Okay. I know. It's been super long since I updated this story. It's been so long I literally had to re-read the last chapter just to remind myself what was going on in the story. That's kinda sad. Plus I've been obsessed with anything to do with the musical Newsies. Anyone heard of it? Well, I'm going to see it at the Pantages in LA next year and I'm so excited! I haven't even seen it yet and I'm already obsessed with the music and the ship of Jackrine! (Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber) And now I have my first Broadway celebrity crush! Corey Cott! He's playing Jack Kelly right now and he is H-O-T-T HOTT! The extra "t" is for "that boy is HOT!" Love him! Okay. I might have a *cough* slight problem with my Newsies obsession. Slight.
Enough of my ramblings! Here it is the long awaited chapter! Hope you enjoy! (BTW, just remember in the last chapter it said "the team plus a few surprise guests")
Skye took comfort in the steady beat of Ward's heart as she laid on her bed made of snow and ice with her head on his bare chest. Her hand drew absent minded patterns on his stomach while he had an arm wrapped around her snow blanket-covered naked waist keeping her as close as possible. It felt good knowing she could touch him without having to worry about freezing him. The touch of his skin slightly warmed her ice cold skin. She felt a hand brush a stray lock of hair out of her face and looked up to see Ward smiling down at her. "What are you thinking about?" He asked her.
"How lucky I am about this." She answered, motioning to them laying together.
His smile grew slightly and leaned down to peck her lips. She was about to deepen the kiss when he pulled away suddenly. Her confusion grew when she saw the concern look on his face. "I hear people coming." He said, answering her unasked question.
"What?" She asked shocked.
He quickly untangled himself from her, instantly missing her cool touch. Pulling on boxers and jeans, he rushed towards the balcony doors. He threw them open and pale sunlight streamed in, making the ice shimmer and sparkle. Skye sat up, wrapping the snow blanket around her naked body. Ward walked to the edge of the balcony and looked over the edge. After a moment, he rushed back in and stooped by her side when he saw the concerned look on her face. "It's the team. They're coming here."
"What?" Her expression turned to one of worry. "They can't come now. I only know I can touch you without freezing. I have no idea about the team." She started hyperventilating. Ward looked down and saw bits of ice coming out of her fingertips. A cold wind full of snow flew through the room. He knew she wasn't doing this on purpose. He just had to calm her down.
"Skye, look at me." She did as she was told. He gently cupped her face in his hands. "I'll handle them okay? I'll talk to them." She nodded and let out a breath. The wind stopped and so did the ice on her fingertips. Ward sighed with relief. She was calm. He stood up and grabbed his t-shirt from the floor. Slipping it over his head, along with slipping on his jacket, and reaching for his shoes, he told her "I'll go down there first. I'll come get you when I think they're ready." She nodded silently. Fully dressed, he stood up and headed for the door, "In the meantime, I'd like it if you made a new dress."
Skye looked down and saw she was still without clothes. She blushed furiously and laughed nervously, "Yeah. That'd probably be a good idea." He smiled and shook his head at her. His brown eyes connected with her dark ones for one peaceful moment.
The moment was broken by the familiar voice of Coulson called out, "Skye, Ward?"
Coulson and his team and their guests followed the waddling snowman through fields of ice and snow. They traveled in silence for the most part, but Olaf was a curious little thing. He kept asking questions about them at random intervals. Then all of a sudden, Olaf stopped. The team froze as they looked up at the glittering ice palace. "My God." They all breathed at the same time.
Trip smiled, "I think I'm gonna cry." He said, wiping away a fake tear.
"Go ahead." May said as she walked towards the ice stairs, "We won't judge." Trip snorted a laugh and shook his head the senior agent.
The team followed slowly. Olaf tried to climb the stairs but his legs were too short and he fell on the first step. Simmons stooped down to his level. "I think you should stay down here." She suggested.
Fitz finished her thought, "This is sort of a family matter."
Olaf nodded, a little disappointed. He had hoped he would meet the girl who built him. Simmons saw this and told him "Don't worry. We'll bring her out here to meet you." The snowman's face broke out into a smile and he obediently sat down in the snow.
Coulson was the first to start up the stairs. Once he reached the large ice doors, he paused. Seeing the look on his face, May stepped up and gently put a hand on his shoulder. "You alright, Coulson?" She asked quietly.
"I'm fine." He stated, not looking at her. She didn't believe him, but she let it slide.
He took a deep breath, reached a hand up to the handle and pushed the doors open. The opened without a noise and the team walked through. They were even more amazed at the interior of the castle. The team looked around in breathless wonder. "How amazing is this?" Simmons asked to no one in particular.
"This isn't a curse." May said, "It's a gift. No curse could be this beautiful." The entire team, plus the guests, all agreed with her.
But Coulson was intent on his mission, "Skye, Ward?" He called into the castle.
After a few moments, footsteps were heard on the staircase. The team looked up to see Ward coming to stand on the catwalk. He placed his hands on the banister, careful on the jagged ice Skye accidentally created. "Coulson, you guys came." He said as if trying to convince himself it was true.
"Yeah we came." Fitz started.
Simmons continued, "And we want to see Skye."
"Where is she, Ward?" Coulson asked, a tiny edge to his voice. He still didn't fully trust Ward and he didn't want him around Skye for too long even with Garrett in jail. The team gathered around Coulson, blocking Ward's view of the guests.
"She's upstairs." Ward answered smoothly, "She's still nervous about hurting any of you by accident. She almost caused a snowstorm in her room because of it."
"Well, tell her we trust her not to hurt us." Trip told him.
"She doesn't trust herself is the problem!" Ward almost shouted, the Berserker rage showing through a little, "The whole reason she's up here is because she doesn't trust herself to control her powers around you and not hurt you! She's up here because she loves you guys!"
"And we love her." May interjected. Everyone turned to her in shock, "We need her back, Ward. Obviously you did too or you wouldn't have followed her up here. She either comes down here or we go up there. It's her choice." Ward sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't exactly know how to deal with this situation.
Coulson interrupted his train of thought, "Plus there's some people who want to meet her."
Once Skye had created a new dress for herself, she found herself pacing back and forth in her room from nervousness. Sure, she could touch Ward without freezing him, but how far did that loophole stretch? Would she be able to touch the team without freezing them? God, the anxiety was killing her. She wished Ward would just come up already. She needed to know how the team would react to her and if she could touch them. "Skye?" Skye jumped onto the next continent when she heard Ward's voice.
She turned to him and sighed in relief. "Grant, are they ready?" She asked, wringing her hands.
"The question is are you?" Ward said. Skye tilted her head in confusion. He walked to her and took her hands in his. "Skye, there are people down there who want to meet you."
"No! They brought SHIELD with them?" Skye asked in shock. Ward noted the snowflake around her neck started to glow blue.
"No, no, no!" Ward said quickly, cupping her cheek in his hand, "Nothing like that."
"Then who's here to meet me?" Skye asked back to confused.
Ward looked directly into her dark eyes as he said, "Your father."
The team stood together in silence, waiting for Ward to return, hopefully with Skye. Suddenly, they heard footsteps and the distinct sound of heels coming down the stairs. They looked up towards the catwalk with hope shining in their eyes. Ward came down first and held his hand towards the stairs. A familiar olive-skinned hand grasped his. Skye stepped down the last few steps and took the team's breath away. She was a different girl than when she ran off from them.
Skye stood on the catwalk wearing her latest ice creation. It was an ice blue dress with a halter-top bodice that flowed into a lighter shade of blue the farther down the skirt you went. It ended just above her knees in a snow white color. She had strappy ice blue heels on to match the dress and her hair was pulled into a side ponytail with a glittering snowflake. A long train of snowflakes flowed out of the back of the dress.
"Skye," Coulson breathed, looking at the girl he had envisioned as a daughter for so long, "You look different."
Skye blushed and looked down at her feet. Ward squeezed the hand that still grasped hers in a comforting manner, "Different?" She repeated.
"Good different." Fitzsimmons chorused together.
Skye let out a sigh of relief. They didn't see her as a monster. Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, she got straight to the point, "Ward said my father wanted to meet me."
"He does." May answered.
"Well," Skye said, anxious to get her answers, "Where is he? Who is he?"
"Well, first." Coulson started, "Here's your uncle." The team parted and Skye gasped at the man coming through. Or should she say god coming through.
"Thor?!" Skye asked in shock, "Thor is my uncle?"
"Yes, dear niece." Thor answered, "And I have been yearning to meet you since Coulson sent word to me."
Skye's face lit up in a huge smile. "I can't believe this! Thor is my uncle! AH!" She squealed in happiness. Suddenly she stopped, "Wait, if Thor is my uncle, then who's my father?"
"I am." An all too familiar voice came from behind Thor. Thor moved out of the way and the sight of her father made Skye almost fall into Ward.
"Loki?!" Skye almost shrieked, "Loki is my father?!"
"Yes I am, Skye." Loki answered smoothly. Skye let the news sink in. Her father was an Asgardian that had sent an alien invasion to earth. Can anything in her life be normal?
"Skye, please come down here." Thor asked politely. Skye took a deep breath, squeezed Ward's hand for comfort and stability and started down the staircase.
As soon as she reached the bottom few steps, she let Loki take both her hands in his. He sighed with a smile as he looked her over from head to toe. "You're the image of your mother." He told her.
Skye just looked at him, still trying to let the facts of the matter sink in. Suddenly, Loki wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. After a moment of shock, Skye realized that this was a loving father hugging his daughter and returned the hug. Then she saw ice forming on the back of Loki's armor. She quickly scrambled out of her father's embrace and into Ward's. "Ward, gloves." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out her leather gloves. She snatched them from his hand and slid them over hers. She turned to the others. "I am so sorry about that."
"It's quite alright, Skye." Loki assured her. Ward held her in his arms to calm her down. "I suppose I have some explaining to do?"
Okay. So I'll explain pretty much everything in the next chapter! I hope you all enjoyed this! Sorry if the Asgard talk sounded strange. I don't exactly know how to write for Asgard conversation.
So, I want you guys to do me a few favors: 1. Vote in the poll on my bio, 2. Look up Corey Cott so you know who I am now crushing on and 3. Look up Nick Pitera's Wicked medley with Peter Hollens. It is seriously amazing! I have listened to it too many times to be considered "normal" Anyways, R&R please!
Quote of the Day: The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. –Alan Watts (donated through Facebook by my awesome friend Emily)
Song Suggestion: As Long As You're Mine –Wicked Cast (Okay. I'm also seeing Wicked at the Pantages next year. I'm into theater. Sue me)