Well, I'm updating. Sorry it took so long, but my muse took a vacation and forgot to take me with her...Anyway, I've decided to make this a multi-chap story, if you guys agree?

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

A billion curse words that the nuns would have washed her mouth out for ran through Skye's mind in a split second, "They want to what?" She choked, staring at Coulson in utter disbelief.

"They want to meet you," Coulson repeated, with a look of horror and wonderment at the same time on his face. 'How was that even possible?' Skye privately mused to herself.

She huffed, blowing her short hair out of her face and looked at the team, who had gathered behind AC... 'DC- Director Coulson' she corrected herself immediately, but in the back of her mind, she longed for the more simple days when things hadn't gone to hell in a handbasket yet and the team was family. Back when all of them were family. That was gone now.

"Well," she pronounced with forced cheer, "Let's go meet some superheroes!"

Approximately 1 hour, 37 minutes and 28 seconds later, and yes, Skye had counted, thank you for asking, Hunter.

Skye was sitting next to Hunter and Mack, with Fitzsimmons and Bobbi across from her, in the back of a new and improved quintet they had affectionately named Bus II.

She was fiddling with her gun, flipping it up and down and eventually settling to twirling it around her fingers when May turned around in the pilot seat, gave her a dirty look and reprimanded her, more gently, for not handling her equipment with care, and quickly turned back around to go back to her and Coulson's conversation.

She sat back, leaning against the seat and closed her eyes, trying to calm her emotions like May had taught her.

Mack's POV:

Skye was nervous. Obviously. They all were, really, because when did any of them think that one day they were going to have superheroes- superheroes, real live superheroes- request they meet with you?

Never.

Good, that's what Mack was thinking too.

His thought process was interrupted when Skye's head thumped onto his shoulder, arms curling over his shoulderblades and draping over his chest, gun dangling loosely from her fingers. Mack looked at Hunter and had to stifle a laugh, he was eyeing Skye with an expression of what the heck do we do now? Mack gave a shrug, and shot Hunter a look-back, I have no idea man.

"I think she's asleep, mate," Hunter whispered, taking the gun out of Skye's hands with more care than Mack had ever seen him exhibit with anyone except Bobbi. He then tucked it away somewhere on his person to give back to Skye at a later date.

Skye let out a little puff of air, and Mack would swear on his mother's grave that of course it wasn't utterly adorable. Who was he kidding? Right. Himself and anyone else who ever happened to ask. And Hunter. Definitely Hunter.

Despite that, Mack allowed himself to smile down at Skye and lightly stroke her short hair. She looked so vulnerable, so...fragile and alone like this. Curled up almost on top of him, Mack was suddenly reminded of how young she really was. How much she had been through. She hid it well, he had to hand it to her, but not well enough.

In that in-between moment in time, on the way to probably the biggest moment of their career, their lives, surrounded by people he cared about- May, Coulson, Fitz, Simmons, Skye, Bobbi, heck even Hunter! -Mack promised himself that Skye would never be alone again, he'd protect her. After all, that's what partners were supposed to do.

A/N: (Edit) After much indecision, I have decided to make this follow the story line more accurately. Ex. Simmons will have been trapped on the alien planet...And the stuff that happened over the winter finale! (Don't worry nothing is really changing!)