It was a week after Thanksgiving Skye was in the city with Lila, Cooper, and Renne, who was going to NYU for school. Cooper and Lila had arranged to come back to town after Thanksgiving so they could see the tree lighting in Rockefeller Center.
The four of them were just getting there when Skye felt arms around her from behind. She smiled and looked up to see Tucker. She knew he was meeting them there.
"Hi," Skye said to him
"Hi," he said smiling at her.
They kissed before Skye looked at Renne, "Renne this is Tucker, Tucker this is Renne."
Hellos were said all around.
They stood around waiting and talking.
"Tucker Nelson is that you?" A female voice said.
Tucker and Skye both looked in that direction
Tucker smiled, "Hi Lizzy," he said. "Been a while."
"It has," Lizzy said.
"This is Skye, my girlfriend, this is Lizzy, um," Tucker said trying to figure out how to tell her.
Skye chuckled, "I'm guessing you are the mother?"
Lizzy chuckled, "That I am."
Tucker turned a little red. "Yeah. Okay. Shouldn't have been that hard to say that. How did you figure that out?"
"I've seen pictures of Amber, she looks like her," Skye said.
Lizzy smiled.
A little boy who looked about six ran up to her, and grabbed her hand trying to pull her "Mommy and Daddy say it's time for pictures."
"This is my little brother," Lizzy said with a chuckle before looking up to see her parents looking towards them.
Skye followed the gaze and her heart stopped. "Wait, were you adopted by the Norton's?"
"Um yeah, you know them?" Lizzy asked.
"Um, yeah," Skye said forcing a smile. "Foster parents at one point."
"Oh, yeah I knew they fostered a few kids before having their son and adopting me," Lizzy said. "Good people."
"Yeah," Skye said.
"Which family was it for you Skye?" Tucker asked.
"Oh, I don't remember what number," Skye said lying. "There were quite a few."
Lizzy chuckled, "Yeah, I went through quite a few too."
"Lizzzzzy," the little boy whined trying to drag her again.
"I should go before he has a fit," Lizzy said. "Good seeing you Tucker. Nice meeting you Skye."
"Nice meeting you too," Skye said before Lizzy went with the little boy.
"Skye, which family?" he asked quietly. He had known she was lying.
"Last one," she said softly.
"Oh shit," Tucker said. "Skye I had no idea."
"I know," Skye said taking a deep breath to steady her emotions.
"Do you want to go?" Tucker asked.
"No," Skye said. "I'm not ruining this for anyone else."
"You good?" Lila asked seeing her friend looking upset.
Skye put a smile on her face, "Yes, anyone who wants to record should start, it should start being lit any minute." She said looking at her watch for the time.
Cooper turned on his video camera and about a minute later the first lights started to turn on.
Tucker kept hold of Skye's hand the whole time knowing she needed him as close as possible. About halfway through the lighting, Skye heard her name.
"Skyler, we need to talk to you," Mrs. Norton said.
Tucker looked at Skye and whispered. "I can make them go."
Skye nodded a little refusing to look at them.
Tucker looked at them "I know who you are to both Skye and Lizzy. And because Lizzy deserves to be happy I'm not going to say to you what I have thought about you since I was ten and Skye told me what happened in your home. But you need to walk the fuck away because she has nothing to say to you and wants to hear nothing from you," Tucker said quietly.
"Come on Skye. Just want to talk to you," Mr. Norton said. "Five minutes."
Tucker looked at Skye who shook her head.
"She doesn't want to," Tucker said. "Please leave us alone."
The rest of their friends had been watching but not hearing what was being said. They could see Skye was getting more and more upset and refusing to look at the couple who was trying to talk to her.
Cooper handed the video camera to Renne before going over and putting himself between them and Skye. "I second that. Walk away."
The couple sighed but walked away.
Lila went over to Skye, "Are you really okay?"
Skye took a breath. "I just want to enjoy tonight."
"Are you sure you don't want to go home?" Tucker asked.
"Yes," Skye said
"If they bother you again I will handle it," Cooper said.
"Thank you," Skye said.
Tucker looked back to make sure they had left and he noticed Lizzy looking at him confused. Tucker just shook his head at her.
The five of them continued to talk and watch the tree slowly light up.
"Ooh. Hot chocolate food truck," Lila said.
Skye looked and smiled, "Yeah they do really good hot chocolate."
"I'm going to go get myself one anyone else want one?" Lila asked.
"I'll take one," Renne said.
"I'll go with you," Tucker said. "Skye?"
"Yes please," Skye said.
Lila looked at Cooper.
"Sure," he said. "I'll pay you back later."
"I owe you money anyway," Lila said before she went with Tucker.
Skye moved over so she was closer to Renne and Cooper, "so enjoying it?"
"Very much so," Renne said. "How many times have you seen this?"
"Half a dozen," Skye said with a smile. "First time with Tucker though. It adds a level of romance to it."
Renne smiled and looked at Cooper. "You've seen it before right?"
"Once with my dad and siblings," Cooper said.
"Is it more romantic with me?" Renne asked.
"There is only one right answer," Skye said with a smirk.
Renne laughed.
Cooper chuckled. "That much I know. But yes it is very different when it's with you." He said looking at Renne.
Skye snapped a picture of them being cute.
Tucker and Lila came back and handed out the hot chocolates.
Skye took hers from Tucker, "thank you."
"Of course," Tucker said.
Skye took a sip and closed her eyes enjoying it completely.
Tucker smiled, that was how she always reacted to this particular hot chocolate.
Skye noticed him staring at her. "what?"
"You are very adorable," Tucker said.
Skye blushed "Drinking hot chocolate?"
"Well, this particular hot chocolate. I know you have always loved," Tucker said.
"I do," Skye said.
Tucker smiled and kissed her forehead. "So yes, it is adorable when you take your first sip."
Skye grinned.
"You two are sickeningly adorable. Knock it off," Lila said with a smirk.
Skye and Tucker chuckled.
"Any guys on your horizon?" Skye asked Lila
"Maybe," Lila said.
"Oh? Who?" Cooper asked.
"I'm not telling you. Last time you scared the guy I went on a date with away," Lila said.
Skye laughed, "She's right you did. I was there."
"What happened?" Tucker asked smirking.
"You didn't tell him?" Lila asked.
"I guess it didn't come up," Skye said. "While I was there last time a guy Lila had been on a date with had come over and Lila and I were outside and Cooper came out and told Lila her boyfriend was there. Lila didn't have a boyfriend and told Cooper that and Cooper claimed that is what the guy had said."
"I ran inside and the first thing I asked him was why did you tell my brother you are my boyfriend? Needless to say, he was confused and never spoke to me again," Lila said.
"If he can't take the joke then you can do so much better," Cooper said.
"Okay, maybe. But you embarrassed me," Lila said
"Older sibling prerogative," Cooper said with a smirk.
"Yeah, and that is why I won't be telling you who I have been talking to," Lila said.
"You'll have to tell me later," Skye said.
"You I will tell," Lila said smiling at her friend.
"Skye will tell me right?" Cooper asked.
Skye snorted a laugh, "not a chance."
They finished watching the tree being lit up. When it was fully lit they took a bunch of pictures in front of it before they decided it was time to head out. They all walked towards where they had parked their cars. Skye hugged Tucker tight and kissed him.
Tucker returned the affection, "You're sure you're okay?"
"Yeah," Skye said. "I just guess I will always be the foster kid who did the horrible thing."
"Maybe they wanted to apologize. They didn't exactly sound angry," Tucker said. "Maybe they came to realize they were wrong. They have been good to Lizzy too. Who deserves good too."
"Look, I'm not going to cause any drama there. I would never try to ruin something good for another former foster kid who never did anything to me. And you know. They blamed me because it was my fault. I don't know what I did but I did something," Skye said.
"Even if you somehow did something. You were nine. They put a responsibility on you they never should have, and something tragic happened. But that doesn't mean it was your fault," Tucker said lowering his voice so this conversation would be just between them.
"I was the only one in the room when it happened," Skye said matching his volume.
Tucker let out a breath. "How old is Morgan?"
"Eight," Skye said.
"And if it was her would you blame her?" Tucker asked.
"That is so not fair, it wouldn't happen with her," Skye said.
"Why? Because her parents wouldn't put her in that situation?" Tucker asked.
"Partly," Skye said.
"So you agree you shouldn't have been in that situation," Tucker said.
"Yes. But the fact is I was. Maybe not fully my fault. But I hold some blame," Skye said.
"No Skye you don't. I have a feeling nothing anyone could have done to prevent what happened," Tucker said.
"We can argue this until we are both blue in the face and I don't think either of us will agree with the other," Skye said.
Tucker sighed, "Fine."
"Are you angry with me now?" Skye asked her eyes filling with tears.
"No baby," he said gently caressing her face with his thumb, "Just frustrated that you have had to live with this guilt over something I don't think is your fault. And I wish you could see that. Because it is starting to affect your life now. You barely go near the new baby because of this guilt. And I worry you won't be able to bond with your sibling when he or she comes."
Skye looked down.
Tucker caressed her face again. "Promise me you will talk about this in therapy."
"You don't want me to make a promise I can't keep," Skye said looking back up at him.
"No, I don't. But this is one you will keep," Tucker said.
"No, it's not," Skye said.
"You talk about it in therapy. Or I'm going to have to involve someone else," Tucker said.
"You wouldn't," Skye said.
"I don't want to Skye. But you can't sit with this guilt anymore," Tucker said. "I am worried about you. You told me you almost used again because of it."
"Almost. But I didn't," Skye said.
"And what happened the last time I bought?" Tucker asked.
"Okay that's different," Skye said.
"No. It's really not. Something from your past came back and triggered you to respond the way you did when it first happened," Tucker said.
Skye looked down again.
"I can't help you. If you don't help yourself too," Tucker said.
Skye looked up at him with tears in her eyes, "Can I have a few days to think about it?"
"Of course," he said before wrapping her back into a hug.
Skye hugged him tight for a minute before they broke the hug.
Skye wiped her eyes and turned to her friends. Goodbyes were exchanged before Skye got into the car with Lila. Steve was picking them up.
Tucker got into his car and headed home.
Cooper was going back to Renne's dorm with her.
Steve noticed Skye looked upset. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Skye said.
Steve looked in the rearview mirror at Lila.
"I'm honestly not sure," Lila said. "There was some couple who was there I think with two kids. Tucker seemed to know the teenager. Skye and him talked to her but when her parents came over Tucker said something to them before telling them to walk away twice. Before Cooper had to get involved because they wouldn't listen."
Steve looked at Skye again.
"Thanks, Lila," Skye said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry but I know something is wrong there," Lila said.
"Who?" Steve asked.
"The teenage girl Tucker knows. Is the mother," Skye said.
"Oh," Steve said. "Wow."
"She seems nice. Tucker introduced us," Skye said.
"Okay, but that doesn't explain why you are upset," Steve said.
"You know how Tucker mentioned she got adopted," Skye said.
"Yes," Steve said.
"Tucker didn't know who her adoptive parents were. But he knows who they were to me when I told him when we saw them," Skye said.
"Not the last foster parents?" Steve asked.
"Yup," Skye said.
"You said they weren't abusive. Right?" Steve said.
"Right, they were good to me. Really good. Til things happened," Skye said.
"What happened?" Steve asked.
Skye shook her head.
"Lila you said they tried to talk to her, did you hear what was said?" Steve asked.
"Don't Lila," Skye said.
"I didn't hear much of anything. Until Tucker told them to walk away," Lila said.
"Skye. At some point. Whatever this is. Is going to break you. I don't want that to happen," Steve said.
"It won't," Skye said. "I'm fine."
Steve shook his head as they drove towards the compound.