May entered the conference room silently, watching her partner. His back was turned to her, looking at the wall screen. "Go on. Say it." He muttered.

She grimaced. "None of them have any combat experience." She said, uneasy. "Their cluster doesn't have any way of protecting themselves."

"Not yet." He said, turning. "We don't know how many others there are for them. This is kind of a unique situation as far as I know. The connection's never been this stilted."

Melinda looked away.

"It's not your fault." Coulson said gently. "Hey, maybe you should be blaming me for getting stabbed."

She swallowed. "Don't talk like that." She said stiffly.

He held up his hands. "You're right. Too soon, I'm sorry." He couldn't feel Melinda's thoughts on his death, but he could feel Tori and Izzy's. Their heartbreak. His funeral. The memory of May punching Tori in the face before the funeral. Strange to think that he was coping with his death better than they were.

May sighed and leaned against the table beside him. "There's two of us, and three kids not cleared for combat." She said.

He frowned. "Are you saying you want Skye off the plane?"

She shook her head with a sigh. "I just don't like this Phil. It's safer for her here, but not safe enough."

"I know." Coulson murmured, "But it'll never be safe enough. We can only do our best."

"You're taking them all out on a mission."

"Because it's necessary." He said, "And I trust that between the two of us we can keep them safe. Besides, it's not a combat op."

May rolled her eyes. "Where have I heard that before?"

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"So you're just going to scan my brain?!"

"It's nothing personal, we'd just like to check!"

"What, if I'm some crazy psychic that's been stalking you?"

Jemma rolled her eyes. "Oh don't be so dramatic."

"Yeah, we just wanna check for any abnormalities. We've already got our brain scans on file."

"Oh, sorry, so you're checking whether my brain is mutated. Way better, thanks."

May cleared her throat from the lab door and the three looked up guiltily. Oh God, they thought they were being covert. It was almost cute. "Buckle up." She said, "We're going to Peru."

Jemma perked up immediately. "Peru! Is this for the 084? Oh, this is going to be fascinating!" May had already left.

Fitz rolled his eyes at the enthusiasm she was projecting, catching Skye's eye and grinning. "There are so many ways we could get killed in Peru Jemma. Even without the 084."

Skye frowned. "Wait, what's an 084?"

"Uuh, object of unknown origin." Fitz replied, stacking up his tools.

Jemma was placing all her beakers in a rack. "Yes, can be alien, or just local, but unclear on where it came from! It'll be our job to go in, identify it, and bring it back, if possible."

"Great." Skye muttered. "Raincheck on the brain scan then."

Jemma beamed. "Yes, maybe another time."

Skye rolled her eyes, climbing up the stairs.

She saw Coulson strapping himself in at the common area table and sat near him. He cocked his head as she sat down. Something seemed off. "What's up?"

Skye looked up, surprised. How could he tell she was feeling off, when the people she was psychically linked with couldn't? "Nothing," She sighed, "I just don't know if I fit in here. I'm a bit of an outsider."

Coulson shrugged. "Well yeah." He said, "But that isn't always a bad thing. Fitzsimmons were the youngest cadets to ever graduate from the academy. May's been in administration for years, but now she's back in the field."

"Why?" Skye frowned. Also holy shit, she was out of practice?

"I asked her to."

She eyed him. "You sure she's not your girlfriend?"

He smiled. "I dare you to say that in front of her."

Skye laughed nervously. "Pass, thanks. I've seen what she can do."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

So it was fair to say that the mission hadn't gone exactly as planned, Coulson thought as he used Izzy's knot tying skills to get himself off the table. Melinda was unconscious, he could sense that at least. Not good. She was definitely going to kick his ass over this once they got out of it.

Fitz sighed. "This is my fault." He grumbled. "I should have learned kung-fu."

Skye snorted, tugging at her arms, but they were tied too tightly. Which was kind of saying something.

"I shouldn't have pushed you into coming into the field in the first place." Jemma said. "You weren't ready."

Skye rolled her eyes. "This wouldn't have happened if Agent May wasn't on the stick. She's have kicked some ass with her ninja stuff."

Fitz frowned. "May? No, she transferred from administration."

Skye shrugged. "Well yeah, but you don't have to stay in the same department your whole life, right? I saw her destroy a guy at union station." Fitzsimmons still looked unconvinced, and she hesitated. "And... there's something else. I think people call her the Cavalry."

A hand suddenly seized her wrist in an iron grip and Skye bit back a scream.

It seemed like May was awake, her bonds leaving her hands within reach of Skye. "How the hell do you know that?"

Skye stared, willing her heart to stop pounding. "I-I saw your personnel file, that's all."

May released her, seeming satisfied with her answer. "Don't ever call me that." She growled, leading all three of them to shrink away from her glare.

Jemma swallowed. "So, how do we get out of here?"

May looked at the three of them. Kids. She knew that this would happen. She didn't think it would be this soon. "We can't go through the doors." She grunted. "They're bolted, tied to the pressurisation lines." She could feel Phil. He was alive, but in pain. Picking his way out of his binds. She nodded to Fitzsimmons. "You two geniuses have nothing?"

Some of her incredulity must have come through, because Fitz looked almost offended. "Well it's hard to concentrate in these situations!"

"Fitz it's okay!" Skye cried, seizing their connection. "Just calm down, take a breath." Skye wasn't entirely sure what she was doing. It was like their connection was bent out of shape with worry, and she was bending it back again. "You don't have to come up with the whole solution, just part of it."

May couldn't help but admire Skye's initiative. She opened her connection with Coulson, visiting to crouch beside him. "You okay?"

He smiled at her. "Great. You?"

She rolled her eyes. "The kids are working on a fix. Just buy us some time."

"Can do."

"And you owe me a drink for getting us into this."

"I know, I know."

May shook herself, going back to the kids.

"Well that's clearly the worst idea we've had yet."

"But it could work!"

"If it could work then it's better than anything else so far." May cut in. "You got any better ideas?" When there was only silence, she nodded. "Good. What's first?"

Fitz grimaced. "We can't get upstairs without going in the lab."

"But the only way to release the lab doors is from upstairs."

Skye rolled her eyes. "Well the first thing is that we're tied to the cargo door, so unless you guys can-" She broke off with a yelp when she heard a painful crunch.

"What the hell was that?"

Skye felt the pain throbbing in her arm and glanced at May. "Her wrist." She said, wincing in pain.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Skye felt that sick feeling in her stomach grow as she typed the message to Miles. It felt like she was lying to them. Technically she was. None of them knew the real reason that she was there, and something about that made her nervous. They'd find out, and then she would be alone. Again.

Except she wouldn't, would she? This connection, or whatever it was she had with Fitz and Simmons wouldn't go away. Then again, they might decide they didn't want her in it any more.

May watched Skye walk to the ramp, pocketing her phone. Coulson caught her eye. "She could end up as more than a consultant." He noted. "She's got potential."

She nodded, feeling Tori and Izzy appear behind them. "Something's up with her."

Tori moved to stand beside her. "She hiding something?"

Melinda nodded. "She knew what they call me in the academy stories." She didn't need to say it. They all knew.

Izzy raised an eyebrow. "So? She could have heard that from the other two."

"No. They didn't know." Coulson said.

"They do now." May grimaced. "She said she saw it on my personnel file."

All three of them frowned. "But- it's not on your personnel file."

"I know."

Coulson frowned. "It's not on any file. It's a story. Why would she lie if she just heard it from another agent?"

Tori narrowed her eyes, examining Skye. "Maybe she didn't. Or maybe she knows a lot more than she's letting on."

Coulson looked to May. "You think she suspects?"

She shrugged. "Not sure. But we need to keep an eye on her."

They all nodded. Phil bit his tongue, trying to think of a good was to suggest it.

"Just spit it out Phil."

He jumped, surprised, then grinned. "Well, if Skye's going to stay on the team, be an agent, she'll need a supervising officer. Someone who'll be tough on her, who's dedicated, good."

Melinda nodded, "So you'll take her on." She said, deliberately misinterpreting his words.

Izzy laughed. "Yeah, cos when I think 'tough', I think Phil."

Coulson had the gall to look offended, and the others grinned. "No. She trusts me, sure, but she looks up to you. Something about being an 'awesome ninja.'"

May looked hesitant, and Izzy and Tori took it as their cue to leave.

Coulson shifted a little closer. "What's up?"

Her jaw worked for a few moments before she replied. "There's something else. You felt me dislocate my wrist to get out of the ties?"

"Yeah. Hurt like a bitch. I thought we'd agreed to give warnings when you're gonna do that."

May rolled her eyes, but continued. "Well, I could be wrong, but I think that Skye felt it too. She reacted at the same time."

"It could have been the sound."

"Yes." She admitted. "But it seemed a bit much to be just that."

He stared. "You think she's connected with you? Like, more than we are to Peggy?"

"I don't know Phil. Maybe." She shifted. "She's good for her cluster. She calmed Fitz down without even knowing what she was doing."

"But?"

"But I don't trust her."

He shrugged. "You don't have to trust her Melinda. You just need to train her. And keep an eye on her. You said yourself that their cluster doesn't know how to protect themselves. Training Skye could help with that. You'd be training all of them."

She scowled. "I don't like this."

"I know." He said. "But we have to make do."

"We blew up a plane!" Fitz exclaimed, and the two separated, watching the kids hurry down the ramp with a cooler.

"They're happy." May noted.

Coulson smiled. "It's new to them. All of it. Remember being young?"

"I'm still young, Phil."

"Of course you are."

"Guys come on, you're gonna miss it!" Fitz called, passing Jemma a beer.

May let herself sit beside Simmons, taking the offered drink and undoing her jacket. She listened to them babble and watched the rocket fuel up.

This was going to be even harder than she'd expected.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Skye lingered on the ramp, enjoying the warm spring air. She could feel the happiness and contentment radiating from Fitz and Simmons. It was nice. She liked being a part of something. Even if that something could come crashing down. It wouldn't be the first time.

When the sun had just crept below the horizon, Skye pushed herself up, gathering the few beer bottles remaining. She turned and jumped, dropping them, when she saw May sitting on the stairs by the lab, watching her.

Skye winced at the noise as the bottles rolled off the ramp. "Sorry." She muttered, "You scared me."

May shook her head. "You wanna be a field agent?" She asked abruptly.

Skye was taken aback. "I- don't really know what that is, to be honest."

May rolled her eyes. "Coulson's a field agent. Fitzsimmons are sci-tech. I'm a specialist."

"What's that?"

"An assassin."

Skye froze. "Oh." She tried not to look scared or impressed. "And a field agent..."

"Runs missions, fights. More of an all rounder."

"Right."

May raised an eyebrow when Skye didn't say anything else. "So do you want to be a field agent?" She asked impatiently.

"I-" The night chill had started to creep in, and Skye wrapped her arms around herself. "Yeah, I mean- sure."

"You have to be dedicated." May warned. "It's a lot of hard work. If you're not prepared to put in the effort I'd rather not waste my time."

"No!" Skye blurted, "No, I'll do it."

"Good." May said. "Training starts tomorrow morning at five."

Skye stared. "Five A.M?!"

"Is that a problem?"

Skye backtracked when she saw the steel in May's eyes. "Uh, nope, no problems here! See you bright and early at... five am."

"Good." May said, walking away.

Skye groaned. What had she gotten herself into?