The thing about Skye
She has the occasional meltdown
The first time Jemma witnesses Skye having a meltdown, Skye is sick and delirious, but she's pliant and Jemma has May there to help.
The second time is out of the blue. It's very violent, and Jemma hasn't slept in days, and she's alone except for Fitz who is unconscious and might not wake up, ever, but she tries. As stressed and sleep deprived as she is, she tries and she keeps Skye from inadvertently hurting herself and she tells Skye that she loves her (she should have told Fitz that she loved him when she had the chance), but Jemma probably messed up because Skye was in tears again and running away and Jemma didn't follow (she probably should have followed).
The third time is after Fitz woke up, and Jemma went undercover, and Skye cracked the earth open for the first time. Skye is suddenly more, and Jemma is a little more jaded, but even with these alien powers, Skye is still eerily the same.
Because even with this huge, dangerous, gift, Jemma once again finds herself watching Skye curl into herself, hyperventilating, and tears streaking rivets down her cheeks as she tears at her hair and rip gouges into any skin her nails have the misfortune of finding (and it's like those nails are claws and are drawn to skin as they pull and wiggle under the tight fabric of Skye's SHIELD issued clothes). And despite Jemma's weariness of alien powers, and the ground shaking under her feet, Jemma rushes to Skye's side to try to stop her self-destructive tendencies.
Only, with the added danger to the world around Skye, there is also an added danger to Skye herself with these awful powers. It's a trade-off, Jemma realizes as the world around her slowly stops trembling, but the hands clawing back at Jemma's burst with blue and black colors that don't belong on a person. And Jemma thinks she would much rather the earth keep quaking than this. How is she supposed to help- to stop Skye from hurting herself- from this.
The third time is her fault. Or Fitz's, but she doesn't really know for sure. But she's covered in space rock and just back from Maveth, and Daisy's nose is all bloody. Her forehead is sweaty and the air has an odd pressure to it, an odd ringing, and Daisy collapses to the ground.
She just knows that it's Fitz's fault (he did something stupid and reckless to come save her- forced Skye to push her powers to the limits to keep him from getting trapped, too- and Skye would absolutely blame herself if she failed- if she didn't die first to keep from losing someone else), and she kind of hates him for that (hate's herself, too, for getting herself in the situation where she needed saving again).
Jemma is sore, and there is sand in her nose and mouth, but Skye is dripping blood down her chin, and not breathing right, and the air is ringing oddly as Skye breaks down into tears at the sight of Jemma and Fitz- both alive- (she did it- she saved them- Fitz, the idiot).
Mack, who caught Skye as she collapsed, whispers reassurances and praise that Jemma's hyper alert ears easily pick up, but Skye raises her trembling hands to her neck and Jemma pulls away from Fitz's desperate hold. She claws her way to Skye, through the pit and the rubble, to catch trembling hands in trembling hands- and Jemma is so weak with relief, and fear, and grief, and exhaustion, but this is her fault.
For the first time, Skye clutches back at Jemma in a way other than blind panic, practically lunging into her arms and climbing into her lap. Some sand is rinsed from Jemma's neck as it quickly gets damp. Skye's skin is hot, like with fever, and her whole body trembles, almost matching the weird feeling in the air (or is this what the earth's atmosphere normally feels like, and she's just forgotten?).
It happens several more times throughout the years- but each time Jemma is there to witness it, she learns a little more in how to respond. There's a system, and it gets easier (much like treating her friends after grievous injuries gets easier). With experience, she's able to help Daisy ride it out quicker and with less self-inflicted damage on Daisy's part (and Daisy helps Jemma quite a few times too).
A/N: Please let me know what you think!
~Silver~