AN: i really don't have much time to write but it's late in the evening and i have nothing else to do (besides ignoring my schoolworks ofc) so here is a (very short) chapter. hope you enjoy!

The team, with the exclusion of May and Coulson, sat in the common area of the base as the silence filled the room. They looked at each other trying to decide who gets to go and check on their directors.

"Come on Hunter! Just go up there, say dinner's ready or something!" Simmons pushed.

Hunter put his hands up, "no way. I ain't gettin' in the way of those two. In case you have forgotten, it's May and Coulson! One of them is scary enough," he took a swig of his beer and shook his head and muttered, "I don't have a death wish."

Bobbi was about to speak when they heard raised voices again coming from Coulson's office. "I guess we have to wait it out 'til tomorrow." The team sighed and nodded as they turned towards the TV to block out the arguing people upstairs.

May tried her best to stop herself from rolling her eyes at her best friend's defense. "Phil, we have talked about this! I'm going. Maria asked me for this personally and I won't turn it down."

Coulson clenched his jaw and gave his partner a hard stare which May returned, "as Director of SHIELD, I don't allow it agent May, we need you here too. We are one agent down, I need all available agents on stand by in case something goes on."

"I'm telling you now that I'm not available!"

"I said no May!"

"Just so we're clear Phil, I was not asking for your permission. I just came here to tell you where I would be for the next couple of days."

"Why do you want to leave so badly?" Coulson asked, frustrated. "This mission is not just Hill is it? It's something about you too?"

May looked away and shrugged, "Hill contected me a few weeks ago, gave me an intel about a mission I had 8 years back." Coulson noticed the change in her demeanor as she stood beside him in front of his desk, "remember that one assignment I had in Belarus?" Coulson nodded, "there was an organization that experiments on people. SHIELD got involved because they were using SHIELD Tech and their leader was a former agent. I thought it was a simple rescue mission, but by the time we got there, the five girls who we were suppose to save were already killed. I remembered standing there, watching as a man harvest their insides as if it's the most normal thing. I chased him down and got a face before I got knocked out."

"Did Maria find him?"

May nodded, "after Skye was abducted, I asked Bobbi what the man who took her looked like. It was the same man, Phil. After 8 years, his still doing it and SHIELD still hasn't catch him. As soon as Bobbi told me that, I contacted Maria and my mom, asked for help to track down the man in any way." She took a deep breath, "I was so terrified the day he took Skye, I thought we would be too late. But then I am not surprised that Skye was able to escape."

Coulson offered a smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "she did learn from the best," he whispered. May chuckled softly as Coulson pressed a kiss to her head. "Why didn't you just tell me in the first place then?"

"Because I know you won't let me go."

"I might."

May scoffed, "sure you would."

"Well, we are technically tracking that man down."

"I know which is the other reason why I didn't tell you."

"And that is breach of protocol, agent May."

May sighed and stood in front of Coulson, "let me do this, Phil. It's just something I really need to do for those girls and myself. I'll contact the base if I need back-up."

They stared at each other for a moment before Coulson sighed and nodded, "fine, but on one condition."

May rolled her eyes but allowed Coulson to continue, "you will bring a gun."

"Fine."

Coulson pulled her gently into his arms, "and be careful," he whispered. "We just got Skye back two weeks ago. I need you here with me so that I know you're safe too. I cannot lose you, Melinda."

May let herself smile a little, "you won't."

After a few minutes of silence, Coulson asked, "did you consider the idea that if Skye finds out, she'll want to come with you?"

May sighed, "yes. I'll talk to her later this evening."

As May entered the common area, she saw her team try to avoid her gaze. She raised an eyebrow and cleared her throat, "Skye? May I speak with you?"

The young agent's eyes widened and looked at FitzSimmons for a way out. They cringed at her and shrugged. She looked back at her S.O. and stuttered, "I-I think I'm gonna stay here."

May gave her a disapproving glare and Skye knew better than to be stubborn and followed her S.O. out the room.

Skye waited for the older woman to speak but the woman said nothing. Her curiosity grew as she realized that they were headed towards the gym. May still said nothing as they stood in the middle of the mat and looked at her, "are we gonna train right now?" The hacker laughed nervously. "I-I mean I'm not against it, I just wonder why so out of the blue and," she stopped after seeing the bored face of her mentor.

They began to spar, May still not saying anything which made Skye confused and a little bit frustrated for being kept hanging, "are you really not gonna say anything?"

May ignored her for a few more minutes and when Skye was pinned to the mat, "I'm leaving the base." The specialist released her hold of her protégé as Skye sat up cross-legged on the floor.

"What? When? Why?"

May sighed, "I asked Coulson to let me handle your abduction case alone. Maria was able to give me an intel about him," she paused and shrugged, "I might be gone for a couple of weeks."

"I-I'll come with you. I can help," Skye said. "And why did A.C. let you go alone!" She was about to go up to his office when May put a hand on her arm.

May shook her head, "he didn't want to, but I forced him to. There's a reason I need to do this on my own Skye, I hope you'll understand." She looked at her pseudo-daughter and saw a mixture of sadness, worry, and betrayal on her face.

A few moments later Skye nodded, "promise you'll be safe?"

May nodded, "I'll make contact if I ever need assistance."

"You'll be home as soon as you finish this mission right?"

May caressed her cheek and smiled softly, "I couldn't bear to leave my family for a long time."

Skye smiled before launching herself to May, "come home as soon as you can, this base would not survive without you." She felt a kiss on her temple and hugged her S.O tighter.

When the pulled away, Skye asked, "so that's what you and A.C. had been fighting for hours?"

May rolled her eyes, "it's hard to make him see my point sometimes. You and him are overly protective."

"Yes well, you'd be the same for us."

May smiled as they stood up and walked out of the gym, "that's what families are for."

~kingdomfictionalia