14
May stood staring up at the sky through the hole the team had slipped into a few minutes ago. She almost laughed at her efforts since the snow and the sky were the same shade of dismal gray. Coulson moved next to her, fingering some dirty piece of debris he'd picked up from where Cooper had fallen. He seemed to be examining it a bit too closely. She gave a quick sideways glance and let out a frustrated sigh.
"This keeps up and we'll be here until the spring thaw." She huffed.
"It's not stone." He replied.
Well, that made no sense but May didn't care. There wasn't much he could say to make this damn expedition better. Who the hell planned a mission to the middle of nowhere in what now seemed like the snow capital of the known world? She'd have her resignation on Fury's desk as soon as they touched down at headquarters…whenever that was. Her train of thought was derailed by the sudden jab in her bicep.
"Wood?" Coulson asked holding that damn piece of what-not out to her.
"Would what?" She snapped, stepping back.
"I think it's wood." He pointed to the object with the opposite hand. "Looks like it's been treated with some kind of oil or tar." He pushed it toward her again.
She was tempted to slap his hand away but drew a breath and glared at the chunk of black whatever in his hand. With one swipe she snagged it and gave one look before tossing it aside. "We're in some damn primordial forest, of course it's wood."
Coulson stared at the black piece stark against the snow that had piled on the base of the cave. "Not so much oil…"
"Ever heard of pine tar?" May deadpanned as she moved away from the chill of the still wailing wind above.
Coulson shook his head and followed. "No, I'm positive it was treated, like something used to make a roof or…"
May stopped and turned back to face him. Now she could not contain her smirk. "So we fell through someone's roof?" She threw her arms out. "Come on Coulson. Are you saying the snow is that deep? And this rock hovel is someone's…"
"It isn't natural." Siaz spoke from behind them. She stood running one hand along the surface of the wall. "It looks like it's been hewn right out of the stone, not formed by nature. Look here…" She ran her fingers along a deep cut into the rock. "A pick maybe…or some kind of axe." She turned back to look at the senior agents.
"Sir, there's something you need to see…" Bradshaw interrupted before she could continue. The sound of alarm in his voice brought all of them to follow.
"Great," May grumbled under her breath. "We're in some cave man's ice hut…."
Coulson swallowed the chuckled at the look in her eye then turned to follow the young man.
xx
Skye stood in the center of the empty auditorium holding tightly to William's hand. They'd ridden in a large car for a long time before arriving at the funny shaped building that Yeye said was Dr. Wang's planetarium. At first Skye was a bit timid. She hadn't had a lot of good experiences with doctors. Yeye explained his friend was a doctor who looked after the stars which didn't really make a lot of sense to the little girl but knowing there were no shots involved put her at ease.
When Dr. Wang turned off the lights with a loud click, the big room fell into total blackness. Skye couldn't help the little squeak that escaped her as she moved even closer to her grandfather. William softly chuckled as he wrapped an arm around the little girl and hugged her to his hip. He looked down at her then pointed up at the ceiling that was suddenly sprinkled with thousands of brilliant stars.
"Wow," Skye gushed in a soft whisper as she released her hold on William and stepped to the long railing that bordered the room and wrapped both hands around it. "Is them the stars May kin see?" She asked without taking her eyes from the wondrous sight. "Is it night whur she is?"
William thought for a moment. He really had no idea where his daughter was at that moment. It was a fact he greatly disliked but had grown accustomed to many years ago when his wife had left their home on similar occasions. It terrified him just as much then as it did now that she, and now Melinda, could be compromised and he would never know where. Both assured him that their agencies would never leave a team member behind. He found that very little compensation and something he would not share with this small child. He contemplated how to answer.
Dr. Wang rescued him. "The stars are always there, Skye. The sun is so bright during the day that we cannot see them."
"They's stars in the daytime?" The little girl scrunched up her face as she looked over her shoulder at the doctor and her grandfather.
Dr. Wang nodded and smiled. "There is no day or night in space, just what you see."
Skye looked for a few minutes then shook her head. She turned back to the doctor and pointed up at the constellations. "I see night." She nodded, turning up one side of her face. "Is May in space?" The little girl's jaw dropped in amazement.
"No, no, sunnu," William assured her. "Melinda is here looking up at this sky just like you. Perhaps she sees the night sky while we see the day, but it is the same."
"Yeye," Skye breathed a long slow breath and patted the man's arm. "It can't be the night time and the daytime all together. They has to be one and then the other one."
Dr. Wang laughed a small laugh. "She is a smart one, William. Not as easily convinced as her mother is she?"
William laid his hand on Skye's head and nodded. "She sees things very differently, Benjamin, and is full of many questions."
"Kin ya make it be day on yer big ceiling?" She asked the doctor expectantly.
The doctor opened his mouth once again intending to explain how this starry field was the daytime sky but reconsidered at William's almost nonsexist shake of his head. He raised his hand to his chin and rubbed the small beard there. "Hmmm, I think I may be able to make a few adjustments for such a good friend and his curious granddaughter." He gave a quick wink and disappeared into a room at the rear of the auditorium.
"Do it count if I make a wish onna ceiling star?" Skye asked her grandfather as she gazed up at the many twinkling beacons above her.
William laid his hands on her shoulders and gave a little squeeze. "I believe every wish counts, sunnu. Perhaps I will wish with you."
"Could we make a same wish so it works more?" Skye wondered.
"I think that would be a very good idea." William smiled
Skye reached up putting her hands on top of her grandfather's. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second then opened one and peeked back and up at William. "Ya gotta scrunch yer eyes closed real hard fer it ta work, Yeye."
William's mouth formed an 'O' as he nodded and followed the little girl's direction. He squeezed his eyes closed and said a quick prayer that his daughter would be safe and come home unharmed.
Skye wished as hard as she could that May would come home…even if it wasn't just one week…she added quickly closing her eyes a second time. That wasn't too much of a wish cuz making big wishes never worked.
A minute later the loud click sounded again and the black ceiling turned a brilliant blue with huge clouds slowly rolling across it. Once again the little girl was dumbfounded.
"Yeye," she whispered, "it's the big rock sky. It's you n' May's sky."
William looked up and smiled. "It is our sky."
"Kin I just look at it n' talk ta May for a while?" The little girl asked as she slid her hand along the railing until she reached the stairs and dropped down to sit and stare at the figures the clouds created.
William watched from where he stood turning away only when Dr. Wang rejoined them. "I did not know this was possible." He remarked to his friend.
Dr. Wang smiled. "It is easy to project footage from my meteorology students on the large screen above and for this little one it is my pleasure."
"You have given her a great gift." William smiled as he watched Skye stare up at the clouds. "For this I thank you."
xx
Coulson saw the light before he entered the large round clearing in the rock structure. He scratched his head and turned in a complete circle staring at the old light fixtures that hung from wires bolted to the ceiling. May looked up as well.
"Carson's working on some kind of ancient generator." Bradshaw hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "There's at least forty drums of fuel." He nodded toward several large rusty barrels a few yards away.
Coulson and May exchanged a glance and walked toward them. They slowly circled the large canisters. Coulson squatted down on his haunches and brushed away the dust on one revealing the word – kerosin – stenciled in wide block letters.
"Kerosene," May snarled, standing behind him with her arms folded across her chest.
Coulson nodded as he tapped the metal barrel with his fist. The echo told him the barrel was full. He stood slowly, joining May. "German," he remarked, once again taking in the entire area
May nodded but was already walking to the perimeter. This place was a hell of a lot more than some ice cave.
"There's more," Bradshaw smiled.
They had almost forgotten the man was there but now turned toward him as he moved to the farthest side of the large area. A heavy wooden door stood slightly ajar, the large black eagle perched above a just as black swastika was burned into it. Coulson reached up, running his fingers across the rough surface.
"Door just came off the frame. Guess it wasn't built the last." Bradshaw explained as he pushed it open and stepped in to join the rest of the team.
May stepped around Coulson who had stopped just inside the room. She stared at several large framed paintings propped against the wall; several smaller frames lay stacked against them. The shelves that were anchored to the floor and rock sides of the room held figurines and small trinkets of various sizes. The team stood around a large chest in the center of the room. They had managed to pry it open revealing the myriad of pocket watches, chains and other items of jewelry within.
"What the hell…." May whispered as she examined a small figure that resembled a small child posing atop a moss covered stump. Another looked like a male and female centaur in some bizarre dance pose.
Coulson stared in awe at an ornate clock set in a pillared and filigree pedestal. A golden figure posed on the base that held it. "Do you know what this is?"
His voice was just above a hoarse whisper. He brushed a finger gently across its edge then quickly pulled it away. The team turned to face him, waiting for an answer.
"Geez, it's like some museum threw up in here." Lieu remarked with a shrug. Cooper elbowed him in the ribs, gave a stern glare and motioned toward their superior who seemed unusually shaken.
May moved next to Coulson and stared at the clock for a moment before addressing him. "You okay, Coulson?" She asked quietly. She'd never seen him like this.
"Augsberg," he choked out before clearing his throat and standing back regaining his demeanor. "It's the Augsberg Clock…they've been searching for it for almost seventy years."
May looked around the room again, realizing what they had discovered. "Nobody touches a thing." She glared at Lieu. "And if you've collected any souvenirs put them back…now." Turning back to Coulson she did not miss the clinks of items being dropped back into the chest and onto shelves.
"The Nazi's took all of this from their victims…robbed them of everything." His voice caught before he was able to compose himself. Turning he took in the entire room. "This must be one of their stash holes. I thought they'd found them all but I guess…" He shook his head. "I guess they missed this one."
May gave a quick nod and turned to the team. "Bradshaw!" She barked. "I want this placed searched, every inch with a fine tooth comb. I want to know exactly what we've got here. Now!"
As Bradshaw answered, the team scrambled into action.
xx
Dr. Wang invited his old friend and his granddaughter to lunch giving Skye her first real lesson in the used of chopsticks. She gave it a good try before telling the gentleman that maybe she wasn't hungry. He chuckled as he patted her head and produced utensils the little girl was much better at using.
"I ain't real good at lotsa stuff." Skye informed him around a dumpling. "Sister Jairmee said I's not too smart cuz I'm mixed up."
"We are all not meant to be the best at all things." Dr. Wang informed the child. "Perhaps you have not yet found what you are 'real good at'." He finished in her vernacular. "But I do not see you as mixed up."
Skye shook her head. "Sister said I wasn't too smart cuz of being mixed up cuz I ain't ashun and I ain't not ashun." She shrugged her shoulders. "You know mixed up."
Dr. Wang shared a glance with William. It was apparent that the little girl was Eur-Asian. Neither man had thought the child aware of it. It had not been a subject of any conversation William had had with his daughter.
"This does not mean you are mixed up, Skye, just that your parents came from different backgrounds." Dr. Wang explained.
Skye nodded. "Sister said it weren't good to do that and them kids don't get to be smart at things." Skye thought while she chewed, then swallowed and took a large gulp of milk. "I ain't good at math er reading but May says I's gettin better and Miss Gibbons says I's good at findin' Muffy." She nodded.
"The neighbor's cat," William explained at his friend's look of confusion.
"This makes no difference with how smart you may be or where your talent lies." Dr. Wang explained to the little girl. "And it seems that whoever your parents were together they have brought a beautiful little girl to be my good friend's granddaughter and I am very sure you are good at being just that."
Skye smiled a little smile that William returned. "I could not have chosen one better." He nodded. "My Mellie is very lucky to have such a beautiful and smart little one."
Skye blinked a few times, put down her fork and tapped her finger on the chopsticks still next to her plate. "Could ya show me agin how to make them work, Yeye?"
William smiled and took the child onto his lap, wrapping his large hand around her small fingers to help guide them through the motions.
The trio finished their meal and went their separate ways. Skye thanked Dr. Wang for helping her to see the sky and talk to May even it was night where she was. Dr. Wang invited her to return when her mother was back so they could view the stars together. Skye was sure May would like that.
The trip home in the large car was seemed a lot shorter than it had been to reach Dr. Wang's planetarium and Skye was anxious to share her adventure with Mrs. Gibbons. She hurried to ring the woman's doorbell as they exited the elevator and slightly depressed when there was no answer.
"Perhaps it is well," William told her as he helped her out of her coat in the foyer of their apartment. "It has been a very long day. It might be a good thing for you to take a short nap."
Skye wobbled her head and rolled her eyes. "Yeye, I'not a baby."
William smiled as he hung up their jackets and ushered the little girl to the kitchen. "I am not a baby myself." He chuckled. "Yet, I do feel the need to close my eyes for a little bit of time."
"That's okay, Yeye." Skye turned and patted her grandfather's arm. "Yeye's get tired too."
William nodded. "It would be well to sit on the couch and listen to some soft music. Perhaps just a short rest for us both."
Skye thought for a moment then shook her head. "Not them Christmas musics, kay? Not widdout May."
William held up a hand. "That was my promise. I shall keep it and wait for her return."
"And no tree lights," Skye reminded him.
William shook his head. "Just you and I, keeping watch on each other."
Skye nodded as she took his hand and walked to the living room couch. William sat in the corner and Skye cuddled against his side. She let out a sigh to cover the yawn that escaped her. For a moment it was silent. William wrapped an arm around the little girl.
"I really liked the star sky inna day time." Skye mumbled around a yawn.
William smiled, gently patting her arm.
"I telled May I really miss her and asked her to come back fast." She sighed as she snuggled deeper into William's side.
"Yes, sunnu, I wished her the same." He whispered to the already sleeping child.
Outside the large glass doors the snow began to swirl.