Chapter 20
Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.
AN: Thank you to all who have added to alerts, read, reviewed or any combination of the three. It means a lot to me.
AN2: Thank you for your support of this story. It means so so much to me. There is another longish time jump this chapter because I wanted to move the story forward and for that I needed Skye to be a little older.
For over a month the team does their best to remain off the grid as much as possible. With every day that passes they become more and more worried that they haven't even the slightest hint of Quinn or Deathlok coming after them or even up to something, because it likely means that they are planning something big.
During the last seven weeks Skye has aged to about around twelve years old though Simmons suspects that she is about twelve years five months old and it has become clear to everyone that she is becoming more of a teenager. She still refuses to believe the truth that she was an adult before and she won't even listen to anyone if they try to explain to her.
Like usual everyone is spread around the plane. Natasha and Melinda are in the cockpit, Coulson is up in his office, Fitz and Simmons are in the lab, Ward and Clint are down in the cargo bay training and Skye is sitting on one of the armchairs on her laptop.
"What do you think you are doing?" Clint asks his niece as he walks behind her and sees what she is doing.
"Nothing." Skye says quickly closing her laptop screen down.
"Really? Because it looks like you had hacked into New York CCTV network." Clint comments sitting down next to his niece, as he does he realises that this is the first time she has shown that she has her older self's hacking ability, something he's not surprised by but he knows it means that they have to watch what she does online more carefully.
"If you knew what I was doing why did you ask?" Skye asks her Uncle curious.
"Because I was hoping that you would tell me the truth." Clint tells her, "Why did you hack into the CCTV network?" he asks curious.
"I was bored, and I knew it was a way to pass the boredom." Skye explains, not exactly sure how she knew that but knowing none the less.
"Well you know, you could have come and gotten one of us, we would have done something with you." Clint tells her.
"You're all busy." Skye points out, "You're working that's more important than spending time with me." She tells her Uncle, one of the echoes of her old life showing itself once more.
"Skye, nothing's more important than spending time with you." Clint tells his niece, determine to make her believe that, "Plus I'll let you in on a secret, we would all be more than happy for the valid excuses not to do work." Clint tell her.
"Really?" Skye asks amused.
"Really." Clint responds.
"Am I in trouble?" Skye ask worriedly.
"I've got to tell your parents what you did." Clint tells her, "But I think I can reduce your sentence by telling them I already gave you a lecture." He tells her.
"Really?" Skye asks her Uncle.
"Yep." Clint tells her, "Just try not to make a habit out it, unless you're told you can." He tells her.
"What do you mean by that?" Skye asks confused.
"I'm sure your parents will explain it to you when they talk to you later but the truth is there may be times when we need you to use your obvious great skill with computers to find out things so none of us can tell you not to do it at all without being hypocrites." Clint explains, "But for now I'm taking this away for the rest of the day, because I've got something for you to do." Clint says reaching over and grabbing Skye's laptop.
"What?" Skye asks not looking to happy about having her laptop taken away
"Don't look at me like that, trust me you're going to like it." He tells her, "Go get started on the popcorn." He tell her.
"I'm not allowed to make popcorn myself, not after last time, remember." Skye tells her Uncle.
"Right." Clint says remembering what happened a couple of days earlier, "Just get everything out, I'll be back in a second." He tells her and Skye nods and gets up and heads to the kitchen why Clint goes to Melinda's old bunk which is mainly just a storage place for him and Natasha as they tend to sleep in Coulson's office to get a something and to put Skye's laptop there.
"So how exactly is making popcorn a punishment?" Skye asks her Uncle curious as he walks over to her after grabbing something form the bunk.
"What makes you think you're being punished?" Clint asks curious.
"You took my laptop." Skye says simply.
"I took your laptop because I want to show you something and your laptop would distract you." Clint tells her as he starts on the popcorn.
"So I'm not being punished." Skye clarifies.
"No, you're not being punished." Clint tells her, "Grab us a couple of drinks and some other snacks and take them over to the couch, I'll handle the popcorn." Clint tells her and Skye nods and does just that.
"So what's this thing that you want to show me?" Skye asks her Uncle curious as he walks over to the couches, puts the popcorn on the table and puts the DVD's on.
"It's a show called Firefly, and I think you're really going to like it." Clint says walking over and sitting down next to his niece.
"Oh yeah, why's that?" Skye asks curious.
"Just trust me Kid, you're going to love it." He tells her and he presses play.
Skye and Clint have watched the first five episodes of Firefly and are part way through the sixth when Coulson walks over to them.
"Skye go wash up for dinner." Coulson tells his daughter.
"But Dad… I'm watching this." Skye says to her father.
"We'll continue to watch this after dinner, you heard your Dad, go wash up." Clint says pausing the DVD.
"Fine." Skye says annoyed but she gets up and heads to the bathroom.
"Need a hand?" Clint asks Coulson.
"Please." Coulson responds and he and Clint head over to the kitchen, "So what are you watching?" He asks curious.
"Firefly." Clint answers, "I promised grown up Skye I would watch it with her." He explains.
"What is it?" Coulson asks curious.
"The best show ever. It's a science fiction Western that was cancelled before it's time because fox are a bunch of douc bags." Clint explains and Coulson just looks at him shocked, "I'm quoting Skye. She's given me a much longer version of that rant many times." He explains.
"Right." Coulson says still confused.
"Oh by the way I caught Skye hacking into the CCTV cameras in New York." Clint adds.
"What." Coulson says shocked.
"Yeah." Clint responds, "You and Mels should talk to her." Clint says as the two friends grab things and carry them over to the table, "Maybe set up some rules to her about hacking." Clint suggests.
"I'll talk to Mel and then Skye." Coulson says to him.
"Dinner's ready for all." Coulson says through the coms and within a few minutes everyone has come and they have all sat down on the table.
"Uncle Clint can we continue after we eat?" Skye asks curious.
"I think we have to." Clint responds.
"What are you watching?" Fitz asks curious.
"Firefly." Skye answers.
"Awesome, I think you're really going to like that." Simmons tells her knowing how much older Skye liked it.
"I really liked it so far." Skye tells her and group continues to eat.
(Line break)
After dinner Skye and Clint continue to watch Firefly when they finish it is late in the night.
"How can they end it like that?" Skye asks shocked, "There needs to be more episodes, it can't end like that." Skye tells her Uncle.
"Crap." Clint comments noticing the time.
"What?" Skye asks confused.
"Look at the time, you're parents are going to kill me." Clint comments.
"Guess I should get to bed." Skye comments realising how late it is.
"Yeah, several hours ago." Clint comments.
"Well they haven't come down to tell me to go to bed, so I'm betting they haven't realised that I'm still up." Skye comments, "But I should get to bed before they do, night Uncle Clint." Skye says giving her Uncle a hug goodnight before heading to her bunk.
"Night Kid." Clint says in response then when Skye has headed to bed he cleans everything up.
Due to staying up late watching Firefly with her Uncle the night before Skye sleeps in late the following day. When she does wake she finds Jemma and Fitz playing chess at the table.
"Hey." Skye says walking over to them, "Do you need to run all your tests on me Jem?" Skye asks curious.
"I will after this game." Jemma responds.
"Who's winning?" Skye asks curious.
"Me." Fitz and Simmons respond.
"It's too early to tell." Jemma explains.
"Right." Skye says amused making herself comfortable as she watches them.
"Your parents wanted to talk to you when you woke up." Fitz informs his sister.
"They did?" Skye asks worried.
"Yep they are up in your Dad's office." Simmons tells her.
"Are Uncle Clint and тетя Наташа up there too?" Skye asks worried because she knows that if they are then it's likely that she is in serious trouble.
"No, they're downstairs." Fitz tells her.
"Did they seem angry?" Skye asks worried trying not to sound worry.
"Just go and talk to them." Simmons says looking at her, "It's better if you go and talk to them." She tells her.
"Okay." Skye says getting up and heading up to her Dad's office.
Skye makes her way upstairs but when she gets to the top of the stairs she pauses because she's worried about what she is going to face.
"Skye come in." Coulson says from his office.
"How does he do that?" Skye mutters to herself but she walks up the final stair and walks into the office where her father is sitting on his normal chair behind the desk and her mother is sitting on the couch
"Fitzy and Jem said you wanted to talk to me." Skye says her nicknames for Fitz and Simmons sticking, even as she gets older.
"Yeah, we do. Sit down." Melinda says and Skye walks over and sits down next to her mother on the couch and Coulson gets up and walks over and sits down on the chair next to the couch.
"Is this about what I did yesterday?" Skye asks curious.
"Yes, it is." Coulson answers.
"I'm in trouble, aren't I?" Skye asks worried.
"In a way." Coulson answers, "But we want to talk to you as well."
"Okay." Skye says.
"May the fact that Computer Science comes so naturally to you is a gift." Melinda says to her daughter, "But that means that you have to be responsible with it." She tells her.
"What do you mean?" Skye asks.
"Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should." Coulson explains.
"But I don't even know how I got into the CCTV cameras. I got bored and the next thing I know I was inside in the network and I was about to see what else I could do when Uncle Clint caught me." Skye explains and Melinda and Coulson exchange looks.
"Skye, that's Computer Science coming naturally to you." Coulson explains, "You know how to do thing with computers without being taught, that's it coming naturally to you." Coulson explains.
"I can do a lot of things without knowing how." Skye points out.
"That's because somewhere inside you remember the last time you were older last time and that's how you know how to do things, but Computer Science is something that came naturally to you no matter what." Melinda explains to her daughter
"Not this again." Skye says rolling her eyes, "Being a kid for the second time makes no sense." Skye tells her parents.
"I know it makes no sense. but it's the truth." Coulson tells his daughter
"Sure it is." Skye says sarcastically.
"If you won't believe that then we won't force you too." Melinda tells her daughter, "But we've got to talk about your hacking." Melinda tells her, "We trust you May, but we will monitor what you do but not all the time." Melinda tells her, "We want to trust you to make the right choice, and if you are going to hack you need to talk to us first because there might be times when we need you to, do you understand?" Melinda asks her daughter.
"Yeah, I understand." Skye responds, "So what's my punishment?" Skye asks curious.
"A warning, this time." Coulson tells his daughter.
"Cool." Skye responds with a smile, "If that's all can I go?" Skye asks curious, "I want to try and get тетя Наташа to give me a dance lesson." She informs her parents.
"Go." Coulson tells her and Skye happily leave the room.
"That went pretty well." Coulson comments once Skye leaves as it could have gone worse than it did.
"Yeah it did." Melinda responds.
When Skye heads down to the cargo bay Skye finds her Aunt and Uncle sparing. Not wanting to distract them she sits on the platform above the Cargo Bay and watches them.
"Its interesting sight isn't it?" Ward says walking over and sitting down next to her.
"Yeah it is." Skye responds, "They're really good." She comments.
"Yeah they are." Ward responds.
"Are you that good?" Skye asks curious.
"I'm pretty good, but your Aunt, Uncle and Your Mom are better." He admits.
"Wow, I don't think I've ever heard you admit that someone is better than you." Skye comments.
"It's rare." Ward admits, "Did you come down here for a reason?" he asks curious.
"Yeah, I was hoping to have a dance lesson with тетя Наташа, but I can wait." Skye tells Ward.
"They're going to be a while." Ward tells Skye.
"How do you know that?" Skye asks curious.
"Because they always are." Ward tells her.
"It's cool, I'll wait." Skye tells him.
"Well, while you're waiting do you want to play battle ships?" Ward asks her Curious.
"Why? Do you want to lose again?" Skye asks amused.
"What makes you think I will?" Ward asks her curious.
"Because you always do." Skye tells him.
"Do you want to play or not?"
"Why not." Skye says standing up.
Ward and Skye head back into the main area of the plane and sit down at the table near where Fitz and Simmons are playing chess and start their game.
Five minutes into the game Ward realises that with ever move she has made Skye has gotten a hit.
"How do you do that?" Ward asks curious.
"What do you mean?" Skye asks.
"You've gotten a hit every single shot, no ones that good at guessing." Ward tells her.
"I am." Skye says with a shrug, "I just know where you're going to put your ships." Skye tells him and it's thanks to that phrase that Ward realises that it likely that thanks her powers she knows without even realising.
"Skye where's my battle ship?" Ward asks curious and Fitz and Simmons look up from what they are doing.
"What?" Skye asks confused.
"Just answer the first thing that comes to mind, where's my battle ship?" Ward asks
"Okay, C 7, D7, E7, F7." Skye responds.
"Okay, I'm not playing guessing games with you again." Ward tells her.
"Oh come on, you're the one who wanted to play in the first place." Skye argues.
"That was before I realised you have an advantage." Ward says and Fitz and Simmons send him glares because due to the fact that Skye refuses to believe that she was an adult before neither Coulson or May have been able to bring up with her about her powers so she doesn't know.
"You know what, whatever Ward." Skye says annoyed showing just how much of a teenager she is, "If you're going to be a sore loser then fine, play with yourself next time." Skye's says annoyed getting up and walking to the cockpit.
"Think she realised what she said?" Fitz asks curious.
"FITZ!" Jemma says annoyed, "Now look what you've done." She says to Ward.
"I'm sorry." Ward tells her, "But she's using her powers and she doesn't even realises it, that's how she keeps beating me." He tells her.
"Skye's been beating you at battleship long before she became a kid again." Fitz points out.
"She's always used her powers." Ward realises.
"Or she's just good at guessing, not everything she can do is because of her powers." Simmons says annoyed as she gets up and heads to the cockpit to talk to her sister.
After leaving Ward Skye goes to the cockpit as she finds it relaxing to be there because she has always liked sitting there with her Mother watching the sky pass by. Usually it's quite between her and her mother when she sits there but she likes it because she knows she's there if she wants to talk.
Sitting down in the co-pilots seat, being very careful not to touch any of the controls Skye pulls her legs to her chest and watches the world go by. As she does she becomes more annoyed at Ward and becomes ever more confused about the way he acted.
"Hey." Simmons says walking into the cockpit and kneeling down next to her.
"Hey." Skye responds.
"Are you alright?" Jemma asks.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Skye responds.
"You know you should forget about Ward he's just a big Meany." Simmons tells her.
"I'm almost thirteen Jem, you know you can use worse words." Skye tells the woman who she sees as he big sister with an amused smile.
"I know, but Meany covers it." Simmons tells her and they both laugh.
"What are you girls doing in here?" Melinda asks as she walks into the cockpit surprised to find her daughter and scientist.
"Ward was being a Meany and I like it here." Skye explains to her mother.
"Okay, well you know you're always welcome here." Melinda tells her.
"I'll leave you guys alone." Jemma says getting up and leaving the cockpit having a feeling that what Skye needs most at the moment is her mother.
For several minutes both Skye and Melinda are quite as they stare out the window.
"What did Ward do?" Melinda asks curious.
"Well he asked me to play battleships which I did, then he got annoyed that I was winning and then he said that he's not going to play it with me again, he just a big baby." Skye tells her mother.
"May just because you're upset with someone is no reason to call them names." Melinda tells her daughter.
"Right, sorry." Skye says quickly.
"I'll talk to him." Melinda tells her daughter.
"No, don't bother." Skye tells her mother, "I don't want to play board games with someone who can't bear to lose." She tells her.
"Are you sure?" Melinda asks worried.
"Yeah, I'm sure." Skye responds and the mother and daughter drift into silence once more.
After spending a while in the cockpit with her Mother Skye gets up and leaves when she does she finds her Dad sitting on one of the tables on a tablet.
"Since when do you do you work down here?" Skye asks curious.
"Is there some kind of rule that says I can't?" Coulson asks
"No, of course not." Skye responds as she sits down, "It's just unusual that's all, you usually work upstairs." She explains.
"Director Fury asked me to do the budget for this quarter and I needed a chance a scenery." Coulson explains being positive that it Fury's version of a punishment, though for what he isn't quite sure.
"Why's Nicky making you do it?' Skye asks curious, "Wouldn't it be Maria's job?" she ask.
"Usually, but she's on a mission with Garrett, you remember him?" Coulson asks and Skye nods, "And they aren't due back at the Hub for a couple more days so Fury asked me to do it, and it's not that much fun." He admits.
"I wish I could do something to help." Skye says to her father.
"Thanks Baby Girl." Coulson tells her, "But I don't think there is." He responds.
"Well if there is nothing I can do to help then I will definitely keep you company." Skye tells her father.
"Thank you." Coulson says sincerely.
"Any time." Skye responds with a smile and Coulson continues to his work while Skye watches
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