Reupload

Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing

Warning: Contains child abuse

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Skye was working out in the gym at the compound. It was a Saturday, and she was spending another weekend there. She wasn't exactly sure how Steve and Wanda had been able to keep convincing those who made the decisions for her that she should spend the weekends at the compound. Maybe it was because, over the past few months she had been spending time there, she had made a lot of changes. Which was, in part, because the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint Steve or Wanda or any of the other adults she had grown to know and care about. For the first time in her life she felt like she belonged somewhere. Well, she mostly felt that way. In the back of her mind she also had the thoughts that she was just some charity case that helped them look good and that they just wanted to keep her from using her powers without them around.

She had been expressly forbidden from using them outside of the compound unless she was defending herself. There had been a few times she could have used them to defend herself but she hadn't. She was thinking back to the group home. It hadn't been that long ago that she had told Steve that the abuse in the home hadn't been physical, and at the time it had been the truth. But just forty eight hours after that, it became untrue.

Ms. Torres, the woman who ran the group home, physically abused her. Skye didn't tell anyone because she felt like she had deserved it. She was on laundry, and she had accidently left a red sock in with white clothes. And 99% of it was fine. But there was a white dress shirt that belonged to one of the other girls, and it had ended up a faded pink color. The girl was pissed. She had needed that shirt for a job interview that she had in just a few hours. Thankfully, someone else in the house had a shirt that would work, and the girl did end up getting the job. But Ms. Torres was furious, and when no one was around she had grabbed Skye by the hair and slammed her head into a wall.

It hurt like hell, but she was able to keep her composure. It was the first time in that home she had been physically abused, but it wasn't the first time ever. She had been in several other foster and group homes where she had been physically abused.

The next week she had left a pot on the stove with hot water and the water boiled over. Ms. Torres had shoved her into the stove, causing her to get a burn on her lower back. It was pretty bad, and she was very grateful for the super healing that was starting to work in her body. She figured her abilities were getting stronger because she was working them out more. By the time she went to the compound the following weekend it was healed, and no one was the wiser.

Skye knew she could tell Steve. She could tell Wanda. She could tell any one of the people there. They would make a call, and she would be out of that home. But, she knew if she left that home she would be out of New York and too far from the compound. So she was going to put up with the abuse, because the weekends made it worth it in her mind. And, maybe, she felt like she deserved it. She had done a lot of shitty things in her past. Maybe this was just her karma.

Bucky was in the gym as well. He'd noticed the young girl come in and start punching at one of the bags that were hanging from the ceiling. Bucky could tell the girl had a lot on her mind from the way she was punching at the bag. They all did it at some point. They had all been through a lot in the last years with all the battles and losses they had been through since the Avengers had become a thing. Not to mention all of the things that had happened in their personal lives. He also knew the girl wasn't having a normal childhood and had been through a lot, too. They had all noticed the last few weekends, though, that something seemed off with her. She was jumping at loud noises and flinched anytime someone put a hand on her shoulder. They also saw she was getting stronger every week. And not just her super strength, but her agility and her senses were also getting better for the most part. Bucky noticed the bag kept getting away from her when she punched. He went over.

"You want me to hold it for you?" Bucky asked the girl.

Skye jumped. When she came into the gym she hadn't noticed anyone else was there, and she hadn't heard anyone else come in. So she was startled when Bucky spoke to her. She thought her senses were getting better, not worse. "Um. . . sure," she said.

Bucky moved to hold the bag from behind, and Skye started punching at it again.

"You want to tell me what is going on?" Bucky asked. He was not known to beat around the bush about things and usually he left talking to her to Steve or Wanda, But he was the one there at the moment, and he had actually grown to care about the girl.

"What makes you think anything is going on?" she asked as she punched at the bag.

"You flinch anytime someone puts a hand on your shoulder. You jump at the slightest noises, and you are going at this bag like it has personally attacked you," Bucky said.

Skye started to speed punch at the bag. Once she had tired herself out some, she stopped and took a breath. "Just trying to get stronger."

"That's bullshit," Bucky said.

Skye looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, I swear. When Steve isn't around," Bucky said with a smirk.

Skye chuckled. "Does that mean I get to swear around you?"

"As long as you're not swearing every other word or swearing at me or anyone else, I don't care," Bucky said.

Skye nodded.

"And don't tell Steve I let you," Bucky said.

Skye chuckled again and nodded. "Okay."

She went back to punching the bag.

"Out with it. What's going on?" Bucky asked.

"It's just that I hate the group home I'm in. When my roommate was there, it was bearable. But she aged out a couple weeks ago, and she moved in with a boyfriend," Skye said. "I'm so happy for her, but I miss her. She was the only one in the home who didn't think I was being all stuck up because I got this mentorship," Skye said as she punched.

Bucky nodded. "Damn. I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was that bad."

Skye shrugged. "Nothing I can't handle. I am just very grateful for the weekends. And that Steve was able to convince my social worker to let them happen."

"It was more Wanda than Steve, I think," Bucky said.

"Well, I'm grateful she was able to convince her," Skye said.

Bucky nodded. "Do you like your social worker?"

"She's okay," Skye said.

"She one of the good ones?" Bucky asked.

"I think I have worn her patience down. Anytime I've been in a dangerous care situation, like if there has been physical abuse, she takes me out of the home. And when I fuck up and get kicked out, she works really hard to get me into other homes. But, I think I am her most 'difficult' case," Skye said.

Bucky nodded. "Have you been in a lot of abusive homes?"

"Yup," Skye said.

"I know the one you're in now isn't great and that there may have been some verbal abuse. Has there been anything physical?" He asked.

"Nothing physical," she said as she started to speed punch the bag again.

Bucky held the bag and noticed she was punching even harder than before. When she stopped punching the bag, she went over to the side of the gym and picked up her water bottle.

Bucky let the bag go and watched her. "Skye," he said.

Skye took a sip of her water and looked at him.

"You know, when we are dealing with shit that we keep bottled up it comes out in other ways. Whether that is being snippy with people, or like right now when I asked you about any physical abuse. The fact that you went at the bag harder tells me you're lying," Bucky said.

"When exactly was I snippy with you?" Skye asked.

"Not with me, but Happy was asked if he has noticed anything off with you when he drives you to and from the home. He says that you are always quiet when he picks you up, like you have a lot on your mind. You're polite and such, but, when he is driving you home, you get snippy with him," Bucky said.

Skye sighed and looked down. "I will apologize to him."

"You definitely should, yes. But that's not what this is really about," Bucky said.

"I'm fine, Bucky. I just don't like the place where I live. I like being here. So, I'm always excited to be coming here, but I'm not excited to be going back there," Skye said.

Bucky nodded slightly. "Okay, if you say so."

"Did Happy tell Steve that I have been snippy?" Skye asked.

"He was the one who asked him about how you have been," Bucky said.

Skye nodded "Was Steve pissed at me?" Worry was clear on her face

"I think he was more concerned," Bucky said, "You apologize to Happy, and I'm sure Steve will let it go."

Skye nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

"You're not scared of Steve are you?" Bucky asked.

"No, not at all," Skye said. "But he is big on respect, and I feel like he'd lecture me about being snippy."

Bucky nodded. "He is very big on respect. We all are."

Skye nodded. "Are you going to lecture me?"

"Nope," Bucky said. "You want to keep punching?"

"No, I'm tired," she said.

Bucky nodded.

"Thank you for the help," she said.

"Of course. I might not be the most emotionally attuned person around here, but I will always listen," Bucky said.

Skye smiled. "You are easy to talk to because you don't judge. You just listen."

"Good to know," Bucky said. "And I don't judge because I know that nothing you could do could rival the things I have done."

Skye nodded before she left the gym and went upstairs, almost bumping into Happy.

"Oh shit. Sorry," Skye said.

"That's okay," Happy said. He walked around her.

"Happy," She said.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I'm sorry I have been snippy with you the last couple weekends," Skye said.

"It's forgiven," Happy said.

Sky went to the room she used when she was at the compound. She showered and got dressed before going to the living room, where she flopped on the couch and closed her eyes. She heard someone sit down in the room with her and could feel them watching her.

"Hey, Pete. I didn't know you were home this weekend," she said.

"Missed everyone," Peter said with a smile. "How did you know it was me?"

"Super smell. Everyone smells a little different. Not bad, just different," she said.

"Pheromones," Peter said.

"Sure," Skye said with a smile.

"They are substances that are secreted by humans and animals that cause us all to have slightly different smells. Most people can't consciously tell the difference. But it can affect how we get along with people. Our pheromones are compatible with whoever we end up with. That kind of thing," Peter said. "But, someone who has super smell, like Steve, probably can tell the difference, too."

"I have a lot of powers in common with him, it seems," Skye said.

"Yeah, you do. You get hit with super serum?" Peter asked with a smirk

She chuckled a bit. "If I did, I have no memory of it. But who knows what the government would use foster kids for without their consent," Skye said.

"Um, I think that would be a line even they wouldn't cross," Peter said.

"You don't know the care system, Pete," Skye said.

"No, I don't. But the government's job is to protect kids in care, and that would be putting kids at harm," Pete said.

"Once you reach a certain age in the care system, they no longer care to do more than the bare minimum. And if human testing can get them some money in some way, I don't think they would think twice," Skye said

Pete let out a breath. He knew he wasn't going to win this one. "Well, you been given any shots that you can remember?"

"Flu shots, Covid shot, things like that," Skye said.

Pete nodded "Yeah. I can't imagine how that was for everyone who wasn't gone by the Snap."

"It was so weird," Skye said. "Every kid who was left in foster care had actual places to stay for more than a night at a time. Most had their own rooms even. And then, when covid hit, it was easier to isolate. But, fuck, it was hard because we weren't really given clear answers for what happened. I think it was because most people didn't know. So we didn't know what had happened to the people we cared about and had to go on living in somewhat of a normal life. Then, everything changed again when Covid hit. It was like the world was completely frozen. And then when everyone was unsnapped, and we were so excited to have everyone back. But we had to explain everything that had happened, and things just went back to the way they were. I think it made a lot of people angry about the whole thing. But I couldn't imagine what it was like for those who had to come back five years later the same age and everything."

"It was definitely weird. Seeing people I had been in school with for years living adult lives while I was still in high school. I'm grateful that at least my girl and best friend and I were all in it together," Peter said.

"Am I ever going to get to meet this girl of yours?" Skye asked.

"I'm sure you will at some point," Peter said with a smile. "She is at MIT, too."

"She doesn't come home when you do?" Skye asked.

"Not every time, no," Peter said.

Skye nodded.

"So what have you been up to?" Peter asked.

I've been spending my weekends here, and I'm so grateful. Otherwise, it's just normal life," Skye said.

"How is the training coming?" Peter asked.

"Good. I've definitely been noticing more of the abilities coming out," Skye said.

"Super strength, super senses, anything else?" Peter asked.

"Super agility, reflexes, stamina has been better. But, I think that could just be because I'm working out more. I still get tired," Skye said.

Peter nodded.

"But if I've had a bad day, it's all gone," Skye said.

"Yeah, when we aren't at our best everything suffers." Peter said.

Skye nodded.

"Have you had a lot of bad days to be able to realize the effect?" Peter asked.

"My life is a bad day, minus the weekends," Skye said.

"It's really that bad?" Peter asked.

"Pretty bad," Skye said.

"Is there anything that can be done to help?" Peter asked.

"No," Skye said. "I've made the choices that got me here."

"Skye, you're thirteen. You shouldn't be thinking like that," Peter said.

"What should or shouldn't be doesn't change what is, Pete," Skye said.

"When did you become so philosophical?" Peter asked.

Skye chuckled and shrugged.

"You know, I don't know what the life you live is really like, outside of the getting powers as a teenager thing. But I do know what being a teenager is like. I still am one. Which I am constantly reminded of when I am here," Peter said.

Skye laughed.

"So if you want to talk, I can listen, and maybe try and offer some advice," Peter said.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind," Skye said.

They were quiet for a few minutes.

"Someone ask you to try talking to me?" Skye asked.

"Did I make it that obvious?" Peter asked.

Skye shook her head. "No, you're just the fifth person this weekend who has told me the same thing."

Peter chuckled. "Ah, so we are all busted?"

"Mhm," Skye said.

"We all care, and we all can see that something is going on. You aren't being yourself. We just want to know why," Peter said.

"It's just been a hard few weeks. The only person in that house I got along with aged out. I just miss her. I haven't been very fair, taking it out on others, I know. It's going to stop. I'm sorry if I have been nasty to you," Skye said

Peter nodded. "Okay. Well you haven't been to me directly. And I don't think anyone thinks you have been nasty exactly. Just a bit snippy, and you've also been really jumpy."

"I'm just a jumpy person," Skye said.

"If you say so," Peter said.

They continued to just chat about random things till they decided to put on a movie for the rest of the afternoon.

The rest of her weekend was pretty uneventful.

She was quiet on the way home at the end of the weekend.

Happy looked in the rear-view mirror. "You know you can talk to me if you have something on your mind, right?" he asked.

"Yes, I know. Just like every other person who has told me that this weekend," she snapped.

"Hrm. I thought we had gotten past you being snippy with me," Happy said.

Skye rolled her eyes. "Well I'm getting a little tired of everyone pushing me to talk about something when there is nothing to talk about."

Happy nodded. "Okay, but you don't need to be snippy or roll your eyes at me."

"Whatever," Skye said.

Happy shook his head and pulled up in the driveway. "I will see you on Friday. Hopefully with a better attitude," he said.

"Don't hold your breath," she said, getting out and grabbing her bag and before going inside.

Happy sighed and drove back to the compound.