Remote Communication: Old School Edition

Once Skye delivered the supplies and settled into her 7-day quarantine, she immediately got to work creating a secure line for her emails to Grant. Even though it was child's play to a computer genius such as herself, she checked and rechecked her security protocols because it would never do to get caught. Coulson would absolutely flip out if he knew she was corresponding with Enemy #1. On her first full day in quarantine, she was ready.

Friday

I refuse to call you Master Spy but 007 seems to fit. Minus the British accent of course. I can't imagine you pulling that off!

You asked where we go from here and the answer is: I don't know. There's so much we still have to talk about. What happened to you after Cybertech? Who are you working for now? Why are you leaving "gifts" for us? Where are you living? When can we meet next?

Hey, would you look at that! One of my English teachers thought she'd never taught me anything but I just used the 5-Ws of writing! OK 007, your turn!

Skye hit SEND and let out a breath. Grant told her he'd respond but he never said how quickly. It could be days, maybe even weeks, before he got back to her. If he was still doing spycraft – and from his email address it seemed like he was – then he could be on a mission and unable to check his email for long periods of time. She resolved not to obsess and spent the new few hours exercising, cleaning her small room and watching two episodes of her favorite tv show. But upon waking the next morning, she couldn't resist. Knowing she was likely just wasting her time and making herself crazy, Skye checked on her account.

And there it was. An email from Grant with the subject line: I bet you thought it'd take me days to respond, didn't you? She laughed, realizing once again just how well Grant paid attention to her. It felt good but also a little scary to be so truly seen. Skye took a deep breath and clicked to open the missive.

Saturday

If I'm 007, then you have to be Natalya Simonova, the woman whose computer skills helped Bond defeat the bad guys. And I'll have you know that I can pull off a British accent like a champ. Maybe one day I'll let you hear it.

It's a good thing that it's never been my life's ambition to write a memoir because no one would believe half the things that've happened to me. After I escaped Cybertech, I hitched a ride with a delightful elderly couple in a RV on their way to Yellowstone. They appreciated someone who could share the driving and listen to their stories. It was restful and, dare I say normal, a state of being I know little about. You and I share that, don't we? For better or for worse, our lives have never been boring. Anyway, I left them at Yellowstone and returned to the place in Wyoming where I spent five years basically alone. I have a cabin there and needed time to think. That's where Natasha Romanoff found me.

Yes, that Natasha Romanoff. At first I was suspicious, convinced she'd come to toss me into a cell and throw away the key. But when Clint Barton and Nick Fury showed up, I agreed to listen. As it turns out, there are more agents like me, people who've been brainwashed and abused, turned into weapons by unscrupulous organizations. Instead of throwing us away, the Avengers – the Black Widow and Captain America in particular – decided to do some deprogramming. They helped me realize that John abused me and that I could still do some good in the world. That's why I've been sending SHIELD presents. I need them to know I'm not the bad guy they think I am. Also, Spies Are Us (yes, that's the organization I work for now; Nat finds the name hilarious) is wanting to build a team, gain publicity. That's why I leave a calling card. It isn't just ego although good luck getting May to believe that!

Just like SHIELD, Spies Are Us (We really need a new name but try telling that to the Black Widow. She's as bad as Fitz at naming things!) has bases all over the country. Right now, with a small but growing membership, our bases are houses. I live with just one other person, Kara Palamas. Maybe you know her. She was a SHIELD agent until she was captured and brainwashed by Hydra after the Triskellion fell. Kara and I train and do missions together. We live near the Playground by design. The Avengers are hoping Coulson will eventually let us rejoin his command, so we're trying to show him we're valuable. We have to be close in order to do that.

As for when you and I will be able to meet again, you tell me. I'm probably more flexible than you are.

Skye sat back heavily in her chair. Once again, she felt a wide range of emotions. Astonishment at the playful way Grant wrote (who knew the Robot had it in him?), relief that he was being cared for (finally!), jealousy at his relationship with the Avengers and the unknown Kara, and frustration at not being able to meet as soon as possible. She definitely would be in quarantine for another six days and then it was anyone's guess as to how soon she could get out in the world again.

She wanted to reply immediately but realized that it wouldn't be good to give into that impulse. The patience that her SHIELD colleagues, including Grant, had been trying to teach her was finally taking root.

Sunday

Dear 007, I look forward to hearing your British accent. I'm a big believer in accents making people sound smarter. You need all the help you can get.

You're right that I don't know what normal is but I was finding some sense of it when we were on the Bus. Sure, we were flying around the world dealing with the crazy but you, FitzSimmons, Coulson and May always had my back. I'd never had that before. The night after the Malta mission, when we were in the cargo hold and you said SHIELD wouldn't turn its back on me? I never told you (I didn't want you to get a big head) but that was so amazing. It's what convinced me to really try to be part of the team. And all the dinners and game nights made us seem like a real family. I wasn't the only one who felt that. I think destroying that feeling of family is half the reason they're all so mad at you. We could do anything as long as we all were together.

My life has never been boring but a lot of times I wish it was. I could do with a little bit of downtime although being in lockdown has been an eye-opener. It hasn't been nearly as much fun as I thought it would be but it has made me face some things, like how I feel about you. I was so mad at you at first but I also really missed you. And once I understood your motivations, I got it. We're a lot alike and if our situations had been reversed, I might've done the same things you did. Love – even if it is for a jerkwad like Garrett – is a powerful emotion.

I'm glad the Avengers are helping you. It's about time someone did! I really hope they can convince Coulson to let you back on the team. If you have Captain America talk to him, I'm sure he'll listen. You do remember all the Captain America memorabilia on the Bus, don't you? The man is so obsessed it's embarrassing. If Coulson does let you back on the team, maybe we could train together again. You'll be impressed by how much I've learned since you were my SO.

I have no clue when I'll be allowed to leave the base again. Trips outside are rare these days. I know for sure it won't be for the six additional days I'll be in quarantine.

BTW, I know this is a secure line and all but isn't everything you told me in your last email classified? How would Ms. Spies-R-Us (you're right, that name is terrible) feel about you spilling all the deets to me?

Skye sent her email in the morning, then spent the afternoon feeling uncomfortable. She'd really opened up to Grant in a way that she hadn't with anyone in a very long time, maybe ever. She hadn't even let herself be open with Miles, guarding her emotions zealously because she wasn't sure he could handle them. Miles was still a sore spot because she was upset with the way Coulson treated him. Yes, Miles had compromised national security, a move that ended in lost lives, but did he really deserve to be left in a foreign country with no way to get home? Couldn't his situation have been handled differently? Even she had been cold to him before he left and half the reason he did what he did was because of her. She'd finally gotten the courage to look for him online and was relieved that he was back in Texas but it could've ended badly. The treatment of Miles was the first situation to trigger a level of discomfort within Skye about how SHIELD operated. It put her in a good position to look at Grant's situation differently as well.

After she'd eaten dinner, Skye was tired of feeling raw. Grant would either respond positively to her emotions being on display or he wouldn't. Deep down, she knew he would. And if they were ever going to give a relationship a real try, he'd have to. The time for deception and lack of communication was over. She went to bed, determined to check her account once she'd woken up. Sure enough, his reply was there.

Monday

Dear Natalya, You're going to love my British accent. And my French accent, my Italian accent and my Russian accent as well. I promise to let you hear them all. They might make me sound smarter but, if I do it right, you won't be thinking much at all.

Being on the Bus with the Team was like living a dream and destroying what we had is one of my biggest regrets. I hope I get another chance to prove to them (and you!) just how much I care but, if I don't, I'll have to be grateful I got as much time with them as I did. It's complicated. Some days I'm furious with John because he ruined it for me. Other times I remember that it was only because of him that I was with the team in the first place.

I hope Coulson will let me back on the team but I'm not sure he will. There were too many times I felt like his least favorite member, that I was there only because he was forced into having me. I got none of the grace anyone else did. Given that I was a mole, I realize that sounds whiney and ridiculous. Still, I've often wondered if Coulson was jealous of me. So I have no clue how the prospect of me rejoining the team will go. But you're right. If anyone can convince him, it'll be Steve Rogers. That man is so painfully sincere that you feel like a heel for saying no, even if it's for something as minor as a second cup of coffee.

Thank you, Skye, for having compassion and understanding for what I've gone through. You have no idea how much it means to me. I just hope I'll be worthy of it. And I have no doubt that I'll be impressed with everything you've learned since I saw you last. You're an amazingly intelligent and skilled person. I wish I'd told you that more often when we were on the Bus. You deserve to hear it every day.

I'm disappointed but not surprised that you don't know when we'll next be able to meet. This pandemic is messing everything up. We'll figure something out. In the meantime, these emails are what gets me up in the morning. Well, that and training.

Nat's fine with me telling you everything. They think it'll help with my therapy. I'm not sure about that but I'm not going to argue! They're also impressed with you and hope you'll be able to help smooth troubled waters when our secret organization becomes public knowledge.

I've been meaning to ask about the dreams about me that you can't do anything about. Can you tell me more?