A few days later Skye was sitting in her last class before lunch when she felt a weird pain in her side where she had been stabbed the week before. She rubbed at the spot a bit but didn't think much of it. By the end of her class, she was starting to feel like she was coming down with a cold. But she couldn't get a cold. Right? She thought to herself. And that was when her memory went back to what Loki had said.
When class was dismissed she went to her locker, took out her phone, and texted her dad that she wasn't feeling well. That she was going to go to the nurse and would need to be picked up. She grabbed all her stuff from her locker before going to the nurse's office.
She was told to lie down, and the nurse called her dad who was already on his way out the door.
Skye laid down and sent a quick text to Anna that she was going home so her friends wouldn't worry about her.
When Steve got to the school he went to the nurse's office, where Skye was lying with her eyes closed.
"Hi, Skye," Steve said.
Skye opened her eyes. "Hi, Dad."
"You ready to go?" he asked.
Skye sat up slowly. "Yeah."
"Your bag, right?" he asked, picking up her backpack from where it was sitting.
"Yes," Skye said.
The two left the school and went out to Steve's car.
Once they were in the car. Steve looked at Skye.
"Is this what Loki warned us about?" Steve asked.
"The idea did pop into my mind," Skye said softly.
Steve started the drive to the compound, calling Bruce on the car's system while he did.
"Hey, Steve," Bruce answered.
"Banner, you are at the compound right?" Steve asked.
"Yes, why?" Bruce asked.
"You're on speaker. I just picked Skye up from school early, she is not feeling well. We both think it could be what Loki told us about," Steve said.
"Skye, what do you feel exactly?" Bruce asked.
"It started with a weird pain in the spot where the wound was at the beginning of class. By the end of class, I felt almost like I was getting the flu -. all over muscle pain, headache, and really tired out of nowhere. But I don't think I can get the flu," Skye said.
"It would be very strange for you to get the common flu," Bruce said. "But have you had it before?"
"I have, but I also had a heart condition at birth that wasn't supposed to heal, and it did. And I'm pretty sure the diabetes has been cured at his point, too. I don't know if it works that way but maybe as I use my abilities more it makes the serum stronger in me," Skye said.
"I agree. It shouldn't really work that way, but when it's mixed with your mother's DNA that we still don't know much about it's hard to know what effect the two together have without more time and testing," Bruce said.
"Yeah," Skye said as the world around her started to spin.
"Okay, I will be ready. Steve bring her down to my lab when you get here," Bruce said.
"Okay, thanks, Bruce," Steve said before they hung up.
When they got back to the compound Steve looked at Skye, who had her eyes closed.
"You are awake, right?" Steve asked, concerned.
"Yeah, but don't know if I can move. My entire body feels like it is being weighed down," Skye said.
Steve got out, went around, opened her door, and reached in unbuckling her. He picked her up and carried her inside to Bruce's lab.
He laid her on the table. Bruce got an IV in her and started pushing fluids right away before he hooked her up to other machines to monitor her heart and other organs.
"Did Loki give you any idea what they did for Skye in his universe?" Steve asked.
"He didn't seem to know exactly what they did," Bruce said.
Steve sighed and called Thor and asked him to send Loki down to Bruce's lab.
Thor and Loki came down.
Steve looked at the teenager. "Okay. I'm not saying you were lying, but now is the time to come clean if you were. Skye is sick. And we need to know if what you told us about the Skye from your universe is true or not," Steve said.
"It is completely the truth," Loki said.
"Okay, and do you know anything about how she was healed?" Steve asked.
"They injected her with something, but I don't know what," Loki said.
"How long was it before they did?" Bruce asked.
"A few days," Loki said.
Steve looked at his daughter, who looked so small and sad on the table with her eyes closed.
"I might be able to figure it out if I can get back to that universe," Loki said.
"Going back there puts you in danger," Thor said.
"I will be fine," Loki said.
Steve let out a breath. "No. We will figure this out without you having to do that."
"She is sick because she saved my brother. I know she did it to prove to me she would. She is hurting because of something she did for me," Loki said.
"I did it because it was the right thing to do. It had nothing to do with you," Skye said. "But sure, let's make my dying about you, too," she said sarcastically.
"That is not what I am trying to do!" Loki snapped.
"Okay, Skye needs to rest, and this is not helping," Bruce said.
Loki left the room and went upstairs. He went to the room he was sharing with his brother and teleported to the sanctum, where he knew America was.
America was surprised when he teleported into the room she was in.
"What the hell, Loki! Warning next time," America said.
"Sorry, no time. I need you to take me back to my universe for a bit," Loki said.
"Why?" America asked.
"Skye is sick, and I know it's connected to my knife hitting her. The Skye from my universe had the same thing happen. I know they injected her with something that healed her. I know where they keep more of it. I need to get it. . . before Thor finds out I am not at the compound," Loki said.
America tilted her head, not sure she believed him.
"I know I have not made her life easy. But she saved my brother. I promise you, I am not messing with you. And remember, if I am you can leave me there, and you know I'm dead if I get caught there," Loki said.
America let out a breath. "You better be telling me the truth. Because, if I get in trouble with Stephen for this, it better be worth it. Where is it that we need to go ?"
"The medical clinic at Hydra's main base," Loki said.
"Yes, because that isn't heavily guarded," America said sarcastically
"If you can transport us to the universe, I can get in," Loki said.
America grabbed his arm, opened a portal, and pulled him through with her to a building she knew was empty and not too far from the base.
"How much time do you need?" America asked.
"If I am not back in thirty minutes I have been caught," Loki said.
"If you get caught, I will find a way to bring you back to hurt you myself. Got it?" America asked.
Loki smirked.
"Don't get any ideas in your head. I just don't want to have to go back and explain to your brother what happened," America said.
"Okay," Loki said before he teleported himself to a storage room on the base he knew was always empty. Once he was there he carefully opened the door and looked down the hallway to make sure no one could be seen. When he saw the empty hall, he moved quietly across the hall to the room where what he was looking for had been kept in the past. He opened the door slowly and saw the room was empty. He quickly went in and went to the shelving unit and started to look through everything, searching for what he was there for. He found it and grabbed it just as the door to the room opened. He didn't wait to see who it was before he teleported himself out and back to America.
"We need to get out of here now. I might have been caught," he said.
America opened a portal and pulled him through closing it, making sure no one followed them. America looked around the room making sure no one was there to catch them coming back before looking at Loki. "You got what you needed?"
"Yes," Loki said, holding up four vials.
"You got more than one?" America asked.
"I figured we don't know how much Dr. Banner will need. And having extras does not hurt. There were a dozen vials of it there," Loki said.
America nodded. "Go, get it to her."
Loki teleported back to the compound, where Thor was waiting in the bedroom for him.
"What did you do little brother?" Thor asked.
Loki held up the vials. "And I did not get hurt."
Thor shook his head, grabbed his arm, and dragged him downstairs.
"You have a pretty tight grip on my arm, Thor," Loki said, trying to get out of his grasp.
"You are lucky I do not lock you in a room," Thor said, pulling him into the lab. Steve was sitting with his head in his hands. Skye was asleep.
Loki held up the vials to Dr. Banner as Thor let him go.
"You went? And you injured?" Bruce asked the teenager as he took the four vials
"I'm not injured," Loki said, "and I got out without any interaction with anyone."
Dr. Banner took them and put the vials in a machine. "I need to make sure of what this is before I inject her with it."
Steve looked up at Loki. "How did you get there?"
Loki shrugged.
"Answer him," Thor said sharply.
"I had help," Loki said.
"From?" Thor asked.
Loki shrugged again.
Thor shook his head. "Go. To the bedroom now. And do not leave it until I tell you that you can."
Loki sighed and went.
"I think someone needs to call Dr. Strange and find out what America has been up to," Dr. Banner said.
"I will do so," Thor said.
"How long will it take to verify what it is?" Steve asked.
"Hopefully only an hour or two," Bruce said.
"Steve, I am so sorry Skye is going through this because of me," Thor said.
"Thor, it's not your fault. She did exactly what I would have done at her age," Steve said. "She chose to. I know you would never have let her if you had known what she was planning."
Thor nodded.
"I'm serious, Thor. Do not blame yourself," Steve said. "Go. Deal with your brother. I will let you know when Skye is okay."
Thor nodded and went. He almost bumped into Bucky on the way.
"Do you know where Steve is?" Bucky asked.
"Have you not been informed?" Thor asked.
"Of what?" Bucky asked.
"What Loki told us might happen to Skye has happened. Steve and Skye are in Dr. Banner's lab," Thor told him.
Bucky quickly moved past Thor and went down to Bruce's lap and sat next to his fiancé. "How is she doing?"
Steve looked up at Bucky. "Banner is testing some medication that Loki got from his universe to ensure that it will help her, not hurt her. And I honestly don't know."
"She is experiencing extreme flu-like symptoms," Dr. Banner said. "Her heart rate is going from low to high very quickly."
Bucky nodded, took Steve's hand, and squeezed it. "She is strong. Like her dad."
"Whatever this is, it is not something she can heal herself from," Steve said. Fear for his daughter was clear in his voice.
"But Banner has something that will help. He just has to make sure," Bucky said.
"And what if it doesn't?" Steve asked
"Hey, she will be okay," Bucky said. "She will get better."
"She spent so many years in a horrible situation because I didn't even know she existed. In the time I have known her, she has been through a lot too. We are finally getting to a point where I don't fear that every time she leaves this compound she will end up hurt. Finally, I felt safe enough for her to be fighting with us. And she gets seriously injured. She has just started to figure out how to balance the life of a teenager with the life of an enhanced human doing good things. She is dying right in front of me, and I can't do anything but sit here and wait and hope that Loki has been telling us the truth and this medicine is going to help," Steve said.
"Yeah. This situation isn't good. But part of being an enhanced human who fights to protect the world means putting yourself at risk. And more than once have we had to deal with someone almost dying. But they survived, and so will Skye," Bucky said.
Skye woke up with a bit of a groan.
"How are you feeling, Skye," Dr. Banner asked.
"Like I got hit by a bus," Skye said.
"Okay, can you tell me what you mean by that?" Dr. Banner asked.
"My entire body hurt. and feels really heavy, almost like someone is lying on top of me. My chest feels tight. The room is spinning," Skye said. She was having a hard time breathing as she spoke.
"Okay, so I'm going to give you oxygen. It sounds like maybe your lungs need some help right now," Dr. Banner said as he put an oxygen mask on her. "So, while you were asleep Loki decided to go back to his universe and get some of this medicine. I am running some tests on it just to make sure it is safe for you and what we think it is, and we will go from there.
Skye nodded a little as she received the oxygen, which made her breathing easier. She looked over at her dad and Bucky.
"Hey, peanut," Steve said.
"I'm sorry," she said softly making it almost impossible to hear with the mask.
"Don't ever apologize for doing something good, no matter the outcome. I am so unbelievably proud of the young woman you are becoming," Steve said.
Skye nodded a little, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm scared," she said.
Steve took her hand and squeezed it. "You are going to be okay."
"He's right. You just have to keep fighting," Bucky said.
Skye nodded a bit and reached up with her free hand, removing the mask for a second. "I am not trying to seem negative. But if I don't survive this, please don't let that stop you two from being happy and getting married."
"Mask back on," Steve said softly.
Skye put it back on.
"You are going to be okay," Steve said.
"Promise me," Skye said with the mask on.
"I don't need to make the promise because you are going to be alive and at the wedding," Steve said.
Skye looked at Bucky, begging him with her eyes.
"Your dad is right. You are going to be at the wedding. But if it makes you feel better, I promise he and I will stay together as long as he lets it be," Bucky said.
Skye nodded and looked back at her dad.
"You know you already have him wrapped around your finger," Steve said, smiling at his daughter.
Skye smiled and let out a soft chuckle.
"Like she doesn't have you wrapped around the finger on her other hand," Bucky said. smirking.
Dr. Banner smirked as well.
"Please, Daddy, promise," Skye said, having taken the mask off again.
"Okay. I promise. Now leave the mask on," Steve said.
Skye put the mask back on.
The computer went off, signaling to Bruce that the vials were done being tested. He read the results and did some typing to look up some things he had never heard of.
"This other universe is miles ahead of us with things that could help Skye. These results show a few things that my systems can't even identify," Bruce said.
"Victoria is alive in that universe. She would know more than any of us here. And who knows about generations before who had these abilities taught others," Steve said.
Bruce nodded.
Dr. Strange came into the lab. He had a yellow manilla envelope in his hands. "Maybe I can be of some assistance?"
"Dr. Strange, yes, you are more than welcome to take a look," Bruce said.
Dr. Strange looked at the results on the screen and what Bruce had looked up. "Hrm," he said before he started talking about what the compounds in the medicine that the system wasn't picking up on were.
Steve stood up and got between Dr Strange and Skye. "You are not our Stephen Strange."
"No, I'm not. But I am here to help," Dr. Strange said, stepping back from the teenage girl to show he meant no harm.
"How did you know we need help?" Dr. Banner asked.
At this point, Bucky was on his feet as well as an added line of defense for Skye.
"Loki from my universe has obviously been hiding out here. He came and stole some of the vials. The room they were stored in has a camera. So when someone figured out what he stole, I assumed something happened to Skye in this universe," Dr. Strange said.
"And how would you know that if you don't work for Hydra?" Steve asked.
"Because he is a mole for the good side," Loki said coming into the room.
Dr. Strange looked at the kid. "You know what you did was stupid? You could have been captured, and at this point, if you are, you will be tortured to death."
"Skye is dying because she jumped in front of my knife that was taken from me and was aimed at this universe's Thor. He might not be the Thor I grew up with, but he has been good to me and let me stay here where it's safe. He is my brother, and she is dying because she protected him," Loki said. "And I have not made her life easy since being here. I owe her."
Dr. Strange nodded before looking back at Dr. Banner and Steve. "I know you have no reason to trust me. But if she got hit with Loki's knife, this would heal her. And I don't know of anything else that will," he said before he held out the envelope that was in his hands. "This is copies of everything Hydra knows about Skyler and her mother and their lineage's abilities. And about what that medicine has in it and how it works in her body and how to get the ingredients, so you can make more if you need it."
Dr. Banner took it and opened it taking out the documents and scanning them.
"How did you get here? To this universe, I mean," Steve asked.
"I learned how to open portals. It is not widely known, and I'd like to keep it that way. I don't use it often. But in emergency situations I do," Dr Strange said.
Steve nodded slowly. "Why would you be willing to take the risk of getting caught for a kid you don't even know?"
"Because I know from my limited universe traveling and from what I have been told by a teenage girl that I believe you know, my universe has the most knowledge about Skye's DNA and her lineage. You are not the first universe that I have brought this information to," Dr. Strange said.
Steve looked at Dr. Banner. "What do you think?"
"There is a lot of information here. I do not think we have the time it will take to verify all of it. Her stats are continuing to drop, and she has slipped into a coma," Dr. Banner said. "What exactly is going on in her body?"
"It is a virus. The mix of Steve's DNA and Victoria's is like nothing we have ever seen before. And she is very powerful, more so than even Scarlet Witch. But the magic of Loki's knife is something pretty unique too, and when her blood mixes with the magic of the knife it creates a virus in her. It is in no way contagious from what I have seen. It just affects her," Dr Strange said.
Steve took a breath and looked at Loki. "You have proven to be truthful about everything so far, can we trust him?"
Loki looked surprised. "You trust me enough to ask me?"
"You tried to warn us, and you were not entirely believed. If we had listened we could have had more time to figure this out, so yes, if you say we can trust what he is saying, then I trust you," Steve said.
"He is a good guy. He is telling the truth," Loki said.
Steve looked at Dr. Banner. "Do it."
Dr. Banner nodded, grabbed a needle, and a vial, prepping it. "One vial is the dosage?"
"That should be enough. If not, you will know and can always give her more," Dr. Strange said.
"Injected through the IV. I assume? And what exactly happened when you saw this used before?" Dr. Banner asked.
"Yes. It's like any other life-saving medicine. It will work its way through her body and slowly attack the virus. I've only seen it used once. It took about an hour before it started to show in her vitals signs," Dr. Strange said.
"Know, that if you are lying and this does kill her or make her sicker, I have no issues turning into the Hulk and ripping every limb from your body," Bruce said.
"And I'll help him," Bucky said.
"Noted," Dr. Strange said.
Bruce injected it through her IV. "And now we wait, I guess."
Steve sat back down next to his daughter and took her hand.
Bucky sat back down next to him and took his other hand.
Dr. Banner checked her vitals and made sure nothing was going in the wrong direction.
Thor came into the lab. "Loki I told you to stay in the bedroom."
"He is down here for a good reason," Bruce said.
"Dr. Strange. You never mentioned you were coming when I called," Thor said.
"Not our Strange," Banner said. "He is from the same universe as Loki. He works for the good side as a mole in Hyrdra. He came here after Loki was seen on camera taking the vials to give us information on the medicine and about Skye and her abilities."
Thor nodded slowly.
"Loki came down somehow knowing he was here. I haven't figured that one out yet. But he came to put in a good word for him," Bruce said.
Loki took a breath. "I knew there were cameras. I knew if he found out what I took, he would come and help."
Thor shook his head. "Is Loki still needed down here for any reason?"
"No," Bruce said.
"But you should know him going to that universe anymore puts him at risk of being tortured to death," Dr. Strange told him.
Thor nodded, grabbed Loki by the back of the neck, and dragged him out of the room.
Dr. Strange smirked and shook his head.
"What?" Bucky asked, noticing.
"Oh, just seeing Loki interacting with an older version of Thor. I think he is probably exactly what the kid needed," Dr. Strange said.
Bucky nodded slowly.
Upstairs Thor took his brother to his room. "You knew you would be caught. So you intentionally put yourself and America in danger?"
"I did not bring America with me to the base. I left her where she brought us into the universe. I do not believe there were any cameras there," Loki said. "I was in and out of the base in under ten minutes. We were in the universe for under twenty minutes."
Thor nodded. "I know you did what you did for good. But you can not take those risks."
"You can punish me. I will not fight it. But I would do the same thing again, regardless," Loki said.
Thor nodded. "You do not go back to that universe again. If we need to get anything from there or speak to someone there, someone else will be sent. You have been allowed to stay in this universe, and you need to listen when I tell you to do or not to do something. I can not keep you safe if you do not."
Loki nodded.
"Promise me you will not go back there," Thor said.
"Fine, I promise," Loki said.
"Okay, then I will not punish you," Thor said.
"Thank you," Loki said.
"For not punishing you?" Thor asked.
"Well yes, but no. I know my being kept here was met with a lot of resistance. You had to fight to have the others around here agree to it," Loki said.
"Yes, because you were not being very nice to someone who is very much loved by everyone here. Myself included. But I knew you just needed time to realize she has never wanted to harm me," Thor said. "And I was correct."
Loki nodded. "I should have listened when you told me she was not evil in this universe."
Thor nodded. "Yes, but you will listen to me from now on. Right?"
"Sure," Loki said with a smirk.
Thor raised an eyebrow. "Do I need to punish you after all?"
"No," Loki said.
"So you will listen to me from now on. Right?" Thor repeated.
"Yes," Loki said sincerely.
"Good," Thor said.
Back downstairs, Skye's stats were starting to go in the right direction. She slowly woke up from the coma with a groan.
"How are you feeling, Skye?" Bruce asked.
"That bus I talked about backed back up over me a second time," Skye said.
"So not any better?" Bruce asked.
"I don't know," Skye whined.
"Well take a minute, take a breath, and think about it," Bruce said, ignoring the whining.
Skye took a breath. "Well, I guess my lungs feel better."
"Good, what else?" Bruce asked.
Skye opened her eyes slowly before moving her arm up to cover her eyes from the brightness.
"Too bright in the room?" Bruce asked as he nodded to the switches behind Dr. Strange.
Dr Strange hit one of the switches, turning off the light right above Skye.
"How's that?" Bruce asked.
Skye opened her eyes. "Better."
"Good. So is the room spinning still?" Bruce asked.
Skye thought for a moment. "No."
"Body aches and pains?" Bruce asked.
"Still hurts all over and feels heavy," Skye said as she looked around the room. "Dr. Strange, I didn't know you were here."
"He's not the Dr. Strange you know," Steve said.
"Oh?" Skye asked.
"He came here to bring us information about the medications, your DNA, and things that might help us understand your abilities more," Dr. Banner said.
"He is from the universe you went to, where Loki is from," Steve said.
"He works for the good side?" Skye asked.
"Says he does," Steve said. "And Loki said he does, too."
"I work for the Avengers. But Hydra thinks I work for them. I am a mole," Dr. Strange said.
"Oh," Skye said. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure," Dr. Strange said slowly.
"Steve and Victoria are married in your universe," Skye said.
"Yes," Dr. Strange said.
"But Steve doesn't work for Hydra, and Victoria does?" Skye asked.
"Yes, they got married before Steve knew who she was. I'm pretty sure they would be divorced. But with the way the world is there, there isn't somewhere to go where they could make it official," Dr. Strange said.
Steve let out a breath.
"Would you have married her had you known she was pregnant?" Bucky asked Steve.
"I don't know," Steve said.
"Steve and Bucky in your universe, friends or more?" Skye asked with a smirk.
"I think you're done asking questions," Steve said.
"Why?" Skye whined.
"We do not know how the universes affect each other. It's probably better not to know too much," Steve said.
"Well, he came here and brought us information," Skye said.
"Yes, to help you," Steve said.
"Still in pain?" Bruce asked.
"Yup," Skye said. "But doesn't feel like someone is laying on top of me anymore."
"She might be sore for a few days, shouldn't be in pain but achy for a few days," Dr. Strange said.
"Nope, still pain. And a lot of it," Skye said.
"Probably need more time," Dr. Banner said.
"How long is it supposed to take?" Skye asked.
"The only time I know of it being used, it took about an hour," Dr. Strange said.
"How long has it been for me?" Skye asked.
"About an hour," Dr. Banner said.
Skye took a breath, "oh."
"But your stats and everything have improved. Is your pain so bad that you can't move?" Dr. Banner asked.
"I don't know, I know I don't want to move it hurts so bad," Skye said. "This is the worst pain I have ever been in."
"Your pain tolerance is very strong if you're not in tears from this amount of pain," Dr Banner said.
"Yeah, well. I haven't cried from physical pain in a long time," Skye said.
"You know you are allowed to cry if you are in pain. Right?" Bucky asked.
Skye shrugged. "I don't need to."
Bruce shook his head. That would be a conversation for another time. "Let's give it another half hour. If you're still in the same amount of pain, maybe we can give you more of the medication."
Skye nodded and closed her eyes.
"What kind of pain is it?" Dr. Strange asked.
"It feels like what I would assume someone would feel if they got hit by a bus, like all my bones are broken and muscles ripped apart," Skye said.
"Okay, so it is the same kind of pain. When did this start?" Dr. Strange asked.
"This afternoon," Steve said.
"When did she get stabbed?" Dr. Strange asked.
"Five days ago," Steve said.
"Well, it seems to have progressed faster and taking longer to heal," Dr. Strange said. "But that could just be because they are different people."
"We are different, but we have the same DNA makeup. Shouldn't we heal the same?" Skye asked.
"It's really hard to know that when you are only the second variant who has needed this medicine," Dr. Strange said.
"Great," Skye said sarcastically.
"Skye, you can not blame him for not knowing when there hasn't been enough testing available," Dr. Banner said. "You and your variants are a very new enhanced human. How your DNA makeup works is something that is going to take time to fully understand. And Dr. Strange has been very kind to put himself in danger to come and help."
Skye sighed. "Sorry,"
"It's forgiven. You are in a lot of pain, and I understand your frustration," Dr. Strange said.
Skye nodded as her eyes started to fill with tears.
Steve noticed and gently squeezed her hand. "You are going to be okay."
"But it hurts so much, Daddy," Skye said as a single tear fell.
"I know, Peanut. If I could take your pain I would," Steve said reaching up and gently wiping away the tear.
"Give me more of the medicine?" Skye asked Dr. Banner.
"Give it another twenty minutes," Dr. Banner said.
"Just close your eyes and rest until then," Steve said. "You will get through this."
Skye closed her eyes slowly drifting back to sleep. Being in the amount of pain she was in was exhausting.
Skye was woken up about half an hour later.
"I'm sorry to wake you, but I need to know if you are still in pain," Bruce said.
Skye groaned as she woke up. She took a moment before she answered. "Yup, maybe a little better, but I'm still in a lot of pain."
"Okay," Bruce said as he started to prep another needle with a small amount of the medicine. "I'm going to give you a bit more of the medicine. You can go back to sleep," he said before he injected it into her IV.
Skye closed her eyes and went back to sleep.
Bruce made a note in Skye's file about how much of the medicine he was adding to the dosage so they had it for future reference.
The room was pretty quiet for the next half an hour. Bucky held Steve's hand, running his thumb along the other man's knuckles.
Skye slowly woke up again.
"How are you feeling now?" Bruce asked when she seemed to be fully awake.
Skye took a breath and gave herself a second to feel her body. "Sore."
"Sore, okay. The major pain is gone?" Bruce asked.
"I think so," Skye said.
"Why don't you sit up and see how you feel," Bruce said.
Skye sat up slowly with a bit of a groan.
"Pain?" Bruce asked.
"No, just really sore," Skye said. "Like how I used to feel after an intense training session."
Bruce nodded. "I'm going to take some more blood."
"Do you have to?" Skye asked.
"Yes," Bruce said. "Lay back down, please."
Skye did so, laying her arm so Bruce could take some blood.
When Bruce was done, Skye just rested until the results were in.
"Everything looks back to normal, except electrolytes," Bruce said.
"What does that mean exactly?" Skye asked.
"You're probably just dehydrated," Dr. Banner said.
"The same thing happened to the Skye in my universe. Just drink lots of water or drinks with electrolytes, and it should be back to normal in no time," Dr. Strange said.
Skye nodded a little.
"Feeling like you can move up to your bed?" Bruce asked.
"Maybe, but I think I want to take a hot shower first," Skye said.
Dr. Banner nodded. "Do you think you can handle standing for that long?"
"Only one way to find out," Skye said, sitting up.
"Go, be careful," Dr. Banner said.
Skye stood up from the table. "Thank you," she said to both doctors.
Dr. Stange nodded. "I'm going to head back to my universe," he said before teleporting out.
Skye left the room, and Steve and Bucky followed. When they got back upstairs Skye went to her bathroom and started the shower.
Steve sat down on the couch in the living room and rubbed his face with his hands. Bucky went to the kitchen, grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge, and went back to the living room, holding one out to Steve.
Steve took it as Bucky sat next to him.
"She is okay," Bucky said.
"I know," Steve said.
"So, why are you still terrified?" Bucky asked.
"She has been hurt before, but this? She almost died. She came unbelievably close to dying. And all I could do was sit there and hope that something we know basically nothing about would work," Steve said.
Bucky nodded. "But it did work. And she is okay. So you can breathe. She is alive, and she is safe."
Steve let out a breath and opened the bottle of beer, taking a swig of its contents.
Bucky opened his beer and took a drink of it as well.
"Thank you for being there," Steve said.
"You don't need to thank me for being there for my fiancé and stepdaughter. It's part of the deal," Bucky said.
Steve smiled and nodded.
Skye came into the living room in a pair of sweatpants and an oversized men's hoodie.
"You should be in bed," Steve said.
"I don't really want to be alone right now," she said softly, sitting next to Steve on the opposite side as Bucky.
Steve put his arm around her, and she leaned against him, closing her eyes.
"Isn't that the hoodie that Tucker let you borrow?" Steve asked.
"Yes," Skye said with a smile.
Steve smirked. "Is he ever going to get it back?"
"No," Skye said with a small chuckle.
"I'm guessing you haven't told him yet?" Bucky asked.
"No," Skye said.
"You should," Bucky said.
"He is going to be worried until he can actually see me. I was just thinking of telling him when we hang out next," Skye said.
"You know he is always welcome to come and visit," Steve said.
"He is working every evening for the rest of the week and all weekend. He wouldn't be able to," Skye said.
"He is keeping himself pretty busy," Steve said.
"Yeah, he told me he needs to keep busy to make sure he doesn't have time to do anything stupid," Skye said. "And he won't be working for a few weeks this summer, and he wants to be saving," Skye said.
"For college?" Steve asked.
"I think that and just living," Skye said.
"He won't be able to work for the whole summer?" Bucky asked.
"He got into an internship program at NYU. It's four weeks," Skye said.
"Oh wow," Bucky said.
"If he does well and is liked, it will help him get into NYU for college," Skye said.
"What is the internship for?" Bucky asked.
"Engineering," Skye said. "It's what he wants to do, be an engineer."
"Good for him," Bucky said.
"He seems to think someone made a call to NYU to put in a good word after he almost lost his place due to the arrest and trial," Skye said. "You wouldn't know anything about that would you, Dad?"
"I do not," Steve said.
"Oh," Skye said.
"Who else knew?" Steve asked.
"I don't know," Skye said. "Did you mention it to anyone?"
"I didn't," Steve said.
Pepper called from the kitchen that dinner was ready.
"Skye, are you hungry?" Steve asked.
"A little," Skye said.
The three got up and went into the kitchen.
Everyone looked at Skye.
"You good?" Yelena asked.
"I'm okay," Skye said with a smile.
"That's a new hoodie?" Nat asked.
"It's new to me," Skye said with a big grin.
"Tucker's," Nat and Yelena said at the same time, both chuckling.
Skye chuckled a little. "Yeah."
"He lent it to her. I asked if he was getting it back and was told no," Steve said.
"Of course, he's not," Nat said with a smirk.
"It is now hers," Yelena said with a smirk.
"It is pretty common for teenage girls to borrow and never give back a hoodie belonging to their boyfriends," Pepper said.
"It's true, even in our day. I lost a few hoodies as a teenager," Bucky said.
"Guess I never got to have that experience," Steve said with a chuckle.
"Do I need to make one of yours disappear?" Bucky asked with a smirk.
"No, I'm good," Steve said, shaking his head and smiling at Bucky.
Everyone at the table laughed.
"You lost a few huh? Were you a player as a teenager?" Skye asked with a smirk.
Bucky chuckled. "Never more than one girl at a time."
Loki looked at Steve smirking, "Did you keep a running list of the girls your friend was with?"
"Loki!" Thor said sternly, glowering at him.
Skye covered her mouth to try and cover her laughing.
Steve shot Skye a disapproving look and shook his head.
Skye bit the inside of her mouth and looked down, trying to calm herself down.
"So I hear you met a variant of Dr. Strange," Nat said changing the subject.
"Yes, he is from the same universe that Loki is from. He came after Loki was caught on camera getting the medication for Skye," Steve said. "He came to give us the information he has on her DNA."
"So you have more information now?" Tony asked.
"He gave me some material to look over. Once I understand it, I will share it with whomever Skye is okay with knowing," Bruce said.
Skye shrugged, "If you think they should know, you can tell them."
"Okay," Bruce said.
After dinner, Skye tried to help clear up but was told to go rest. So she went to her room. She did her homework before she got into bed with a book that she read until she fell asleep.