The Skye is the Limit

By: Hogwartswonderland

The kids at St. Agnes loved it when the circus came to town. As orphans and poor to boot, it wasn't often that they get to do or go anywhere fun, but the nuns always found a way to take them to Carson's Traveling Circus, which came around once every two years. Tickets were always cheap and since the children looked forward to it so much they were usually guaranteed to not misbehave in the weeks leading up to its arrival. It was a win-win situation.

Much like her fellow orphans, Mary-Sue Poots (how she hated that name) was excited to attend the traveling circus. The last time it came through, Mary- Sue was 5 years old and living with a foster family that apparently didn't believe in fun. And the time before that she was only 3 and therefore not allowed to go. But this visit for her would be a life changing experience, for unlike the others, Mary-Sue had a completely different reason for her excitement.

After living with at St. Agnes for 7 years and being sent back from 5 foster families and 1 almost adoption, she was fed up with the system. If the nuns couldn't find her a family then Mary-Sue would find one on her own. This is why she devised a full proof (or so her 7-year-old mind thought) plan to slip away from the nuns during the performance and hide somewhere on the carnival grounds. From there she would convince the circus people to take her with them. Many kids talked smack about joining the circus, but few actually followed through.

When the orphanage arrived at Carson's Carnival of Traveling Wonders, Mary-Sue made sure to take a cursory glance around in order to stake out a hiding spot. The parking lot was out for obvious reasons and Mary-Sue briefly thought about hiding underneath the stands located outside the big tent but decided against it. Everyone was going to be in there for the show so that increased her chances of being caught. Next she contemplated the game and food booths located outside the tents entrance, but since she was unsure to their security measures (did circus people even have security?) Mary-Sue vetoed that idea.

Now Mary-Sue was stumped and her window of time to hide was closing. The nuns had allowed the children to run rampant around the carnival ground, scarfing down greasy food and squandering their saved allowances on rigged games. But the performance was about to begin so the nuns were attempting to gather and tame all the wild children. Gloria, the meanest nun of them all, was trying to coax ten-year-old Johnny Wright away from the balloon popping stall but was rewarded with a swift kick to the shin. It nearly sent Grumpy Gloria (as Mary-Sue liked to call her) falling. The sight of this caused Mary-Sue to snicker quietly from her spot in the shadows of an unused caravan. The old hag deserved it.

Suddenly Mary-Sue noticed a large shadow envelop over her tiny crouched frame. For a minute she was afraid that it was one of the nuns, but once the 7-year-old peered through her curtain of dark hair, Mary-Sue realized that the person standing over her was definitely not one of the nuns. Yes, she was a middle-aged woman but rather than wearing a plain black dress and habit, this woman was dressed in a white tank top, long blue ruffled skirt, and a sheer red and gold shawl wrapped around her waist. The mystery woman's had slightly wrinkled caramel skin, a large mouth painted red that was twisted in confusion, and dark brown eyes that were twinkling with mirth.

"Why are you hiding little one?" She asked in a low, scratchy voice. Scared of being noticed, Mary-Sue darted her eyes to where Grumpy Gloria was scolding Johnny then back to the lady. She didn't want to be discovered before she could put her plan into action. What she didn't know is that that the carnival lady had noticed her quick glance.

"Um…well…" Mary-Sue stuttered, not sure what to say. She didn't want to say the wrong thing and risk getting in trouble- with both the nuns and the carnival folk. The gypsy woman smiled at the little girl. She was once like her long ago.

"You're with the St. Agnes orphanage, aren't you little one?" the mystery woman asked in a sympathetic voice as she crouched down to Mary-Sue's level. Mary-Sue nodded and shrunk back against the wall of the wagon. She was worried that the gypsy woman would take her to the sister in charge, Sister Mavis -or worse, Grumpy Gloria- thus ruining her plan to run away.

"Please don't take me back to them!" The dark-haired girl pleaded. "The nuns are blockheads and the other kids are stupid and mean." At this statement, the gypsy smiled fully, revealing a set of crooked teeth, then threw her head back and laughed.

"Don't laugh at me!" Mary-Sue demanded, standing up and crossing her arms. She couldn't see how that was funny and it irked her.

"I'm sorry little one. It is just your description of the nuns was absolutely amusing!" She smiled down at the little girl who was staring at her crossly. "I am Madame Azalea, little one. I am the fortune teller and physic here at Carson's Carnival."

Mary-Sue uncrossed her arms and looked at Madame Azalea with curiosity. In addition to wondering about her past, Mary-Sue often wondered what her future was like. Did it include a family that wanted to her? Did she ever find her real parents? Or did she end up like many other foster kids- as a criminal? She voiced all this to Madame Azalea.

The physic woman responded immediately. "I- "she paused trying to figure out how to word her sentence. "I foresee you finding a family in the most unexpected place."

"How long until I meet them?" the little orphan asked exuberantly, bouncing on the balls of her feet. This is the best thing she has ever heard! She would have a family one day!

"Well little one, I was thinking after the performance was over."

At this Mary-Sue cocked her hear and gazed at the older woman confused. "Why after the performance? Do you think one of the families here today will want me?"

Azalea placed her hand on the girl's bony shoulder. She mentally noted that she would have to fatten the little girl up. "I was thinking the circus crew could be your new family little one."

Mary-Sue now stared at her in awe. It seemed like her original plan was working out better then she expected! "How did you know my plan? Can you read minds too?"

"Of course not child! What plan are you talking about?"

The girl kicked her right foot back and forth in the dirt, causing the dust to settle in the air, and purposefully looked everywhere but at the fortune teller. "I may or may not have been planning to hide out here and join you guys?"

Madame Azalea laughed once again, this time capturing the attention of some of the surrounding people. Thankfully, Grumpy Gloria and Johnny had moved on, otherwise Mary-Sue's goose would be cooked. "Aren't you a tenacious one? I foresee you fitting in perfectly here," she said as she held out a hand to the young girl. Mary-Sue hesitated for a split second but placed her small hand in the older lady's. She couldn't believe her luck! Her plan to join the circus was going to actually happen.

"So what happens next? Mary-Sue asked Madame Azalea as they walked the now empty fair grounds. A few vendors puttered about, some giving the gypsy and the little girl curious looks, but all of the guests were now in the big top, chattering in excitement as they waited for the show to begin. Mary-Sue was a little nervous that one of the nun's would notice her missing at some point, but she hoped that with all the kids the orphanage brought it would be easy for her to slip away unnoticed. If not, then hopefully Madame Azalea had an idea of how to keep her hidden.

"Well, we need to talk to the Ringmaster. You staying with us shouldn't be a problem, but we need to get his permission before doing anything else." Mary-Sue hummed and nodded in response. With her free hand she crossed her pointer and middle finger in hopes that it would bring her luck. Fifteen minutes and one conversation with Mr. Carson himself later, Madame Azalea had gotten permission to keep Mary-Sue on board and a plan was hatched to keep the orphanage from discovering her missing. The idea was to keep her hidden in a pile of hay near the stables while the circus crew created a 'disaster' that caused them to usher the crowd away in a panic. The disarray caused confusion among the nuns, and that combined with trying to wrangle the dozens of children hopped up on sugar, it was easy for them to overlook one missing kid.

A few days of traveling later, Mary-Sue could still hardly believe that the plan worked, and she actually joined the circus. After the discord that was caused in order to divert attention from Mary-Sue going missing, the entire circus packed up in record time and have been moving non-stop in order to put some distance between themselves and New York. During the journey Mary-Sue stayed in Madame Azalea's airstream. Initially Mary-Sue wondered why they didn't travel in the covered wagon, but Lea-as Madame Azalea asked to be called- explained that it was just for show. A majority of the time was spent by Azalea explaining how the circus operated, the different people that worked there, and what Mary-Sue's job would be. The remaining time they had was spent giving the young orphan a makeover. Her long tangled hair was chopped off to shoulder length, her ill fitting jeans and sweater and beat up sneakers were traded for an embroidered skirt of Azalea's that was turned into a dress and some durable flats that they bought a K-mart during a brief stop. Mary-Sue never felt happier than she did now.

Carson's Traveling Circus finally stopped in a small town just outside of Des Moines, Iowa. Madame Azalea kept Mary-Sue close as they set up the fortune telling wagon, but once all the work was done with constructing the Big top and carnival area the entire crew came together for a potluck dinner. It was loud and confusing, reminding Mary-Sue of mealtimes at St. Agnes, but the difference was that it had a warmer atmosphere and it wasn't a battle to get food before the others. Lea and Mary-Sue grabbed their food then went to sit down on a woven blanket that Azalea laid down in the grass. As they munched on homemade potato salad, chicken, grilled vegetables, various people stopped by to introduce themselves to the newest member of the circus. Mary-Sue met so many people that it was hard to keep track of them all, but there were a few that stood out to the seven-year-old.

Well, it was mainly four men that stood out to the young girl: Buck, Jacques, Barney, and Clint. Jacques was a middle-aged French man that sported an interesting handlebar mustache (reminding Mary-Sue a bit of a cartoon villain) but despite his intimidating physique, he was kind and jovial. Buck was only a few years older than Jacques but older due to his heavy-set nature and worn face. There was nothing that really stood out to Mary-Sue, but his piercing gaze and gruff voice sent off warning bells in her head. Perhaps the most interesting of the quartet were brothers Barney and Clint Barton. They were obviously close, only being a year apart at 15 and 16 respectively, and it was apparent in how they joked and horsed around. Barney gave her a small smile and ruffled her hair as a greeting but didn't express much interest in her. Clint, on the other hand, took a great interest in the orphan girl. When introduced, he crouched down to her level and taught her his 'secret' handshake. He then said she was super brave for running away and that if she ever needed anything, come to him and he would help. Together, the four of them created a weapons act that garnered a lot of attention. Jacques was known as Swordsman, Clint was his protégé and called Hawkeye, while Barney apprenticed under Buck and together they shared the title of Trickshot.

As Mary-Sue settled into life at the circus, she thought Clint's promise would prove to be false, but Clint ended up being the one she was closest to out of everyone in the carnival- excluding Madame Azalea, of course. If she wasn't busy with chores around the fairground or doing schoolwork (Cara- one of the acrobats- insisted she keep up on schooling), then she could often be found tagging along after the 15-year-old archer. Clint would play games with her, sometimes help her with schoolwork, and even started teaching her to use a bow. Barney would sometimes join them but as time progressed he opted to spend time with Buck or Elise, the lion tamer's daughter. Mary-Sue and Clint often teased the older Barton boy about the last one. All-in-all, Mary-Sue couldn't be happier with her decision to run away from St. Agnes. Madame Azalea was correct when she said that Mary-Sue would find her family among the circus crew.

Fast forward a year later later and Mary-Sue couldn't be happier. At eight years old she often runs amok barefoot and wild, exploring new places to her hearts content and laughing the entire time. Currently she is playing a game of hide and seek with Clint, her pseudo-older brother, and is situated behind some shrubbery located next to the only tree in the area. They've been playing for the past half an hour and the teenaged boy has yet to discover her hiding spot. Or so she thought.

"Gotcha," Mary-Sue heard a low voice say from behind the tree, nearly causing her to jump from her skin.

"Clint!" the younger girl whines. She stands up from her hiding spot and brushes some stay leaves from her hair. "Do you have to be so sneaky? Next time make a little noise!"

Clint lets out a low chuckle at the 8-year old's demanding attitude. The past year has taught the sandy haired teen that the girl is loud, brash, and not afraid to share her opinion. She has meshed in well with his little family. "But where is the fun in that?" Mary-Sue sticks her tongue out at him in response.

"If you are going to be like that, then I guess you don't need to know that they are making smores right now," Clint says nonchalantly, knowing that the younger girl has a weakness for chocolate and marshmallow treat. Mary-Sue's eyes light up at the word smores. She clutches her forearm and shakes her head exuberantly. "Alright, alright. Let's go get some. Afterwards we can go stargazing."

Together the duo speeds off (well, Clint does with Mary-Sue clinging like a monkey to his back) towards the bonfire, collects their share of smores- waving hello to Barney and his girlfriend, Elise- and then situates themselves on top of Madame Azalea's airstream to watch the stars. They are quiet as they munch on their snack and remain that way even after they are done. Both kids are situated on their backs in order to best see the night sky, but after a few minutes of quiet Mary-Sue rolls towards Clint and props herself on her elbow. Clint gives her a puzzled look, wondering why the normally lighthearted girl suddenly looks serious.

"Do you ever wonder what things will be like in the future?"

Clint mulls over the question before answering. The 8-year-old usually prefers to live in the now and rarely thinks about the future, so it is concerning to hear her ask that. "Sometimes," is all he says, counting on the fact that she will follow up with another question.

"Would you ever leave the circus?"

"Probably, yeah. Barney is talking about joining the military and I will probably follow him."

"Oh."

Now Clint turns towards a troubled looking Mary-Sue. "Why are you asking all this Mary-Sue? There is still some time before that happens."

Mary-Sue just sighs and turns back to her original position, ignoring his question. Clint stares at her intensely, hoping it would spur her to answer, but it doesn't affect her at all. "Mary-Sue," he says sternly.

"Don't call me that!" the dark-haired girl snaps, sitting up and scooting to sit on the edge of the airstream, trying to put as much space between them as possible. It dawned on her the other day that she has been here longer than she has with any foster family and she is starting to wonder when the other shoe is going to drop.

"Then what do you want me to call you?" Clint asks her in frustration, also sitting up but keeping his distance. It is obvious that his little sister is struggling with something and he doesn't want to scare her off before she confides in him.

"I don't know!" Her almond eyes tear up. Almost as quickly as they appear, Mary-Sue wipes them away.

"What is this all about?" Now Clint moves closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to tuck the small girl into his side. He hears her mumble something but can't make out what it is, so asks again.

"I've never been in one place for this long," Mary-Sue whispers, hanging her head so that her hair falls in front of her face. Suddenly it all makes sense. As a foster kid himself, the 16-year-old knows that you learn to not expect staying in one place-with one family- for long. Nothing is permanent when you grow up in the system.

"Kid, you don't have to worry about this lot throwing away. You will always have a place here. And I'm sure if you were to ask anyone, they would say the same thing."

"Part of me know that, but sometimes it doesn't feel real. I sometimes pinch myself to make sure its all real."

"Kid-"

Mary-Sue bulldozes on. "A lot of the time I still feel like the kid that would get in trouble with the nuns, not the one you know here. I want to feel at home here, I really do, but I can't. I still wonder if the nuns will find me and make me come back." By now her shoulders are shaking as she cries softly into Clint's chest. He holds her close and rubs her back soothingly. The duo stays like that for a while as Mary-Sue works to calm down. Once she has quieted down Clint turns so that they are facing each other. Mary-Sue opens her mouth to speak but the teen cuts her off.

"You are not that troublesome kid that can't stay with a family like the nuns say you are. You belong with us here; I think you need a new name to reflect the new you."

Mary-Sue perks up at that. "I love it!" She thinks hard for a few minutes, her face screwing up in concentration, but deflates when she can't think of anything. "How do I know what name to go with? There is so much to choose from!"

"The sky's the limit!" Clint exclaims excitedly then spouts off a few names. None are serious suggestions, but each is funnier than the last and makes the young girl giggle. "You don't have to chose now. Give it some time and think on it. It's a big decision for little kid like you." Mary-Sue automatically argues that she isn't little, making her forget that she was ever upset at all, and they bicker good naturedly until Madame Azalea calls Mary-Sue down to start her bedtime routine.

It didn't take long for word to spread around about Mary-Sue's quest to choose a new name for herself. Over the past year many of the circus crew have expressed their disdain for the nuns choice in moniker and are excited to help the small girl rebrand herself. Mr. Carson actually suggested she go by Carson, Jacques offered Jackie, Buck said Hailey, and Madame Azalea claimed Chloe would be perfect for her. While she appreciated their help, Mary-Sue vetoed all their suggestions. The only one that she was seriously entertaining actually came from Barney. He said that since she has become his and Clint's little sister, then she should have a family name. More specifically, she should have their mothers name, Edith. His girlfriend, Elise, pointed out it was a little old fashioned for a girl as spunky as Mary-Sue, so it would be best to shorten it to Edie or Dita.

A few weeks later she and Clint are back up on top of the airstream stargazing. Mary-Sue hasn't picked a name yet. They are talking about some of the suggestions when Mary-Sue perks up with excitement. "You said that the sky is the limit, right?" she asks the older boy. Clint nods but is puzzled by where she is going with this.

"And what is one of my favorite things to do?"

"Bother me?" Clint says jokingly. The 8-year-old just rolls her eye in response. "No! Star gazing!"

The pieces start to fit together in Clint's mind. "So, what, you want a sky or star themed name?"

"Kinda. You actually already said it. It's sky but with an e at the end."

"Uh." Clint looks over at the younger girl, taking in her wide smile and eyes sparkling with excitement. "Skye is a perfect fit for you. Its as limitless as you are, kid. You did good with coming up with your own name."

Unexpectedly Mary-Sue- no, Skye- leans in to give him a hug. Clint smiles into her hair and returns the affectionate gesture. A part of him was hoping she would take Barney's suggestion, because he truly sees her as his little sister and is the person he trusts most- well, behind Barney that is. But just like Mary-Sue doesn't fit the energetic child, Edith doesn't do her justice either.

"I didn't come up with it on my own," Skye mutters into his shoulder. "You know that you are the one that inspired me." She then looks up, suddenly serious. "I love you, Clint. You are the big brother I always wanted."

Her kind words almost (key word, almost) make him tear up. "We'll always be family, Skye, no matter what happens. I love you too."

Two years later, their small family is torn apart when Swordsman and Trickshot steal from the circus and the ensuing fight causes its remaining members to disband. A heartbroken Barney took the first bus out to join the Army, Clint was last seen being beaten by Jacques and has been missing, Mr. Carson is dead, as well as Madame Azalea. But Skye doesn't know about any of this. All she knows is that Lea pushed a knapsack into the 10-year-olds hands and urged her to run and never look back. The Big top was burning, animals were running amok, and everywhere she looked people were either fighting or running screaming. As much as she wanted to find her family and fight back, Skye's sense of self preservation won out and so she ran until she couldn't run no more.

The entire time she is running Skye is remembering everything that Clint has ever taught her or said. His lessons and kindness remain with the pre-teen girl even when she finds herself opening the gate to her old home, St. Agnes. As she grows older, Skye realizes that the end of her idyllic life at the circus was caused by secrets. When she discovers her records are sealed by SHIELD, it really drives home the truth that she lives by: secrets destroy everything. By the time she is ready to leave St. Agnes for the final time, all she carries from her old life as an orphan is a laptop she won from a bet, a beat up van that she procured, and the name that her brother gave her. With her hacking skillset and the memory of her and Clint that night on top of the airstream, it is time to finally say goodbye Mary-Sue and hello Skye.