Chapter Two

To Jemma's surprise Skye had a job. It was a waitressing job in a small café at the end of the town near where Skye lived. Jemma, on the other hand, lived close to their school therefore both agreed that Jemma would take the baby home with her until Skye's break at around 6.

Jemma felt incredibly stupid while waiting in line. There she was, an eighteen year old girl in line for a coffee with a doll in her arms. When it was finally her turn to give up an order Skye greeted the both with a chivvied grin.

"Look who's here, …mom."

Her smile wouldn't give it away but Skye was actually waiting for this assignment since beginning of the school year. It had been her plan all along. This project would save this class' grade.

Almost all year Skye did just enough not to fail and this plan never backfired. Other than most people thought, Skye was not stupid. In fact, Skye was really clever and she wouldn't have to do much for a good grade. All there is, is that she doesn't care enough about school to actually do something for a good grade. She understood everything and for Skye that was all that matters.

"God, I hope this doll won't take after you. I'd hate to have you as my daughter."

Jemma replied loosely looking down at the baby. Skye's grin immediately transformed into anger but she knew better than to bitch at Jemma, so she just mentally counted to three und sighed:

"My break starts in five. You want something while you wait?"

"I'll be fine. Thanks. I wait-" Jemma looks around and points to a free table "over there."

While Skye was getting the next costumer's order ready, she tried to calm herself. The steam that she used for the milk froth, she thought, helped the most. She could pretend to punch Jemma and the milk would turn out perfectly foam.

"Nick, I'll have my break now!"

Skye untied her apron and threw it over a chair. She grabbed an iced tea and walked over to Jemma.

Strangely automatically, as if they actually were a divorced couple already, Jemma handed Skye the baby so she would carry it for a moment.

"How was the afternoon with Bucky?"

"We're not calling it Bucky."

"But it needs a name!"

"True, it does, but step by step. First we should get the organisation right. What's your working schedule?"

Skye swallowed the sip of tea before answering.

"Every day after school from 4 to 9, officially. But Nick, the owner of this place, isn't too strict with the hours and I already told him about the project so.

And anyway, I did so many extra hours since I worked here, like I'm usually staying until 10:30 to help with cleaning, closing, inventory, plus the extra hours I do on weekends sometimes and so on, like my working schedule is no problemo."

Jemma's jaw dropped.

"Hold on," she began, her hand moving in front of her. "You did extra hours? Like, you did more than there was expected from you?"

"Well, princess, you read your science books and I work, so?"

"Wow."

Jemma thought for a moment when a tall, black man with an eye patch came up to their table and according to his nametag, he was the owner of this place.

"Everything alright, you two?

Wait- is that the baby?"

He took the doll by its leg and held it in front of him to examine it. He even flipped his patch for a better sight.

"Sorry to say that, Skye-babe, but-"

He placed the baby back on Skye's lab and put his patch in place.

"-that baby you got there is probably not yours. It way too white."

Nick and Skye shared a laugh but were interrupted by Jemma.

"They didn't have babies that looked Hispanic."

Skye and Nick fell silent in reply and just stared at Jemma.

"I'm Chinese."

Jemma's eyes grew big. Her cheeks flushed red from embarrassment. Her mouth opened but she couldn't bring her voice to make a sound. She looked away from Skye and down to the baby.

Nick began to laugh again and poked Skye. Neither of them was really mad at Jemma, to be honest. Hardly anyone who just met her or just saw her for the first time recognizes her as someone with Chinese origin. Even Jemma's answer, classifying her as Hispanic or anything Latin American is actually the most common heritage subscribed to her.

"Alright" Nick said and walked away. On his way back to the kitchen Jemma could hear him sigh amused, "white people."

"Sorry, I didn't-"

Jemma's freckles had disappeared. The only colour left in her face was the bloody red flush.

"Dude, that is really not the problem. And anyway, between the two of us, you are the foreigner."

Skye wasn't wrong there. In fact, she was right. Jemma was born in the United Kingdom and only moved here a few years ago when her dad got a new job here.

The space between them was somehow awkward. It definitely was from Jemma's side but Skye was simply amused. She enjoyed it that Jemma was embarrassed by something. The sudden silence between the two of them was interrupted just as sudden, when the baby in Skye's lab began to cry.

"Oh, shit. What happened?!"

"Don't swear in front of our kid!"

"Not the time for that Jemma, how do I turn this thing off?"

"Turn it off? Jesus fucking Christ, Skye!"

"Hey, don't swear in front of our kid!"

Jemma was eagerly looking for something in the back. The crying of the baby somehow broke the embarrassment.

"Maybe Loki is hungry?"

"First of: we will not call our kid Loki! Second, what do you think I'm looking for?"

Her arms far away from her, Skye was holding the baby away from her face. She thought it looked quite creepy, actually. The baby obviously couldn't blink so it would just stare with its dead eyes back at Skye while crying out for attention.

"Yes!"

Suddenly Jemma said, with her arm in the air successfully.

"Oh, god, bless." Skye held the baby close to Jemma's face. "Here take Barbara Gordon."

"Barbara Gordon?"

"Batgirl."

"Skye, we can't call our kid after Batgirl!"

"Why not?"

"You know, DC…Marvel, hell you know why not."

"Uh, right, here take Romanoff!"

Jemma rolled her eyes with a soft laugh but took the screaming plastic puppet nonetheless. She placed the baby softly in her arms and feed it with the fake bottle. Only seconds after that the baby was quiet and after a couple more minutes the baby was finished with its meal.

"Do you have siblings?"

Skye asked to Jemma's surprise.

"Huh? No, no I don't. Why you?"

"Me neither. I was just wondering because the way you just did this looked professional."

Jemma raised her eyebrow again but this time with a soft smile. She shook her head and had to turn away from Skye to the baby because she was feeling her cheeks began to blush again in a more flattered manner.

Skye was actually quiet surprised by herself. Did she just compliment Jemma? Immediately after she could have slapped herself. There is no need to tell Jemma she is good at anything, that would only feed her arrogant ego even more and she'd feel even more superior than she did already.

"I'll get another iced tea, you want something now?"

"No, I'll be good."

Still disgusted by herself that she complimented this narcissist Skye turned away. As soon as she had her back to their table she heard something that caught her attention again. She turned back and couldn't help but laugh satisfied at the sight of Jemma who was covered in fake baby-puke.

"Ah, shit. Fuck. Fuck. Shit."

"Oi, no swearing in front of Magneto!"