Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing
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The next day was the last day of the conference, and Skye groaned when Steve gently shook her to wake her up.
"Hey, your alarm went off twenty minutes ago. You need to get up. The first class of the day is in an hour, and you need to get breakfast first," Steve said. "I get you're probably, tired but you decided to stay up as late as you did. You still need to get up."
The teenagers had all stayed up past midnight, and Skye was feeling it this morning. She sat up as the room spun around her.
Steve looked at her. "You look white."
Skye shrugged and got out of bed. "I probably just need to eat something."
She grabbed her clothes and went to the bathroom to change. When she was done, she and Steve went to get breakfast.
Skye didn't feel all that hungry, but she grabbed a piece of toast with peanut butter and some strawberries.
After breakfast, everyone headed to the classroom and sat. Skye still felt awful after the first lecture. But she figured she wouldn't get anywhere with telling her dad that because she was the one who had stayed up late, and everyone else who had stayed up late was fine. By lunch, Skye was barely keeping her eyes open and her head was pounding.
"This is why you need to go to bed at a reasonable time when you need to get up early," Steve said as they went to grab lunch with everyone else.
"Sorry," she said softly.
She grabbed a bit of food and went and sat in the dining room as far from anyone else as she could.
Dr. Stange looked at the girl and could tell she was not feeling well. He went over to Steve. "Is Skye feeling okay?"
"She's just tired. She was part of the group that stayed up past midnight," Steve said.
"Yeah, and a lot of them look tired. But in my medical opinion, Skye is more than just tired," Strange said.
Steve nodded and went over to Skye, kneeling by her seat. "I know you're tired, but do you feel sick at all?"
Skye shrugged.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Steve asked.
"It's my fault I stayed up late," Skye said.
"Yes, and if you were just tired, I would agree you need to suck it up. But if you're sick, that is not your fault," Steve said.
Skye shook her head. "I'm just tired, and it's making me feel off, that's all."
Steve felt her forehead. "Well, you don't seem to have a fever."
"I'm okay, Dad," Skye said.
"How are your numbers today?" Steve asked.
"They are normal," she lied.
"Why are you lying to me?" Steve asked, his voice laced with concern.
Skye didn't respond.
Steve let out a breath. "When you are done eating, we are going to go to the room."
"But," she started.
"No buts," Steve said as he stood up.
Skye finished her lunch and tried to leave the dining room without her dad. But when he noticed, he followed her and led her to the room.
"Sit," Steve said.
Skye sat on the bed with a huff.
"Where is your tester?" Steve asked.
Skye took it out of her bag and showed him.
"I want to see your number," Steve said.
Skye tested her sugar and showed him the number. It was on the lower end of normal.
"Has it been any lower than that today?" Steve asked.
Skye nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Steve asked.
"The first time it was acting up like this was around the first time we met, and I told my social worker. I went to the doctor, and my numbers were normal. It happened again a couple of months later, the same thing - went to the doctor, and it was fine. The third time it happened, I was told I was faking it and wasting everyone's time and such," Skye said. "It will right itself."
"I was never told anything about any of this," Steve said.
"One of the many things I was told to not tell you," Skye said.
Steve nodded. "Okay. Well, I need you to tell me these things. Have you taken your lunch insulin yet?"
Skye shook her head. "Didn't with breakfast either."
Steve nodded he debated making her take her insulin now but if her numbers were low and she used insulin it could drop her even lower. He went into his bag, pulled out a bag of Sour Patch Kids, and handed it to her. They were her favorite candy.
She tilted her head. "How long have you been keeping that in there?"
Steve smiled. "A while."
Skye opened the package and popped a couple of them in her mouth before looking at the time on her phone.
"We need to be heading back," Skye said.
"Okay, but if you don't start feeling better in half an hour, we need to get you checked out by a doctor," Steve said.
Skye nodded and they went and joined everyone else in the right classroom.
The end of the day came and everyone went and started to pack.
"How are you feeling?" Steve asked Skye.
"Better," Skye said.
"Okay, have you checked your levels again?" Steve asked.
"They are normal right now," Skye said.
"You're not lying to me?" Steve asked.
"No, I promise," she said.
"Good," Steve said.
When everyone was finished packing, they all said their goodbyes.
"So, you never told me, have you met other versions of me?" Skye asked America as they hugged.
"Yes," America said.
"We always get along?" Skye asked.
"I only met one variant of you, and, yes, we got along," America said with a smile.
When they broke the hug, Skye noticed Loki standing nearby.
"What do you want?" Skye asked.
"He and Thor are coming with Stange and me to try and figure out things," America said.
"Oh, you're sending him back to his universe. Good," Skye said.
"You know, I'm not the one who was trying to kill your brother," Loki said.
"That's not me!" Skye said. "The Loki of this universe is locked in a prison because of the awful things he did. Do you want me to say that he is you? And that you deserve to be behind bars too?"
Loki let out an annoyed breath.
"I'm sorry that some variant of mine hurt you, and I'm sorry she wanted to hurt your brother. But I would die protecting your brother. In any universe," Skye said before getting into Happy's vehicle.
"Loki, you need to stop blaming this Skye for the things that a variant did," Thor said.
Loki shook his head. "No."
Thor shook his head, and they got into the vehicle with Dr. Strange and America and started for the sanctum.
Tony was the last one to get in Happy's vehicle before they started to head back to the compound.
Peter went directly back to school from where they were. Scott and his daughter had left earlier, needing to get home before everyone else.
Skye was sitting with her arms crossed and her eyes closed.
"He will come around," Steve said.
"America and Dr. Strange will send him back to his universe, and they couldn't do it quickly enough for my liking," Skye said.
"I wouldn't hold out hope for that," Tony said.
Skye looked at him.
"My understanding is it's not that easy. If they do get him back to his universe, and there is nothing left for him there, I don't think Thor will let him stay there," Tony said.
"So, I'm not allowed to go visit another universe to try and get some understanding of my abilities from a variant, but Thor is allowed to keep Loki in this universe indefinitely. That's fair," Skye said sarcastically
"Life isn't always fair," Steve said.
"Right, the same line I've been fed since I was a toddler. I thought it was different with you," Skye said
"Skye," Steve started.
"I don't want to talk about it right now," Skye said putting earbuds in her ear and turning on music on her phone.
"She's right. It's not fair," Tony said.
"I know," Steve said.
"But Loki is a kid, and I agree his universe is the best place for him. But if there is no one there to take care of him, he can't just be left there. If something happened to all of us and Skye was in another universe, I'd want someone who cared about her to take care of her," Steve said.
"I get it. I'd feel the same way about Morgan. But if it's safe, Skye should be allowed to have access to anything that will help her understand and control her abilities," Tony said.
"Dr. Strange said it's not guaranteed to be safe to travel through the multiverse," Steve said. "And she has more control of the abilities than she gives herself credit for. She had no issues when using them against Loki," Steve said.
Tony smirked.
"Tony come on, don't encourage her," Steve said.
"She can't hear us," Tony said. "And the kid deserved it for what he did to try and set her up. She didn't hurt him, just put a little fear in him."
"You realize that, if Kid Loki stays in this universe, they will likely have to work together in the future as part of the young Avengers," Steve said.
"And they will work it out, as I have with Bucky," Tony said.
"Yeah, and I'd rather it not have to end in an all-out war between those two the way it did with you two," Steve said.
Tony shook his head. "He killed my parents."
"No, the Winter Soldier did. Just like it wasn't our Skye who threatened to kill his Thor. Different people," Steve said.
"Okay, yes. Which is why I was able to forgive him, and you, for not telling me. Skye and Loki will work it out too. If they have to," Tony said.
Steve nodded. "I do think a big part of the reason Skye hates him right now is the fact that she doesn't think you believed she didn't leave Morgan alone."
Tony tapped Skye on the shoulder.
Skye opened her eyes, and Tony motioned for her to take out her earbuds.
Skye did so.
"Skye, I need you to hear me when I say this. I don't ever want you to doubt again that I believe you didn't leave Morgan alone. Pepper and I both do not think you did," Tony said.
Skye nodded a little.
"I didn't need any verification to who that was to believe you would never do that. I trust you, or I'd never have left you alone with her," Tony said.
Skye nodded again.
"You hear and believe me?" Tony asked.
"Yes," Skye said.
"Good," Tony said. "You can go back to your music if you want."
Skye went to put her earbud back in her ear, but she stopped.
"You hated Bucky before?" Skye asked Tony.
Tony let out a breath. "Did you hear your dad's and my conversation?"
Skye nodded a little. "You know, super hearing."
"Yeah, you can control that," Tony said.
"Sorry," Skye said.
"It's okay. Yes, I found out that when Bucky was the Winter Solider he killed my parents," Tony said.
"But you forgave him?" Skye asked.
"It wasn't Bucky, The Winter Solider is gone," Tony said. "He was being controlled."
Skye nodded.
"Just like you are not in control of what your variants do," Steve said.
Skye looked down.
"You can not blame yourself for what other people do," Steve said.
"Even if at some level we are the same person?" Skye asked.
"You're not," Steve said.
Skye shrugged.
"He's right. You look the same, and you have the same abilities. But you said yourself, you would die to protect Thor, in any universe," Tony said.
Skye nodded.
"And Kid Loki doesn't seem to be much like the Loki we know," Steve said.
"Except he said that he and his Skye were working together against the good guys in his world until Thor was threatened," Skye said.
"I know," Steve said. "But are you working against or for the good guys?"
"The good guys," Skye said. "Always."
"So, stop comparing yourself to some variant of yourself that you've never even met," Tony said.
Skye sighed. "Fine," she put the earbuds back in her ear and closed her eyes.
"You listen to your music not us," Steve said before she put the earbud in.
Skye nodded and did as she was told.
Steve shook his head.
Tony smirked. "You know eavesdropping is pretty typical teenager behavior."
"I know," Steve said.
"You want her to be a normal teen, right?" Tonu asked.
"Yes, but she used her enhanced hearing to help herself," Steve said.
Tony shrugged. "Would you have done any different as a teenager?"
Steve chuckled. "Probably not."
The rest of the ride was pretty quiet with Skye falling asleep and the two men keeping the conversation minimal so she could sleep.