A/N: Hi! I don't remember how long it's been since I've updated this, so I'm sorry I made you wait/I'm glad it wasn't very long. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

Next time: Ward + Whitehall, Nick Fury celebrates... what, exactly?, Melinda's on a mission, Wanda asks for Skye's help, and Fitz comes home from France.

Thanks to everyone who reads/reviews/favorites/follows. You're amazing!

Enjoy!

"We need a home base," Natasha said.

"What? No, wait, we can't leave," Jemma said, trying to sign as fast as she could so that Skye could keep up.

"Ward will come back here now that he's free," Natasha said, "and at this point we're sitting ducks."

She indicated Skye, who was vacillating between typing furiously on her laptop and watching Jemma's signing, and the twins on the futon. Wanda was once again mumbling and had tried to claw her wrists open with her fingernails, so Pietro had reassumed his position restraining her.

"We have to give our Jane Austen presentation today!" Jemma protested.

"Are you serious?" Natasha asked.

"Yes!"

Natasha threw up her hands.

Interpret for me, please, Skye signed to Jemma, who nodded and began speaking as Skye's hands moved. Jemma and I met in our Jane Austen class. The presentation we've been preparing for brought us together. It was the reason Jemma learned to sign. It's the reason we're now a couple. I know it's the reason I'm still upright and willing to fight – because Jemma's been here with me, and because we've been studying Jane Austen.

"You two are unbelievable," Natasha muttered.

"Let us go give the presentation," Jemma said. "We'll go with you to whatever home base you want us to after that."

Skye nodded.

Natasha looked over at the twins. "That sound okay with you two?"

"We have no other plans," Pietro said, only somewhat ironically. "We will wait here for Phil and the pills."

As though in response to his words, there was a knock at the dorm room door. Jemma went to answer it.

"Look through the peephole first!" Natasha barked.

"I'm not an idiot," Jemma muttered.

It was Phil and he came into the room shaking snow from his coat. "It's chilly out there," he said, trying to sign with his hands still in his thick gloves.

"Good morning," Jemma said.

"What's the plan for today?" Phil asked, yanking his gloves off so he could sign. "I'm presuming you already know Grant Ward's out of the pokey."

Why do people call it the pokey? Skye asked.

It refers to a small, confined space. From the British.

Of course it is. Skye rolled her eyes.

"Natasha wants to take us to a safe house," Jemma said.

"Not a safe house," the redhead corrected. "A home base."

"Got any ideas on where that'll be?"

"I'm thinking the twins' house," Natasha said. "If that's all right with them."

Pietro nodded. "If she was here I am sure Wanda would also agree."

Wanda let out a stream of anguished Russian and rocked back against Pietro, trying to break free.

"Shh, shh," Pietro said. "I am here, very best sister. Do not listen for to them."

"It's a good place for a few reasons," Natasha went on. "It's close enough to Skye's house that we can get backup from Summer if necessary, but it's not Skye's house, so we won't be disturbing Summer's dance studio clients. I think Wanda would be more comfortable in a familiar space. Plus, it's fairly isolated, so we can see that asshat coming."

Skye let out a snort.

What? Phil asked her.

It's just funny when you spell a-s-s-h-a-t, she replied.

"Who are you thinking for to take on this mission?" Pietro questioned.

"All of us," Natasha replied. "And Maria. And Melinda if we can track her down. Bobbi and Trip if they're available."

"Maria's in the car outside," Phil said. "She was with me when I discovered Ward was bailed out of jail."

Jemma looked over at Phil. "Do we even know where Professor May went after yesterday?"

Phil shook his head. "No, but I'm willing to bet we could track her down."

Do we want to? Skye asked.

Her simple movements stopped the conversation nearly immediately.

"What are you saying?" Phil asked slowly, signing and speaking at the same time.

I'm saying she's lied to me since I've met her. I'm saying that she's had information about my past, things I never knew and Summer never knew, that she's kept from me. She's already been involved in some mysteriously shady circumstances surrounding a student who for all intents and purposes could have been me, Skye replied. And there was another file in there, so I'm willing to bet Katia and I weren't the only ones.

Phil shook his head. She's been a close friend and confidant since I started working at the university. I can't believe she's doing anything more than what she thinks is right.

Skye looked at him wearily. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you think is right, Phil. Morals are different for everybody, and until we know more, I'd prefer she doesn't join us. Unless you think Maria's not going to come without her.

Oh, no, Maria's as frustrated as you are, Phil signed.

"Can she get the van?" Natasha asked, seeing the sign for "Maria."

"What, do you think we're going to need supplies?" Phil rolled his eyes.

He met Natasha's gaze and knew that's precisely what she was thinking.

"And I think Pietro might appreciate the space to be able to… help Wanda if necessary," she added.

"Very much so," Pietro agreed from the futon, still attempting to pin Wanda's arms to her body. "Um, not for to interrupt planning session, but mladshaya sestra needs the pills sooner before later."

"Shoot, I completely forgot. I am so sorry," Phil said, and he took a white paper bag from his jacket pocket. "I really am sorry, Pietro."

"Is all right," Pietro said, though his face was drawn. "She is… she has been not-here this way before. It does never get easy. Gets more… uhh…"

"Manageable?" Jemma suggested.

"Familiar?" Natasha offered.

"Da, both."

Skye fetched a clean plastic cup from the bathroom, ran water into it, and handed it to Phil. Pietro carefully explained which pills Wanda needed and Phil tipped them out into his palm.

"Now is the no fun part," Pietro said, his voice soft. "Very best sister, need for you to take the medicine."

"No," Wanda growled.

"For me?"

"No." She rocked back against him, trying to head-butt him.

"Wanda, take the pills and voices go away," Pietro said.

"No," she repeated firmly, her hands going for her arms.

"Dostatochno," Pietro snapped at her. "Please, Wanda, stop. Take pills. Make it stop."

"Can't make it stop," Wanda said, and she turned to look at him. "Klo ty?"

"Oh, God, Wanda," Pietro said in anguish, and he bent his head to hers, starting to cry softly.

She looked up at Phil and Skye. "Klo ty?" she repeated.

Phil heard her breathing pick up. He turned to Natasha.

"She's asking who we are," Natasha murmured.

Phil knelt down in front of Wanda. "Hi, Wanda," he said carefully. "We've met before, but it's all right that you don't remember. I'm Phil. I'm a friend. I sign with Skye. I have some medicine here that might make you feel better. Will you take it?"

Wanda met his eyes. "Confused," she whispered.

"We can make that stop," Phil said, keeping his voice gentle.

"Pietro is sad."

Phil nodded. "Yes. But he's not mad. And you remembered his name."

"Very best brother," Wanda whispered. Her eyes darted over to Natasha. "Came to get me, once upon a time, da?"

"Da."

Wanda raised her eyes to Skye. "You are not to hear, yes?"

Jemma stepped forward and signed to Skye.

Skye nodded. "Still love you," she vocalized.

Wanda's eyes went back to Phil. "Take pills now."

"Good girl," Phil said, and he handed her the pills one by one, passing her the cup of water between each one. As she swallowed each of them her body seemed to relax by degrees until she was loose and drowsy against Pietro.

Jemma tapped Skye on the shoulder. We've got an hour before our presentation. Do you want to go over it again?

Skye shook her head. I know it already. You'll talk, I'll run the Power Point, we'll ace it and then we'll be free for Christmas break. I'd rather pack and then go over to Professor May's office.

Jemma looked confused. Why?

Because I'll need clothes and a toothbrush.

Jemma rolled her eyes. You know what I mean.

I want that other file.

I don't want to be part of your bad girl shenanigans.

Fine. You can wait in the hallway.

Like hell.

Skye slipped her laptop into her backpack and pulled on her coat and boots. Jemma found her own pack and yanked on her outerwear.

You need an interpreter for this? Phil asked. I think Natasha's got plans to make, and I'll send Maria up to help her.

I always need an interpreter, Skye replied, giving him a grin. That's very generous of you.

It's what I get paid for.

I'm sure your job description doesn't include being a drug mule and convincing my schizophrenic sister to take her meds.

You'd be surprised. The university is fairly liberal these days. Also, we don't like the term "drug mule." We prefer to be called "medicine llamas."

Skye laughed.

Phil shrugged back into his coat and turned to Natasha. "Take care of these two, all right? I'm going to send Maria up so you two can discuss strategy."

Natasha nodded. "Sounds good."

Skye knelt down in front of the futon and carefully reached for Pietro, bringing his chin up so he could see her hands. Jemma and I have to go to class now, she signed. Natasha and Maria will be here. Do you need anything?

Pietro shook his head and looked down at Wanda. Seeing that she was fairly calm, he released her wrists to free up his hands. We are okay. Thank you for all of this.

You are my brother, Skye reminded him. There is no "all of this." We're family.

Pietro gave her a somewhat watery smile. You are a good girl.

Sometimes.

Skye leaned in and kissed Wanda on the forehead. "Stay safe," she vocalized.

"Pretty girl," Wanda replied, bringing one hand up jerkily to brush Skye's face. "Pretty girl."

Melinda woke alone in the bedroom she usually shared with Maria. It was cold and suddenly sterile around her, despite the presence of all the usual knickknacks and decorations. She didn't want to get up, didn't want to face the messages on her phone and the knot of guilt in her stomach.

"I thought we had a chance," Melinda said aloud, her voice startling her. She wasn't sure if she was referring to her relationship with Maria, her connection to Skye and Jemma, her friendship with Phil, or the way she'd tried, once upon a time, to save three girls from hell.

She'd failed with Katia. That much was true. Few things eclipsed failure as much as finding out that a student, a child for God's sake, had leapt to her death. Melinda felt as guilty as if she'd pushed Katia.

She'd failed with Skye. There was no other way to describe it accurately. Things had been going so well – Skye was happy, she was safe (sort of), they were going to figure things out together. Skye wasn't alone the way Katia was; she had Phil and Jemma, Trip, Bobbi, Hunter, Maria and Natasha, her siblings, her dog, and Melinda. And yet it hadn't been enough. Melinda desperately wanted to rush to campus, to find Skye, to try to explain. If only there was an explanation for things like this.

Melinda pushed the covers off, got out of bed, put her slippers and robe on, made the bed, and opened the curtains. It was still snowing.

In the kitchen she turned on the coffee maker and hesitated as she went to reach for two mugs from the cupboard. Instead she took out only one, setting it on the counter, awaiting coffee.

She sat at the kitchen table and idly flipped through a gardening catalog that had somehow made its way to a home where no one gardened. It was still nice to look at all of the brightly colored flowers and crisp-looking vegetables, thinking of all of the people who would undertake such a responsibility in the spring to bring that kind of happiness into their lives.

Peonies, violets, morning glories, tulips… Melinda flipped another page. Heirloom tomatoes, snap peas, Korean broccoli? What the hell is Korean broccoli?

She sighed and turned another page, firmly intending to toss the catalog into the recycling bin as soon as the coffee was done.

Her fingers stopped in the middle of the page. Bright roses in every color were splashed across the shiny paper.

Roses.

Melinda felt as though she'd been punched in the sternum, remembering something she wasn't sure she'd ever truly forgotten.

She'd failed with the third girl, but it hadn't been her fault.

Maybe it was time to revisit that avenue, figure out if all of the puzzle pieces truly were connected.

If anyone knew, it would be Raina Rose.

Phil had to admit that if he'd been through everything Skye and Jemma had, his presentation on "Jane Austen in the Age of Internet Dating" would have consisted of a lot of stuttering, some awkward hand gestures, bad clip art, and little else. But his girls – and he wasn't too embarrassed to find himself calling them that – had done a great job. Jemma beamed as the professor gave them criticism on their project; Skye kept her eyes on him to make sure she received every word as well. Thankfully there wasn't a great deal of criticism, mostly praise on their unique idea and twist on the project.

He sat through eight other presentations before the professor wished the students all a happy holiday break and let them go. By then Phil had twelve text messages on his phone, and from the way Skye was checking hers frantically, he assumed she had just as many.

Maria's got the van. – Nat

How in the hell do I let you talk me into these things? – Maria

We're planning on leaving in two hours. – Nat

Do you remember where I put my emerald earrings? I think I'll wear them when I'm at my parents' this weekend. And I'm so sorry they didn't invite you. I'll try to talk to them about it. – Audrey

Mr. Phil – just received a rather vague text message from Natasha inviting me, Trip, Hunter, and Clint to Christmas with Skye's family. Care to elaborate? – Bobbi

Talked to Summer. She's onboard. She'll take some supplies and Little Bear down to the twins' house. – Nat

Phil – call me when you get this. News on GW and where he might be headed next. – Fury

"Nick."

"Phil."

"What's the news?"

"Your boy Ward's gotten himself mixed up with the wrong crowd," Nick said shortly.

"I thought we'd already agreed on that."

"He's working with a twisted son of a bitch scientist named Whitehall," Nick said.

"Why does that name sound familiar?"

"That girl you're hell-bent on saving? He was running the place she got yanked out of."

A ball of ice dropped into Phil's stomach. "And Ward's…"

"Presumably in his custody, planning mayhem and other non-good things," Nick replied. "Since Whitehall's the one who broke him out of jail last night."

"Well, shit."

That night Skye looked around the twins' living room in satisfaction. Somehow her "family" – and it wasn't weird to call them that – had crammed into the small house in a perfect way. She and Jemma were twined together and Little Bear was in her arms. The twins' small Christmas tree had been pulled out of storage and Summer had spent a bit of time decorating it with lights and their treasured ornaments. Since the twins were culturally Jewish (and had presumably been practicing Jews in Russia, though neither remembered), she'd also found their menorah and a box of candles, despite the fact that Hanukkah was still a few days off. There was a fire in the fireplace and the room smelled like apples and wood smoke.

Phil and Maria and Natasha and Clint sat on one side of the room, Phil and Maria on a loveseat and Natasha and Clint on the floor in front of them. They were discussing something in rapid but low voices, and whatever it was seemed very serious. Skye didn't want to think about what it might be.

Bobbi, Trip, and Hunter were playing cards with Pietro. He was trying to teach them to play a card game he called "Russian Snap," but the rules seemed to change every hand and they were mostly to his benefit. Trip was saying "Come on, man" so often that Skye could easily read his lips despite his laughter.

Wanda was on the other end of the couch. Her eyes were still a bit haunted, but her face had lost the tight, pinched, terrified look she'd had back in the dorm. Pietro had convinced her to put on a pair of thick fleecy sleeves that covered her arms and enclosed her hands in soft mittens, with a strap around the wrists. He knew she hated them but they were the easiest way for him to make sure she stayed safe, since on the ride home she'd had another panic attack, dissociated completely, and bitten her hands until they bled. At the moment Wanda didn't seem to mind so much, and Skye knew that was due to the massive dose of anti-anxiety medication streaming through Wanda's bloodstream. Sometimes Skye forgot how grateful she was for modern medicine.

Between petting Little Bear and turning her head to sign to Jemma, Skye ran her fingers through Wanda's hair. She could feel contented vibrations emanating up from Wanda, and that made her happy.

At last the fire died down and people drifted off one by one to sleep in the various places that had been set up around the house. Summer moved over and sat on the coffee table in front of Skye.

They're sleeping, Skye signed, indicating Jemma and Wanda, asleep on either side of her.

Summer nodded. She hesitated and then signed, Do you want to talk about it?

Skye shrugged. Not much to talk about. I'm not the person I was two days ago, and yet it doesn't seem to matter much.

I swear I didn't know anything about this, Summer signed. The only part I knew about was that you were adopted. Which you knew. All this other stuff, the medical research, how you went deaf, your parents, that man Garrett's brother… this is all new to me.

I believe you.

If I'd known…

I wouldn't have wanted you to do anything differently, Skye signed firmly. It's like I told Jemma – I have an amazing life. An amazing family. People who defend me. Siblings who are three of the most amazing people in the entire world. A gorgeous girlfriend. The best dog.

She gave Little Bear a tighter hug. It doesn't matter so much. Maybe we'll find my parents. Maybe we don't want to. Maybe I'll figure out why Professor May had those files in her office. Maybe we won't. Right now it's important to me to be here, with Jemma, with Wanda, with you and Pietro and everyone else. We need to focus on us.

Summer smiled. You're wonderful.

I had some pretty good teachers, Skye replied.

Are you going to get some sleep?

Skye shrugged. At some point. I want to make sure Pietro gets at least six hours.

Her face darkened slightly. You didn't see Wanda's latest… episode… but it was frightening. The worst one I've seen.

Summer nodded. But you're all here now, and you're safe.

Thanks for being my safe place, Skye signed.

Any time.

Skye waited until Summer went into the dining room, where a series of sleeping bags were laid out, before she shifted slightly and reached into the backpack at her feet.

Despite reassuring Phil that she wouldn't, Skye had left him in the union coffee shop talking football with some professor, taken Jemma, and they'd broken into Professor May's office for the third file. Now it was time to start putting the pieces together, to figure out if Professor May was still on their side. If she'd ever been on their side at all.

Let's see who you are, Skye thought as she opened the file, Raina Rose.

Translations:

Dostatochno - stop! or enough! (phonetic Russian)

Klo ty? - Who are you? (phonetic Russian)