Chapter 25: Innocents Risked
Notes- This is unbeta-ed any mistakes are my own. Feel free to point them out and I'll fix them ASAP.
Wow 25 chapters! That's pretty amazing. I just want to thank the 100 people following this story your support and reviews mean a lot to me.
I hope you like this chapter it has multiple POV's and a bit from everyone.
Grant's POV- Status: The Bus. Whereabouts: "On route to unknown destination."
"So, which movie are we watching?" Tommy asked, looking at their extensive collection with envy.
"You choose, just make sure it's suitable." He requested, picking up the blanket off the back of the couch and covering Skye with it.
Skye glared at him. "No sweepin!" She told him firmly, pushing the blanket off her so it landed on the floor.
"Baby, you can sleep. We'll keep the nightmares away." He promised. Tommy picked up the remote and started playing whatever movie he'd chosen.
"Skye, how about you show me how important snuggling is? I hear that you're the best, pass me that blanky." Tommy said, sitting down next to her.
Skye looked like she didn't know what to do; she looked from him to Tommy, than the blanket, than back to him, and finally picked up the blanket and handed it to Tommy.
Tommy held up the blanket. "How about we place this here so we're warm during snuggle time?" He suggested, spreading the blanket over the three of them to disguise his true mission.
Skye didn't protest this time, she just stuck her thumb in her mouth and mumbled. "What's duh moobie?"
He had to hand it to Tommy; he'd completed the objective perfectly. Skye now had the blanket over her and was settled down to watch the movie, his inner specialist was proud of his little brother's deviousness.
He glanced up towards the screen. "Really? Free Willy. Again? Still haven't seen it enough?" He teased his brother. It would seem his baby brother would never grow out of this movie. He'd lost count of the amount of times he'd had to endure watching it over the years.
Tommy scowled at him. "It's for Skye's benefit actually. She's educating me on the importance of snuggles, so I'm returning the favour by educating her on Free Willy." He said trying to justify his choice. He raised an eye brow. "Ok, fine, you're not the only softie in the family. You satisfied?" Tommy grumbled, scowling.
Skye looked up from her place between them, frowning. "Is Tommy a softie because he loves me too?" Skye asked confused.
"Tommy does love you, but he's a softie because he loves Free Willy." He pointed towards the movie playing on the screen.
"Oh." Skye shuffled around a bit trying to get comfortable, she stuck her little blanket covered feet in Tommy's lap and settled in to watch the movie.
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He wasn't really watching the movie he was too focused on Skye and Tommy's reactions to the story line. He's seen this movie way too many times for it to hold his interest like the other two but the minute changes in their facial expressions kept him entertained far better than any plot.
"Is Willy bad because he misbehaved?" Skye asked him, timidly.
"Willy isn't bad. He was just scared, that's why he didn't do what he was told." He explained.
"Is it ok to be bad if you're scared?" Skye asked him, frowning.
"Baby, you weren't being bad by doing what that guy said. You were scared he'd hurt you, that doesn't mean you misbehaved, that means he did. He should never have used your innocence for his own gain." He said frustrated.
"He smack me." Skye gasped out, breathing unevenly as she buried her face against his side. "He say I stoopid and if I was going to be such a good girl than he'd show me how bad he could be." She confessed breathing hard as tears soaked his shirt.
Grant when ridged at the threat. He took a deep breath, than lifted Skye up so she was straddling his lap. "Skye, you are not stupid. You are a very smart girl. You did what you had to do to keep yourself safe." He told her, firmly. "Just because those things were bad, doesn't mean you're bad." He wiped her tears away. "It also doesn't mean that scared people can misbehave. It just means that some people work harder than other to be brave and find better options, rather than what's easy." He explained to her. "Do you understand, baby? What this man did was very wrong and he did it because he's a coward and rather than step up and fix his problems, he used you and made them worse." He told her, cupping his hand behind her head and drawing her into a protective hug; Skye's little body was shaking uncontrollably against him as she sobbed.
He was shaking just as much as Skye, only it was from barely supressed rage. He rubbed her back in soothing circles. "Shh baby." He whispered, kissing her temple. "Breathe in…breathe out." He encouraged her.
Skye took a shuddering breath in, than exhaled unsteadily and kept crying. "I not bad, I good girl." She spluttered, trying to take a deep breath.
"You're a very good girl, baby. Shh, come on, deep breaths." He instructed, trying to get her to follow his breathing. She just cried. His heart felt tight, he felt like he couldn't breathe with every shaky breath she took. This guy was going to pay for all the pain he'd caused her, he was going to make sure of it.
Thomas' POV
He wasn't sure what to do, he wanted to help but wasn't sure how. Skye's sobs quietened down and her breathing evened out. He looked down to confirm that she'd worn herself out and fallen asleep.
He couldn't help but give a weak smile. Skye was snuggled into Grant's chest, one hand clutching the front of his t-shirt while the other was sucking her thumb.
Grant's POV
"Hand me the other blanket, Skye's feet are cold." He said, moving his arms so Tommy could wrap the blanket around Skye. She whimpered and her eyes fluttered open when he moved, so he quickly wrapped his arms back around her and the blanket, holding her close. "Go back to sleep. I've got you." He told her, kissing the top of her head.
Skye went back to sleep quickly and they fell into silence. "I'm going to find this guy." He told his brother darkly. "And he's going to wish he was never born."
Tommy looked over to him and then down at Skye as she shifted restlessly in him arms. "I know and I'm going to help you." Before he could protest, Tommy cut him off. "Skye's family Grant, we protect our family." He said daring him to disagree and tell him he couldn't help but he didn't disagree and he wasn't going to because he expected nothing less of his brother.
Thomas's POV
He was a little surprised about the lack of protest he was receiving from his brother but he decided not to question it. "How do we find this bastard?" He asked.
Grant didn't lift his eyes from Skye. "Leave that to me Tommy. I wanna bring one other person in on this." He told him.
"Who?" He asked puzzled.
"Coulson, Skye's like a daughter to him. If anyone wants this bastard to pay for hurting Skye just as much as we do it's him." Grant explained. "I can find him but we might need Coulson there in case it gets out of hand."
He nodded in agreement and faced the abandoned movie thinking deeply.
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Coulson's POV
Panic filled him when he saw Ward's bunk empty. "She's gone! Skye's gone!" He exclaimed, looking around the room everywhere and only finding her Iron Man toy on the floor.
Elizabeth hurried into the bunk behind him, also looking around for any sign of the little girl. "She can't be far. Skye's probably with the boys, wherever they are." She told him, calmly. He followed her out of the bunk. "Do you hear that?" She asked him, stopping to listen more closely.
"It sounds like the television; they must be in the lounge." He said, hurrying off to make sure. He stopped as he took in the room in front of him, causing Elizabeth to crash into the back of him.
"Why'd you stopping? Are they in here?" She asked worriedly, trying to looking around him.
"They're in here alright." He chuckled. "Looks like they were watching Free Willy." He noted as he flicked off the TV and DVD player.
Gramsy's POV
Once Phil had moved out of her way, her eyes landed on Skye and her Grandsons who were sound asleep all snuggled up on the couch. Grant had Skye snuggled up to his chest in what appeared to be a hoodie and blanket as he held her protectively again him. Thomas seemed to have his head buried in Grant's shoulder so the light wasn't in his eyes and his legs tucked up under himself.
She smiled at the sight and her worries disappeared for now. "Do you think we should move them?" She whispered.
Coulson's POV
The idea was laughable. "If I tried to move Skye I guarantee you my reflexes wouldn't be good enough to dodge to right hook Ward would send my way, but don't tell him that." He told her, somewhat seriously.
Elizabeth laughed quietly. "Don't worry I won't, you have a good point. I don't think it's safe to move Skye or Thomas but maybe we should put a blanket over them. I think little Skye's the only one going to stay warm." She suggested, grabbing up a spare blanket.
"How about a cup of tea?" Coulson suggested as he made his way over to the three on the couch.
"That sounds lovely. I'll just put this over these three and be right with you." She assured him.
He was confident that Ward was in a deep enough sleep he wouldn't get a black eye so he bent down and placed a light kiss to Skye's messy curly. "Sweet dreams baby girl." He whispered and headed for the kitchen.
Gramsy's POV
She spread the blanket over Thomas mainly as he only had a t-shirt on. She gave him a light kiss on the cheek than carefully tried to adjust the excess blanket around Skye so it covered Grant's right side. Unfortunately this caused Skye to whine unhappily and wriggle around.
Grant's eyes flew open and he tightened his arms around Skye automatically settling her down. "Gramsy?" He murmured quietly, catching sight of her as he lifted his head off Thomas'.
"Relax honey, go back to sleep." She encouraged.
"I should put Skye to bed." He said tiredly, looking down at her.
"Maybe you should, but I think you'll have difficulty extracting yourself from the two using you as a pillow." She pointed out.
Grant's POV
He looked down to see not only Skye using him as a pillow but Tommy slumped against his shoulder. "I don't really have the heart to move them." He confessed.
"It's funny you should mention that." Gramsy muttered.
"Why do you say that?" He asked, confused.
"Oh nothing, I suggested moving you before and Phil laughed saying if he'd even tried to move Skye you might have ended up giving him a black eye." She told him.
He snorted. "He's probably right it. It wouldn't be smart to move either of them on me unexpectedly." He agreed looking down at the two people he would do anything to protect.
"I don't think either is moving anywhere so relax and go to sleep honey. It's been a long day." She told him, giving him a kiss on the cheek and flicking off the light.
Skye snuggled further into him and let out a content noise. "I've got you, baby." He assured, running his fingers through her hair. Tommy didn't seem to like his arm moving and started to grumble in his sleep. He stopped moving his finger through Skye's hair and reached up with his opposite hand to move some of his brother's dark hair out of his eyes and Tommy settled down again.
He rolled his eyes at himself and sighed looking at his baby brother. "You might be big enough to make your own decisions Tommy but that doesn't mean I'm not going to worry if you're making the right one. It's my job to look after you, both of you, whether you're three or twenty six." He sighed, ruffling his brother's hair and giving Skye a squeeze before he closed his eyes.
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Gramsy's POV
She made her way towards her temporary bedroom and couldn't help but smile as her eyes landed on her boys snuggling with they're favourite girl. She was about to head into her bunk when she heard Leo's voice.
"I took a picture before, I'll print you a copy." He whispered, smiling with his head sticking out of his bunk.
"I'd love that. I hope you're not still up because you're worried about what Skye said because she was really over tired and didn't mean it." She told him, assessing his eyes as he watched the three in the lounge.
Fitz's POV
He shrugged. "I know Skye doesn't really think that I'd tell someone but that doesn't mean someone won't, it could happen. That's what's got me worried." He confessed, looking at the floor.
"Leo, I'm not going to lie to you and tell you it won't happen because I know it already has and that's reason enough to fuel your worries. You need to have faith that they can make this work and protect each other when needed." She told him.
He nodded. "I do have faith in them. I know Ward would go to hell and back to keep Skye safe. I know if he thought they couldn't make it work he wouldn't be with her. Ward's the only one who can keep her safe because he'll keep her safe no matter the danger and she'll do the same because she loves him." He reasoned.
Gramsy's POV
She knows it's true. Leo was right. Grant would keep Skye safe because he wasn't worried about the danger; the only thing he was worried about was Skye.
"That's what has me worried." She confessed. "That no matter the danger, he'll protect her. He loves her." She told Leo, placing a hand comfortingly on his arm. "Get some sleep Leo, tomorrow's another busy day." She leaned forward and like she did with her Grandchildren she kissed his cheek goodnight.
Fitz's POV
He blushed at the affectionately gesture as he watched Gramsy glanced one more time at her grandkids and Skye and disappear into her bunk.
He understood her concerns, she loved Ward and didn't want him to put himself in danger but she needed to have faith too. Ward knows that if he got injured or killed because of Skye, she'd never recover. He knows the danger, what he's risking and if there's one thing Ward wouldn't risk its Skye.
