Skye was sitting in a room at SHIELD with her dad. Her right leg was bouncing up and down and her heart was racing. She was anxious.
"Skye, breath. It's okay. You are safe," Steve said softly.
Skye took a breath and forced her leg to stop bouncing just as the door opened causing her to flinch a little.
In walked a SHEILD agent and Sasha. Sasha was in cuffs and sat in the seat across from Skye and Steve.
"I can uncuff her if you two feel safe enough for that," the SHEILD agent said.
Steve looked at Skye.
"I'm fine with it as long as she doesn't try anything," Skye said.
"It's not like I'm the one with superhuman powers," Sasha said.
"You didn't get anything from Victoria?" Skye asked
"Nope," Sasha said popping the P as she was uncuffed.
Skye nodded a little.
"Did you really kill her?" Sasha asked.
"She didn't give me much of a choice, but yeah," Skye said.
The two were silent for a couple of minutes.
"Did you know I was your half-sister when we ended up at the mall?" Skye asked.
Sasha nodded.
Skye shook her head. "Did you know when you became friends with Lila?"
"No. Victoria told me to become friends with her. It was the first step in a major Hydra mission for someone to get close to the Barton's, to get close to you. It wasn't until I found out that you were going to be visiting them and I told Victoria that I was told who you were and about the abilities you got from her that I never got," Sasha said.
"I don't know how I got the abilities but you didn't," Skye said.
"Yeah. I admit that does seem strange," Steve said.
"Yeah. Victoria and Hydra didn't understand it either," Sasha said.
"You're sure you biologically her daughter?" Skye asked.
"That has been verified," the SHIELD agent said.
"Did Victoria ask you to set me up for shoplifting?" Skye asked
"No. I was pissed that she stopped caring about me once I was able to get close to you," Sasha said. "I thought if you got busted for shoplifting she would be angry with you and I would get her attention again."
"I'm sorry she did that," Skye said.
Sasha nodded.
"Did it work at least?" Skye asked.
"No, she found out I set you up and it made it worse," Sasha said. "She basically told me she wanted nothing to do with me. Hydra kept its hold on me. I know they were just using me but I thought maybe it would get me back in her good books if I continued to work with Hydra."
"Was it worth it?" Steve asked.
"She is dead and I'm in a maximum security prison. What do you think?" Sasha asked.
"You'll have to excuse him. He always has to make sure a lesson is learned," Skye said before giving her dad a 'really' look.
Sasha let out a soft chuckle.
Steve shook his head.
"How long are they keeping you in here?" Skye asked.
"Not sure," Sasha said. "I was involved in trying to get the super serum from you. And your safety is a top priority to SHIELD. So I'm guessing a while."
Skye looked at the SHIELD agent. "She is getting more time because it was me?"
"Probably," the SHIELD agent said.
Skye sighed and shook her head before looking at her dad.
"I have nothing to do with that," Steve said.
Skye looked at Sasha, "Are you honestly sorry?"
"Yeah. I am. And I won't get involved with Hydra again. And I'm sorry for what I did to you and Lila," Sasha said.
"I don't know if I can actually do anything but I'll look into maybe getting you less time. But if I do and you get involved with Hydra again I will personally bring you down. And you will need to apologize to Lila too," Skye said.
"Fair. I won't. And I will go to the security at the mall and tell them it was me," Sasha said.
Skye chuckled. "That is so long ago. I wouldn't even be banned from the mall anymore. Don't worry about that. But I appreciate the offer."
Sasha nodded.
"What about your friend who was at the mall and with you when Hydra grabbed me?" Skye asked.
Sasha shrugged. "Jessica, I don't know what happened to her."
Skye looked at her dad.
"I'm not sure either," Steve said.
Skye looked at the SHIELD agent.
"She was not one of the people picked up that day that's all I know," The SHIELD agent said.
"She got away," Skye said.
"Probably," Sasha said.
It wasn't much longer before Sasha had to be taken back to her cell.
They said their goodbyes and Sasha was taken out of the room.
"You okay?" Steve asked Skye when it was just the two of them again.
"Yeah. That went really well I think," Skye said.
"I think so too," Steve said.
"I'm more worried about how things will go with Kate," Skye said.
"If it becomes too much you just tell me and I'll make sure she is taken out of the room," Steve said.
"Dad, can I please talk to her without you?" Skye asked.
"No," Steve said.
"Come on Dad. There will be a shield agent in the room. Please," Skye said.
"Why don't you want me in the room?" Steve asked
"I think meeting just her and I. I might get more clear answers," Skye said.
Steve took a breath.
"Please Dad," Skye said.
"Okay," Steve said. "But if things get out of hand make sure you get her removed from the room."
"I will," Skye said.
"And I'll be outside the door waiting if you need me," Steve said before he got up and left the room.
A few minutes later Kate was brought into the room and she sat hard into the seat.
"What do you want?" Kate asked not looking at Skye.
"To talk," Skye said.
"I have no interest in talking to you," Kate said.
"Fine. Then just listen," Skye said.
"I don't have a choice in that matter," Kate said
"Seven years," Skye said.
"What?" Kate asked.
"I calculated. That is roughly the amount of time we spend living together between all the foster and group homes. I know I never spent that much time with anyone else. You were the closest person to a sibling that I had," Skye said.
"Oh," Kate said.
"Why after everything we have been through together. Why would you work with people who want to hurt?" Skye asked.
Kate didn't say anything.
"Kate, come on. There has to be some explanation," Skye said.
Kate shook her head.
"Well, I hope whatever reason you had. It was worth spending a long time in here," Skye said as she stood up.
"The person I was seeing tricked me," Kate said.
Skye sat back down. "Oh?"
"By the time I realized what was going on. And that you were connected. I was already so far into it. I couldn't stop without risking a lot of lives," Kate said.
"What did you think was being done before you knew I was involved?" Skye asked
"I knew it was about the Avengers. I was told that they were not the good people they were thought to have been. I was shown a lot of things that had been done. Damages caused by them," Kate said. "I knew they wanted to get the daughter of Captain America. I just didn't know that was you."
"How long did they know who I was? And where I was?" Kate asked.
"Not exactly sure. But years," Kate said. "They set up for you to be attacked. You to be found by the Avengers. They knew they patrolled that area. They knew you would be there."
Skye's eyes glossed over and she shook her head. "They tracked me and them for a long time."
"Yeah," Kate said. "I didn't know any of this. Until after I found out you were the daughter. And I tried to get out. I tried to stop things. But people I care about were threatened. And yes I cared about you but the people who were being threatened couldn't defend themselves the way I knew you and your family could."
"I didn't think you had anyone in your life like that," Skye said.
"Half-sister. She is seven," Kate said.
"Oh. Shit. I always thought both your parents were dead," Skye said.
"My mother is. My father might as well be. He left when I was a baby. He didn't want to be a dad. When my mother died he signed his rights away and I was put into care. He had a new family and didn't want me complicating things. His new wife didn't know anything about me," Kate said.
"You never told me any of this," Skye said.
"Yeah well you didn't tell me you have special powers," Kate said
"I was scared and confused. I didn't know what people would think," Skye said. "I didn't even know what to think about them."
"I was embarrassed. My own father didn't even tell his wife about his other child. I was nothing but a scab from his past that he didn't want in his future," Kate said
"Hey. I get it. My mother put me in foster care and left me there for years," Skye said. "Probably to make me an angry teenager who she assumed would turn on the Avengers the moment I had been within her reach," Skye said.
"That was exactly what Hydra assumed would happen," Kate said.
"Jokes on them. I killed her instead," Skye said.
Kate snorted a laugh.
"Who was the guy you were involved with? What's his name?" Skye asked
"Jesse," Kate said.
"Jesse what?" Skye asked.
"Jesse Kramer," Kate said.
Skye's eyes went wide.
"His son," Kate said knowing what she was thinking.
"Oh my god. Kate, did you tell the Shield Agents about this?" Skye asked.
"I did. I gave them all the information I have," Kate said.
"Is your sister going to be safe?" Skye asked.
"Yeah. She and her parents have been put in a safe house. Until things are safe again," Kate said.
"I'm guessing his wife knows about you now," Skye said.
"Yeah. She did find out a few years after I was put into foster care. I ran into my father with her and their kid and I was in a pissed-off mood that day so I told her who I was," Kate said.
"Oh," Skye said.
"Yeah. He was furious. She was surprised. I've spent time with her and my sister," Kate said.
"Oh wow," Skye said. "Not with him?"
Kate shook her head. "No."
"Did you hurt anyone while working with Hydra?" Skye asked.
Kate let out a breath, "Yes."
Skye took a breath trying to work up the nerve to ask the next question she had.
Kate looked at her and could see in her eyes what she was thinking. "Ask," she said softly.
"Did you kill anyone?" Skye asked softly.
"Yes," Kate said.
"Before or after Wanda offered you help?" Skye asked
Kate didn't say anything.
Skye took a breath and got up.
"I didn't have a choice," Kate said.
"You had choices. Wanda told you the last time you were at the compound if you needed anything that she would help you. You could have told her. You could have told me. You could have told my dad or anyone else there and you would have been helped," Skye said. "You knew you were getting involved with people who wanted to hurt the Avengers. You knew that. And when you found out I was his daughter you continued. You ignored many years of hell we went through when you KNEW you had options for help," Skye said before she left the room.
Steve looked at Skye when she came out of the room. "Did it go okay?"
Skye shrugged, "Got my answers."
"But not the answers you exactly wanted?" Steve asked.
"Yes and no," Skye said.
Steve wrapped her in a tight hug.
Skye hugged him back. "Thank you."
"Of course Skye. You ready to get out of here?" Steve asked.
"Yes," Skye said breaking the hug.
They both left the building got into Steve's car and he started for home.
"Who do I talk to, to try and get Sasha less time?" Skye asked.
"Talk to Fury, he might be able to help," Steve said.
"Okay. Thank you," Skye said.
"I understand why you want to help her. But Skye, she did what she did. She knew what she was doing was wrong," Steve said.
"Right. And she should spend time in prison. But she shouldn't get more time because it's me she went after," Skye said.
"I disagree with that, but regardless I'm sure her sentence is fair," Steve said.
"Well I will find out what it is and if it's fair I'll leave it alone," Skye said
"Okay," Steve said.
They were quiet for a few minutes.
"Want to talk about what Kate said to you?" Steve asked.
"Not right now," Skye said. "Need time to think about it all first."
"Okay,' Steve said. "How is your reading list coming?"
"Three books done," Skye said.
"Five more to go," Steve said.
"Yeah. Not sure if I will have time for five more. Two more maybe," Skye said.
"Still have four weeks of summer break. Should be able to get them done," Steve said.
"Yeah. But I have other things I would like to do with my summer too," Skye said.
"Like?" Steve asked
"Hang out with friends. Train more than I can during the school year. Maybe visit the Barton's. Lila invited me. Uncle Clint was there when she did," Skye said.
"Okay. I can arrange that with Clint and Laura. But only if you can get the reading list done," Steve said.
"Dad come on. It has been a hard summer with things that I didn't plan to happen," Skye said
"I know," Steve said letting out a breath. "Okay. I want you to get at least three more books done before I let you go. Deal?"
"Okay. Deal," Skye said. "And thank you for arranging today."
"Of course. I'm glad you got the closure you did," Steve told her.