AN: Hello everyone. As always, please thank the awesome MegaDiary123 for Beta-ing this and all chapters. Unfortunately this week will be just one update, but I have high hopes that from next week we will get back on track with 2cpw. This chapter is dedicated to Stan Lee who passed away a couple of days ago... I hope you enjoy

All rights go to Marvel

Skye's POV

Jemma did keep her promise and the next time I opened my eyes she was still in the room. "Hey there, sleepyhead" she smiled as she got up from her chair and came closer to where I was lying.

"Hey" I replied back and soon we repeated the same drill as last night, with Jemma shining a light in my eyes, then pocking gently at my ribs and writing some notes down on her pad. "Where is Natasha?" I asked, when I noticed the absence of my sister. I would expect her to be looming over me for a good few days and that I would have to persuade her to get out of the room and go get some proper sleep.

"Oh, you mean agent Romanoff?" She inclined. "The director came and asked to see her. She was really reluctant in leaving you alone but I promised that I would be here at all times and she would be the first person to call if anything were to happen. Also, the fact that agent Hill is right outside, keeping watch, must have helped ease her concerns". I let out a sigh at that. "Do you want me to call her?" She asked, misinterpreting my sigh.

"No, no it's okay" I rushed to say. She raised an eyebrow at that, a sign that she clearly didn't believe me. "Honestly, I was just thinking of Hill. You know, I haven't seen her since…" I trailed off, knowing that Jemma put the pieces together. It wasn't that hard to do so in any case. The scientist soon had to leave and I was left alone in the room. She asked if I wanted Hill to come in, but I hadn't really been alone with my thoughts since the mansion was destroyed and I missed the quiet.

So, when the girl exited the door, after sending me a small smile, the room was left with the monotone sound of the heart monitor.

It could have been minutes, or even a couple of hours, when the door opened and the director walked in with Natasha trailing behind him. I saw her looking around, probably for Jemma who had assured her she would be here. "I wanted to be alone for a bit. It's not her fault" I assured her, though her gaze didn't relax at all. I would address the matter of Jemma later on when it was just the two of us, but for now there were more important matters of immediate attention. Or people, to be more precise. I turned my gaze and sat up a bit straighter, "Director" I said with an incline of my head.

"Please, Skye, don't force yourself" he said trying to make me lay back down, only for my determination to stay seated to grow bigger. He chuckled a little bit and turned to look at my sister. "I can see where she gets that from" and then turned back at me, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you".

"Likewise" I said, but sounded more like a question. But when my eye caught Natasha looking straight at me I knew the answer to my question. Most people, when feeling uncomfortable or like a secret of theirs is on the light would gaze away, but Nat was the direct opposite. She would stare so hard that you would feel like you had grown a second head. "Since when?"

There was no need for further elaboration on my question. "Monaco" Fury said.

"That explains a lot" I said. Finally the gaps I had begun filling in and pieces clicking into place. Because, not only no news pursued to find out who I was, but Stark had not mentioned the whole 'powers' thing almost at all. "Thank you" I genuinely continued, nodding my head a bit and then stopping, remembering the injury that I didn't want to make even worse, "for keeping me safe"

Fury inclined his head a little bit and raised an eyebrow. The eyebrow of his good eye. Funny, I thought and then wondered whether I would be able to see it if he raised the one under the pirate eye patch or not. "You are not mad?" His question was well satisfied and, to be honest, I was surprised with myself that I wasn't. Maybe it was the drugs running through my veins. I could see the same puzzling expression taking over Natasha's features.

I kindly smiled at him. "No, how could I be?" Still my answer did nothing to diminish their query. "Look, director, we have an understanding with Natasha. We take care of each other, whatever it takes. I know it must have taken her courage to come to you about my whereabouts. I mean, even if she did tell you, I know that she wouldn't allow you to tell anyone else, director or not. And… as she must have already informed you, I would have come in sooner than later. The events in Stark Expo only accelerated my coming in. And, to be fair, it was a good thing that she did tell you because look what happened. So, no. I am not mad"

It was clear as day that Nat relaxed after I said my piece. I could also tell that she wanted to come and hug me, or take my hand in hers, but she restrained herself and didn't move an inch, giving me only a light upwards title of her mouth tips.

"So…" I said as Fury had yet to speak up. "What is going to happen now?"

"What do you know of the Avengers Initiative?" Fury asked with a serious voice

It was a good week before I was allowed to leave the medical facility. I was so happy that I was not "restrained" to a bed, that the watch that I had to wear for monitoring didn't mind me at all.

It was a watch with quite high technology. Since no-one really knew how my powers worked or how they affected me while using them, it was deemed necessary to wear it at all times. It was monitoring my heart rate, as well as registering when my powers came to the surface and how they affected my system. I couldn't possibly be held inside a lab 24/7, for two reasons really. The first one, was because this was the reason why I ran from S.H.I.E.L.D. all those years ago and Natasha would have none of it. The second reason would be because I was to be trained as an agent. So, we needed to see how my powers reacted in real life situations and not just simulations. As a result the watch ended up being the best alternative, at least for now.

Jemma had officially moved in the same training facility as the one that I was going to attend, the location of which was of course classified. Though I could easily hack into the system and find out, I wanted to make a good first impression.

So, back to Jemma. She did move in with me, just like when we were at the Academy. It was way too soon for her to graduate SciTech, given the many years that people study there in order to make it out, but from what I gathered she was at the top of her class and way ahead of the rest. Like, three years ahead, which really meant that she could graduate anytime in the near future. So when the director, or Pirate as I like to call him behind his back, contacted the head of Jemma's Academy she was relieved from her study duties.

I could tell that it had taken a small toll on her, given that she had to leave Fitz behind and for him to graduate on time, but she tried really had to hide it. It wasn't very hard to look right through her facade though, her being a terrible liar and all.

"You okay?" The two of us were in the room we shared and I could tell that Jemma's mind was somewhere else.

Her gaze turned to me for just a moment and then she resumed her position of looking at the wall across from her. Her eyebrows closed in so much that they almost touched each other, and a puzzling look took over her face. "Why did I come here?" She finally asked after a few long minutes.

"What?" I replied completely at loss.

Her back crunched a bit and she supported it at the wall behind her, as she bent her knees closer to her chest. "One moment I am at the Academy, and the next I get called to Ms. Weaver's office. I get informed that the director himself has requested my presence at a classified operation and when I get briefed I discover that I am to be your doctor" she paused and took a deep breath. Her eyes were moving from side to side, not looking at anything in particular, but letting me know of the speed that her mind was working. "From your reaction when I walked into the room the first day it was clear you were not expecting me. I got debriefed in all the aspects of your powers and how they might affect your recovery, but no-one really told me why I had to come and treat you. I mean… there are so many more skilled and expert doctors in the organisation, but instead they picked up a student who has yet to really finish the Academy" and like that she turned to look at me. "So, why me?" I could see the gears turning in her brains, trying to make sense of the situation.

"I was informed that you had the grades needed from the Academy to graduate" I countered immediately.

"You are avoiding my question, which means you know the answer" she said.

Damn. I had forgotten how easily it had become for her to read me and all the years apart didn't seem to have broken this ability of hers. And, truth be told, I had replied way too quickly so it was really my bad for making it easy for Jemma to read me.

"What's going on?" She asked, concern leaking into her voice as she stood up and came to sit next to me.

We hadn't really addressed the elephant in the room. Apart from the first day we hadn't really spoken much about where we stood with each other and there was some invisible barrier that seemed to separate us. There would be these long moments of silence when neither would speak and the awkwardness would sometimes become unbearable. So when Jemma positioned herself next to me, silently offering her support, I couldn't help but smile and feel somewhat relieved.

"I might or might not have been thrown all over the place lately by people, explosions… you get the memo" I could see Jemma scoffing and shaking her head at that. "Well, I am guessing that it was because of the many times my head ended up bumping onto walls but after I was knocked out at the Expo I had this… dream". Jemma's puzzling face returned and so I explained everything that I remembered from the dream.

After I finished narrating what had occurred I waited for Jemma to digest all the information. "Still, it doesn't explain why I am here" she finally said.

I didn't want to relieve what had happened in the medical room or how scared I had felt, or helpless. But Jemma had a right to know, give that any plans she might had made turned upside down because she was rushed here for my sake. My voice shook a little bit the next time I opened my mouth. "When I woke up in the medical room I kind of threw the doctors on a wall. I–I was disoriented and they reminded me of the Doctor from the dream. My mind was so confused as to what was real and what was not and I kept seeing him and hear his voice" I paused a little, taking a deep breath. "Natasha… she didn't push me into talking about it, but she said that it looked like I was having a flashback from where she stood"

I had tightly closed my eyes, trying to get the voice of the man out of my head. I hadn't expected it to happen, so it took me by surprise when Jemma placed a hand on my shoulder and I flinched at her touch as if burnt. It was the second time that I had the same reaction with Jemma around and I silently cursed myself. "Sorry" I whispered just as I did the last time.

Jemma's gaze was not as hurt as it was a week before, so she must have expected my reaction. The reaction though didn't stand in her way of eventually placing her palm on my knee.

"It's okay" she said genuinely. "I am sorry I pushed you" she continued with a regretful voice.

She must have picked up on me saying that Nat didn't push me into saying what the dream was about. "No, no" I hurried to say back. "You didn't push… really. I–I wanted to tell you. You've already heard so many weird stories from me that this memory probably wouldn't freak you out"

Her eyes flicker for only a moment before they met mine. I was about to ask what was wrong but she interrupted my thoughts before I got a chance to voice them. "Memory?", and so I understood the reason for her bafflement. "You previously referred to it as a dream, yet just now you said 'memory'… Was that something that happened to you after you left the Academy?" Her back was more straight than before. Her scientific and verso-observant side of her coming to the surface when there were unanswered questions hanging in the air. "If you want to answer, of course" she quickly added when I didn't speak for a goof few minutes. "I don't want you to feel pressured into answering anything you don't want to, or feel uncomfortable to, or–"

Her rambling was completely and abruptly interrupted by my laugh. I couldn't help it and it felt so nice to be smiling, feeling happy, for a few consecutive days without ending up being blasted off the ground.

"No, it was not something that happened while I was away" I reassured her and my laughter eventually died when my mind travelled back to those days. "There were a lot of things that happened but this was not one of those" I elaborated a little bit and took a deep breath, calming my nerves. "Where were we? Oh, memory… right. Well, you see, I first thought that it was a dream but then Natasha said that I looked as if in a flashback and it got me thinking. It was pretty realistic, what I felt, what I was thinking, and none of the details escaped my gasp once I woke up. I know that you can have really life-like dreams, but this feels different. I can't explain it any better"

"But…" Jemma spoke and it was obvious that she was deeply lost in her thoughts, the way her eyes darted from side to side or the way her forehead was pushed because of her concentration being a few indications. "…if it is a memory and not from the past few years, then from when?"

This was the million dollar question that I would love to have the answer to.

But all I could do at the moment was raise one shoulder, shrugging. I would normally raise both but my right one had yet to be 100% healed and I didn't want to get a scold from the doctor sitting next to me. "What about before?" I made the assumption that had been in my mind the past couple of days.

"Before when?" Jemma was starting to put the pieces together and there was a spark, evident even in her voice.

"Before Natasha and the others found me" I declared.

From the corner of my eye I could see Jemma nodding, somewhat agreeing on what she had just heard. "It would make sense" followed to emphasise her previous movement. "Have you remembered anything else ever since?" Her voice was small, almost afraid to really ask, but curious enough for the words to form and escape her lips.

I knew that the whole question-thing was coming to an end, or I would end it shortly, and so I relaxed a bit in my seat. "Nope, nothing new. And don't forget that all this is just hypothetical, we can't know for sure". I knew the direction to which this was going to, so I took the lead as to make it easier for Jemma who must have been quite uncomfortable with what she was asked to do. "I don't think it will affect me in the field though, and if it does I will report it in. True, it will take me some time to get used to being around doctors who aren't you, but I'll get there eventually. And no, we are not talking about the years that I was off the radar" I patted her knee affectionately. "Want me to sign any papers or is this all enough for the report you are giving the Pirate?" I asked with a smirk.

For being someone so smart it took Jemma a good six-seconds before her mind processed what I had just said, her jaw hanging open all the while. "What–What do you–No, no Skye–I didn't…" she was struggling so much that it was cute and I had to take her out of her misery.

"There is no problem Jemma. The psych evaluation was something that was inevitable and I do have to give you credits for trying to be subtle. You've come a long way in lying more convincingly that you had before"

I made a move to get up, but Jemma's fingers wrapped around my hand, not allowing me to move any further. "Please, Skye" she kind of pleaded. "I don't want you to think that I said what I said and made you open up just for the sake of an assignment from the director. I want you to know that if you need to talk about anything, anything, I am here to listen. Off the record of course" her eyes were conveying so much emotion that I couldn't be mad at her. Not that I was mad at her in the first place.

"It's okay Jemma, I understand" I squeezed her fingers so that she knew I spoke the truth. "And you know that the offer stands for you as well, right? If you ever need a listening ear, I'll gladly be there"

She got up and looked at me. "I know Skye" she softly said, her eyes on mine and it was a moment when I felt as if the rest of the word had gone silent.

I felt as if she wanted to say something more.

But as the seconds stretched by and she had yet to speak I had to tell her something that I just saw. "You know what I just noticed?" I asked with a playful tone that she picked up on quickly and raised an eyebrow. "Now I'm taller than you" I patted her head and my smile broadened on my face.

She made a face and pushed my hand off her head. "Only for a few centimetres, don't get any big ideas" she rolled her eyes and gently pushed on my good shoulder. And just like that, we were back to talking about nothing in particular.