OH MY GOODNESS I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT.

You poor poor souls *hands out cookies and milk to make you feel better*

Here's what happened:

Okay, Ariel and I opened the document for Chapter 23 and low and behold it was totally BLANK.

As you might have picked up, Ariel and I are totally swamped with work right now. Our saving grace was the prewritten material and now it had run out. So we set out to write the next chapter. But it took longer than we would have liked because Ariel is insanely busy and I totally got CRUSHED by a gluten attack (I have Celiac Disease!).

But our love for you prevailed. It might be short and it might be a filler section while we work out the rest of the story, but IT IS A BRAND NEW CHAPTER!

Also, we have an awesome announcement for you; we will be continuing for at least several more chapters! I'll keep you updated on what a realistic new update schedule will be, but the story continues! And your feedback on what you'd like to see has been noted.

Thank you all again, you are amazing!

When Phil opened the door to his and Mel's bedroom to head down the hall, he nearly stepped on the folded piece of paper positioned in the doorway. Luckily the bright colors on it caught his eye right before it was crushed beneath his bunny slipper.

A smile slowly spread across his face as he picked up the paper and admired the drawing of a house on the front.

Their house, he mused. Opening the card, his smile grew as he read the words painstakingly printed in crayon.

"THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF US."

The writing was clearly Skye's; a couple of the letters were backwards and others were scribbled out. Phil could almost see Natasha helping spell out the words while Skye leaned over the paper, her bottom lip stuck out in her characteristic look of concentration.

Beneath the words was a small drawing of four figures, two smaller and two bigger. It was a picture of them - all of them. And they were surrounded by little hearts.

Phil almost started crying right there.

A small movement caught his attention and he suddenly realized that Skye was peeking out from her bedroom across the hall, watching him.

"Mel, come here!" Pretending he didn't see the little girl, Phil turned back to the room and beckoned Melinda. She was doing tai chi, balanced on one leg, but she cracked one eye open to look at him. "We got a present," he beamed, holding up the paper. "From Skye."

Mel's expression shifted, a small smile lighting up her face as she moved toward him to the doorway.

"Skye is watching us," he whispered into Mel's ear as she took the card from him. She nodded slightly, her gaze focused on the drawing before her.

Phil couldn't help but watch his wife's face as she read the card, delighting in the way her eyes brightened and her smile deepened.

Something about her expression reminded him of how she had reacted when he asked her to marry him.

To anyone else, it might seem that Melinda May was simply smiling. But Phil could see the way her dark eyes had softened and the gentleness with which she held the paper.

They were both falling in love with their new little family.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Phil asked her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"It is," May agreed adamantly. "It's perfect."

From the corner of his eye, Phil saw Skye beam and retreat back into her room, the door closing softly behind her.

A sudden idea struck him and he grabbed May's hand, tugging her down the hall toward the stairs. "Come with me."

She obliged, smiling lightly as he pulled her after him. "Where are we going?"

He could barely hold in his excitement but managed to stay silent until they reached the kitchen table.

"We should write back!" he finally gasped.

Melinda's eyes sparkled, the lithe woman already turning to pull out the drawer where they kept the printer paper. "Skye and Natasha don't really believe our verbal assurances that we want them - a physical reminder might be just what they need."

Phil hadn't even thought of that but the realization literally caused his heart to pound with excitement.

He knew in that moment that he would do everything and anything he could to prove to Natasha and Skye that they were safe and loved.

Rummaging through the drawers with Mel, Phil grabbed all the art supplies he could find and they got to work.

"They got it and they liked it!"

Natasha groaned softly, opening her eyes to the sight of Skye bouncing around the room.

After the whole meltdown at dinner the night before, Skye had enlisted her help to make a secret card for Mr. Coulson and Mrs. May.

"Mr. Coulson said it was beautiful and Mrs. May said it was perfect," Skye said excitedly, sticking her face up really really close to Nathasha's. "She said perfect!"

"That's because it was perfect," Natasha smiled, reaching up to smooth Skye's crazy bedhead.

"Do you think they will put it on the fridge?" Skye's large dark eyes were so hopeful that it almost physically hurt Natasha to look into them.

"I think they'll put it somewhere special," Natasha murmured, still trying to get rid of the tangles in Skye's hair. However the smaller girl danced away before she could finish.

Seeing her sister so happy made Natasha happy too. But some dark hidden part of her was getting more and more scared the brighter Skye's smile got. Because... even after everything Mrs. May and Mr. Coulson had done for them and everything they said, Natasha couldn't believe that things would really be different.

She really wanted to believe it. She wanted to be happy and hopeful and excited like Skye but she just couldn't. It was like that part of her was broken and she didn't think it could be fixed.

So instead, Natasha just held onto the soft warmth that hugged her chest when she thought about the words Mrs. May had said to her yesterday.

"We want you here and we want you to just be yourself..."

The crazy thing about what Mrs. May had said was that Natasha thought she might have actually meant it. Natasha knew when adults were lying to her and it didn't seem like Mrs. May was. Her dark eyes had never left Natasha's face and her expression had been really serious. Nice, but serious. And nobody had ever told Natasha not to do stuff for them before. Usually they were screaming at her to do more.

Even if Mrs. May was telling the truth that didn't mean that it would be the truth forever, Natasha reminded herself. Things could change.

But for once, Natasha didn't want them to change.

Rolling over to lay on her back, Natasha stared at the ceiling, memorizing it.

She could suddenly see all the other bedroom ceilings she had at all her other homes. Natasha always memorized them. Some of them she wished she could forget.

She didn't want to have another ceiling.

That thought almost made her curl in on herself.

She was letting herself think about what she wanted. But wanting things was dangerous - it would hurt so much more when everything went wrong.

"Nattie?" A small hand found hers.

Skye.

Natasha clung to her little sister's hand, turning over on her side to look at Skye's worried face. Skye had laid down beside her, so close their foreheads were almost touching.

"Are you okay?" Skye's brow was furrowed.

"Yeah." Natasha nodded slightly.

Skye stared at her, narrowing her eyes and looking adorably suspicious. "What's wrong?"

Natasha felt a rush of warmth at her sister's earnest care.

"We want you here and we want you to just be yourself..." Mrs. May's words echoed in her mind and Natasha didn't push them away this time. Suddenly she felt much lighter.

"I didn't get a good-morning hug, that's what's wrong," Natasha pouted exaggeratedly.

Skye's expression smoothed into a smile.

"Good morning!" her little sister sang as she squeezed her tightly. It hurt Natasha's ribs but she didn't care at all.

Kissing the top of Skye's head, Natasha got up, sliding out of bed to go brush her teeth and get ready for the day.

When she opened the door, a piece of paper was waiting expectantly for her.

Glancing back at Skye who was busy picking out clothes, Natasha slowly picked up the paper.

On the front there was a drawing of her, Skye, Mr. Coulson, and Mrs. May all reading Matilda together. The edges of Natasha's mouth twitched in a smile she couldn't hold back.

Turning the paper over, she read the small note.

"Natasha and Skye, we are so happy you are here with us. You are such amazing, smart, kind girls and you have so much to offer the world! Thank you for making our home a better place."

Natasha read the note again, her eyes suddenly super itchy.

For a bit she just carefully held the card, not quite ready to let it go.

Then Natasha slowly put the paper back down. She knew Skye would be super excited to find it and show it to her; Natasha would just pretend she hadn't found it first.

But when Skye calmed down and finally put the card down, Natasha would make sure to put it in a safe place.

Thank you for your patience! Sorry it's short (but sweet, right?) We're working on writing out more material for you all! (see author's note at the top!)

Out of curiosity, what's everyone's favorite chapter so far?

Until next time!

~silverlining