A New Rose Chapter 7: Don't You Ever Grow Up, a X-Men: The Movie + Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Crossover fanfic

A New Rose

Disclaimer:
As always, I own nothing!

Rating:
T

Genre:
Romance/Family/Angst

Pairing:
Coulsye

Lyrics Used:
Taylor Swift - "Never Grow Up"
Toby Keith - "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue (the Angry American)"
Carrie Underwood - "So Small"
Taylor Swift - "Never Grow Up"

Don't You Ever Grow Up

Your little hand's wrapped around my finger | And, it's so quiet in the world, tonight | Your little eyelids flutter 'cause you're dreaming | So, I tuck you in and turn on your favorite night light | To you, everything's funny, you got nothin' to regret | I'd give all I have, honey | If you could stay like that

Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up | Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little | Oh, darling, don't you ever grow up | Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple | I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart | And, no one will desert you | Just try to never grow up, never grow up

"Well?" Rogue prompted, eagerly, as she was surrounded by the rest of her friends as they anxiously awaited the results of Phil and Skye's gender ultrasound. "What's the verdict?!"

Phil and Skye smiled, mischievously as they surveyed all of their new friends' anxious expressions as they all awaited the news of their baby's gender. All except Jean, of course, who had agreed to keep their secret until their big gender reveal party, the following weekend. "Relax, everyone…" Skye replied, turning to Phil with an excited smile.

"All will be revealed at the gender reveal party, this weekend." Coulson replied, enjoying all of the disappointed groans and eye-rolls rather thoroughly.

Scanning the room, Skye couldn't help noticing someone missing and feeling guilty for their absence. "Where's Logan?" She questioned, quietly. "I wanted to apologize for, earlier." She added, casting her gaze downward as she began wringing her hands, nervously.

"He'll be back." Jean assured her, gently. "He just went to work on a surprise for your reveal party." She added. "But, he did want me to tell you that he knew you'd want to apologize and he just wants you to know that there's no apology necessary." The doctor smiled, warmly, resting a reassuring hand on the young mother-to-be's shoulder.

"Thanks, Jean." Skye smiled, gratefully, as she turned to Phil.

"Why don't we get outta here and go somewhere we can be alone." The soon-to-be father offered. It was true. Ever since things had gone south at S.H.I.E.L.D. and they'd both had to go on the run, they hadn't had much time alone, together, just the two of them. He figured they could both use the peace and quiet. After all, they clearly had a lot to catch up on.

"That sounds like the best idea I've heard in a long time." Skye smiled, taking Phil's hand in her own as they made their way out of the crowd, leaving a chorus of disappointment in their wake.

It's so easy to get lost inside | A problem that seems so big at the time | It's like a river that's so wide, it swallows you whole | While you're sitting around thinking about what you can't change | And worrying about all the wrong things | Time's flying by, moving so fast | You better make it count 'cause you can't get it back

"So, what happened at S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Skye questioned, curiously as she and Phil settled themselves onto what had now become their bed, ever since Phil had arrived at the school. "What happened? Why did May order me to run? And, why was she saying that S.H.I.E.L.D. was after me?! What was she talking about?" These were just a small fraction of the millions of questions that still plagued her mind about that day.

"A senior agent … A man by the name of Agent Robert Gonzalez …" Phil began, carefully, making sure he didn't leave anything out. He was done hiding things from his beloved hacktivist. It hadn't served him, well, in the past and he highly doubted it would serve him well, now. " … broke in with a team of agents … They call themselves 'the real S.H.I.E.L.D.' …"

"'The real S.H.I.E.L.D.'?!" Skye questioned, baffled. "What the hell does that even mean?!" She added, completely lost. She never even knew there was another S.H.I.E.L.D. Now, they were hunting her and taking over headquarters?!

"They were saying that S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to lead through transparency and that Fury and his secrets were what caused S.H.I.E.L.D. to fall-" Phil began, trying to answer all of Skye's questions. However, he was soon interrupted.

"Bullshit!" Skye hissed, disbelieving, before Phil spoke, again.

"He wasn't totally wrong." Phil replied, attempting to placate his agitated hacktivist. "I, myself, didn't agree with some of Fury's decisions."

"That still doesn't give them any right to just barge in like they own the place!" The young, expectant mother declared, angrily. "How did they even find the Playground, anyway?!" She wondered.

Phil remained silent as he mentally searched for an easy way to answer Skye's question. Realizing that there was none, he just went for broke with the truth. "Unfortunately, Bobbi and Mac were working for them-"

"Great!" Skye scoffed. "First Ward, now, Bobbi and Mac?! Is there no one we can trust, anymore?!" She declared, hating how helpless she felt. Every time they started to trust someone, that person turned right around and stabbed them in the back.

"They're S.H.I.E.L.D. agents." Phil reminded her, quietly. "The same as us-"

"We are nothing like them!" Skye hissed, not even noticing the bed beginning to tremble, slightly. "We don't just barge in and take what we want! Not from our own people!"

"Skye, please …" Phil pleaded with her, quietly. He knew she needed to relax before things got out of hand – for her own good as well as the babies' … not to mention everyone else. "I need you to calm down."

It was only then that Skye felt the tremors. Employing the breathing techniques that Storm had taught her to help control her emotions, she soon calmed herself enough to stop the tremors. "I'm sorry." She offered, quietly. "I'm just really tired of people turning out to not be completely who they say they are."

"I know the feeling." Phil conceded. He couldn't deny that he, too, had felt somewhat betrayed by Bobbi and Mac's actions. "But, like I said … They're S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. They were just doing their job. Try to see it from their side."

"Their side is kinda hard to see … The way they lied to our faces." Skye scoffed. She wanted to believe in her teammates – to give them the benefit of the doubt. But, it was hard when you'd been stabbed in the back as many times as she shad.

"I know it is." Phil assured his young lover, pulling her into a comforting embrace.

Walking out the door of the Playground, Leo Fitz sighed as he realized he couldn't shake the feeling that he was leaving home. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been his home for so long, he didn't know how he'd ever feel at home, anywhere else. Turning back around, he climbed inside the awaiting car. As the car took off, he began going through his bags only to find that Simmons had made him one of his favorite sandwiches. "Prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella with a hint of pesto aioli." He muttered, to himself, inhaling the aroma as he unwrapped the sandwich. Sinking his teeth into the sandwich, he savored every flavor in each of its many layers – knowing that he may never taste the exact same flavor combinations ever again. Swallowing the bite, on that sad note, Leo noticed the driver of the car pulling off in an abandoned alleyway. "Um, ex-excuse me … Why are we stopping?" He questioned, curiously.

"Because I got a message for ya." The man in the driver's seat replied, gruffly. As Leo took in the man's appearance – his dark ruffled locks, his deep brown eyes – the man was very intimidating to look at. Though, Leo could only stare at him, baffled, when the man passed him a small, pastel green envelope. "Go on…" He encouraged, nudging the envelope a little closer to the engineer. "It's from Skye."

"Skye?!" Leo finally replied – the mention of Skye's name perking his interest. "You know where she is?!" He added, disbelieving, as he quickly snatched the envelope out of the driver's hands. "Is she okay?! Is she safe?! Is she …" However, Leo's voice soon trailed off while his eyes threatened to bulge out of his head as he read the card inside the envelope. "PREGNANT?!" Leo cried, in shock. "What the bloody hell is this all about?!" He demanded, turning to the driver. "Just who the bloody hell are you and where the hell do you think you get off trying to spread a rumor like this?!" He ranted, onward waving the card and the envelope in the driver's face, demanding answers.

"My name is Logan." The driver replied, calmly. "I work for a man named Charles Xavier-" He continued, only to be cut off by the engineer.

"You mean the Charles Xavier?!" Leo questioned, awestruck.

"Sounds like you've heard of 'im." Logan quipped, playfully.

"Wait …" Leo's voice trailed off, as he slowly began putting the pieces, together. "If your name is Logan … Are you one of the X-Men?!"

"You bet your life." Logan replied, casually.

"You're Wolverine!" Leo declared, finally figuring it all out.

"Boy, nothin' gets by you, slick." Logan teased, gently.

"But, how do you know Skye?" The engineer questioned, still trying to figure out that part of the puzzle.

"Because Charles could see her – after she came into her powers. She may not be a mutant, but, Charles' machine – Cerebro – can see anybody, anywhere in the world, with powers or gifts like Skye's." Logan elaborated. "When he saw that she was on the run – that she was being hunted – he ordered me to bring her into the school where the other X-Men and I could help her learn to control her powers while keeping her safe from harm. While she was there, she learned that she was pregnant."

Mulling over Logan's information in his head, Leo voiced his next question. "So … if Skye's pregnant … Who's the father?" He wondered, curiously, before suddenly realizing that it may not be any of his business. But, Skye was his friend. He'd risked everything – even tainting science in the name of protecting her. Surely, that entitled him to know something.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told ya." Logan smirked, watching the wheels turning in the young engineer's head.

"Everything I ever thought I knew has just been turned upside down by people I once thought I could trust." Leo deadpanned. "Try me." He dared, staring Logan straight in the eye as he spoke.

"Well … all right, then." Logan sighed. "The baby's father's name … is Phil Coulson."

Having just taken a sip of water from the water bottle he'd packed when he'd left, Leo reflexively spit the mouthful of water back out, accidentally spraying Logan in the face. "Sorry." He muttered, timidly.

Wiping the water off his face, Logan could only chuckle as he replied "Don't sweat it, kid. … Told ya you wouldn't believe me."

"Actually…" Leo drawled, thinking back over all the time he'd spent with both Skye and Coulson. "The whole team always knew there was something going on between those two. I just didn't know they'd acted on it … I never would have imagined they'd be having a baby." The engineer elaborated, still shell-shocked over the news.

"Well, believe it, kid." Logan smirked. "'At's why I'm here. Just like the invitation said, they're having a big party, this weekend to announce the baby's sex. And, I know it'd sure mean a lot to have you there."

"Definitely." Leo affirmed, excitedly. "Boy … Skye, pregnant … Coulson as the father? This, I've gotta see."

"Well, that's one down." Logan confirmed. "Mind helpin' me get to your friends, Melinda May and Jemma Simmons?" He questioned, curiously.

And, there was the rub. "Oh … That could be a bit of a problem." Leo confessed, quietly. "You see … I didn't want to have anything to do with the 'real' S.H.I.E.L.D. …" He drawled, awkwardly – sneering the word 'real'. "So, once I was cleared and debriefed, they told me I was free to leave if that was what I really wanted. And, since it was, I did." The engineer explained. "But, the problem with leaving is that they usually require you to turn in your badge. So, I can't get us in." He finished, a note of defeat in his tone. However, Logan could almost see the metaphoric light bulb illuminating over Leo's head as he snapped his gaze back up, excitedly. "Wait a minute …" He spoke, once more. "Hang on …" He muttered, digging through his bag, before he pulled out a small robot. "Ah! Here it is! I did manage to bring my DWARFs with me … We can use them to overload the circuits in the main security system and temporarily disable all alarms and locks … They can get us in."

"Sounds like a plan." Logan smiled, swiftly turning the car around to return to the base to get Skye's remaining friends.

"What the hell?!" Bobbi muttered, looking around for an explanation for all of the blank computer monitors around her. "What's going on?!"

"Something's overloaded the circuits in the security system network." Mac explained. "The entire security network's been shut down."

"Can you get it back online?" Gonzalez questioned.

"Should only take me a few minutes once I figure out what overloaded the circuits." Mac nodded.

"Get on it." Gonzalez ordered, curtly. "We can't afford any vulnerabilities." Mac nodded his understanding before setting off to fix the security system. "You don't suppose Fitz had anything to do with this?" The senior agent questioned, turning to face Bobbi, curiously.

"It's doubtful." Bobbi replied, dismissively. "Leo may have access technology that could do something like that … But, he seemed pretty hellbent on getting as far away from here as physically possible." She reasoned. "He may not be our biggest fan, but, I can't see him resorting to something like this. Especially not alone."

"Who says he's working alone?" Gonzalez questioned, quirking an eyebrow at his younger colleague.

"May should be just in here." Fitz declared, quietly, as he and Logan approached the room Leo had seen the other agents take Agent May to.

"Fitz!" May barked, quietly. "Fitz, what are you doing here?!" She hissed, urgently, before turning her attention to Logan. "And, who are you?" She demanded, eying the stranger before her, suspiciously.

"Relax." Fitz replied, reassuring his friend and colleague. "His name's Logan and he's on our side." He added, figeting anxiously under the combination of the nerves from breaking into the base and the pressure of trying not to blurt out the news of Skye's baby. "He knows where Skye and Coulson are!" He squeaked, clapping his hands over his mouth before he said any more.

"You know where Skye and Coulson are?" May demanded, urgently.

"Yes." Logan replied, sincerely. "And, I give you my word that they're both safe and sound." He elaborated. "That's why I'm here-" He added, before Leo finally cracked under the pressure of Skye's secret.

"Skye's pregnant!" Leo blurted out, before he'd even realized it. Recognizing what he'd done, he immediately clapped his hands back over his mouth.

"What?!" May barked. "What are you talking about?" She added, before turnin g her focus to Logan. "What the hell have you done to Skye?"

Logan had to admit that even he felt a little intimidated by the almost feral look in Asian woman's eyes. She looked, for all the world, like a mother that had just learned that her teenage daughter's boyfriend had gotten her pregnant. Which really ain't that far off the mark. He thought to himself as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey! Hey! Take it easy!" He replied. "I didn't do anything – I ain't the kid's father!" He added, defensively. "I'm just a friend of the mother-to-be who knows how much it would mean to her to have all of her friends together at her gender reveal party, this weekend." He finished, offering May her own invitation.

After considering Logan for a brief, tense, moment, Melinda decided to take the proffered envelope. Upon scanning the card's contents, she soon looked up at Logan with an expression that clearly said You gotta be kidding me! You bust me outta here to take me to some party?! "If you're not the father … Who is?" She questioned, though, she suspected she already knew the answer.

"His name's Phil Coulson. … Look, I know it may seem stupid to be talking about a party, right now – with everything going on." Logan conceded. "But, don't you think that's exactly what makes this the perfect time? The 'real' S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't going anywhere, anytime soon … But, I know we could all use a break to step back and regroup." He offered, hoping to sway the pilot.

"I suppose you're right." Melinda finally acquiesced. Truthfully, she was just grateful for the chance to get as far away from the 'real' S.H.I.E.L.D. as possible until they could figure out a way to take back S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Great!" Leo cheered, quietly. "That just leaves Jemma."

"Got the security network back online." Mac reported, rejoining Agents Morse and Gonzalez.

"Good." Gonzalez affirmed, before turning to his agent. "How long until we pinpoint the cause of the system carsh?" He questioned.

"I've already got the scanners running." Mac replied. "We should have the results shortly."

"Keep me posted." Gonzalez ordered, curtly. "I want to know the moment we find the cause of the crash." Turning to face Bobbi, Gonzalez finished his thought. "And, keep me aprised of any intruders you find."

Glancing back and forth between the two agents, Mac could see there was an underlying understanding between the two of them that he'd been left out of. Shifting that to the back-burner, he replied. "You got it."

"Fitz!" Jemma Simmons squeaked in surprise when she saw the ever-familiar engineer enter the lab alongside Melinda May and another man she didn't recognize. "What're you doing here?" She just managed to get the words out before Leo clapped a hand over her mouth to silence her.

"Shh!" Fitz quieted her, quickly. "Not so loud. We don't have a lot of time." He elaborated, finally releasing the bio-chemist. "This is Logan – he's on our side. He knows where Skye and Coulson are. And – to make a very long and complicated story as short as physically possible – he's here to take us all to them for Skye's big gender reveal party."

"'Gender reveal party'?!" Jemma gasped, quietly. "You mean … Skye's pregnant?!" Looking at her friends and the stranger with them in disbelief, she added "Are you serious? Who's the father?!" She demanded.

May, Fitz, and Logan all shared an awkward look as May finally broke the silence. "It's Coulson." She replied, quietly.

"May and Coulson are having a baby?!" Jemma squealed, before Fitz quickly clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Not so loud!" Fitz hushed, before releasing the bio-chemist.

"Sorry." Jemma apologized, quietly. "What are we waiting for?! Where are they?! Are they okay?!" Jemma finally silenced herself as she realized she was rambling.

"I can take you to them." Logan replied, quietly. "Long as one of you can get us outta here." He added, uncertainly. "The security system's gotta be back up, by now."

"They are." May affirmed. "But, I know a back way out." She elaborated, taking the lead as the others followed her.

Phil and Skye glanced around the room at all the people that had gathered together for their big Gender Reveal party. "Wow … I can't believe how many people showed up." Skye mused. "It looks like Charles invited the whole school … students, faculty – everybody!" She added, absently rubbing a hand over her well-rounded belly.

"Just goes to show how much they all love you." Phil smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders – squeezing her, gently, placing a feather-light kiss to her temple.

"Where's Logan?" She wondered, scanning the room for her friend and mentor.

"Right here." Logan grinned, raising his arms to gesture to Skye's friends on either side of him.

Whirling around to face the source of the reply, Skye froze to the spot when she saw Fitz, May and Jemma with him. "Oh my God!" She squeeled, breathlessly – frantically waving her arms for her friends to come to her – to which, they eagerly complied. "What are you doing here?!" Her squeal was muffled by the group hug she'd found herself in the middle of.

"Logan brought us all together and brought us here." Fitz replied, excitedly. "We couldn't believe the news!" He added, taking Skye's hands in his as he stepped back to admire her large belly. "Good Lord … You've gotten so big!"

"Gee, thanks, Fitz!" Skye replied, freeing one of her hands to playfully smack Fitz on the arm. "I'm not fat, ya know! I'm pregnant!"

"You look beautiful, as always." Melinda May assured the young mother-to-be. "You're positively glowing." She smiled.

"Is that an … actual smile?" Skye replied, playfully.

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it!" May replied, playfully.

After the party had gotten underway, Phil and Skye stepped up to the top of a grand staircase – gaining the attention of all their guests. "First of all…" Skye spoke, greeting all of her friends that had gathered together at their party. "…I'd just like to thank you all for being here, today. I can't tell you how much your support means to Phil and I." She smiled, as a question-mark-shaped piñata – brightly decorated with the pastel yellows and greens. "And, now, the moment you've all been waiting for…" She added, as she stretched her hand out toward the piñata. The mutants and humans all around her watched and waited on bated breath to see what color confetti would burst out of the cocoon that was the piñata. As they all watched, anxiously, the piñata slowly began to shake and vibrate. Slowly, the vibrations grew larger and more violent until the piñata finally gave way – bursting open like a bomb as pink confetti rained down on the party-goers.

A chorus of cheers erupted from the crowd. "It's a girl!" Skye heard several people shout. Turning to Phil, she gave her older lover a sly wink as he slinked away – completely unnoticed by the party guests all clapping and cheering over the results of the reveal. Slipping into position in shadows, Phil slipped a pistol – pre-loaded with blank rounds – as he waited for the second piñata – of the same shape and color-scheme – lower down from the ceiling. Once the piñata had lowered down into position, Phil thought to himself, as he aimed his weapon I can't believe nobody suspects a thing! Carefully taking his aim, he grinned as he fired a single shot – hitting his mark – the dead center of the piñata. He had to admit, he enjoyed the shocked screams quite thoroughly as he watched everyone whirled around toward the sound of the shot while blue confetti rained down upon them, just as the pink confetti had done, moments ago.

"I don't understand?" Rogue was the first to speak up as Phil and Skye joined the crowd down below. "I thought it was a girl … But … then a second piñata blew up and revealed blue confetti…" She continued, attempting to process the meaning of the events that had just transpired.

"It's pretty obvious, don't ya think?" Hank spoke up, in response. "Phil and Skye have been so intent on keeping the gender results under wraps … because they wanted to surprise with the fact that they're having TWINS!" He elaborated, excitedly.

"Congratulations, you two." Melinda May added, joining the small group. "This is incredible news!"

"Incredible." Skye agreed. "But, also terrifying." She confessed, quietly. "I never even expected one child and now, I'm going from being a single woman to a mother of two all in one foul swoop. "It's just a lot to process."

"It's definitely over-whelming." Jemma agreed. "But, remember … You're surrounded by people who love you and support you, unconditionally." She offered, hoping to bring whatever measure of comfort she could to her friend. "Always remember that. You're not alone in this."

"Of course." Fitz added. "We'll all do whatever we can to support you and Director Coulson." He added.

"Thanks, you guys." Skye smiled, leaning into Phil's side, slightly. After a few more moments, she added. "All right! Enough with the heavy!" She declared. "It's time we started enjoying our own party." She finished, smiling at Phil.

"I couldn't agree more." Phil agreed, smiling, as he and Skye joined the rest of their friends and mingled through the crowd.

Author's Note:
As always, I hope you've enjoyed this little offering. As I stated in a previous story, my husband and I are preparing to go out of town, tomorrow night. And, I will be starting a new job the day after we get back. So, I can't promise when the next update will be posted. I do, however, promise to get it posted just as soon as I possibly can. In the meantime, please, don't forget to leave me a review!

~Skye Coulson