Thank you to Harliquinn for beta reading and editing
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Skye sat on a bench in Central Park waiting for Tucker. It had been a month since the trial, and Tucker had called her and asked her to meet him. She waited ten minutes before Tucker sat next to her. They were both silent for a few minutes.
"Weather is finally warming up," Tucker said, breaking the ice.
Skye shook her head. "Is that what our friendship has come to? Breaking the ice by talking about the weather?"
"I just don't know what else to say," Tucker said.
"Explain why you kept something so major from me," Skye said.
"I didn't know how to tell you," Tucker said.
"I don't believe that. We have always told each other everything, even the hard stuff," Skye said.
"You mean like what happened to you in the Dyer home?" Tucker asked.
"That's not the same thing, and you know it. I didn't know what happened to me until I was older. And I told someone and was gaslit into thinking I was wrong. I was scared that I was wrong. Even if it's the same, I told you before you could find out in a fucking courtroom. Do you have any idea how it feels to find out that the only person you have ever had feelings for let you find out in a courtroom that he had a kid? Who was it with by the way?" Skye asked.
She was angry, and Tucker could tell.
"I should have told you before court. I fucked up. I know. I'm really sorry, Skye," Tucker said. "The mother is no one you know. She was in a foster home with me. We were twelve and got in the foster parent's alcohol," Tucker said, "and one thing led to another. You know how it is."
"No, I don't. I've never gotten drunk and had sex," Skye said.
Tucker let out a breath. "Okay. Well. You know that alcohol makes you do things you wouldn't otherwise do."
"I've heard that, yes," Skye said.
"Well, we got drunk and had sex. When she found out she was pregnant we were both removed from that home. She had the baby, and we both signed away our parental rights. But the couple who adopted her is amazing. They let us know her," Tucker said.
"What's her name?" Skye asked.
"Amber, she's four and nothing like me, thankfully," Tucker said.
"Sure she's yours?" Skye asked with a smirk.
"Funny. Yes. My uncle insisted on a paternity test," Tucker said.
"Well, for once I agree with your family's decision," Skye said.
"If you knew the mother you might not. She's a good person," Tucker said. "She's a lot like you."
"Really?" Skye asked.
"Yeah, she got lucky. A good family took her in, and she is doing well. We didn't stay close. The difference between her and you is she was not afraid to turn her back on me when I continued to fuck up," Tucker said.
Skye let out a huffed laugh. "Well, I keep fucking up, too. So, we are good company."
Tucker looked at her. "I'm guessing it's more than the weed you got busted for smoking? What did you do?"
"No. You get no explanation until you tell me everything," Skye said.
"Not sure what else there is to tell you," Tucker said.
"She is sick how?" Skye asked.
"Cancer, leukemia," Tucker said.
"Prognosis?" Skye asked.
"Too soon to tell," Tucker said.
Skye nodded. "Tucker, I'm so sorry."
"Thanks. And, Skye, I don't know if I'll ever be able to apologize enough for not telling you," Tucker said.
"I just can't wrap my head around why," Skye said.
"Because I was scared. Scared to lose my best friend. Scared you would judge me for this," Tucker said. "Scared if you knew I had been with someone else you would never give me a chance at anything more than friendship."
Skye shook her head. "Well, you're wrong. I don't care about your past. I care about what you plan to do with your future."
"I had plans. It all went out the window when I got arrested again," Tucker said.
"What were they?" Skye asked.
"I got into a summer program at NYU. For those who want to get into engineering. But they won't take me now," Tucker said.
"Maybe someone can do something about that," Skye said.
"No. I screwed up. I got out of prison because of a lawyer your dad hired for me. I need to deal with this myself," Tucker said.
"No, you don't. You don't need to do these things on your own anymore," Skye said, putting a hand on his.
Tucker looked down at their hands.
"Doing things on your own is what got you caught up in this mess," Skye said. "Lean on me. Please, let me help you."
Tucker took a breath and squeezed her hand. "How does your dad feel about all this?"
"He knew your secret already," Skye said.
Tucker looked back up at her. "What?"
"When I ran into you again not long after everything went down with Kate," Skye started. "I was very on edge. I trusted no one, and because of everything that had happened with your cousin, that included you."
Tucker nodded a little.
"There is someone I know who can hack things. And no, I will not tell you who. I asked this person to look into you and make sure you weren't connected to Hydra. You obviously came up clear for that but that person found out you had a secret. I asked them not to tell me because I figured I already knew everything. This person did tell my dad what the secret was though. Both my dad and this person were convinced I didn't know, but I trusted you had told me everything," Skye said.
Tucker took a breath and nodded again. "And they were right."
"Yeah," Skye said.
"What can I do to make this better?" Tucker asked.
"Time, and don't keep anything from me again," Skye said.
"I can do that," Tucker said.
Skye took her hand back.
"So, now it's your turn. I know you must have gotten in trouble after admitting in court to smoking weed again," Tucker said.
"I had already been caught," Skye said. "And that's the start of the trouble."
"You never just do one thing, do you?" Tucker asked with a chuckle.
Skye shrugged. "Go big or go home?"
Tucker shook his head. "Or go to jail?"
"Oh, you're going to throw that out there? You of all people," Skye said.
"Yes, because I've been there. Almost ended up there a second time," Tucker said.
"What I did wouldn't have landed me in jail," Skye said before she told him about the multiverse traveling and meeting her variant.
"So, not in jail, but you could have ended up dead. That's better?" Tucker asked, concern clear in his voice.
"I'm fine, Tucker," Skye said.
"So, the bruise on your arm isn't from that?" Tucker asked. He had noticed it, but didn't think much of it.
Skye took a breath as he ran her fingers gently along the bruise. She'd had an x-ray the day it happened. Nothing had been broken, but the bruise was taking a long time to heal.
"I didn't think you really bruised anymore," Tucker said.
"It does take a lot usually, and they usually heal pretty quickly. The guess is maybe because I was in another universe and it was my variant that it affected my abilities," Skye said.
Tucker nodded. "Let's make a deal okay?"
"What kind of deal?" Skye asked.
"I promise I will stay out of legal trouble. And you have to promise you will do the same, and also promise you won't take risks with your life again," Tucker said.
Skye let out a breath. "You know I plan to continue being an Avenger, and that will be putting myself in danger, right?"
"Okay, don't take unnecessary risks?" Tucker asked.
Skye sighed.
Tucker gently bumped up against her arm with his own and smiled at her. "Come on. Please?"
Skye always had difficulty disagreeing with Tucker when he flashed that charming smile at her. "Okay, I promise," Skye conceded.
"Thank you," Tucker said.
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Tucker looked around. "I'm surprised your dad let you come here alone after everything."
"Ha, he didn't," Skye said nodding towards where Happy was sitting far enough away not to hear but close enough to see them.
Tucker saw him and nodded. "He knows how to blend into his surroundings. I would never have noticed him."
"Yeah, he's good at his job," Skye said.
"Well, I like knowing you're safe," Tucker said.
Skye chuckled. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
"Maybe sometimes that's true. But something that has not changed in the time I have known you is that you take risks. Before finding out you were superhuman those risks were not life and death. But now they are, and it terrifies me, and, I'm sure, the other people who care about you," Tucker said.
Skye sighed. "I agreed to stop."
"I know," Tucker said. "But it also doesn't hurt to have someone else who is trained to protect you."
"I don't argue it. I like Happy," Skye said with a smile.
"Good," Tucker said.
"I haven't seen Carly in school since the trial. Have you heard anything about what's going to happen with her?" Skye asked.
"She was arrested. My aunt called and begged me to drop the charges. I informed her it wasn't me pressing charges," Tucker said.
Skye nodded. "You could, though, for defamation of character. You lost the job you had. You possibly lost a spot in a summer program that could have helped you get into a good university."
"I bought drugs. Those things would have happened anyway. There is no point," Tucker said.
"Even if the lawsuit doesn't get you anywhere, it would be a good way to show your family you are not taking this anymore," Skye said.
Tucker shook his head. "I don't want to risk other things coming out about me and me ending up in more trouble."
Skye nodded. "Okay. I support whatever decision you make."
"Are you going to press charges?" Tucker asked.
"The only thing that happened because she accused me is my room got searched. I could go after her for the physical assault. But at this point, she is not going to be at school with me, and I just want to move on," Skye said.
Tucker nodded. "I get that."
"What's going on with your probation? I know you have been given an extra six months added on. Anything else?" Skye asked.
"Well, the trust I had gained from my probation officer is gone," Tucker said.
Skye nodded.
"But nothing else has been added to the requirements or anything," Tucker said.
"Well, six months isn't too bad," Skye said.
"No, it's not bad at all. It could have been so much worse," Tucker said.
"Having a job is part of the requirements, right?" Skye asked
"It is," Tucker said. "I start at that bodega we used to go to all the time when we lived in the same place the day after tomorrow."
"I forgot about that place. They make the best sandwiches," Skye said.
"Yeah. The owner is a good guy. He remembered me and you from when we went there. He is giving me a chance despite my record," Tucker said. "He says it's because a lot of the kids who come into his shop have stolen from him, but I never did that."
"He gave us free stuff all the time. Why would we steal?" Skye asked.
Tucker nodded. "Exactly. I pointed that out, and he just smiled."
"I can't believe people steal from him. He is such a sweet man," Skye said.
"Me either," Tucker said. "Do you have any plans for the upcoming spring break?"
"Nothing planned, no. I'll probably just hang around the compound, maybe spend time with some friends," Skye said.
Tucker nodded.
"You're working, I assume?" Skye asked.
"Probably, I don't know my exact schedule. But my boss knows I have the week off, and can work more hours," Tucker said.
"Maybe I'll have to come visit you at work," Skye said with a smirk.
"You planning on making my job harder?" Tucker asked, returning the smirk.
Skye chuckled. "No, I wouldn't want to screw this up for you."
"You could still come and get a sandwich or something," Tucker said.
Skye smiled and nodded. "I can do that."
Happy received a call from Steve, who wanted Skye home shortly. So, he got up and went over to the two teenagers.
"Skye, we need to head out. Your dad wants you home shortly," Happy said.
Skye sighed but nodded. She hugged Tucker. "Text me."
"I will," Tucker said, hugging her back.
Skye went with Happy, while Tucker went the other way.