Awakening Quake
By Misha

Disclaimer in Chapter One.

A.N- Sorry for the long delay. Life is crazy and writer's block has been awful. I know how I want this story to end, but I'm still not quite sure how to get there. It's been frustrating. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get back on track soon and have this story finished by the end of July. Thank you everyone for your patience. For the reader you asked for more Psycho Ward, I promise you that it's coming, starting with the next chapter right up through the conclusion. I just find his chapters kind of redundant, so I've been spacing them out. It is also building to the conclusion though.

Chapter Thirty-Two: Don't Let Fear Run Your Life

"Are you mad at me?" Steve asked Skye later once they were in her apartment. They had an hour or so before the party and Skye just wanted to spend it with Steve and not talking about the mission, but apparently that wasn't going to happen.

"No." She told him. She wasn't thrilled that she'd been kept out of the loop and it felt wrong double-crossing S.H.I.E.L.D, though she knew they were doing it to protect Bucky. "I get it though, you're in charge and that means you can't always tell me everything."

"I promise not to keep anything from you that could hurt you," Steve told her, "But yes, sometimes I'm going to have to make decisions like this, for the sake of the mission."

"Pitfalls of dating my boss, I guess." Skye quipped.

"I'm not your boss." Steve objected.

"No, but you are the leader of the Avengers," Skye pointed out, "it's ok. I obviously have a thing for authority figures, after all, the last guy I got involved with was my SO."

It was rare for her to mention Ward casually, she tried not to even think about him. But to her surprise, the reference didn't bring the old shame and pain. She had moved on. She'd made a mistake, yes, but Ward was the one that had lied and deceived, she'd just fallen for his act.

"I'm sorry that we're putting you in the middle and making you lie to S.H.I.E.L.D." Steve told her after a moment.

"I know." Skye told him. "When I joined the team, I agreed to give the Avengers my loyalty and cut ties with S.H.I.E.L.D and I'm not naive, I knew that there would be secrets. It's just hard, because S.H.I.E.L.D was the first home I ever had. They were the first people to ever earn my loyalty."

"I hope we have too," Steve said quietly.

"You have." Skye assured him. "I don't think of myself as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D any longer, I think of myself as an Avenger. But it's still weird to work against them."

"I'm hoping you won't have to in the future," Steve told her, "Your mission was successful and it could lead to more co-operation between us and S.H.I.E.L.D in the future."

"But we'll still have two separate agendas," Skye pointed out. She held up a hand before Steve could say anything. "It's ok, I'm a big girl and I understand that it has to be that way, it's just weird."

"How was it working with your old team again?" Steve asked her.

"That was weird too." Skye admitted. "I instinctively turned to Natasha, not May for back-up and advice. It was nice seeing the girls again, though. I've missed them."

"You're not a prisoner here, Skye," Steve told her, "I'm sure we can arrange for you to see your friends again."

Skye smiled. "I'd love to see Fitz again and Coulson." She wanted Coulson in particular to see that she was ok, that she was actually thriving in her new life. "However, it's not that easy. We're in demanding fields of work, it's hard to fit in time for a quick visit." She sighed. "Plus I'm not sure that I'm ready to leave the Tower."

"You did well on the mission," Steve pointed out.

"At a woman's only resort, surrounded by the most badass women I know," Skye told him. "And I'm ok when I go out on missions with the team and I manage girls' nights, because Natasha and Pepper don't give me a choice, but I'm still afraid."

She wasn't used to feeling like this. She wasn't a timid person, but the idea that Ward and her father were still out there, just waiting for their opportunity to grab her again terrified her.

"I know." Steve told her, wrapping his arms around her. "I hate that he makes you feel this way."

Skye leaned on Steve, taking in his strength and comfort. "I'm probably being silly," she admitted, "it's been months. There's no evidence that Ward is still out there waiting for me and last time I saw him, I made it pretty clear that I wasn't interested, so he might have gotten the message."

That was what the rational part of her brain told her anyway.

"What does your gut say?" Steve asked quietly.

"That he's still out there." She told him softly. "That he's just waiting for the right moment."

"I believe in listening to your instincts," Steve told her, "But I also don't think fear should rule your life. You're safe here, Skye, and you have a few tricks up your sleeve that you didn't have the last time you and Ward crossed paths." He pushed a strand of hair off her forehead. "I will do everything in my power to make sure he never hurts you again, but if he were to come after you… I'd put my money on you."

Skye smiled. "Thank you. I needed to hear that."

She realized how silly she was letting her fear of Ward control her life. She had super powers and she lived with the Avengers. It wasn't like she was helpless. Still, it was hard to shake.

"We can start small," Steve told her, "How would you like to go to Brooklyn with me this week? I can show you the old neighborhood, though it's definitely changed."

"I'd like that." Skye assured him. She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss and then pulled back with a grin. "We need to go get ready for the party."
"Do we have to?" Steve groaned.

Skye laughed. "It'll be fun."

She usually enjoyed Tony's parties. They ranged from everything from fancy dinners to pool parties in the tower's pool complex and while some of the Avengers' groaned, Skye knew that secretly her teammates enjoyed it too. As she'd told Maria and Natasha, most of them had been denied a normal upbringing and this was Tony's very over-the-top way of making up for that.

A.N2- I couldn't decide what kind of party I wanted Tony to throw, if anyone has suggestions I might put in next chapter as fluff before I get to the crazy stuff or make a short one-shot side story.