A/N: Hi, friends. (Can I call you friends? I'm going to anyway.)

Thank you for all your support after I posted the previous chapter of "now hear this," and if you read my other stories, the chapters I've posted there. It's been extremely difficult to pick up my life without my beautiful student. Her services were this previous Saturday and they were everything she would have wanted - balloons, clapping, music, good food, people gathered together. The reverend who gave the sermon spoke genuinely about her, unlike some other funerals I've been to - the reverend knew L. and spoke truthfully about her. It was beautiful, but it was also crushing. She really is gone.

Gladly I think I'm back up and running. Well, writing. And this is the chapter you finally deserve. I can't explain most of this, except that I needed some Pietro/Wanda stuff (can I say that? I like them in this story) and some Jemma/Skye stuff where things weren't horrible.

Thank you to everyone who reads/reviews/follows/favorites. I am working on getting through all of the messages and reviews I've gotten in the past couple of weeks so if I haven't replied, I am going to get back to you. Thanks for being patient.

Enjoy!

As an additional note for this chapter, to clarify, any dialogue [in brackets like this] is in Russian.

Phil regretted telling Skye about the files almost instantly. The cut on his head from the vase she'd thrown at him a day before throbbed as he watched her, feeling worried and mad at himself all at once. She told you she didn't want to know, he mentally castigated himself.

When she straightened up, he gently signed, Skye?

I need to find Jemma, she signed somewhat drunkenly. The look in her eyes suggested she wasn't processing much of anything. Jemma. Where's Jemma, Phil?

Phil's heart broke as he signed, I don't know, Skye. We'll find her.

Okay, Skye agreed.

Let's sit down and talk this all through, Phil suggested. Get you something to eat and drink, okay?

A few minutes later, when Skye was drinking hot chocolate and eating a cinnamon roll and looked about as normal as Phil had seen her (way more normal than vase-throwing fetal-position Skye), the interpreter approached Maria, who looked worse than he'd seen her lately. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about how my best friend and partner for almost twenty years has apparently been lying to my face for the majority of that time? No. I think I'll just wait to wake up in a hospital with a gorgeous doctor telling me I just had brain surgery."

"Maria."

"I know. I know it's all real, I know all of this shit" – she waved her hand at the coffee shop around them – "is real. I just don't know why Mel would keep something like this from me."

"It's big."

"It's the biggest thing we've ever dealt with," Maria said. "And we talked… we talked for years about having kids. Just started talking again. And how I could have thought that we were ready, when she couldn't even tell me she was keeping secret records? On girls whose lives started out bizarre and took a turn for the worse?"

She shook her head. "What am I going to find out next? That she's a spy? She's secretly married?"

Phil didn't say anything. He couldn't figure out what to say, except for what was possibly the lamest response. "We'll figure this out."

Maria let out a choked laugh. "I know that's true, but I think I'm not going to like the answers we find."

"No one ever does," Phil said.

Natasha hung up the phone and looked at them. "I'm starting to think becoming friends with you was the most interesting and also one of the poorest choices I've ever made, Maria Hill."

She gave Phil and Maria a wan smile. "That was the brother."

She tilted her head towards Wanda. "He can be here in twenty minutes, but he sounded extremely nervous about what's happening."

"Do we know what's happening?" Phil asked.

"She told me she had a headache," Natasha answered. "And then it devolved into… whatever the hell this is."

Wanda actually looked pretty calm, with Skye on one side and Trip on the other, but there was definitely a distant, detached look in her eyes, so different from the young woman who had been spinning wild stories in Melinda and Maria's living room that morning.

"She was saying some pretty weird stuff," Natasha said, lowering her voice. "I told Skye it was just gibberish, but it was dark. A lot of stuff about pain. A lot of it was in Russian."

"Well, we knew she wasn't the most stable person running," Phil said.

"Is anyone in this circle normal?" Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Apparently not," Phil said. "So other than taking out Ward and Garrett, what the hell did we accomplish today? Jemma ran off, Skye found out her entire life's been a lie, Wanda's dissociated, and Melinda and Maria's relationship is…"

"Scrambled like eggs," Maria put in.

Natasha shook her head. "Beda nikogda ne prihodit odna."

Phil and Maria shrugged at her.

"When it rains, it pours," the redhead said.

"Any thoughts on where Jemma might go?" Phil asked.

"You know her better than I do," Natasha replied.

"I thought finding her would fix whatever was going on between her and Skye," Maria said. "God, they were so happy together."

"They'll be happy again," Phil said firmly. "That's what we're here for."

"I'm here for those cinnamon rolls," Natasha said, obviously trying to lighten the mood. "Have you seen them? They're the size of a fist. A man's fist."

"What do we do now?" Maria asked, looking at Phil to take charge.

He shrugged. "I'm as lost as you are. I guess… wait for Pietro, see what he can do about Wanda. And then… go after Jemma. Until then, I don't know. Burn those damn files."

"Nat's got a lighter," Maria said.

Natasha gave her a grin. "Always. And about forty other things anyone could need in a wide variety of situations."

Phil and Maria joined Natasha at her table; Phil kept his eyes on Wanda and Skye. Skye looked remarkably centered, texting as fast as her fingers would allow. Wanda had her fingers twined in Skye's hair, but the younger girl didn't seem to mind, and it seemed to be comforting Wanda in some way.

"Trip, you good?" Phil asked.

The young man nodded. "Always good."

"Any thoughts on where Jemma might go?"

"Maybe to see a professor," Trip replied. "Although not Professor May, so… I don't know."

"You think she's coming back?"

Trip nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. Yeah, of course."

"Wish I could be sure," Phil said.

Trip's face broke into an easy smile. "You've seen those two together. Nothing's gonna keep 'em apart for long. They're like the opposite sides of a magnet, Mr. Coulson. Drawn together by forces no one can see and no one can truly understand."

"You know what, Trip? That's the best thing I've heard today."

Jemma sprinted into the sciences building. Her hands frozen, her face boiling hot, and her head muddled like a kid on a Tilt-a-Whirl, she couldn't slow down enough to process where she was going or why she was going there. She only knew that she needed to be away from Skye, and she also knew that hurt her more than any real pain could.

She's mine. I'm hers. Why am I running?

Her snow-caked boots slid on the tile floor and she forced her body to slow down.

You're running because you know everything, and you can't believe everything you thought was perfect has really just been a lie. You knew it was too good to be true – the wonderful sister, the caring twins, the goofy dog, you now know that entire life is a lie. Has been.

Jemma ground to a halt, chest burning.

But Skye's not any different. She's still Skye. She's still the girl you love.

Hot tears burned Jemma's eyes and she leaned over, trying to fold in on herself. For a long moment she focused on her breathing, on the way her knees were knocking together, on the ragged pain in her chest. It hurt even worse because Skye wasn't there.

"Jemma?" a calm voice asked from behind her.

Jemma opened her eyes and straightened up. Her kindly genetics professor, a gentle and somewhat bumbling man named Dr. Banner, was standing a few feet away. "Are you all right?" he asked, pushing up his glasses.

Jemma tried to speak, but found she could only make certain whimpering noises. She shook her head.

"Come walk with me," Dr. Banner offered. "I have tea and… well, I believe you'd call them biscuits… in my office. Perhaps you can tell me what's wrong after some refreshments."

Jemma nodded, and found that her ice-block feet could move, could follow her professor down the hallway and up a flight of stairs to his inner sanctum. She'd been there a few times before, mostly to pick up paperwork or drop off lab reports, but in the falling gloom it looked suddenly welcome. Like the other professors' spaces, Dr. Banner's office was small, but he had made it completely his own. Wall hangings in soothing blues and greens displayed natural motifs of leaves and circular mandalas. Small statuettes and knickknacks had their places on the various flat surfaces, and the room smelled wonderful, like incense.

Dr. Banner indicated a comfortably worn armchair for Jemma. "Please, sit. I'll make tea."

Jemma nodded and sank into the burgundy chair. Automatically her hand went to her coat pocket, where her phone would be, to check for a message from Skye. Then she remembered – during the kidnapping, no, just before the kidnapping, she'd thrown her phone to the ground after she was angry with Fitz.

Fitz.

Yet another person she'd let down.

She was a terrible person.

"Jemma?" Dr. Banner asked gently. "Can you tell me what's going on?"

"Skye," Jemma managed to get out. "I'm worried… about Skye."

"Your girlfriend," Dr. Banner said, sitting down across from her.

Jemma nodded.

"Did something happen to her?"

Everything happened.

Jemma stared at Dr. Banner. She knew precisely how to express her thoughts in sign language, but he wouldn't understand her. For the first time the Queen's English wasn't good enough for Jemma Simmons, and that completely broke her heart.

"I need to go," she said, and tried to push herself out of the chair. "I need to find her. She doesn't understand. She won't understand."

"Jemma, sit," Dr. Banner said, a little more firmly. "You're in no shape to go running out back into the snow. We can call Skye."

"No!" burst out of Jemma's mouth before she could stop herself. "No, you can't call her!"

Dr. Banner looked confused. "I meant that you could use my phone…"

"She's deaf! You can't call her!"

"Okay," Dr. Banner said, and he held his hands up, backing carefully away from Jemma. "I'll get the tea."

Jemma clenched her hands into fists. She wanted Skye to be there. She needed Skye to be there.

"Phil. You can call Phil." The room was jolting around Jemma and everything just felt wrong.

"Who's Phil?"

"Phil Coulson. Her interpreter. He has a phone. He can talk. Skye can talk. She just can't hear." Jemma forced the babbling to stop.

Is this how Skye feels when she panics? Is this… why didn't I know this?

Dr. Banner approached Jemma carefully with a mug of tea. "Here. Drink and get warm. Then we can figure out who to call…"

Skye. I need Skye.

Jemma's shaking hands took the tea from Dr. Banner. Some of it slopped over the rim and down onto her hands, but her frozen hands didn't even register the boiling liquid. She managed to get the tea to her mouth and took a drink, the scalding beverage sliding down her throat.

"Call," Jemma said forcefully as soon as the tea had left her mouth. "Call. Call Phil. Please."

Dr. Banner still looked worried, and he set his own mug down. "All right. I'll call Mr. Coulson."

He moved to his phone and began speaking in a low tone.

Jemma suddenly felt something pinch the back of her neck. He's calling the police.

That's crazy.

You're crazy. We're crazy.

Should have stayed with Skye.

"Skye," Jemma said, and Dr. Banner turned to look at her.

"Mr. Coulson says she's fine."

"Where?" Jemma's heart was pounding.

Dr. Banner put the receiver back to his ear. "They're at a coffee shop near campus."

"Books 'n' Beans," Jemma blurted out. "I can go there. I will go there. Now. I will go there now."

She looked at Dr. Banner. "Tell him… tell her my phone is broken. And I will be there soon."

"Jemma, are you sure you're in any shape to…?"

Before Dr. Banner could finish his sentence, Jemma had bolted from the room.

Her tea was still cooling on the side table.

Pietro looked down at Wanda. Her fingers were twined in Skye's hair, but her other hand was free, picking at her face. She'd apparently been at it for awhile; he could see raw, open sores on her cheek.

"Very best sister, do not do," Pietro said softly, and gently pulled her hand away from her face.

"Nyet," she snapped at him, and pulled back fiercely.

Skye jumped as Wanda's fingers clenched tighter in her hair.

[What are you hearing?] Pietro asked Wanda in Russian.

"Voices," she replied.

[What are they asking you to do?]

She looked up at him as though confused by the question.

"Wanda," Pietro said firmly. [Have you been taking your meds?]

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Natasha's head come up.

"Very best brother," Wanda said, and she reached up for him.

[You need to talk. In either language. I can't read your mind.]

Skye reached up and disentangled Wanda's fingers from her hair. The deaf girl looked over at Phil, who was looking concerned as he talked on his phone. I need to go talk to Phil, she signed to Pietro. She okay?

She's stubborn.

Skye smiled at Pietro, and he liked how she seemed to have things finally falling back into place. What else is new?

Pietro smiled back.

Skye started to stand, but then looked back at him. Pietro, how much do you know about my parents?

Not much. Never met them.

Skye frowned.

Why?

It's a long story, Skye replied. Figure out Wanda and I'll tell you about it later.

You are a good kid, Pietro signed. No matter what, you matter. And we love you.

I love you too, Skye said, and she hopped to her feet and kissed Pietro on the cheek before moving towards Phil.

Pietro sat down next to Wanda and turned towards her expectantly. [You going to talk to me?]

Wanda looked at her brother, her head tilting, and she smiled.

Pietro felt ice form in his stomach. That was Wanda's crazy smile. He hated that he knew what it looked like, but years of experience had branded it into his mind.

[You don't have anything to hurt yourself with, do you?]

She reached out for him. "Very best brother."

"Very best sister," Pietro managed to get out. It was more of a reflex than anything else.

"Can I help?" Natasha asked, approaching cautiously.

"I do not even know what is wrong," Pietro said. "I cannot get her for to tell me."

Natasha sat down on Wanda's other side and picked up the girl's free hand. "Only one crisis at a time, vozlyublennaya. We solved Skye's stalker issue, so I guess it's your turn. Tell us what's going on, huh?"

Wanda turned towards Natasha, looking confused. [I don't know you,] she said in Russian.

Pietro forced himself to keep breathing. Wanda didn't usually dissociate this badly, even during a crisis.

"Is Natasha," he reminded Wanda. "Is friend."

"Very best brother," Wanda murmured, still looking at Natasha.

[Your very best brother wants to know if you're taking your medication,] Natasha said.

Wanda's eyes suddenly went dark, and Natasha would be lying if she said she wasn't just a little frightened.

Then whatever it was passed, and Wanda squeezed Natasha's hand, looking like a terrified little girl. "Do not know where they are. The cards… the cards they do not work. Will not give them to me."

"I hope that made sense to you," Natasha said to Pietro.

"I think she is talking of our insurance cards," Pietro said slowly. "Before they have not given her pills when cards do not work. But always she has told me."

Wanda turned back towards Pietro, panicked. "Do not be mad."

"I am not mad."

"No, do not be mad," Wanda insisted, grabbing onto Pietro's shirt. [Don't be mad at me, please.]

[I'm not mad,] Pietro repeated in Russian. "I love you very much, mladshaya sestra. I want you to be safe."

Wanda's brow furrowed and Pietro realized she was shaking. "Do not hit me," she begged him.

[I will never hit you,] Pietro said.

Her grip on his shirt got tighter and her breathing picked up. "I am bad. Do not hit me."

"I want you for to be safe," Pietro said softly, and he wrapped his arms around Wanda. "Shh, mladshaya sestra. We will figure it out."

"Too loud," Wanda mumbled into his shoulder. "Rock."

Pietro nodded and rocked them back and forth. "I am sorry it is loud. Do not listen to voices, da? Stay here with me."

"Do not listen."

"Mmm-hmm."

"Stay with very best brother."

"Always," Pietro agreed.

"Always come to get me?"

"Always."

The door to the coffee shop opened and Jemma rushed in, her coat and hat askew, looking as though she'd run through a windstorm. She bolted across the room to where Skye and Phil were talking and wrapped her arms around Skye.

"Huh?!" she heard Skye wheeze.

Jemma pressed her head against Skye's, breathing in whatever it was that had given her so much comfort the night before, when she'd curled up in Skye's bed just to smell her. "I'm so sorry," Jemma whispered.

Skye brought her arms up and returned the hug. "Jemma," she said. "Jemma, Jemma."

Tears dripped down Jemma's face. I almost lost this. I almost lost this, she reminded herself.

They rocked together in the middle of the floor until Jemma felt the world settle around her, and she pulled back, looking into Skye's tearstained face. I am so sorry, she signed.

I am sorry, Skye signed.

Jemma shook her head. I didn't understand what you were going through. I thought it didn't matter. I thought you just couldn't be strong enough. And then today… today I realized how strong you are. How strong you've always been. I was an idiot.

You're strong too, Skye replied. Sometimes much stronger than me.

We should have been strong together, Jemma signed. We're so much stronger together.

Skye nodded.

We stay together.

Skye nodded again.

And I'm so sorry that I ran. Ward… he showed me those papers and I thought I couldn't… I couldn't stay and look at you and you wouldn't know that your whole life had been a lie.

Skye shrugged. It wasn't a lie.

But…

Skye held her hands up. I was loved. I am loved. I have people who care for me. I have a dog who adores me. A girlfriend who's pretty much head over heels for me. A big sister who has sacrificed everything to take care of me, and twin siblings who brought so many things to my life that I didn't know I was missing. People go out of their way to make me happy. It doesn't matter to me how I got here, or why I got here. I'm here and things are good and unless things change, I see no reason to go looking for trouble. Apparently trouble already found me, and it let me go.

Jemma's eyes were shining by the time Skye finished. You are a wonder.

I'm something, Skye answered, and she smiled.

I missed that smile.

I missed you.

Wait. Jemma had just remembered something. What about Professor May?

Let's take this one problem at a time, Skye signed. Today, we took down Ward and Garrett. I'm exhausted and my head hurts and all I want to do is watch Iron Chef.

Nothing else? Jemma asked mischievously.

And cuddle my dog, but since he's not here, I guess you'll do.

Jemma rolled her eyes, but she grinned.

So let's take the night off. Or maybe the next two days off. We'll go do our Jane Austen presentation, and then we'll figure out Professor May. Despite everything, she never lied to us. I don't think she's a bad person. She's still on our side.

Jemma shook her head. How did you get to be so good?

Skye shrugged. I had some pretty good teachers. And some pretty teachers.

She threw her arms around Jemma and kissed her soundly. "Don't leave me 'gain, 'kay?"

Jemma pulled back. Never, she signed firmly.

Skye's smile was proof enough that she'd finally come home.

Translation:

Beda nikogda ne prihodit odna - when it rains it pours (phonetic Russian)

vozlyublennaya - sweetheart (phonetic Russian)