Chapter 19

Fitz watched as the team piled back onto the base. He was left with a few agents along with Mack who was technically in charge for a bit. The engineer saw Skye walk in clenching a notepad in her hand heading towards the bus. He also saw May and Trip walk in with a man was covered by a bag over the head similar to what Skye had on when she first came on to the bus.

"Looks like they've caught Talbot." Fitz hears Parker tell him.

Fitz quickly follows the team to the bus and stops at his bunk to watch what they are doing. He sees that both Simmons and Parker sit on his bed watching his motions. The engineer wanted to be out there, helping them. But that couldn't be the case right now. They wanted Fitz to be better, he wanted to be better.

"Look at Koenig. He's running analysis." Fitz tells the other two.

"So he's the new golden boy then, Leo?"

"He's no different then the original." Simmons tells Parker.

"But I've been sidelined." Fitz argues.

"Only temporary, Leo. You're getting better and soon you'll be out there."

"Like a player is sidelined in a football match."

"Is that a head trauma joke, Simmons? Because that's bad."

Fitz looks at both of his friends. Simmons was wearing her dark blue sweater while Parker was in his plaid shirt, the one that he wore a lot while he was dating Jemma back then. The engineer then looked at Skye who was writing things down in that notebook he saw in her hand earlier.

"They keep asking about the cloaking."

"It will be all right, Leo, you're just about finished.

"I know. It only feels calm around here when I'm talking to you two."

Fitz sighs for a second and then takes a seat next to his two best friends. It was only going to take time to get better but he feared it was running out.

19AOS19

Skye found herself packing up her things so they could leave once again. She changed into her tactical suit in her bedroom that she shared with Drew while everyone else ran around getting what they needed. His Padres t-shirt still sat on edge of the bed where she left it when the hacker took it off before. Skye couldn't wait until they came back so she could put it back on for bed later. She had slept in it the night before.

The hacker made sure to grab her laptop and then headed out of the room. She would end up running until she made it towards the bus just so she would be a little early.

When Skye got towards the bus, she saw Trip making his way down the ramp in his military uniform he was to wear for the mission.

"General." The hacker said while saluting to him.

"Come on, girl. You know I look good." He told her.

Skye just laughed and then scrunched her nose.

"Drew could probably pull it off it bit better. His dad was in the military."

"So was my grandfather." Trip laughed. "Maybe when he gets back we could see whose better."

"We should."

They both headed to their respected cars and waited for Coulson's command. Some how the hacker was stuck with Lance Hunter who just kept on blabbing on about things.

19AOS19

Skye wanted to push Hunter out of the vehicle. He kept trying to make conversation with her but she was focused on the mission.

"Not too many of you S.H.I.E.L.D. agents wear rings so I'm going to take a stab and say you're married." Hunter tells her noticing the wedding ring.

"What are you trying to get at, Hunter?"

"Who's the lucky guy? I do hope he's on our side."

"He is. My husband is recruiting new agents. That's where Coulson has been disappearing to. He helps Drew out."

"A recruiter? Sounds like the agent I met in London."

Skye looked up from her laptop that was sitting on her lap. The hacker wasn't sure if she heard the mercenary correct.

"Repeat that again."

"I met a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in London. He told me Coulson requested me. I don't remember his name exactly."

"Andrew Parker."

"What was that, love."

"Andrew Parker is my husband. He would have been the one that approached you." Skye explained. "It would make sense because he was escorting Simmons home."

"Name does sound familiar. Great guy, stayed with me to finish watching the football match." Hunter answered.

Before Skye could answer, they arrived onto the base. She pulled up the information and began to work on it so they could get in.

"Delta-3-6-5-Sierra-Victor.." Hunter began to say.

"Niner. Yeah I'm all set now." Skye finished.

They waited a bit quietly for Coulson to finish up the phone call with the private before entering finally. Both cars were in park once inside the warehouse and once they got out, Skye knew it was going to be awhile until they found the 084

19AOS19

Andrew kept pushing himself as he ran around the track above the gym. He had already gotten a few laps in past a mile. The agent had a hard time working for Hydra. He was constantly being pushed around by his supervisor that he couldn't stand working with.

On his third week of being there, he was chosen to be the one beaten by Sunil Bakshi, as a test to see if he was loyal or not. Really though it was just to see if he'd come back the next day which he did. Jemma wasn't to happy to see him with a black eye and a cut lip when he came home. But she repaired him, cleaning up his face making sure he was good as new.

"Skye won't be too happy if you came home broken, Andrew." Jemma had told him that night.

The biochemist was right, he didn't need to come home to his wife looking like that. Skye didn't even know his true mission.

So with nothing else Andrew could do, he began running and working out at the fitness center. He had started to before when they got there, but after the incident he started pushing himself harder. Drew would go until it was time to close sometimes getting back to the apartment to only find Jemma sleeping by then.

The agent finished his second mile when it was time for the center to close. He would eventually climb down the stairs to the locker room to retrieve his bag and head out. It was late once again.

When he returned home, Andrew found his ex-girlfriend already sleeping in the bedroom. The agent sat his bag by the couch and went out to the balcony. He watched as the sky began to set eventually falling asleep in a patio chair dreaming about coming home to his own Skye.

19AOS19

When Skye returned back to the base with Trip in the cloaked quinjet, she couldn't believe what had just happened. She had witnessed the 084 basically eat Hartley alive turning her arm to stone in the process. The hacker had even took a shot at Creel who didn't even end up scratched.

She could still hear Hartley's screams in a distance. Hunter telling Hartley it was alright before taking her to the car with Idaho driving. Then getting shot at by the military was not expected. They all hoped to make it out without a disruption.

Skye made it towards the lab to check up on Fitz who was still working. She needed a hug and since Drew wasn't there, the engineer would just do.

"I know. I'm almost there." She heard Fitz say as she stood in the doorway.

Skye decided against the hug and just waited by the door. She would listen to Fitz as he talked to himself sometimes hearing Parker's name come out of his mouth. Eventually she left and headed back to her room.

The Padres shirt still sat on the bed before she slipped it on after changing out of her tactical suit. Skye would lay under the covers looking at the ceiling with the glow in the dark stars her and Drew had placed up there one day so it wasn't as dark in there.

The hacker didn't know what time she fell asleep but all she could dream of was her husband and traveling somewhere with him.

That's the end of shadows. I found that whole episode one of the harder ones to write since there's not a whole lot of Skye or FitzSimmons dialogue in it. I hope to have the next episode/chapter much longer. Anyway please review and let me know what you think. Any nice constructive criticism or ideas are welcome. Would be happy to hear from you.