Chapter 42
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.
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 IMPORTANT: I am currently working on the last chapters of this story, which means this story and this series is coming to an end. I truly mean that this time. After a break I will continue to update the Missing Moment story but I need some time away from this series first.
For the week that follows the anniversary of Clint's brother's death things are as normal as they get around the tower and with the exception of him sleeping until midday and a conversation with Natasha Clint doesn't even give the slightest hint that something was wrong.
It is thanksgiving and for many it is the first one they have celebrated in a while and in Skye's case it is the first real thanksgiving that she has celebrated. After the morning workout the group separated into two groups. Coulson, Pepper and Simmons headed to the kitchen to cook and everyone else is in the main living room watching the game.
"Shouldn't we offer to help?" Tripp asks curious.
"Phil won't let any of us in the kitchen." Melinda comments, "The only reason he said yes to Pepper and Simmons helping is because he knows that he can't make the whole diner by himself and he trust their cooking." Melinda explains.
"Take it from someone who has experience, we're better out here watching the game than being in their getting orders barked at us by Phil who gets pissed when you do the smallest thing wrong." John explains.
"Are you sure?" Tripp asks.
"Positive." Melinda, Maria, Clint and Natasha say.
"Hey Kid, are you ready to go?" Clint asks curious.
"Go, where are you going?" Melinda asks confused.
"Thanksgiving is the day where shelters get the most volunteers and donations and are very busy but a lot of hungry people, Kids especially, don't go there because they are afraid of being found." Skye explains, "Uncle Clint and I know a lot of the places where those kids would hide out so we made some care packages and are going to go out and give them away." Skye explains, "But don't worry we'll be back before dinner." She tells her mother.
"That's a really nice thing to do." Sam comments.
"We remember what it was like." Clint answers, "know how much they need help." He explains.
"Do you mind if I tag along?" Natasha asks curious.
"Sure, of course you can." Skye answers, "See you in a couple of hours." Skye says walking over and giving her mother a hug.
"Be careful." Melinda tells her daughter.
"I will." Skye tells her mother.
"I might come too if you don't mind." Steve says.
"Yeah, me too." Bucky responds.
"Sure, doesn't bother us." Clint responds, others around the room think that maybe they also want to join but they realise that five is plenty and if any more of them join then it will just be too many.
"See you later." Clint says as the five head to the elevator grabbing the bags that the others are just noticing are there as they do.
When they reach the elevator the doors open revealing Rhodey who has been invited for thanksgiving.
"Where are you off to?" He asks curious.
"We've got a few things to do, see you later." Clint tells him as he Skye, Natasha, Bucky and Steve get in the elevator and Rhodey walks over to the couch.
After leaving the tower Clint, Skye, Natasha, Steve and Bucky head to the locations where they know they will find kids who are too afraid to go to shelters.
"How long did you live on the streets for?" Steve asks curious.
"A while." Skye answers, "When I ran from St Angus a few times, and after I was eighteen." She explains.
"After me and my brother ran from our foster home, before we found the circus we spent a few months on the streets and after he died I ran again, I went back though." Clint explains.
At their explanation Steve, Bucky and Natasha exchange looks and realise that maybe they shouldn't ask anymore because form the way they talked it is clear that neither Skye nor Clint want to talk about it.
Back at the tower while Pepper, Coulson and Simons cook everyone else is enjoying the game.
"OH COME ON." John yells angrily throwing popcorn at the TV.
"You know that you can't actually change the outcome of the game right?" Tony asks.
"You were yelling things five minutes ago." Melinda points out.
"And?" Tony ask and Melinda rolls her eyes.
"Who needs more beer?" Bruce asks standing up and Melinda, Tony, John, Sharon and Tripp put their hands up.
"How's it going in there?" Coulson asks when Bruce walk into the kitchen.
"I'm pretty sure that one of them is going to end up throwing something at the TV and breaking it." He explains sitting down on one of the stalls.
"That bad?" Pepper asks curious.
"That bad." Bruce confirms, "Is there something I can do in here to help so I don't have to go back out there?" He asks curious.
"You can peel the potatoes." Simons offers.
"Sounds good." Bruce responds and he walks over to the sink to wash his hands.
Skye, Clint, Bucky, Steve and Natasha have been out giving care packages to homeless and hungry kids for several hours, they are about to head back to the Tower when Skye spots two people and she can barely believe her eyes when she sees them.
"Skye?" Bucky asks when Skye starts to walk towards them almost in a trance state.
"Maggie, Danny?" Skye asks kneeling in font of two kids, both of whom are quite skinny, dirty and have dark blond hair, the girl look to be about seventeen the boy a few years younger.
"Skye?" They respond shocked.
"Yeah, hi." Skye says to them, "What are you doing here?" she asks.
"We ran away from our foster home." Maggie explains.
"Are either of you hurt?" Skye asks not needing to ask why they ran away.
About twenty meters away watching on, confused about what is going on between Skye and the kids are Clint, Steve, Natasha and Bucky.
"Who do you think they are?" Steve asks Clint, Natasha and Bucky.
"Danny and Maggie." Clint answers.
"Who?" Bucky asks curious.
"Just before Skye left the orphanage there were two kids she looked out for, a brother and sister, she looked out for them for years afterwards too. Lard threatened them when he killed Miles and kidnapped Anna, my best guess is that they are them." He explains.
"No." Maggie answers.
"How long have you been out here?" Skye asks.
"A few months, I got a job but they found out I was only sixteen so they fired me and called social services so we ran." Maggie explains.
"What happened to Danny?" Skye asks curious because she can tell that something is different.
"A few months after you left with Miles Danny was hurt in one of our homes, he can't hear anymore." Maggie explains, "Anna helped him learn sign language but I could never pick it up." Maggie tells Skye
"One of my friends was hurt I'm guessing in a similar way to Danny and he knows sign language, do you mind if I ask him to talk to him?" Skye asks Maggie, as while you wouldn't be able to tell unless you knew Clint is eighty percent deaf, but thanks to SHIELD technology which after New York Bruce and Tony upgraded he can hear perfectly with help of miniature hearing aids.
"Is he okay?" Maggie asks.
"Yeah, he is." Skye tells her, "He's like us." She reveals.
"Then okay." Maggie responds.
"I'll be right back." Skye says and she walks over to Clint, Bucky, Natasha and Steve, "I need your help." She says to Clint.
"Sure, what's going on?" He asks.
"Over there are two kids that I promised I would look out for." Skye reveals, "The boy, Danny, was hurt in one of his foster home according to his sister he's deaf." Skye explains, "He learnt sign but she could never pick it up."
"And you want me to talk to him." Clint realises and Skye nods.
"Would you?" Skye asks.
"Of course." Clint responds and they head both walk over to Danny and Maggie.
"Maggie, this is my friend Clint. Clint this is Maggie and her little brother Danny." Skye explains.
"Nice to meet you." Clint says to Maggie and then he kneels down in front of Danny and starts signing to him which he happily responds in the same way, glad to have someone to communicate with.
"Did you talk to Anna after you ran away, she might be able to help you." Skye says to Maggie.
"No." Maggie says shaking her head, "Her bosses have gotten even stricter about the ways she helps Kids, I didn't want to get her in trouble." Maggie explains, "I just need to keep us safe until I am eighteen then I can get what our parents left us and we'll be okay." She tells Skye.
"How far away is that?" Skye asks.
"Five months." Maggie responds.
"No, you can't wait that long." Skye says and then she tries to think of something to do, "I have an idea" she says, a plan coming to her.
"Skye, what are you thinking?" Clint asks as while he is talking to Danny in sign language he is also listening to the conversation going on between Skye and Maggie.
"I know a way to make it so that Maggie and Danny can get what is rightfully there's now." Skye tells her uncle stressing the 'know' so he gets that it is her powers telling her.
"You do?" Maggie asks excited.
"I do." Skye confirms, "But I can't do it until tomorrow, so I'm and going to pay for a hotel room for the two of you tonight and then tomorrow I'll come to you and you'll be able to get the house, the money, and everything else you're parents left you, you'll be able to start over." Skye tells Maggie.
"Really?" Maggie asks.
"Really." Skye confirms and Maggie hugs her.
"Can you tell Danny?" Maggie asks Clint.
"Already have." Clint responds, "Come on, let's get you kids somewhere warm." He says and signs to Danny, both of whom nod.
Twenty minutes later, Clint, Skye, Bucky, Natasha and Steve are leaving the hotel where Maggie and Danny are saying.
"How illegal is whatever you're going to do to get what their parents left them early?" Clint asks curious.
"Not at all." Skye responds.
"Really?" He asks surprised.
"Really." Skye says, "Legally because Maggie is over seventeen years, six months old they can get what is left for them." Skye explains.
"But?" Steve asks.
"But they need someone to file the paperwork with the court and be their advocate in court." Skye explains.
"You?" Natasha asks.
"Yes and no." Skye responds, "I'm going to file the paperwork and push it through quickly but I can't be their advocate, but know someone who can." She explains.
"Anna." Clint realise.
"Yeah, I'm going to call her tonight." She explains.
"Anna's your friend right? The one who warned you about Yanklin." Bucky remembers.
"Yeah." Skye responds, "This is a legitimate legal case so it shouldn't get her in trouble with her superiors plus she's the best person to help them." Skye explains.
"How long have you know them?" Steve asks curious.
"I met then when Maggie was about six, their parents had just died and they weren't doing too well." Skye explains to her Uncle.
"So where to now?" Bucky asks curious as he can tell that Skye is getting upset.
"Home." Skye responds and the group make their way back to the tower.
When Skye, Bucky, Clint, Natasha and Steve get back to the tower they join the others in the lounge room to watch the rest of the game where Bruce's production is proven to be untrue as no one has broken the TV, yet.
"Dinner's ready." Pepper says walking out into the lounge room about half an hour after Skye, Bucky, Clint, Natasha and Steve get back.
"But, the, game." Maria objects pointing to the TV.
"This is what the pause button is for." Natasha says reaching over and grabbing the remote to pause the TV.
"Ah ability to pause Live TV, how did we go without it?" John asks as the group makes their way to the dining room.
"Wow, Pepper, Phil, Bruce, Jemma, this is amazing." Sharon says impressed when she sees all the food.
"Thank you Sharon." Phil says as everyone sits down.
"Seeing as how it is thanksgiving maybe we should each say something that we are thankful for." Jemma suggests, "Isn't that how it works?" she asks.
"Yeah, It is." Skye says, "And I think that it is a good idea." She tells the group, "I'm thankful that I am spending my first actual thanksgiving with the people I love the most." Skye tells the group.
"I'm thankful that after everything we've been through in the last year that we're all here and all together." Coulson says.
"I thankful that I have my brother back." Steve says
"Really?" Bucky asks and Steve nods, "I'm thankful that I'm no longer being controlled, that I'm my own man once more, that I have free will." Bucky says.
"I'm thankful that we're still able to fight back." Maria says.
"I'm thankful that I didn't die when Vic shot me." John says.
"I'm thankful that I got to say goodbye to Grams." Tripp says.
"I'm thankful that everyone here welcomed me into your home." Sharon says.
"I'm thankful that I am loved." Bruce admits in a quiet voice cuing Tony to reach over and grab his hand.
"I'm thankful to have people in my life that I can be my real self around, without worry." Tony says.
"I'm thankful that I've spend two years with my daughter, even if I didn't know who she was that whole time." Melinda says.
"I'm thankful that I have a real stable home for the first time in my life." Clint says.
"I'm thankful that I have people who know my true self and I'm okay with that." Natasha says.
"I'm thankful that I'm surrounded by friends, something I didn't think I would have." Fitz says.
"I'm thankful that we're winning against Hydra." Rhodey says.
"I'm thankful for everyone here." Sam says.
"I'm thankful for the family we have become." Simmons says.
"I'm thankful for everything that everyone here is thankful for." Pepper says.
"Dig in." Coulson says and everyone begins to eat passing the various plates to one another.
Many hours after dinner, after the dishes are done, the games has been watched and everyone is in Bed Skye is sitting up finishing all the paperwork she had to do for Danny and Maggie. Through some skilled hacking she managed to get them an appointment for the following afternoon which means that she can't put off what she has been putting off, she has to call Anna.
Grabbing the cell phone that Skye uses to call anyone who isn't family Skye takes a deep breath before dialling Anna's number.
"Hello." A sleepy voice answers after several rings.
"Hi Anna, its Skye." Skye responds hesidently.
"Skye?" Anna responds shocked, "What's going on? Why are you calling so late?" She asks concerned.
"Isn't it only ten?" Skye asks looking at clock and figuring out the time difference.
"I'm in New York." Anna answers then sighs, "Maggie and Danny ran away from there foster home months ago so I've been using my days off to try and find them." She explains.
"We'll then I've got good news for you, I've found them." Skye tells Anna.
"You have?" Anna asks shocked, "Are they okay?"
"They're fine." Skye responds, "But I've found a way for them to get what their parents left them." Skye explains, "I got them a court date for tomorrow but they need an advocate, and I'm not suitable." Skye explains.
"Where are you?" Anna asks, "I'll be on the next flight." She says now sounding completely awake.
"I'm actually in New York." Skye answers, "It's my home now." Skye reveals.
"Home?" Anna asks shocked as she has never heard Skye refer to a place as home, even her van was house.
"Yeah, home." Skye answers, "Do you want to meet tomorrow morning and catch up?" Skye asks her friend.
"Sure, where?" Anna asks
"I'll text you the address." Skye responds knowing that there is a café that's basically the same distance from the tower it is to where Danny and Maggie are.
"Sure, what time?" Anna asks.
"How about nine." Skye suggests knowing that it will give her enough time to get a bit of training in.
"Sounds good." Anna responds.
"I'll let you get back to sleep, see you tomorrow." Skye tells Anna.
"Yeah, see you then." Anna responds, "Skye, it was good talking to you."
"Yeah, it was good talking to you too." Skye responds before hanging up.
The following morning everyone gets up at the usual time for training. Once Skye has done Tai-Chi with her mother and lessons with her mother, Natasha and Maria which Sharon now joins in on. She has a shower and gets ready, surprised that she is actually nervous to see Anna again.
"I'll be back later." Skye says walking into the dining room when everyone is having breakfast.
"Where are you going?" Coulson asks his daughter.
"I'm going to go meet Anna, and catch up and after that we're going to help Maggie and Danny." Skye explains, her parents knowing who Danny and Maggie are as she filled them in on what happened the night before.
"Be careful." Phil tells his daughter.
"I will." Skye responds, "See you later." Skye says giving both her parents a hug before leaving.
After Skye leaves no one says anything until they hear the elevator beep.
"Okay Skye's birthday is in five days, we've got to get organizing." Clint tells the others.
"I thought most of it was organized." Simmons comments.
"It is but there are still a few things that need to be done." Bucky responds, "Which reminds me, do you want to go today?" he asks Maria.
"Go where?" Melinda asks curious as Maria nods.
"We've been trying to track down Skye's van." Bucky explains, "We think that it was moved to a SHIELD garage here in New York by Nick Fury last year, we're going to go cheek." He tells everyone.
"I would have thought Hydra would have raided all the garages." Tony comments.
"We're positive that they did but we're hoping that they would have let a van be, or that it has minimal damage." Bucky explains.
"Why don't I come with you that way if it has been damaged I can tell you what your chances of repair are." Tony offers.
"I'd appreciate that, thanks." Bucky responds and he, Maria and Tony leave.
"Wow, he's trying to find and repair if needed her first home, good boyfriend." Clint comment and everyone looks at him, "What? You've got to admit that that is an incredible thing to do."
"Yeah it is." Melinda says, "And if he succeeds then it will mean the world to her." She comments and the group goes back to breakfast, all of them wondering if Bucky will succeed.
After leaving the tower Skye takes a taxi twelve blocks away to the café where as soon as she enters she spots Anna.
"Hey." Skye says as soon as she sees her and she finds herself being hugged, "Wow, good to see you Anna." She says to her friend.
"I'm so glad that you are okay." Anna tells her friend.
"Yeah, I'm glad you're okay to." Skye tells Anna as she sits back down, "And I'm sorry for what happened to you." She tells her friend.
"Don't you dare apologise for that." Anna tells Skye sternly, "So how long have you been in New York for?" Anna asks curious, changing the subject.
"On and off for about a year and a half." Skye responds.
"Are you living with your parents?" Anna asks curious.
"Yeah, how did you know I found them?" Skye asks curious.
"Your Mom came and saw me after what happened with Lard and Miles, when she was trying to find you." Anna explains, "She was really worried."
"Yeah she was." Skye comments.
"I'm glad that they found you again." Anna comments, "But you know she wasn't the only one who was worried, she had a guy with her, Ward, and he seemed worried too." Anna tells Skye.
"He would have been." Skye comments, "But he's a bad guy Anna, if you ever see him again you have to get as far from him as possible." She tells her.
"What did he do?" Anna asks.
"Have you been paying attention to the news?" Skye asks curious.
"Of course." Anna responds, "I guess you were right about SHIELD being a bad thing." She tells Skye.
"Actually I was completely wrong." Skye tells her, "SHIELD was a great thing, Hydra was bad and that guy was Hydra." Skye explains, "So you've got to promise me that if you see him again you'll run as far and as fast as possible."
"I promise." Anna responds, "So is that what you've been doing the last few years? Working for SHIELD?" Anna asks curious.
"I can't talk about it." Skye responds, "But I can tell you that I have a family now, one who loves me and protects me, things are good." She admits.
"I'm so happy for you Skye." Anna tells her, "You deserve it."
"I'm not the only one." Skye tells Anna.
"You're right, you're not." Anna responds, "Where are Maggie and Danny?" Anna asks.
"At a hotel not far from here." Skye says pulling a folder out of her bag, "You have a court date at one o'clock today, and if everything goes to plan." Which Skye knows it will, "Maggie and Danny will have their inheritance by end of business today."
"That's great." Anna says happily, "How did you get it on the docket so quickly?" she asks curious.
"I know people." Skye responds lying because Anna doesn't need to know she hacked her way in, "We should go to the hotel, I bet Danny and Maggie are already awake." She says wanting to distract Anna from how she got a court date so quick.
"Sounds good, but why aren't you their advocate?" Anna asks curious.
"Because I can't be, for reasons I can't discuss." Skye explains.
"You've changed." Anna realises.
"I've had to." Skye responds, "But I like to think it's for the better." She comments.
"I don't know about that, you've always been pretty great." Anna tells her as they stand up.
"No I haven't and you know it." Skye responds as they leave the café.
After leaving the Tower Maria, Bucky and Tony make their way to the garage that they believe Skye's van is.
"Keep your eyes peeled, we believe that Hydra has been completely flushed from here but we can't be sure." Maria tells the other two.
"Got it." Bucky responds and Tony nods.
"So where about is this van meant to be?" Tony asks curious.
"Just down here." Maria responds and they head through rows of vehicles until they reach a purple van, with a side door not connected and some body damage and broken front window.
"This is it." Maria informs the pair checking the information she has on a piece of paper against the car.
"Of course it is." Tony comments as he walks over and looks at it, "It's going to need a lot of work." He comments.
"Do you think it's fixable?" Bucky asks.
"From the outside I'd say sure, but the engine is another question." He tells Bucky.
"Can we try?" Bucky asks, "I really want to fix it up for her, I know how important it is."
"I'll call a tow truck." Tony says to Bucky, "There is a repair shop in the Tower that we can take it, I'm not making any promises but we can try." He tells Bucky.
"Thank you." Bucky responds, "Things of hers are still in here." He comments looking inside the van and finding things hanging up inside in Skye's handwriting.
"SHIELD probably left it alone after she became a consultant." Maria explains.
"Hello this is Tony Stark I need a toy truck." Tony says making a call.
"I think this is going to mean a lot to her." Maria tells Bucky.
"You don't know if we're going to succeed yet." Bucky tells her.
"I've never once see Tony fail to fix something." Maria informs Bucky.
While Maria, Tony and Bucky are finding her van, taking it back to the tower and starting work on it Skye went with Anna to see Maggie and Danny and then the four of them went to court and while Skye sat at the back Anna successfully managed to get them their inheritance.
"Thank you Skye." Maggie tells Skye after the hearing is over.
"You should thank Anna, she's the one who did the hard work." Skye tells Maggie.
"We all know that' not true." Anna comments.
"So where are you going now?" Skye asks Maggie.
"Back to California, back home, Anna is going to fly back with us." Maggie says shocked at what she is saying, "I have a home again."
"Yeah you do." Skye tells her, "And I want you to do something for me." Skye tells Maggie
"What?" Maggie.
"You have enough money to support you for a while but just because you do doesn't mean that you should use it recklessly or not get a job." Skye tells her, "Go back to School, graduate, make something of your life, both of you." Skye says looking at Danny as she speaks as well hoping that he can read her lips, "Can you do that for me?" Skye asks.
"Of course." Maggie says giving us a hug.
"Good." Skye says as she returns the hug, "You'll keep an eye out for them, won't you." Skye says to Anna.
"Of course." Anna responds, "What about you? What are you going to do?" She asks curious.
"I'm going to continue to do what I've been doing." Skye tells Anna who nods, realising that there is no point in asking.
"See you Monster, Munchkin, Anna." Skye says to the three people who were very important to her for a very long time, people who still are.
"Where are you going?" Danny's voice asks, Skye realising that he must have read her lips.
"Home, you're not the only ones who have one of them now Buddy." Skye says giving him a hug then looking him directly in the eye she says "Be good."
"You have my number, call if you need anything." Skye says to Anna.
"I will, be careful." Anna tells her giving her a hug.
"I will, as long as you are too." She tells her.
"I think I can manage that." Anna responds.
"Bye." Skye says before turning and walking away from the people who were for a long time the only people she cared about because they are safer the further they are from her.
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