" He asks curious.
"We have cookies." Tripp adds.
"Come in." Skye says and Tripp and Bucky walk in and like they said Tripp is holding a plate of cookies, "Are they тетя Наташа cookies?" Skye asks excited.
"They are." Bucky says putting the plate down in front of her, "We suck these away, thought you could use them." Bucky explains as he sits down on one of the empty seats and Tripp sits on the other.
"I could, thank you." Skye comments grabbing one of the cookies.
"I'm guessing that the decision for picking the new director isn't going well." Tripp comments.
"Nope." Skye says with a sigh, "It's a tough choice I trust everyone here and they each have good reasons about why I should pick them for director but they will also make very different directors, which means whoever I pick I picking what the New SHIELD will be, which makes it so hard because I don't think there is one person who could do that." Skye explains.
"Maybe that's the key then." Bucky comments.
"What do you mean?" Skye asks.
"Don't pick one director, pick two or three have a committee where all decisions have to be unanimous pick people who have very different views, values and experiences so that you cover all your bases, to limit mistakes." Bucky explains.
"Could I do that?" Skye asks looking confused.
"It's your choice, I don't see why not." Tripp tells her, "It would actually make a lot of sense, no one person is in charge of everything." He points out.
"Do you think everyone else would be okay with that?" Skye asks curious.
"I can't think of a reason why they wouldn't be." Bucky answers.
"Well we're going to need Stark Industries resources for the foreseeable future so what do you think about a three directors, three deputy directors and a representative from Stark industries to form a committee which would be New SHIELD's leadership, what do you think?" Skye asks curious.
"I think it would work well, but you're going to have to make sure you have the right balance and people who can work together." Bucky points out.
"I know everyone can work together it's the right combination that is a little more complicated." Skye admits, "I need a break, I need to do something else." Skye says and then she notices the smiles on both Bucky's and Tripp's faces, "What's with the smiles?" Skye asks concerned.
"We were hoping you would say that." Tripp informs her.
"Come with us." Bucky says to her.
"How worried should I be?" Skye asks as she wheels the wheelchair back from the table.
"Not at all." Bucky says as he starts to push the chair for her.
"Why do you assume that you should worry?" Tripp asks curious.
"You don't want the answer to that." Skye informs her cousin.
"Gee, thanks." Tripp says sarcastically knowing what she isn't saying, "Just for that you're putting this on." Tripp says handing Skye a blindfold.
"You know I can just use my power to tell me what's going on right?" Skye asks as she puts on the blindfold.
"Of course." Tripp and James say.
"But you won't." Bucky tells her.
"How do you know?" Skye asks curious.
"Because you want to be surprised." Tripp and Bucky say with grins.
Knowing that they are both right Skye decides that she will not give them the satisfaction of telling them that so instead she stays quite, even though she knows that by not saying anything she is admitting that they are right.
"Okay seriously, where are we going?" Skye asks Tripp and Bucky.
"You'll see." Tripp and Bucky say in unison.
"Why did you put a blindfold on Skye?" Sharon's voice asks.
"Because I was mean to Tonio." Skye answers.
"Hey." Tripp says.
"It's true." Skye says.
"Get over it Tonio." Sharon tells her cousin as she helps Skye remove the blindfold.
"There's now two of you now, god help us." Tripp says as Skye looks around and sees that as well as Sharon being present, Fitz and Simmons are too and they are in the movie room.
"Stop being dramatic." Sharon tells her cousin with a roll of her eyes as Skye notices what's on the table.
"Is that serious all of my favourite foods?" Skye asks surprised.
"Yep and Fitz and I have created a play list of all of your favourite episodes of all of your favourite shows." Simmons informs Skye.
"You need a break, you need to relax, this is a way to do It and we all promise, no food fight." Fitz tells Skye.
"Thank you, thank you all so much." Skye tells her friends.
"You should thank Bucky it was his idea." Simmons reveals, talking quickly which makes Skye realise that she wasn't meant to say that.
"It was?" Skye asks looking at Bucky.
"I just came up with the idea that we needed to help you relax." Bucky reveals, "Jemma and Leo came up with the TV show idea, and Sharon and Tripp came up with the food one." Bucky explains, "It was all of us."
"Thank you." Skye tells Bucky.
"You're welcome, you deserve a break." Bucky tells her, and for about a minute they stare at each other until they hear a cough come from Tripp, breaking their eye contact, "So um, do you need a hand to get out of the wheelchair or will you be alright to do it yourself?" Bucky asks.
"No, I'm fine." Skye says as she moves out of the wheelchair and onto the couch, "So what are we starting with?" Skye asks curious as Bucky sits down next to her, Tripp next to him, Sharon next to him, Simmons next to her and Fitz on the end next to Simmons.
"Friends." Simmons answers, "Most of your favourite episodes are really sad so we decided to start with something funny." She explains.
"Please say you're playing the pilot first so that James can get some idea of what's going on." Skye requests.
"Well Jemma and I were considering and have everything organized for a just Friends marathon if you would prefer that." Fitz tells Skye.
"Yes." Skye answers, "You need to see this James it's one of the best shows ever, me and the other kids at St Angus would always find a way to watch it, no matter what we would find a way, we loved it, we didn't understand everything but we love it." Skye explains.
"Sounds good to me if everyone else is okay with it." Bucky comments.
"I'm always up for a friends re watch." Sharon comments.
"Same." Tripp adds.
"Jem? Fitzy?" Skye ask.
"Fine with us." Jemma and Fitz say together.
"James, prepare to watch television history in the making." Skye tells Bucky who just smiles, "Pass the popcorn Sharon." Skye requests as she moves slightly so that her legs are on the couch and she's leaning of Bucky.
For the next two hours the six friends watch Friends, and even though Skye, Tripp, Fitz, Simmons and Sharon have all seen the episodes more than a few times they are all doing their best not to spoil it for Bucky.
"He's not going to tell her is he?" Bucky asks as Rachel and Ross walk out onto the balcony during a blackout.
"Of course not." Tripp answers, "This is TV and it's only ep seven, they can't be happy yet, there needs more drama." Tripp tells him.
"Cut jumping on his head really?" Bucky asks about a minute later.
"It was the nineties." Sharon tells him.
"I don't know what that means." Bucky tells her.
"No one does, you just say it." Skye tells him, "Your arm's cold to lean against by the way." Skye informs Bucky, looking up at him, wanting to make it sound as causal as possible so that she doesn't upset or insult him.
"Sorry." Bucky says and before he has a chance to think about what he is doing he moves his arm and puts it around her, "Better?" He asks
"Much." Skye responds with a smile and she leans into Bucky's side more.
"Don't." Sharon says to her cousin in a quiet but stern voice as she recognizes the look he has on his face.
"But." Tripp begins to object.
"Don't." Sharon repeats.
"Fine, pass me the travel mix." Tripp requests and Sharon hands it over.
The group manage to once four more episodes when the door opens and Steve walks in,
"Dinners…." He starts to say but when he notices that Bucky has his arm around Skye and that they are even closer than they were earlier, not that he knows that, he stops.
"Dinners what? Uncle Steve?" Skye asks.
"Ready, dinners ready." Steve says and from the look on his face Bucky knows he has a conversation with Steve in his future about what is going on with him and Skye but the thing is that he doesn't even know how to answer the questions that he knows he is going to be asked.
"We'll be right up." Sharon informs him.
"Right." Steve says and he turns and leaves the room as Skye sits up so that she is no longer almost laying on Bucky.
"Can you wheel me over the chair?" Skye asks Bucky.
"Sure." Bucky says getting up and wheeling the wheelchair over to Skye.
"Breaks." Skye says and Bucky points them on then making it look a lot easier than it actually is Skye transfers herself from the couch to the chair.
"It can't be that easy." Tripp tells her.
"It's really not." Skye responds and the six head upstairs.
Fifteen minutes later everyone is in the dining room enjoying the meal that Coulson cooked.
"What time is the movie?" Tripp asks Maria.
"We've got an hour." Maria responds.
"What movie are you going to see?" Clint asks curious.
"The new end of the world, dystopian, action movie." Maria answers.
"Don't you get enough of that in our real lives?" Natasha asks curious.
"We like to mock it." Tripp answers.
"Skye, I'm going shopping tomorrow to get you a suit for Congress do you have a colour preference?" Pepper asks curious.
"Nope, I still not happy that I have to where one in the first place." Skye comments, "You know more about these things than I do Aunt Pepper, you pick." Skye tells her.
"I'll do my best to get you something that's not horrible." Pepper tells her.
"I would appreciate that." Skye says, "There is also something about next week that I have to talk to you about." Skye tells everyone, "And you're not going to be too happy about it." She adds looking at her parents.
"What is it?" Coulson asks.
"I can't show up to Congress with two casts on my legs. I can't show them that kind of weakness, if I do I would be screwed even before I start to speak." Skye explains to everyone.
"You want to get the casts cut off before you go and short circuit your pain receptors, don't you?" Bruce comments seeing where Skye is going.
"I think I have to." Skye comments with a nod.
"You realise that you will be injuring your legs a lot more by doing that." Melinda tells her daughter with a frown.
"Not so much, just slightly." Skye comments.
"You'll definitely been adding a few more days to being in a cast." Bruce informs her, "And even by short circuiting your pain receptions you're going to find it difficult to stand for a while, your bones are still weak after all." Bruce tells her, "I don't think this is a good idea Skye." He admits.
"It doesn't matter if it's a good idea, it's what I have to do." Skye tells him.
"You're going to do it again, aren't you?" Bucky asks her, "What you did when you were on video conference with Congress." He realises, noticing the look on her face.
"If I have to." Skye says to him.
"What are you talking about?" Coulson asks, "What did you do?" He asks worried.
"I kind of, I don't even know how to describe it." Skye admits, "But basically, I guess I would internally electrocute myself with my power quite often so that I could remain standing." Skye explains, "I didn't hurt myself." Skye quickly adds when she notices the worried looks the others got on their faces, "It was just the only way I could think of to stay standing." Skye tells everyone
"Because you wouldn't sit down like I suggested." Bucky points out.
"I told you why I wouldn't." Skye says back to Bucky.
"I know, I'm still impressed with what you did." Bucky responds.
"The speech or standing?" Skye asks curious as everyone looks between the two and wonders the same thing that they have been wondering for weeks, what is going on?
"Both." Bucky answers.
"It's what I do." Skye says back.
"So Kid." Clint says drawing attention away from Skye and Bucky, "You still sticking with this whole facing Congress alone, thing?" Clint asks curious.
"I have to, they won't let any of you be in the room anyway, so I've got to do this alone." Skye tells everyone.
"Even though I don't like this I agree." Coulson tells his daughter, "But you need someone to drive you there." He adds.
"I've got to go back to DC at some point in the next few days to collect some of my stuff, I can drive you if you want." Sharon offers, "And I have things to do while you deal with congress." Sharon tells her.
"That would be great, thanks." Skye tells her, "But doesn't the CIA want you back?" Skye asks curious.
"I no longer work for the CIA." Sharon says to the surprise of the majority of the group through some of them know, "It turns out they had no problem hiring a former SHIELD agent but one who get called inform of Congress gets let go within the hour." Sharon explains.
"I'm sorry." Skye tells her.
"It's okay." Sharon answers, "I've just got to figure out my next move." Sharon reveals.
"Well you're welcome to stay here for however long that takes." Tony tells her.
"Thanks Tony." Sharon responds sincerely, "I was thinking, if you would have me, that helping to re build SHIELD, making it what Aunt Peggy and Mr Stark wanted it to be in the first place is exactly what I want to do." Sharon says a slight nervousness to her voice that both Tripp and Melinda haven't heard since she was a child.
"Of course we want you." Maria says answering for everyone, but judging by the smiles on everyone else's faces they aren't going to object.
"Thanks." Sharon says with a smile.
"Told you so." Tripp tells his cousin.
"Shut up Tonio." Sharon tells her Cousin.
Several hours later Maria and Tripp are still out having their date night and everyone else is spread around the tower. Bucky, Skye, Sharon, Fitz and Simmons debated continuing their Friends marathon but they decided that they would be nice and wait for Tripp before continuing so they played some video games instead before going to do different things. Once he left the others Bucky headed to the gym, which is where he is when Steve finds him beating up a punching bag.
"You know you're going to end up breaking that." Steve tells his brother.
"Well I've got to try and get up to your record don't I?" Bucky asks.
"How do you know about that?" Steve asks as Bucky catches and steadies the punching bag.
"Tony mentioned it when I went to apologise for destroying one." Bucky explains.
"Right." Steve responds,
"You want to talk about me and Skye, don't you?" Bucky asks.
"Ah, so there is a, you and Skye." Steve says.
"I don't know." Bucky answers honestly, "I like her, I like her a lot, and I think she likes me, but I don't know." Bucky admits, "I don't know how to date now, I don't know what's accepted and what's not. You've got to help me." Bucky says to his friend, saying something that he never thought he would say.
"Me?" Steve asks surprised, almost as surprised at being ask as Bucky was asking.
"Please Steve you're the only one who gets how different it is and you're in a good relationship and you're happy and you, Pepper, Tony and Bruce are so in love, I see that. I really don't want to screw this up." Bucky reveals, "You've got to help me Pal."
"You're really serious about this." Steve says to his friend as he has never seen his friend seem so worried about the possibility of a relationship, "Okay, I'll help you." Steve tells his friend, "The first thing you've got to know is that as soon as everyone knows that you two are together you will get a talk from everyone in this tower about not hurting her." Steve reveals, "You will be watched closely especially by Phil and Clint." He explains.
"Should I talk to Coulson first?" Bucky asks, "Tell him that I want to date his daughter, ask permission?" Bucky ass.
"No, no, no, no, no." Steve says quickly, "Don't do that, just no." Steve tells his friend, "That might have been acceptable back where we come from but not now, just no." Steve tells his friend.
"Got it." Bucky responds, "So what do I do?"
"Talk to Skye." Steve tells his friend, "Find out if you are on the same page, and if you are suggest going out." Steve explains.
"What like dancing?" Bucky asks.
"Considering Skye is in two casts I would say no on the dancing." Steve tells his friend, "Go to a movie and dinner, or something that you think you would like to do together." Steve suggests.
"Right, I can do that." Bucky responds, "What do I do if she doesn't feel the same?" Bucky asks
"You accept it, and you and I will go have a brother's night out to cheer you up, but I don't think you have to worry about that, you seemed quite cosy earlier." Steve points out.
"That was nice." Bucky admits with a smile, "Who would have thought, you have a girlfriend and two boyfriends and I need your help to ask someone out, how times change." Bucky comments.
"Yeah they have." Steve says rolling his eyes at his friend.
"Do you have time for some training or have you got other plans?" Bucky asks his friend curious.
"I've got some time." Steve says and the pair head over to the sparing mats.
"Steve can you not mention this to anyone, not even Tony, Pepper and Bruce?" Bucky asks his friend.
"Of course I won't." Steve tells his friend.
"Good, thanks." Bucky tells Steve and the pair begin their sparing match.
Unaware of the conversation that is occurring between Steve and Bucky Skye is in her room, sitting on her bed creating her whole idea of the new structure of SHIELD. Thanks to Bucky's suggestion of having more than one Director Skye is now finishing the task much easier. She is staring at her plan for the new SHIELD chain of command when there is a knock on her door.
"Come in." Skye says as she saves the folder, closes her laptop screen down and Clint walks in, "Hey."
"Hey." Clint responds sitting down on the edge of Skye's bed, "So how's the director search going?" Clint asks curious.
"Horrible, but better than it was." Skye admits.
"That sucks." Clint says to her.
"Tell me about it. You know you could have been on my side, not made me do this." Skye tells her Uncle.
"I know, but you are the best person to pick, you're more qualified than anyone else." Clint tells his niece.
"No, I'm not." Skye responds.
"Yeah, you are." Clint tells her, "And the reason that you don't want to be the one who choses is why you should do it."
"If you say so." Skye responds still dis believing.
"Sooo, what's going on with you and Bucky?" Clint asks curious.
"Am I talking to my best friend or Uncle?" Skye asks curious.
"Both." Clint answers, "But I'll try to be more best friend like." He responds.
"I like him." Skye says moving her computer to the bedside table, "And that's the problem." She admits.
"Yeah, you're going to have to explain that one to me Kid." Clint requests.
"Just look at my track record, Ward, Miles, Lard, plus a several flings. I have a horrible track record and dating me is just a guaranty that you are going to get hurt or worse, and I don't want to do that to James, I care about him too much." Skye admits.
"And you're worried that you will get hurt too." Clint says realising what his niece isn't saying.
"Can you blame me?" Skye asks her Uncle.
"No." Clint answers, "But Kid, you seem more relaxed with Bucky than I've seen you with anyone other than those you see as family, and that includes Ward." Clint admits, and Skye has to admit that he has a point there because with Ward there was always a background oddness because he had been in a relationship with her mother, though she tried her best not to let it affect anything "I get you are scared and there is nothing I can say to relive that fear, but you shouldn't let that stop you from doing what you really want." Clint tells his niece.
"How do you know that being with James is what I want?" Skye asks her Uncle.
"Because I know you, I see it on your face, in your actions." He reveals.
"I'm scared." Skye tells him in a quiet voice.
"I know." Clint tells her, "Talk to James, tell him that. You might be able to read his mind if you wanted to, but he can't read yours. He doesn't know what you are thinking." Clint tells her.
"I need to figure out what I'm thinking first." Skye reveals, "But before that I need to deal with Congress." She tells her Uncle.
"Probably a good choice there." Clint comments, "I'll let you get back to your planning." Clint says standing up, "Good Luck Kid." He says as he walks to the door.
"With James or with Congress?" Skye asks curious.
"Both." Clint answers as he exits the room.
Once Clint leaves Skye doesn't pull out her laptop again right away instead she thinks about everything that Clint said, "No, deal with Congress first, then figure out everything else." Skye says to herself as she grabs her laptop and once more starts to work.
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