Chapter 29
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AN2: Thank you for the support you give me, it means so so much. Because I am behind in writing this chapter is un Beta'd
At the academy everyone with the exception of Steve who, has been told by Bruce in no uncertain terms that he is to rest, are working with the FBI using the intel that they have received from Skye and from what they have seen to decide which of the people are going to the Hospital then the FBI for debriefing, who's going straight to the FBI who are going to the FBI then hospital, and who are going to a secure facility because they are too much of escape risk.
"Sir, all the windows in the War Room at the Tower has been broken." Jarvis informs Tony who is currently on duty with Steve watched as they discovered that unless there is someone making sure Steve rests then he won't sit down.
"Call Pepper, call Pepper now." Tony instructs.
"Tony, what is it? What's happened?" Steve asks worried.
"I'm not sure." Tony answers as the phone rings.
"Tony?" Pepper's voice asks.
"Pepper what happened?" Tony asks concerned, "Are you, Skye and Fitz okay?"
"None of us are hurt Tony, don't worry." Pepper tells him.
"What happened?" Tony asks, "Jarvis said all the widows in the War Room broke."
"That's my fault Uncle Tony." Skye's voice says.
"Skye? What's going on?" Tony asks confused as Steve just looks at him even more confused as he is only hearing half the conversation.
"Grace Pierce called me and said something, I lost control for a second, broke the windows with my power, sorry." Skye tells her Uncle.
"What did she say?" Tony asks, "And are you okay?"
"I'm okay." Skye assures, though she's not even sure if she is lying, "Basically Grace declared war and told me that any death or pain is on me, and I lost it for a second." Skye explains
"You know that that isn't true right?" Tony asks.
"Yeah." Skye lies, "She was bluffing anyway, after what happened today she isn't in any state to start a war. I was just an idiot for letting her get to me." Skye explains to her Uncles, "Sorry about the windows." She tells him.
"I don't care about the windows, I care about you. Are you okay? And don't lie to me." Tony tells her.
"I could be better, but I'm not going to lose it again." Skye tells her Uncle, "Like I said I was an idiot for letting Grace get to me." Skye tells her Uncle.
"If you're sure." Tony says though it's clear that he doesn't completely believe her, "Pepper knows the number for the window repair guy so don't worry about that." Tony tells her.
"Aunt Pepper wants to talk to you again, Bye Uncle Tony." Skye says handing the phone to Pepper.
"Is she really okay?" Tony asks Pepper.
"I'll get back to you on that." Pepper tells him, "How's Steve."
"Okay, he's stubborn though, will only sit down when someone's watching him." Tony tells Pepper.
"Are you talking about me?" Steve asks.
"Of course." Tony responds, "Yep I'll tell him, call the guy get the window's fixed. Love you, talk to you later." Tony says before hanging up, "Pepper said that you're to rest or she will fly out here and make you." Tony tells Steve.
"I am resting." Steve objects, "what's happened with Skye?' Steve asks and with a sigh Tony explains what happened.
It isn't until late the following afternoon that everyone returns with to the Tower. They secured the academy and ensured that everyone who wasn't Hydra wasn't held by the FBI, and that those who only joined due to fear get help and that those who are loyal to Hydra aren't forgotten about and that they are offered the chance to change if they show that they truly want to.
When everyone arrives back in the garage the first thing that they notice is that it's only Pepper and Fitz waiting,
"Where's Skye?" Melinda asks as Fitz hugs Simmons and Pepper checks for herself that Steve is okay before hugging him.
"She in one of the unused labs." Fitz reveals, "She locked herself in and won't open the door because she is terrified of hurting one of us." He explains as he and Pepper have tried for several hours to get Skye to open the door and they haven't explains.
"We've tried to get her to open the door but she won't." Pepper explains, "As far as we can tell she's not hurt, she's just petrified of hurting one of us." Pepper explains and Coulson and Melinda exchange worried looks.
"Do you mind if I try talking to her?" Bucky asks Coulson and Melinda, "I know it's likely that Skye won't even open the door to me but I would like to try." Bucky tells Coulson and Melinda.
Coulson and Melinda once more exchange a look and manage to once more have a whole conversation without words,
"I think that would be a good idea." Natasha says, causing both Coulson and Melinda to look at her, when they do Natasha gives them a look which just says 'trust me', the reason why she suggested that Bucky talks to Skye isn't because she knows that they started a relationship but because Natasha knows how much Bucky worries about hurting them and at the moment Skye needs someone who understands.
After exchanging one more look and agreeing that they will talk to Natasha Coulson and Melinda nod and Bucky leaves the room.
"What was that about?" Coulson asks Natasha once Bucky is no longer in hearing range.
"Skye's worried about hurting us, what she needs isn't just a friend but someone who understands that, who feels the same, Bucky's that person." Natasha explains.
"She's right." Bruce says, "When you're worried that you are going to hurt the people you care about because of something that you can't control it helps to talk to someone who knows what it is like." He says.
Because there is only one empty lab space in the private area of the tower Bucky knows exactly where to find Skye. When he reaches the door her knocks and waits.
"Go away." Skye says after a few seconds.
"Skye, it's James."
"Go James, I don't want to hurt you." Skye tells him.
"You won't." Bucky tells her.
"You don't know that, I lost control, and I don't know how to make sure it doesn't happen again." Skye tells him, "Everyone should just stay away from me, then they'll be safe." Skye tells him.
"For weeks I've been terrified of the same thing." Bucky tells Skye, "I've been worried that I would hurt one of you, that what you did to help me would un do and I would become that person again or that I would just hurt one of you because it's who I am, and I've shut myself away, but I've realised that I can't live like that, and neither can you." Bucky tells Skye, "I get that you're scared of hurting us, I understand that perfectly, but Skye you don't want to hurt us, you never would, that means something." Bucky tells Skye, "I don't know why you lost control but I promise you that I will do everything I can to help you, just like you helped me, if there is a way to make sure that it doesn't happen again then I know we'll find it." Bucky tells Skye, "Open the door Skye, let me in, let me help you." Bucky requests and for a couple of minutes there is only silence, "Skye?" Bucky asks concerned when he doesn't hear anything after a couple of minutes, but to his surprise a few seconds after he said her name the door opens revealing Skye in the wheelchair.
"That's really not fair." Skye tells him, "If you keep coming out with speeches like that I'm never going to win an argument." She tells him.
"I'm just trying to get as good as you." Bucky tells her, "I meant what I said Skye, I will do whatever I can to help you." He tells her.
"I know." Skye says, "And you have no idea how much that means to me." She tells him.
"I've got a hunch." Bucky tells her, "We should find your parents, they're worried." He tells Skye.
"I know, they're up in the spare office." Skye tells Bucky, "We should go, I know that with every minute that passes they get more worried." Skye explain.
"Lead the way." Bucky says.
"Thank you James." Skye says and she starts to wheel towards the elevator, Bucky walking right beside her.
A few minutes after Bucky left the garage Coulson and Melinda headed up to one of the empty office space so that they can talk alone.
"Do you think Bucky is going to be able to get her to come out?" Coulson asks a couple of minutes after they arrive in the room.
"I don't' know." Melinda admits, "But what I do know is that for weeks now my daughter has been in pain and there hasn't been anything I could do to help her, and I hate that." Melinda tells Coulson.
"So do I." Coulson responds, "We're her parents, preventing her from being in pain is our job and we're failing." He says.
"We need to find ways to help her more." Melinda tells her Husband, "Because you're right, we're are meant to protect her from pain and we're failing to do that." Melinda tells Coulson, looking upset because of how much she thinks he is failing her daughter.
Without a word Coulson walks over and hugs his wife as he knows that she is feeling as bad as he is.
For several minutes Melinda and Coulson just stand together holding each other, as a surprise to both of them neither of them hear the door open.
"Mom, Dad?" Skye's voice asks and they break apart to see Skye in her wheelchair at the door with Bucky standing behind her. Without a world both Melinda and Coulson walk over, bend down and hug their daughter.
"Are you okay?" Coulson asks his daughter.
"Not really." Skye admits, "But James made me realise that I can't shut myself away because I'm scared of hurting someone." Skye tells her parents.
"Thank you." Coulson says to James, glad that he was able to help Skye.
"No need Sir." Bucky says, "I care about Skye a lot and I know what it's like to be afraid that you are going to hurt anyone around you, it was the least I could do to offer to help in any way I can and share a few things that I have learnt." Bucky tells Coulson and Melinda.
"Is there something going on between the two of you?" Melinda asks her daughter, looking between the pair, as she as well as everyone else in the tower have noticed how close Skye and Bucky are and has wondered if something was going on.
"We were actually going to talk to both of you about that at some point." Skye reveals to her parents, "James asked me out two days ago and I said yes." Skye reveals
"It was important to me, to both of us, that even though we don't know where this is going to go that we don't keep it a secret from either of you." Bucky explains preparing himself for their reaction.
"I like James a lot, and he likes me, and I really want to give this a real shot." Skye tells her parents, "Say something, please."
"You really want this?" Coulson asks his daughter.
"Yeah, I do." Skye answers, "I'm scared because I don't want either of us to get hurt or to loose James as a friend, but I really want to see where this could go." Skye tells her father who nods and then looks directly at Bucky.
"Skye has been hurt by enough people in her life, if you add yourself to that list then I will make you feel double the amount of pain that she felt, there will be no safe place for you to hide because I will find you." Coulson tells Bucky,
"Dad!" Skye objects, as she was expecting a threat but she wasn't expecting that. Coulson clearly heard what his daughter said but he keeps talking anyway, "I've respected you for a long time but now you're going to have to prove that you deserve that respect, understand?" Coulson asks James.
"Yes Sir." James responds.
"Good, glad we understand each other" Coulson tells him.
"Mom?" Skye asks.
"I am not going to threaten you James, I am just going to request that you do not hurt May and promise you that if you do you will regret it." Melinda says in a perfectly pleasant voice.
"Yes Ma'am." Bucky responds, "I'll let you have some time alone." Bucky tells Coulson, Melinda and Skye.
"Thanks." Skye tells, "See you later?" she asks.
"Of course." Bucky says before leaving the room closing the door behind him as he leaves.
"You didn't have to threaten him like that." Skye tells her father.
"Yes I did, I don't want you to get hurt again Baby Girl." Coulson tells his daughter.
"I get that I do, but that was mean." Skye tells him, "I like James Dad, and I'm so worried that I'm going to hurt him, not the other way around." Skye reveals, "He's a good man, and he wanted to be up front with you guys, he wanted to make sure that what we have doesn't affect anything between you and I. Can you accept this?" Skye asks.
"I do accept this." Coulson tells his daughter, "I may have a small problem with the fact that he fought in world war two." Coulson tells his daughter but before he can say anymore Skye cuts him off.
"Uncle Bruce worked out that due to how long he spent in Cryo he is twenty eight, twenty nine at the oldest which makes him younger than Uncle Steve even though he was born first, that's only a bit over a year, two at the most older than me." Skye point out.
"Technically he's 98." Melinda points out.
"True, but I don't care." Skye tells her parents, "I really want you guys to be okay with this, or as okay as you can be. Can you be okay with this?"
"Yeah we can." Melinda says after exchanging a look with Coulson as they both realise how important it is to Skye that they are okay with it.
"Thank you." Skye tells her parents sincerely.
"Skye, what can we do to help with the pain you are feeling due to your powers?" Coulson asks, changing the subject.
"I don't know." Skye admits, "I'm still trying to figure it out." She admits.
"Let us help you May, please." Melinda requests, "You don't have to figure this out on your own."
"Please Baby Girl, let us help." Coulson tells her.
"I wish you could, but I don't know if anyone can." Skye tells her parents.
"You won't know until you try." Melinda tells her, "Tell us everything and maybe we can figure this out together."
"Okay." Skye says to her mother and she explains everything she knows to her parents.
A couple of hours after Skye started to tell her parents everything Skye wheels out to the main balcony where Bucky is sitting in the spot that has gone from being her spot to theirs in the last few weeks.
"So two threats down, are you still eager for the rest?" Skye asks as she wheels up to him.
"Absolutely." Bucky responds.
"Wow, I'm so not worth you putting yourself through that." Skye tells James.
"Yeah you are." Bucky tells her without hesitation.
"Thanks James." Skye says not sure how else to respond, "So now my parents know and at the moment we don't have a mission, when are you thinking for our date?" Skye asks.
"Well because I know how much you hate having your movement limited I was thinking the night of the day you get your casts off, what do you think?" Bucky asks.
"Two days after today, I like it." Skye tells him, "Of course that doesn't give you much time to plan." Skye tells him.
"I'll work it out." Bucky says though internally he's worried he won't figure out something good enough.
"Good, then it's a date." Skye tells him.
"Yeah, it is." Bucky responds with a smile.
"So are you going to give me any clues to what you are planning?" Skye asks curious but before Bucky can respond they hear the door open,
"Hey Kid, I'm setting up the targets down in the gym if you're interested." Clint's voice says.
"Sure, I'll be right down." Skye says and Clint leaves, "So any hints?" Skye asks
"I don't think so." James answers, "I think a surprise would be a good idea." James tells her.
"You've obviously never had to plan your wardrobe around a surprise." Skye says before wheeling away.
Once Skye leaves Bucky makes sure to wait enough time for Skye to be down in the Gym before he gets up and heads to the living area that he knows Steve is sitting in.
"I need your help." Bucky says to Steve who is sitting on one of the couches, not realising that Pepper, Bruce and Tony are sitting at the table across from the couch, "I need more than 'go to dinner', the last date I went on was the double date with you before I shipped out where we went to the Stark expo and you ditched, I need help Steve." Bucky tells his friend.
"You went on a date to the Stark Expo?" Tony asks, not sure how he feels about that.
"Tony, Pepper, Bruce, I didn't realise you were there." Bucky says embarrassed.
"Yeah I did." Steve tells Tony, "And I'm glad I did, it was where I met Dr Erskine." Steve reveals.
"And it was the last time we were together before everything changed." Bucky realises and Steve nods, and slowly a sombre feeling fills the room.
"So Bucky who are you going on a date with?" Bruce asks curious, though he has a pretty good idea, but he wants to try and get rid of the sombre feeling.
"Skye." Bucky answers, "She said yes." He adds looking at Steve.
"Wow, good luck with Phil and Melinda." Tony tells him.
"We've already talked." Bucky reveals, "Skye and I decided that we didn't want to keep it a secret from them so we talked to them earlier." He explains, "Steve, please I need your help, you know this world better than I do." He tells his friend.
"I would say as long as you don't take her to a science convention you're good." Tony comments.
"Bucky you've never made this must of a fuss before." Steve tells his friend.
"This is different, I don't want to screw this up." Bucky tells him.
"Wow, you are serous." Steve comments, "I don't know much more than you, I don't usually choose our date locations." Steve answers mainly because of how public they all are they have date nights in.
"Jarvis knows every restaurant, ask for his help." Tony suggests.
"Okay, thanks." Bucky responds, "Any hints on narrowing it down?" Bucky asks.
"Go somewhere where you'll both be comfortable." Pepper suggests, "There is no point having it somewhere fancy if neither of you are comfortable." Pepper tells him, "Focus more on something you think you will both enjoy rather than trying to impress her or being fancy, I guaranty that Skye would prefer that."
"Great, thank you so much Pepper." Bucky tells her, "Once I figure out something can I run it pass you? Get your opinion?" he asks Pepper.
"If you would like." Pepper tells him.
"Great, thank you so much." Bucky says revealed, "You're amazing Pepper, thank you. I'm going to go start to figure this out, I've only got two days." He says before leaving.
"Did you two have to act like that?" Pepper asks Steve and Tony.
"Like what?" Tony and Steve ask
"You gave him such a hard time and all he wanted was help." Pepper tells them, "You could have given it to him."
"We did." Tony answers divisively.
"That wasn't help." Pepper tells him.
"You're right, it wasn't." Steve realises, "But I don't know how to help him with this, so thanks Pepper." Steve tells her.
"No need Steve, he seems serious about this, I'm happy to help." Pepper says walking over to Steve and sitting down on the couch.
"He does." Steve comments, "Bucky never had problem with woman but I've never seen him like this." Steve admits, "I'm happy for him." He says reaching out and grabbing Pepper's hand when she sits down.
"Are you in any pain?" Pepper asks causing both Tony and Bruce to look over.
"No, I'm okay." Steve answers as Pepper rests her head on Steve's shoulder and Both Bruce and Tony walk over Bruce sits down next to Pepper and she grabs his hand and Tony sits down next to Steve.
"That's where he saw the car!" Tony says in glee a couple of minutes later confusing the other three.
"What are you talking about?" Bruce asks confused.
"Weeks ago Bucky told me about how he saw my Dad's flying car collapse and it was bugging me that I couldn't figure out where he would have saw it." Tony explains, "But it was there right? At the expo?" He asks Steve.
"Why didn't you just ask?" Pepper asks.
"Because I wanted to figure it out." Tony responds, "So am I right?" he asks Steve.
"Yeah you are." Steve answers.
"Finally." Tony says relieved, "That was really starting to bug me." He comments.
"You're insane." Bruce tells Tony, though it's clear the way that he said it that he is joking.
"Of course I am, it's one of the reasons why the three of you love me." Tony comments.
"True." Bruce admits.
"Unfortunately." Pepper says
"Of course it is." Steve says and because he is closes to Tony he leans over and kisses him on the cheek, "Because while you may be insane you're our insanity." He tells Tony and the four of them drift into a comfortable silence, nothing more needing to be said as they sit together on the couch holding each other's hands.
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