I cannot tell a lie; I love this chapter!

Also, thank you for your wonderful reviews. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! I really read every single one and am so encouraged by them. Apparently most of you would read this story even if it went on forever which is a very high compliment! Thank you!

I need to talk to Ariel96 (we are both crazy busy) but I should have some update on how many more chapters to expect by the next chapter. I can tell ya'll aren't going to have had your fill of family angst and cuddles by the end of the next chapter.

Anyways, enough of me talking - time for you to read!

Something was off (more off than normal, and that was saying something) and Melinda knew what it was, but she didn't know why.

Over the last two days, Natasha and Skye had ever so slightly begun to relax a bit. They were both still hyper-aware of what was going on around them and seemed to be constantly on alert, but she could now enter a room and the girls would only glance over at her rather than stop what they're doing and analyze her, and she counted that as a win. The problem was, Natasha wouldn't stop cleaning, and she knew that most people would be overjoyed to have a neat kid, but Melinda knew that something wasn't right about it.

She had had to constantly remind the little girl that she didn't need to wash the dishes, clean the floor, or wipe down the bathroom. Natasha compulsively picked up after Skye and reorganized all their new toys immediately after they were finished playing with them, which would be considered a good thing if Melinda didn't know that something else was going on with the little girl.

At this moment, Skye had already finished her lunch and had wandered into the living room with Phil to color in her coloring book, and it didn't escape her attention that Skye made sure she sat somewhere that she would be able to see her sister. Natasha had just finished her macaroni and cheese and was gently placing her dishes into the sink.

Melinda let out a sigh when she saw the girl reach for the soap and sponge, "Natasha."

The redhead pulled her hand back quickly and turned to look at her, "Yeah?"

Mel took a step towards the little girl but kept a respectful distance between them so Natasha didn't feel crowded, "We already told you that you don't have to do the dishes, remember?"

Melinda was constantly impressed with Natasha's poker face, but after being around the girl for awhile, she saw the brief look of panic that appeared on the little girl's face before she schooled her features again.

Natasha nodded stiffly before reaching for the sponge again, "I know, but I'm good at doing dishes."

Her frustration spiked a little bit but she shoved it away. Melinda didn't know why Natasha insisted on cleaning but she told herself the way that she was currently handling the situation wasn't working so she had to change her tactics. She regarded the little girl for a moment before straightening up and bracing herself. She was about to do something she didn't enjoy, but she found that it wasn't so daunting when she considered that it would probably help Natasha.

It was time for a conversation.

Stepping forward, she gently pulled the soap and sponge out of Natasha's hands and considered her, "What's going on Natasha?"

Melinda watched as Natasha seemingly turned to stone before her. The little girl placed her hands by her sides, stared over her shoulder, and said nothing. It was obvious that Natasha had just shut down and closed herself off, and Melinda didn't want to push her too far, but they needed to have this conversation.

She took a step back and quietly said, "Please don't do that. You can talk to me, tell me things, and I won't be upset or angry. I just want to understand."

It took a few long moments, but Natasha finally loosened up a little and gave her a disdainful look that Melinda could clearly interpret to mean that the little girl was just as interested in having a conversation as she was. That look made her lips twitch up into a small smile and she motioned for Natasha to follow her so that they could both sit at the table.

Thankfully, Natasha followed after her and they both sat down across from each other. It was silent for a moment before Melinda reminded herself that she was going to have to speak first, so she attempted to gather her thoughts.

She noticed that she was fiddling nervously with her fingers and curled her hands into fists to stop herself before she realized how that might look to Natasha, so she then forced herself to lay her hands flat on the table. She let out a big breath before saying, "I just want to understand why you keep cleaning. You don't have to, you know that right?"

Natasha nodded but didn't say anything else.

Melinda told herself to keep trying, she needed to understand what was going on with Natasha. It felt like they were reaching a milestone here.

"But you want to clean anyways?"

The little girl nodded again but Melinda noticed that her gaze flickered over to Skye for a moment before focusing back on her.

She was trying to piece everything together but Melinda couldn't figure the situation out.

"If you want to clean, we can figure out one or two chores that are suitable for you after you're fully healed. For the next couple of weeks, you should only focus on getting better."

Melinda raised an eyebrow in shock when Natasha glared at her and smacked a hand on the table before growling, "I'm good at cleaning, I can do it."

Puzzled, Melinda sat back and studied the girl for a long moment, unsure of what to say next. Natasha looked back over to Skye before focusing back on her and saying, "Please, I can do it."

Natasha was pleading with her and Melinda was confused and her thoughts were all jumbled until everything clicked into place and she understood what was going on. Her heart cracked a little bit.

She leaned forward and quietly said, "You don't have to clean to stay here Natasha."

The little girl leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms and Melinda could tell that she had hit the nail on the head. It hurt to think that Natasha thought she was only worthy of being here if she was cleaning.

She considered saying something else but, considering how alike she and Natasha were, she decided to sit quietly and let the little girl work through her thoughts. If Natasha had anything to say to her, it definitely wouldn't happen if she pushed her into it.

It was quiet for a long time, only the sound of Skye and Phil quietly talking broke the silence, and Melinda was beginning to accept that she was going to have to try this conversation again later because it didn't seem like Natasha was going to say anything, when the little girl finally spoke up.

Natasha mumbled, "Skye's happy, and cute, and smiles all the time. She's easy to like and… and keep around," Natasha glared impressively at the table and curled into herself, "I'm not."

"Natasha-"

The little girl cut her off, "It's okay," It really, really wasn't and Melinda wanted to tell her that but for the first time since meeting Natasha, she wasn't able to get a word in. "I'm not those things but I can clean. I'm good at that and when I do it, it gives people a reason to keep me around."

By nature Melinda wasn't a touchy person, but all she wanted to do in that moment was reach out and gently squeeze Natasha's hand or give her a hug, but she knew without a doubt that the little girl would hate that, so she refrained. Instead, she softened her voice and said, "We want you here and we want you to just be yourself, not a little house-cleaning service, alright? We want you to be yourself and do things that make you happy because when you're happy, we're happy. We like having you and Skye here with us and you don't need to… to try to earn your place here."

Natasha was still glaring impressively at the table but now, Melinda realized it was because the little girl was trying not to cry. For a moment, Melinda started to panic because she wasn't sure how to handle the tearful little girl but then she realized that even though she wasn't one hundred percent certain on how to deal with Natasha's tears, she would figure it out because Natasha deserved someone who would do that for her, and she wanted to be that person. But before she could come up with a game plan, Natasha cleared her throat and pushed her tears away. Melinda saw herself in the way the little girl repressed her emotions and she winced before realizing that they would have to take things one step at a time and that she could only deal with one problem at the moment.

Natasha cleared her throat again and fiddled with her fingers, "I'll… try to remember that."

"Thank you and don't worry, we'll remind you every day how much you're wanted here," Melinda said confidently.

Natasha finally stopped glaring at the table and quickly looked up at her, the disbelief evident on her face. Melinda sighed internally and reminded herself that this was going to be a slow process. She mentally patted herself on the back for having such a long conversation with the little girl, the longest one they've ever had, she realized, and for seemingly getting through to Natasha.

She stood up and gave Natasha a small smile, "Now, please leave the dishes to me and go play with Skye."

Natasha nodded, stood up, inquisitively stared at her for a long moment, and finally made her way into the living room.

Melinda let out a huge sigh and nodded to herself. That went pretty well.

"Natasha and Skye?"

Skye couldn't help jumping at the sudden interruption of her play with Natasha, spinning around to look at the doorway, her heart pounding. She could sense Natasha tensing similarly, the older girl moving closer to her ever so slightly as they turned.

It was just Mr. Coulson, leaning against the doorframe, face pleasantly relaxed.

Skye relaxed and offered the man a small smile, willing her heart to slow its pace. She still was a little worried that Mr. Coulson would be upset after she had screamed at him earlier that week, even though he said he wasn't and hadn't done anything to indicate that he was.

But adults were good at lying.

"I just wanted to let you know that we are going to have company for dinner tonight," Mr. Coulson explained quickly. "Do you remember Tripp?"

"The police officer?" Nattie's voice was short and Skye could tell she was not pleased by the announcement. Nervously, Skye reached for one of the gears she had been playing with, spinning it around her finger.

"That's him," Mr. Coulson nodded. "He's excited to see you both again."

Skye glanced at Natasha, whose expression was blank, and knew that her sister did not share the sentiment.

Skye wasn't sure how she felt either. Tripp had seemed pretty nice but he also reminded her of that horrible night that Nattie had called the police and also the time at the hospital. And those weren't things that Skye like to think about.

Living with Mr. Coulson and Mrs. May was like being in a fairytale, the kind that foster kids only dreamt about. She got to be with Nattie, there was plenty of food, they had their own room with a bed, and, so far, it was safe. It was starting to seem like Mr. Coulson and Mrs. May really did care about them, just like they always said.

But inviting a police officer over...

A horrible thought suddenly struck Skye, lodging in her chest and sinking her heart down to her toes.

What if they were bringing over the police officer to take them away? What if Mr. Coulson and Mrs. May didn't want them anymore? The last time she had seen Officer Tripp, she had gotten a new home. And this time, she didn't want a new home.

Skye's heart began to pound as she stared at the scattered toys in front of her. Had she even said thank you for them? Had she thanked Mr. Coulson and Mrs. May for breakfast and lunch and having a bed and going to the mall and keeping them both?

She couldn't remember.

She should have thanked them, not screamed at them, not shied away when they got a little too close, not sucked her thumb and let them do the dishes instead of her.

Skye was nothing but trouble; everybody had said that for as long as she could remember and she believed them. Each family she used to stay with had gotten rid of her without a second thought. One foster mother, when Skye had begged not to send her back, had sneered in her face and told her she wasn't even worth the money they got for her.

Mr. Coulson was saying something but Skye couldn't quite make out the words, instead she found Natasha's hand and clung to it like a lifeline.

"...sound okay?" Mr. Coulson was suddenly looking at her and she nodded dully, not even sure what he had said. Something in Mr. Coulson's expression shifted slightly and it took a moment for Skye to realize that he was worried.

"Are you alright, Skye?"

Natasha wrapped a protective arm around her and Skye buried into her sister's chest, careful not to apply too much pressure to her bad ribs.

"She's fine," Skye heard Natasha say.

Faintly, she could hear Mr. Coulson saying something back, then Natasha responding, and then it was quiet.

"They aren't going to send us away," Natasha's hand touched her back, rubbing soothing circles. Somehow her sister always seemed to know what was bothering her. Skye sat back to look up into Natasha's eyes and saw the faint worry there.

"You don't know that." She hid her face again.

"Mrs. May..." Natasha's voice was halting, almost like she was unsure of what she was saying. "She said they liked having us. She told me that today."

Skye peaked at Natasha's face again, examining it.

"When you guys talked?"

She had been coloring with Mr. Coulson at the time but also keeping an eye on her older sister. Just in case.

"Yeah." Natasha was quiet, looking slightly pensive.

"What did you talk about?" Skye sat up a little bit.

"She said I don't need to clean," Natasha shrugged slightly, as though she was confused. Skye bit her lip. She hadn't been helping clean at all; Natasha wouldn't let her with her cast, but she had thought she would be expected to start working around the house once her arm was better.

"But why are they having a cop over?" Skye crossed her arms as well as she could with the cast on her arm.

The question was left hanging in the air as Mrs. May appeared in the doorway and informed them that Tripp was there.

Dutifully they followed her out, Skye keeping her grip on Natasha's hand as they stood in the hall.

Tripp was not in his uniform; instead he wore jeans and a t-shirt and looked like a normal person, which made Skye feel a little better.

"Hello girls!" His smile was bright but Skye could only muster a small one to return. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks," Natasha answered for the both of them, and Skye caught the glance that Mr. Coulson and Mrs. May sent each other.

Skye tried to act normal and happy at dinner but could barely even eat her food. Miserably she pushed around the chicken and rice on her plate, trying to keep her tears at bay. It was like the fear of being sent away had become a lump and lodged itself in her throat.

She knew that everyone at the table was aware of her being upset but it wasn't mentioned until Tripp's phone buzzed and he excused himself to take a call.

"Skye, love, are you alright?" Mr. Coulson put down his fork and looked at her with kind brown eyes.

"Please, don't send us away!" Skye couldn't hold it back any longer and promptly burst into tears. She knew it was dangerous to tell adults what you wanted because then they could use it to hurt you but Skye didn't think she could be hurt any worse than being sent away.

"What?" Mr. Coulson's brow furrowed, his confusion clear, and even Mrs. May looked genuinely shocked.

"Skye, it's okay..." Natasha was reaching to hug her close but Skye had to say what she had been planning out all dinner. She had to get it out so that they knew.

"I'm sorry that I didn't say thank you and I screamed and didn't help with dishes, but please don't send us back." She could feel her own body shaking against Natasha. "I can do better, I promise! I can be really good."

Her panic clawed at her insides even as she said the words.

"Skye."

The way Mr. Coulson said her name, so carefully and gently, made her cry even harder. She was faintly aware that he was kneeling beside her.

"Can I take your hand?" he asked, and through her tears, Skye nodded and offered him her shaking good hand. He took it; his grip was firm but comforting.

"We are not sending you back." Mr. Coulson's eyes were very serious as he looked at her, and Skye felt a surge of hope flare up in her chest before she quickly smothered it. That type of feeling was dangerous. "Were you thinking that because Tripp came over?"

Skye nodded, tightening her grip on Mr. Coulson's hand. "Last time..." She didn't finish that sentence.

"I'm so sorry that we scared you, Skye. Tripp is not taking you away; he's just visiting as our friend. You are staying right here with us, if that's what you both want." Mr. Coulson gave her a small smile. "We love you and Natasha, Skye." They were silent for a moment, Skye still unable to stop her tears, but she wasn't sure exactly why she was crying anymore.

"Can I give you a hug?"

It was Mrs. May who asked the question, which struck Skye as unexpected but also extra special. She glanced at Natasha, who nodded almost imperceptibly, then all but threw herself into the woman's arms.

Mrs. May was like Natasha. Her hugs made Skye feel safe.

Fear slowly draining from her, Skye clung to Mrs. May tightly before letting go and turning to Mr. Coulson, who was watching with a slight smile.

"Do you want a hug too?" she asked shly.

"I thought you'd never ask." His face broke open into a huge smile and Skye let him enfold her in his embrace. "I love you, kiddo," he said softly as he released her.

Awwwwwww

Thank you again for reading! Again, I'll keep you updated on the future of the story. If we wrote more chapters... dang you would really have to be ready for a sudden jump in writing style (hopefully we've improved? lol - that would suck if we got worse).

If we were to add more chapters, what would you want to see in said chapters? (no promises here, just curious!)

Until the next one!

~silverlining