Thank you to Harliquinn for beta editing!

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Skye woke up to Lila turning on the light in the room. She groaned.

"Sorry. I can't find my shoes," Lila said softly.

"It's fine," Skye mumbled half asleep, putting a pillow over her head to block out the light.

It was Monday. Lila and Nate were getting ready for school. Skye had been getting used to sleeping in, and she wasn't upset about it. She knew that it would end eventually. But while she was able to, she would keep getting the extra sleep.

Lila found her shoes and turned off the light. "It's off now. Have a good day."

"Thanks, you, too," Skye said, taking the pillow off her head and falling back asleep.

Lila went downstairs and had breakfast with her family.

"Skye sleeping still?" Clint asked.

"Yes," Lila said. "Well, I woke her up a little. I had to turn on the light to find something. But I think she went right back to sleep."

Laura smiled and nodded. "Good, she needs the extra sleep."

"Why?" Nate asked.

"Just does," Laura told her son, not wanting to get into the details with him.

Cooper grabbed a pancake from the table as he came down and headed to the door. "I have to head to work," he told them before putting the pancake in his mouth and putting his shoes on.

"Aren't you supposed to start in like ten minutes?" Clint asked.

"Yes," Cooper said.

"You are going to be fired if you keep getting there late," Laura said.

"Nah. They love me," Cooper said as he headed out the door.

Clint shook his head., That was a conversation he would need to have with him later.

Soon Nate and Lila headed out the door to catch the bus and head to school.

"You have plans today?" Clint asked his wife.

"Volunteering in Nate's class this afternoon for a Christmas event," Laura said.

Clint nodded. "Why am I never invited to do these things?" he asked with a smile.

"Because you are busy protecting the world," Laura said, smiling at her husband.

"I'm never too busy for my kids," Clint said.

"I know," Laura said. "You just have to put your name on a parent volunteer list, and they will call you when they need you."

Clint nodded. "Okay."

"But it's good you are here today. I don't think we can leave Skye alone, even if no one knows she is here," Laura said.

"Yes, true. We both wouldn't be able to be gone right now," Clint said as his phone went off with a text.

He looked, it was from Steve.

'Morning, Clint. How is Skye?'

Clint sent back, "Still sleeping."

"She finished all her schoolwork yesterday?" Steve asked.

"Yes," Clint sent.

"Okay, well, it seems she didn't send in her math. Probably just missed it. Can you make sure she does?" Steve sent.

Clint responded, "I will make sure it gets sent in. Not a problem."

"Steve?" Laura asked.

"Yeah. Checking in on Skye, and I guess she didn't send in her math schoolwork. She did finish it all. At least that's what she told me," Clint said.

"Maybe she just forgot to send it in," Laura said.

"I don't know. She did seem to be struggling with the math. I offered to help, but she said she didn't need it. Maybe she lied about finishing it," Clint said.

"We can talk to her about it when she wakes up," Laura said.

"Well, if she lied to me, I think I want her up now to finish it," Clint said.

"Go. Find out," Laura said.

Clint got up and went and knocked on the bedroom door.

Skye groaned. "Yeah?"

Clint went in. "Just a couple of questions. If your answers are what I want to hear then you can do back to sleep."

"Okay. What is it?" Skye asked.

"You sent in all your schoolwork yesterday, right?" Clint asked.

"Yeah, why?" Skye asked.

"Your math seems to be missing from what got handed in," Clint said.

"Oh, I must have missed it," she said.

"You're sure? I'm going to give you a chance to tell me the truth if you are lying. If you tell the truth now, your only consequence will be you getting up now to do it. And I will help you. If you continue to lie, and I find out there will be a worse consequence," Clint said.

Skye let out a breath. "Okay, I lied. I didn't finish the math," she said softly.

"Ten minutes, I want you downstairs," Clint said sternly before he closed the door and went back down. "She will be down in a few minutes."

"She didn't do it?" Laura asked.

"No," Clint said.

Laura shook her head. "Teenagers and homework."

"I can't believe I didn't catch the lie," Clint said, sitting at the table.

"She probably has a tell, and Steve likely knows it. Ask him for future use," Laura said. She wrapped her arms around him in a hug from behind.

Clint smiled and rubbed her arms that were around his shoulders.

"You can't expect to be able to know the tell of a teenager you barely know," Laura pointed out.

"I know," Clint said.

Skye came down.

"Morning, Skye. You hungry?" Laura asked.

"Um, kinda," Skye said.

"Come eat. You can do your math after," Laura said.

Skye looked at Clint.

"Problem?" Clint asked.

"I just… Nevermind," she said.

"Come sit and eat, you won't be able to focus on an empty stomach," Clint said.

Skye sat down and ate the pancakes and bacon that had been made.

Clint helped Laura clean up the rest of breakfast while Skye ate.

"You okay?" Laura asked Skye. She was really quiet.

Skye shrugged.

"Worried about being in trouble?" Laura asked.

Skye nodded.

"I meant what I said. Since you were honest, the only consequence is having to be up to finish it," Clint said.

Skye nodded.

"I wouldn't have said that if I didn't mean it," Clint told her.

"Okay," Skye said.

"Worried about Steve's reaction?" Laura asked.

Skye nodded.

"Why don't you call him? Tell him it will be done today. You will feel better," Laura said.

"Okay," she said, getting up and putting her plate and cutlery in the open dishwasher.

Laura handed her a phone to use, and Skye sat down and called Steve.

"Put it in speaker," Clint told her.

Skye did so.

"Hello," Steve said.

"Hey, Steve," Skye said. "You're on speaker. Clint and Laura are here."

"Hey. How are you doing Skye?" Steve asked.

"Okay. Been having a lot of fun here," Skye said.

"Good. Did Clint tell you about the missing math assignments? Did you just forget to send them in?" Steve asked.

"He mentioned, yes. And, no," Skye said.

"Haven't done them?" Steve asked.

"Not yet," Skye said.

"Didn't you tell Clint you were done with all the work?" Steve asked.

"I did," Skye admitted.

"I see," Steve said.

"I will do it today, and it will be sent in," Skye said.

"Good. Why did you lie about it being done?" Steve asked.

"I don't know," Skye said.

"Was it because you didn't want to admit you were struggling?" Clint asked.

Skye didn't say anything.

"Skye?" Steve asked.

Skye let out a breath.

"It's okay to need help," Steve said.

"Okay, sorry," Skye said.

"I will make sure she gets it done," Clint said.

"Great," Steve said.

"I will let you know when it's done," Skye told Steve.

"Okay," Steve said. "You have been staying out of trouble otherwise?"

"Yes," Skye said.

"She has been very well-behaved and very helpful," Laura said.

"Glad to hear it," Steve said. "Proud of you Skye."

Skye smiled softly.

"I will let you go get it done, Skye," Steve said.

"You're not upset with me?" Skye asked.

"No. Just get it done today," Steve said.

"Okay, bye," She said.

"Bye," Steve said before they hung up.

Skye handed Laura back her phone.

"Go. Get what you need," Clint said.

Skye did as she was told and grabbed what she needed. She brought it back down to the table and started to work on it with Clint's help.

"This is not how I was taught," Clint said.

Laura laughed from the other room before coming in. "Yeah. They have changed math. It's called core math."

"Why?" Clint asked.

"That is the same question all parents are wondering," she said. She leaned over Skye's work and explained it to her. She had to learn how to do it to help Cooper and Lila before. "Make sense?" Laura asked.

Skye nodded and let out a breath. "Yes, thank you," she continued to work through the worksheet.

"If you need any more help, let us know," Clint said, getting up to let her continue working. He and Laura went into the other room. "When did they change it?" Clint asked.

"A few years ago, I had to learn it to help Cooper and Lila," Laura said. "It's supposed to make it easier for the students this way."

"Does it?" Clint asked.

"I don't think so," Laura said.

Clint chuckled. "It just makes it harder for the parents to help their kids."

"Pretty much," Laura said, chuckling as well.

"Thank you for being the kind of mother who learns how to do this new math, so our kids succeed," Clint said.

Laura hugged her husband. "And thank you for protecting our world to make it better for our kids."

Clint hugged her. "I often wonder if it will ever be better or just get worse, and the next generation will have to continue to fight."

"Yeah. Skye in there looks like every other kid. But in a few years she might be fighting the same fight you all have been fighting," Laura said.

"And she's not the only kid out there with super-human abilities. There is a boarding school for kids like her," Clint said. "Steve refuses to send her there. He wants to keep her close, especially now."

"Yeah, I get that. I don't think I would want to send my kids to some boarding school," Laura said.

"He felt that way even before he knew she was his," Clint said. "He felt that paternal connection right away."

"Subconsciously he knew?" Laura asked.

"Maybe something about the shared DNA and super serum makes them connect quicker. Who knows with that stuff," Clint said.

"The people who are testing the serum, I would assume, would be able to figure it out," Laura said.

"Probably," Clint said.

There was a groan of frustration from the kitchen.

Laura went in. "Need help?"

Skye let out a breath and nodded.

Laura went over and sat with her, working through the math problem with her. Clint added some wood to the fire. The weather was getting even colder as a storm front was making its way to them.

Skye finished her math with Laura's help.

"Thank you," Skye said as she submitted the completed work to her teacher.

"Of course, happy to help," Laura said. "That was all you had left to finish?"

Skye nodded. "Yes."

"Good," Laura said. "You can do what you would like now."

Skye picked up all her stuff from the table and took it back to her bag in the bedroom before she changed out of her pajamas and went back downstairs.

"Do you want to help me bring in more logs for the fire?" Clint asked her.

"Sure," Skye said with a smile. She got her boots and coat on and went to go outside.

"You should put your hat and gloves on. It's freezing," Laura told her.

Skye did as she was told and went outside and went over to the logs they had chopped the other day. She took off her gloves, putting them in her pocket. She hated wearing gloves. She grabbed a stack of wood and headed inside. After a few trips, they had enough wood inside.

"Thank you," Clint said.

"Of course," Skye said with a small smile as she took off her coat and boots.

"You okay?" Clint asked

"Just a little cold," Skye said, standing by the burning fire.

"There is a blanket on the couch. Sit and get warmed up," he said.

Skye did as she was told. When the room was empty except for her she looked at her hand. She had gotten a splinter carrying the wood in. She grimaced.

Clint came in with a cup of hot cocoa. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, quickly putting her hand down.

"Skye," Clint said.

She looked up at him.

"Steve has informed me of your tell," Clint said. He had texted and asked him earlier. He had been told her left eye twitched when she lied.

"Oh?" Skye said nervously.

"I'm not going to tell you what it is. But I know you are lying. So what's wrong?" Clint said.

"It's nothing," Skye said.

"Skyler, I don't like being lied to," Clint said sternly.

Skye looked down.

"Last chance to tell me the truth. What's wrong?" Clint asked, sitting on a footstool that was in front of the couch Skye was sitting on.

"Nothing," Skye said, softly looking down at her hands.

Clint sighed. He didn't want to have to be hard on her. "Skyler, look at me."

Skye took a breath and looked up at him.

"I don't want to have to come down on you for lying. But I know you are. And if you're lying, it makes me think it must be pretty bad. So tell me what's going on," Clint said.

"It's nothing," Skye repeated.

"Okay. I can't make you tell me," Clint said. He handed her the cup of hot cocoa before he got up and moved to a lazy boy in the room turning on the T.V. to the weather forecast.

"Thanks," she said, taking it and sipping it slowly.

The two were quiet as they watched the screen showing the storm front that was about to hit them.

"You like the winter?" Clint asked her.

"I do," Skye said, "minus the snow shoveling."

Clint nodded. "You have had to do it a lot?"

"Yes. Every home I have ever been in I have either had to do it on my own or help someone else do it," Skye said.

Clint nodded. "Helping is not a bad thing."

"Nope. It's not," Skye agreed.

"How old were you when you were doing it on your own?" Clint asked.

"First time, I was about six and then eight or nine," she said.

"Why were you doing it alone at those ages?" Clint asked, surprised.

"Short story, shitty foster homes," Skye said.

Clint shook his head. "Language."

"Sorry. And I didn't mind doing it," Skye said.

"Well, you shouldn't have been doing it on your own when you were so young. You shouldn't even have to do it on your own now," Clint said.

Skye shrugged. "That's the life I have lived." She finished the hot cocoa.

"Lunch is ready," Laura called to the two of them.

Clint and Skye went into the kitchen, where they sat to eat some soup.

Clint noticed her using her left hand to hold the spoon. "Are you left-handed?" he asked.

"No," Skye said.

"Why are you using your left hand to eat?" Clint said.

"Oh, I don't know," Skye said, switching to her right.

"You don't have to switch. I'm just curious," he said.

Skye shrugged and continued to eat.

They finished eating, and Clint started to clear the table.

"Did you hurt your hand bringing in the wood?" Laura asked.

"No," Skye said quickly, her eye twitching.

"So that's what you've been hiding," Clint said.

Skye shook her head.

Clint went and bent by her and put his hand out to her. "Hand now," he said.

Skye caved, doing as she was told but refusing to look at him.

Clint took her hand and looked at it. "Splinter? That's an easy fix. Stay put," he said standing up and going and grabbing a pair of tweezers and rubbing alcohol. He came back into the kitchen, pulling up a chair, so he was sitting next to her. He sterilized the tweezers, took her hand again, and used the tweezers to take the splinter of wood out of the palm of Skye's hand. "Why wouldn't you just tell me?" he asked once he had gotten it out.

Skye didn't answer and didn't look up.

"Was it because you were told to wear gloves, but took them off and knew it would be evident you had because you got a splinter?" Laura asked.

"Skye, I knew you had taken them off. I saw you had," Clint said.

Skye still didn't say anything.

"Skye, I told you that you should put them on because it was cold. I didn't tell you that you had to. And even if I had, you need to tell someone when you get hurt or end with some sort of injury," Laura said.

"And I asked you several times what was wrong. You continued to lie," Clint said.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Wash your hands with soap to clean the area to make sure it doesn't get infected," Laura said, nodding to the sink in the kitchen.

Skye did as she was told, washing them well.

Laura looked at Clint and silently asked. "What do we do?"

When Skye was done washing her hands she turned and looked at the two adults.

"Go, bedroom," Clint said.

Skye went and sat on the air mattress she was sleeping on.

Clint sat back down at the table. "There is more to this than simply a teen lying."

"Yeah, I see that too," Laura said.

"She has been so badly abused, and she was probably scared to tell us the truth. If we come down hard on her she won't trust we are any different," Clint said.

"Steve wouldn't let her get away with lying. And we wouldn't if it was one of ours. Steve made it clear if she did something she knows she shouldn't we can handle it," Laura said.

"I know. But Steve and she have built a relationship. We haven't spent that time with her," Clint said.

"And I hate to do this to you, but I have to go. I have to be at the school shortly," Laura said.

Clint nodded. "Go, it's okay. I'll figure it out."

Laura kissed him before heading out.

Clint went and knocked on the door of the bedroom.

"Yes," Skye said.

Clint went in and sat down on the chair in his daughter's room. "Come sit up here," he said, pointing to Lila's bed.

Skye did as she was told and sat on the edge of Lila's bed.

"Okay. I understand you didn't want to get in trouble for removing your gloves. But I asked you several times what was wrong. I told you not to lie. I gave you so many opportunities to tell me the truth without consequence," Clint said. "Why didn't you?"

"I was scared," she said softly.

"Of what exactly? Me?" Clint asked.

Skye nodded.

"Okay. Can you explain why?" Clint asked.

"More than one place I have lived I was told just tell us the truth and you won't be in trouble. And that wasn't the case. I would tell and would be in serious trouble," Skye said.

"Okay, I get that. You don't know you can trust me yet," Clint said. "I want you to know you can. I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it."

Skye nodded.

"I know trust is not something that is built overnight. I know, especially given your past, it's probably even harder to trust adults," Clint said. "So let's make a deal."

"Okay. What?" Skye said.

"Don't lie to me. I can guarantee if you get into some sort of trouble that you will be in far more trouble if you lie about it than if you are just honest. And I will never tell you that you won't be in trouble if I don't mean it," Clint said. "Promise."

Skye nodded. "Okay, I can agree to that."

"So, I'm not going to come down on you. But this is your only warning. Don't lie to me or Laura. Or any adult who just wants the best for you," Clint said.

Skye let out a breath. "Okay."

"Would a hug help you feel better?" Clint asked.

Skye nodded.

Clint opened his arm. Skye went over and hugged him. Clint wrapped her in a tight hug, "In this home, you are always safe."

Skye let a few tears fall as she broke the hug.

"What is it?" Clint asked.

"I just. . . . Since meeting Steve and all of you, my life has changed so much in the best way. And I'm scared that I am going to wake up and it will have all been a dream," Skye said.

"Nope. You are just getting what you deserve., a parent and family who will take care of and protect you. And you will have many places where you can call home and trust you are safe," Clint said.

Skye smiled.

"Now, would you like to play cards?" Clint asked.

"Sure," Skye said with a smile.

The two of them spent the afternoon playing cards together and genuinely having a good time.