Thank you so much for your kind reviews! You all are so amazing and understanding! I am doing a lot better now!
Here's the next chapter :) I'll try not to leave ya'll hanging too long. I'm pretty sure you know what's coming.
Also, working on the oneshot I promised! :)
Thanks everyone. Stay awesome :)
"Can I have more broccoli?" Skye smiled sweetly.
Despite their best efforts, the girl had clearly noticed something was going on and that the two agents were worried about something.
As a result, Skye had suddenly become the most incredibly well behaved little girl they had ever seen. Mischievous pranks and attempts at getting onto their technology halted. Instead Skye seemed suddenly very intent on pleasing them.
However the agents just wanted Skye to be herself.
"Skye, you hate broccoli." May reminded her dryly, exchanging a look with Coulson.
"It's for Elsa," Skye informed her.
"Elsa also hates broccoli."
Skye's face fell as she realized she had been caught. Elsa indeed also hated broccoli.
"Skye?"
"Yes?" Skye looked at Phil guiltily.
"Why are you trying to please us?"
"I don't want you to be upset."
"We're not upset with you, Skye. You haven't done anything wrong. We are worried about some things going on at our work. It isn't you." Phil assured her."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Skye asked.
May smiled slightly, recognizing the phrase as one she and Phil often asked Skye when the little girl was upset herself.
"Just be yourself, okay? When you're happy, that makes us happy," Coulson told her.
"Okay." Skye paused to consider that. "In that case, can I have some ice cream?"
May smiled and went to the freezer to get ice cream for all of them.
They started to regret allowing a second helping of ice cream when Skye was literally bouncing off the walls.
May's most recent self defense lesson had involved a basic kick, paired with specific instructions that violence was always a last measure option.
Still, fuelled by sugar, Skye decided she wanted to try her kick to break down a door and it took every ounce of May's agility training to leap through a minefield of spilled Legos and catch the little girl before she could break her foot.
Skye then wriggled out of May's grip, pickpocketing her phone in the process.
"Maybe we should have let her keep being perfect," May grumbled as she finally pocketed her phone, which had gained three Frozen apps by the time she was able to retrieve it.
"Maybe," Coulson laughed at May. Until Skye decided she wanted to wear his beloved slippers.
An hour later, Skye was literally asleep on the floor and Coulson and May were sitting on the couch trying to calculate the risk of waking Skye if they moved her.
"Can you believe how much she's changed?" Coulson marveled. "She's mischievous and troublesome, but so sweet and caring at the same time… She's so affectionate."
"She isn't the same girl," May agreed.
"Do you think we've changed?" Phil paused to look at May. There was a softness around her eyes, a tenderness only Skye was allowed to receive. Before this mission, he had never seen that side of the closed off, war torn agent.
He wondered what she saw when she looked at him.
"I think we have," she said finally.
"I think I like it." Phil gently took her hand. She stiffened at first but then held it tightly.
"We need to move Skye off the grid," Coulson ground his teeth. "I don't understand why you haven't ordered it already."
"Because we have a plan." Fury told Coulson. "One that could get us a good hit on Hydra."
"Why does that involve Skye?" Coulson raised his eyebrows, jaw clenching slightly.
"Sit down. I will lay it out for you."
"Why did you just call me to meet with you?" Coulson looked around at the empty room.
"Due to the fact that Centipede has been consistently one step ahead of us this whole time, we need to keep this information between as few operatives as possible. I'm not saying there's a mole, just that this is a necessary precaution." Fury leaned forward. "Now, we know Centipede is after the girl, their pervious subject. A SHEILD scientist is convinced that her blood is in fact compatible with the serum, based on the samples we were able to find at the first lab raid. If we make the announcement that we are moving the girl, it is likely Centipede will move during the transfer, which would typically be our weakest point. We'll be ready for them and can hopefully catch the leak in our information at the same time. The act will not look suspicious, thanks to the attack at the mall. They would have every reason to believe that the girl is being moved for her safety."
"You want to use Skye as bait," Coulson stiffened.
"Coulson, it is a sound plan."
"And if something goes wrong?"
"It's a risk we have to take."
"No, it's not. Centipede is likely to suspect that we would realize they would try to attack in transit. They will come prepared. More than likely, the scene will turn into a warzone. We will be both putting Skye in grave danger and damaging our own agent's abilities to fight. If we really want to do this, we have to focus all our energy on taking them down, not scrambling to protect Skye. And if all fails, we cannot let Centipede have the one thing that they are after." Coulson paused. "I propose we continue with your plan, except with one alteration. Skye will not actually be present. She will stay in the safehouse."
"As always, your reasoning is sound. But we need this to be completely convincing to lure them in."
"We can pull a car into the garage. There's no way they would know who is in the car."
Fury hesitated.
"Alright." He agreed and Coulson felt a rush of relief. "The number of people who know the actual plan have to be as few as possible. We will need another agent to watch the girl, you and May have to come with us in order to make this convincing. We need someone trusted and who has not been involved in this mission, so that their absence at the transport will not be noticed."
"Agreed. And I suggest we keep this between that agent, May, myself, and you, sir."
"Absolutely. How about Garret? Wasn't he the one who watched the girl last time?"
"Yes, but…"
"Actually, now that I think about it, he will do quite perfectly. He was not even aware of the raids until the second one, and he has not really been involved or present with the situation. Yes. I'll assign Garret to the position. He's a trusted senior agent."
"Skye doesn't like him," Phil shook his head.
Director Fury's eyebrows rose.
"Coulson, I do not give a shit about whether Skye likes him or not. Get your priorities straight. Garret is my choice, end of discussion. Am I understood?"
"Yes sir," Coulson murmured. He knew this was one battle he would not win.
"Excellent. Let us begin the preparations."
"But I don't want you to leave," Skye's lip quivered.
"I know sweetie," Phil held her close. "But Garret will take care of you."
"No!" Skye wailed.
"Why don't you like him?" Phil held her tighter. One of her hands was playing with his hair.
"His shoes," Skye whimpered. "His shoes."
"What?"
Coulson and May exchanged a confused look.
"His shoes?" May took a step forward.
Garret always wore cowboy boots but there wasn't anything particularly scary about them.
At that moment, Garret walked back into the room.
"We're all set for you to go," he told them. "Hey Skye, how are you today?"
Skye buried her face in Coulson's shoulder.
"I like your tutu. Is that color blue your favorite color?" Garret tried with an easy smile but was only met with silence.
"We'll just say our final goodbyes really quick." Coulson told Garret, and he smiled and nodded but didn't seem to get the hint.
So ignoring him, Coulson kissed Skye on the forehead.
"We'll be back soon and then all this will be over."
"We'll watch Frozen? Me, you, and May?" Skye asked, tears starting to trail down her face.
"Of course. I'll see you soon sweetie."
May took Skye, glancing at Garret, and held the girl close, whispering things into her ear, words that were only for Skye to hear.
"Time to move out," Fury appeared. May kissed Skye's cheek and set the girl down reluctantly. Phil and May began to walk toward the garage door when May suddenly grabbed Phil's arm.
"Phil, I have a bad feeling about this," May hissed.
"What?" Coulson whispered. "Why?"
"I don't know, I just do." May's voice was harsh.
It was extremely uncharacteristic and fairly alarming for May to pause and say she had a bad feeling about something.
Still, he pushed it away. They knew they were about to step into a battle, it was probably nerves. Ever since Bahrain, May avoided combat. However, she had agreed to this. It was no wonder that she was on edge. Once they got through this day, everything would be over and hopefully Skye would be out of danger for good.
May stared at Phil, dark eyes troubled.
"Hey," Phil touched her shoulder. "We're in this together. Let's just get this over with."
He started for the exit, making himself not look back to where Skye was most definitely crying on the stairs.
May followed.
I know you all probably hate me for leaving you here but I'll try to update more quickly! :)
