"People... Cargo hold... Probably Centipede.." Jemma panted. She would definitely make a terrible field agent; running was not her forte.
"Skye, take this." Ward shoved a gun into Skye's hands and handed another to Jemma. They had real bullets in them. Skye quickly glanced at Jemma's gun and then up to her face. Jemma was hurt when she saw a tiny flicker of hesitation or fear in Skye's eyes.
"Get out another emergency exit and run as far away from here as you can. Contact me in twenty four hours." Ward ordered them. Both girls nodded and Skye led the way, holding her gun out in front of her the whole time in case of any unfriendies.
"Skye." Jemma tried to grab the hacker's attention as they made their way to an exit. Skye was probably the only one who knew where the emergency exits were, she was the only one who read the safety manual.
"I had to do it-" Jemma started the long apology essay she'd written in her head earlier.
"I appreciate that you feel the need to apologize for shooting me, but now really isn't the time." Skye whispered. Jemma smiled, the interruption was the most Skye-like thing she'd seen in a long time.
Skye stopped hesitantly when they heard gunshot, but Jemma grabbed her upper arm and kept going. There was nothing they could do to help Ward, neither of them could fight and it would only make the battle harder for him if he had to protect them. Skye didn't willingly come with Jemma until she pointed this out.
As soon as they were off the plane, Jemma and Skye ran from the landing strip the plane was on to the nearest road.
"Now where do we go?" Jemma asked in exasperation.
"I know where we are." Skye said after she took a look around.
"Please, enlighten me." Jemma said. Skye stood at the edge of the road and when she saw a car in the distance, she stuck her thumb out.
"Are you crazy?" Jemma asked. Skye rolled her eyes and walked over to Jemma. "Hitchhiking?"
"Take that thing off, we're trying to look normal." Skye told Jemma as she grabbed one edge of her lab coat and began pulling it off of her friend. Skye's fingers brushed against Jemma's collarbone and a shiver ran down Jemma's spine. She shrugged her coat off completely and practically winced as Skye threw it behind a bush. Skye also removed her gun from her waistband and held out her hand for Jemma's. Jemma reluctantly handed it over, knowing why Skye had to get rid of them, but not wanting to throw away their only defense. No one was going to let two gun bearing strangers into their car.
"And get your priorities straight." Skye laughed at Jemma as she walked back to the road and held out her hand. "Stranger danger is the least of our problems right now."
Jemma beamed. It was like Skye had suddenly bounced back to her old self in less than three seconds. It was obvious that Skye hadn't liked being under lock and key. She felt free, Jemma observed. And for Skye, because of how she led her life and what happened to her recently, free was probably Skye's favorite word.
Or maybe it was Jemma. Maybe Skye was herself around Jemma. This thought had Jemma giddy for a moment.
The car Skye had first seen pulled over next to them. It already made Jemma nervous that it was a pickup truck.
"Catherine!" The man who rolled down the window exclaimed excitedly. Skye returned the smile and opened the back door. She climbed in and waved her hand for Jemma to follow. She didn't understand what was going on, but she trusted Skye.
"Where have you been? And who's your friend here?" The man asked as he began driving again. He was a young man dressed in flannel and jeans. His curly red hair poked out from underneath his baseball cap. He seemed friendly enough, he seemed pretty excited to see Skye, and not for perverted reasons. Jemma finally realized that 'Catherine' was Skye when Skye responded to him.
"Oh, you know, out and about. This is my childhood best friend, Jasmine." The lies poured out of Skye's mouth so easily that Jemma almost believed them. She could see how good of an undercover agent she was, she was one of the most amazing on-the-spot actresses she had ever seen.
"Well hey there, Jasmine." Jemma responded to the man with a quiet smile. He chuckled at her silence and continued conversing with who he thought was a girl named Catherine.
"Do you mind dropping us off at the apartment instead of the diner?" Skye asked him. "Jasmine and I have had a long day and we're pretty tired." Skye told him. Jemma was already nervous about the situation, so when the truck rolled over a large pothole and jerked Jemma reflexively reached over and grabbed Skye's hand. Skye gave her an odd look and Jemma retracted her hand quickly. She also felt extremely stupid.
"No problem. But r'ya sure it's 'cause you're tired that you want to go to the apartment while Ashley's at work?" An amused grin was on the man's face when he saw them in the back seat. Jemma blushed furiously at what he was insinuating. Jemma wouldn't dare to think about that... but she realized she may have thought it at least once.
When she looked over at Skye's face she was horrified to see a frown there. If she had had any chance at all with Skye it was ruined now. And who was this Ashley person that Skye apparently lived with? Was she Skye's girlfriend or something? She was probably Ward's contact, the one he went to when we were looking for Skye.
"Ok, Ryan, you caught me." Skye told him. Jemma gave Skye a confused look. She had been wondering how big a web of lies Skye could weave before it got ruined. Jemma guessed it had just gotten destroyed.
"She's not my friend. She's my cousin." Skye said.
I take it back, Jemma thought. She's a very talented spider.
"Cat has family?!" Ryan asked in humorous, mock shock.
"Well everyone came from somewhere." Skye grinned.
"But you don't look anything alike." he stated. Jemma finally spoke up. She was supposed to be protecting Skye from Centipede, Skye was their target. Not the other way around. She felt she at least had to contribute.
"My dad and her mum are adoptive siblings." Jemma told Ryan. Skye smiled at her and Jemma's heart swelled. She knew Skye was impressed and proud of her.
"So she speaks! And she's British! Why didn't you tell me you have a British cousin?" Ryan asked.
"She doesn't much like to talk about her family." Jemma said. Ryan continued to stare at Jemma with a weird expression. He seemed to be infatuated by her accent.
"Sorry, I don't mean to stare. In a small town like ours we don't have much diversity. Everyone looks like everyone else. Cat's about the most exotic person we've got." A small smile played across Skye's face when her friend described her as exotic.
"Here we are." Ryan said as he parked next to a tiny apartment complex that probably held no more than ten apartments. Relief flooded through Jemma, she just wanted out of that car.
"Thanks Ryan. I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, I'll have your usual ready at eight." Skye told him as she hopped out of the car. Ryan saw Jemma's confusion and explained as she got out of the truck.
"Your cousin's the most loved waitress in town." He said. "Heck, she's probably the most loved person in this town." He called out the window as he drove away. Skye must have been really popular, she'd worked out quite a life. She stayed in a small town but didn't hide herself, the perfect way to stay unfound by people searching for someone that's hiding.
Jemma turned around and walked quickly to catch up with Skye, who was already fumbling with a set of keys in a door.
By the time Jemma caught up, Skye was already pushing through the door. She immediately walked into one of the two bedrooms and collapsed on her stomach on the bed.
As Jemma walked into the room behind Skye she recognized her scent. It was the same subtle flower scent that Skye's bunk used to smell like. The smell made her tense muscles relax immediately.
Jemma sat down on the bed next to Skye.
"I have to wait for Ashley to come home so I can tell her I'm leaving." Skye mumbled into the light brown comforter on the bed.
"You have to move because of us, don't you?" Jemma asked guiltily.
"I loved my life here. I loved it even more than being on the bus." Skye confided in Jemma as she sat up. The two girls sat Indian style facing each other on the bed. Jemma was offended that Skye didn't prefer to be with her, but she also understood. All Skye had wanted her entire life was a family and a normal life, which she clearly had in this quaint little town. She had a roommate who was possibly a love interest, she had a job and a place to live in that didn't have wheels. She had friends. That was something Jemma would have killed for. Skye and Fitz were her only real close friends, and she only had Fitz after Skye had disappeared. She loved being friends with Fitz, but sometimes it was fun to not talk about science. It was fun to curl up and watch a chick flick. She couldn't do that with Fitz.
"I'm really sorry, Skye." Jemma told her. Skye smiled and hugged Jemma close. Jemma was shocked at first, but she returned the hug with loving arms.
Skye them proceeded to tell Jemma everything she told Ward earlier, and Jemma rubbed Skye's arm every few seconds and pretended that she was hearing it all for the first time.
"How did you say you got out?" Jemma asked. This question was a question in disguise. She did want to know how Skye got out, but she also needed to know if her device gave her any other powers. She would have had to use the powers to escape since she doesn't know how to fight yet, so this was the way to ask her.
"I didn't say. But it was simple really." Skye said as they finally pulled apart. Skye wiped away a few tears while she was recovering from remembering her story. Jemma raised her eyebrows to let Skye know she was interested and listening.
"They accidentally left the door unlocked on the room they were keeping me in." Skye told her. Jemma was surprised, she didn't think Centipede would make such a stupid mistake.
"Skye, we need to get out of here!" She suddenly yelled. Jemma took Skye's hand and pulled her off the bed.
"What? Why? I have to at least say good bye to Ashley first!" Skye protested.
"Skye, they let you out." Jemma exclaimed. The look on Skye's face was horrified. Jemma knew that the only way Skye could have made it all the way out of wherever they were keeping her was if they let it happen.
"Why would they do that?" Skye asked. Jemma's brain was already working, connecting pieces of puzzles they hadn't even opened the boxes to.
"I think they were trying to store you somewhere safe until they wanted you." Jemma said. Skye finally complied as Jemma dragged her towards the door. "Which means they probably know we're here."
When Jemma threw open the apartment door, both girls jumped backwards when they found themselves staring Ashley in the face.
"Hey Jemma. Skye." Ashley smirked.