Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"I want a cocktail, or a beer will do," Bobbi mumbled as she passed the team with a growl.

"At least we're not dead," Jemma replied dryly as the rest of the team jogged up behind her. She was right. Sure, there were always a few bruises and scrapes, and yes, they were dirty and tired, but all limbs were still there so that helped. She turned around just as Skye let out a sigh before she turned her body over to look at Coulson and May.

"Well that went great, didn't it. So, another flight to god knows where. I am so sick of this. These missions are getting so dumb, I feel like we aren't getting anywhere if anything I feel we are going backward. HYDRA is everywhere and nowhere. And in five minutes these guys are going to run up to our bus, ship, whatever you wanna call it, and that's the exact same time May will get us up in the air, every time. Why can't we have a secret super safe, safehouse with like personal bodyguards or something?" Skye threw her bag carelessly on the floor as she stumped up the ramp ignoring the look on Phil's face. She wasn't actually mad. But it felt like they were getting nowhere right now, and it wasn't a great feeling. HYDRA was still out there, and the fight to find every answer first was getting kinda old.

"Maybe we should, I mean I know they won't mind. They need a break." She could hear May's voice behind her talking low to Phil. They always did this, but she knew better than to try to eardrop. She didn't care that much.

Choosing to ignore it, she instead walked past them and followed Jemma living room part of the plane. She nodded at Bobbi who handed her a glass of cold water as she fell on the couch beside Jemma. The other woman had her hair behind her ears and was looking at a piece of paper. She smiled softly at Jemma before looking back down on whatever she was reading.

Skye had gotten out of the fight with only a small bruise on her arm, which honestly was very surprising considering she had been in the middle of it. Bobbi, on the other hand, had a cut above her eye as well as a disgusting looking bruise on the lower half of her thigh. Still, she didn't seem very faced, and just simply cleaned her cut in silence.

The blond turned her head when they heard somebody walking up behind them and Skye could feel her own eyes follow hers. She rolled her eyes dramatically when she realized it was Coulson who walked up to them. She honestly could not be bothered right now.

"Actually, what if we have something that checks off all the things on that list of yours." Skye lifted an eyebrow at him, and Jemma tilted her head slightly in confusion. What was he on about now?

"As if." She turned to the girls who nodded in agreement. Phil tended to promise a few things he couldn't perform. And if it sounded too good to be true, it usually was.

"We'll be there in four hours," May yelled at them as she walked into the cockpit. Skye hadn't even noticed she was there, but May was good at sneaking up without them noticing.

Even if May was a part of this promise Skye wasn't sure what to think. They had been running to a billion safehouses in the last months. All pretty bad. What made this any different? The only reason they ever landed so was to get fuel and food. If not, they would have stayed in the air forever. It was only a plane, but god it was better than some of the houses.

The plane fell silent as they flew to whoever they were headed. Skye was sitting in her seat with her eyes closed, leaning on the window. The familiar sound of the engine had almost drifted her off to sleep again. Morse was sipping on her beer while looking at a map over something while Jemma was looking at some of the new plans for the night-night gun.

Skye had no hopes for wherever they were going. She always tried to be positive but was it one thing she had learned was it that safehouses usually sucked. Most of the time she didn't even bother to get out of the plane when they landed. Why would she when they had the buss.

Skye was in her own head when they realized they were starting to go down. Hovering slowly before they were sinking downwards.

"Oh my gosh, Coulson, are you serious?" Skye let her eyes open slowly when she heard Jemma's voice and her ridiculous English accent break the nice silence.

"This is the Avenger's tower"

WAIT WHAT! Rapidly she turned her head to the window, and Jemma was right. They were flying over New York and the tower was right there. At first sight, she only saw the empire state building, and just that had thrown her completely off guard. And with that building so close, it was only one other tower this could be. The director looked at her with a soft smile and Jemma's voice was barely a whisper as she had mentioned the avenger's tower, but Skye had totally heard it.

"Hang on. Why are you taking us here? Why now? Actually, just why." Skye's voice cracked as she turned to the director. She stood up from her chair as if she was threatening him. This was not good, or it was, but not really. Holy shit. This was happening right now. She had imagined it plenty of times but not like this. Certainly not like this. Of course, she knew Phil knew the group, obviously, and he had mentioned them quite a few times, but actually like going there. Now. Help.

"You were right, no point of running like we did. This is a safe house. And I am sure the avengers won't mind. Don't forget, three of them were SHIELD agents before this." Coulson ignored her as he led them towards the backside of the plane just as they hit what Skye could just assume was the tower's personal take-off spot.

"Wait, you mean Barton, Rogers and Romanoff will actually be there?" Leo ran up to him looking at the man with big eyes. They hadn't seen the man for a few hours, as he had hidden in his bunk, but the mentioning of the legendary agents had clearly brought him out.

"Yes, unless Tony has annoyed them so much they fled." May walked up behind them. She had her sunglasses on, but Skye could already picture her smug look.

"Come on, I'll introduce you guys to the team."

The team. Skye was two seconds away from seeing her, and for some reason, she almost didn't want to. No, she didn't want to. She didn't know how to act. And even if she did, she was not ready. Not mentally.

She wasn't only seeing her. She was seeing everybody. All six of them. Sure, she was a new member of SHIELD and all, but she had been in SHIELD long enough to have heard all the stories about Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff. And of course, then Iron man and the initiative. They were legends.

She was walking behind Bobbi and Leo who was trailing Coulson and May. The corridors felt endless. Left, right, straight. She would never have found her way out of the tower even with a gun to her head. How Coulson and May knew their way around she had no idea.

Skye was walking beside her. From the second they had touched down she had seemed jumpy and stressed but Jemma couldn't tell why.

"Are you okay, Skye? You seem stressed." Jemma looked at her with a concerned look as they continued to walk. Skye felt so bad for lying to her, she really did. Her best friend. She hated dishonestly. Even if May had walked her through it countless times it was just awful. Especially when the person she was lying to was Jemma.

"Yeah," Skye mumbled back. "But maybe stay close to me?" She hurried to say as the scientist increased her speed. Jemma turned and looked at her and Skye reached over and grabbed Jemma's arm bringing it close to her chest. The scientist only nodded to her with a small smile before continued to walk.

The tower seemed huge. And it felt like they walked for years. Not that Skye didn't have plenty to look at. Labs, machinery, fancy painting, small and huge statues. The tower was insane. The tech was incredible. SHEILD had, of course, some pretty cool things, but Stark was seriously something in his own league.

She couldn't help her gasp when Coulson finally opened the door to the big room. She honestly did not know what she was expecting in the first place, but probably not this. A big common room with a huge open concept with both a kitchen, living room and dining room in one. Of course, it really wasn't the room that took her breath away.

"Guys, this is the Avenger's, or two-thirds of it apparently," Phil said as he waved them into the room. Skye's eyes immediately fell on Thor who was definitely hot. Or fit, or godly. Whatever he was Thor. She was just as amazed by him as she had been with Sif. Otherworldly is maybe the best way to describe it. Asgardians. It was crazy and incredible at the same time.

Then it was Tony and Bruce who looked pretty normal, except one of them could become a green monster and kill them, and the other one was a multi-billionaire who had a crazy tech suit.

And then it was Steve or Captain Rogers. He was maybe the most welcome looking, but knowing he was THE Captain America did not help. He was big and tall, and very… symmetrical in his features. Just wow really. This guy was created out form a bottle. So crazy.

"Hu. Not only are you alive Coulson, but you decide to just bring five unknown people into my home. That is odd." Tony looked between them before he lost interest in them again, looking down on his tablet. Skye tilted her head as she watched THE Tony Stark, son of the founder of SHIELD turn around on them.

"Who said you could anyways? And who are they? Your new kindergarten?" Tony said still looking down on his tablet.

She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel offended or not really.

"I did." Skye's thoughts got pushed away when a familiar voice started talking. Maria Hill. Of course. Maria walked out from behind the counter and looked at the team with a soft smile. The woman had a tight sweater and pants on, a Very ordinary looking outfit. She really did not look like a SHIELD … anything. She looked almost normal. Keyword almost, because it really wasn't anything normal about Maria Hill. Still, she seemed to be calm, relaxed. And definitely not like last time they had seen her for sure. But then again, last time they had seen her the world was ending.

"It is nice to see all of you again. And Morse. I wasn't expecting you." Skye had almost forgotten the team was there, and she turned surprised to the blond who didn't seem faced at all. Maria knew Bobbi, of course, she did… Bobbi smiled at the woman with that cute charming smile of hers. Bobbi was the only one of them that didn't seem like they were looking at… well, gods… instead, she seemed like she was in her element, calm and collected. The complete opposite of Skye.

"This is my team, Simmons, Fitz, Morse, May, and Skye," Phil said with a proud voice. The group waved at the four awkwardly, not that it really mattered, Tony didn't care, and Bruce looked more confused than anything.

"So, this is your new team, Coulson. You were dead and then you found these puny humans. They are all so small." Thor walked up to the group and Skye really did felt like he was looking down at them... And not just because he was tall, and she had to physically lift her head to look at him. God his arms were huge. He was huge. And oh my god he was a God, and these were the Avengers.

Skye you really needed to stop saying "god" all the time. It really is offensive to the actual God in front of you. Just calm down and breath please.

Steve walked over to them and nodded at Phil. Skye watched as the director's eyes widened. Sure, he knew the guy, but she also knew he was a pretty big fangirl when it came to this man and even after all this time Coulson seemed to be struggling to keep his feelings in check.

"It is nice to meet you. We are missing a few, but yes this is the Avengers, and we are happy to help in any way." Steve looked at them and Jemma could feel Skye tense up beside her again.

"Do any of you want something to drink. Beer, water, soda?" Steve asked with a small smile as he guided them to the big sitting area. The team fumbled over to the couch and Skye sat down awkwardly between Jemma and Bobbi. Thankfully Jemma and Leo looked just as awkward as Skye felt, but of course, Bobbi and May didn't seem faced at all. They never did.

"Give me Natasha's vodka and I'm happy." It was May who said it, reminding her that she was yet to see her. Natasha. Shit, she was not ready.

She watched May walk over to the cabinets opening multiple of them looking for the alcohol they all probably felt a strong need for right now.

"Where are Barton and Romanoff?" Coulson asked looking at Maria who smiled back at him.

"On the roof. They just came back from a mission a few minutes ago. They'll be down soon." Maria answered nodding at them. And as if the door had heard her, it opened just as she finished her sentence, revealing a redhead and a man hanging over her shoulder.

"God I never wanna go to Prague again." She almost choked when she saw them and she desperately turned her head away from them hoping they wouldn't see her. She could feel Jemma turn and stand up with Bobbie. Both of them seemed very eager to meet the two. Which was understandable.

They were legends in SHIELD. Everybody knew about the two of them. How they were the most unstoppable team. Always working together. How he chose to spare her life even if she was an assassin, and how she too had saved his life countless times in the field. It was probably hundreds of tails and rumors about them inside SHIELD like it was about May.

"Man up, Barton, you weren't the one who got shot." Her voice was slightly raspy with the same smugness she remembered. In fact, it was exactly how she remembered. Even if she had a person hanging on her with his entire body weight on her.

"Maria, what is up with... all the people." Skye heard Natasha say, she hadn't mentioned any names, so maybe she hadn't looked at them yet. Maybe she hadn't noticed. Jemma, Leo, and Bobbi were on their feet already, and by the looks of it, Skye was the only one who hadn't moved. All she did was looking at the floor trying to make herself as small as possible. Jemma yanked her arm before saying.

"Come on." She dragged her on her feet and Skye lowered her head as she followed her closer to the two agents tactically placing herself behind Bobbie, hoping she would shield her off.

"What happened with asking the one who owns the building?" Skye looked at Tony carefully who glared at Natasha. Natasha only rolled her eyes, not even bothering to look at him. She was holding her right hand over her left arm and Skye thought it looked like she was shifting kinda awkwardly like she was in pain. She also saw she wasn't the only one to notice. Jemma too leaned forwards like she wanted to go check it out, before she stepped back reminding herself that this is the Avengers, they don't work like the rest of them.

"Phil's team," Maria answered calmly as she looked over Barton with a watchful eye. He had now been pushed off Natasha and was currently leaning on the wall whilst Maria inspected him.

"This really isn't the time for a meet and greet Phil" Natasha answered, still very uninterested in them, and Skye wasn't sure if she got hurt by that comment or relieved.

"Yeah I got to agree, Tasha is bleeding out and my leg is falling off," Clint mumbled back as Maria cut off his pants to get a better look at the gash. It was a pretty nasty cut it seemed. Skye knew nothing about injuries, but it didn't look like the typical cut you got from a knife or blade. It was more rough and uneven in a way, maybe a cut from a sharp edge or something. Just looking at them was really making her wonder that the hell had happened in Prague.

"You are so dramatic sometimes. I am fine." Natasha mumbled back. It sounded pretty convincing, but her body language said otherwise as she was now leaning forwards hanging over a chair, very visibly in pain.

"Isn't he always." Skye looked surprised as May stepped forwards, and for the first time, Natasha lifted her head towards them.

"Mellie?" The redhead finally locked eyes with the other agent and Skye watched her S.O walk over the redhead. Clearly, they were really only focusing on each other giving nobody in the room even a peak. She wasn't surprised they knew each other, but it still felt weird and slightly awkward.

"Nat you know I hate that nickname," May said with a small smile hugging the younger woman who leaned into her with a loud sigh.

"I don't care," Natasha answered as she rolled her eyes. May looked at her disapproving, but didn't say anything back as she only looked at the former spy,

"Did she just say, Mellie?" Bobbie whispered, turning to Skye and Jemma. Jemma nodded slowly before whispering back.

"And she smiled at her. What is this crazy shenanigan?" Skye had never heard anyone use May's first name yet, and definitely not use a nickname. This was very, very new.

Before she had time to reply May opened her mouth saying.

"Natasha. This is our agents, Simmons, Fitz, the mockingbird." Natasha lifted her head and turned away from May when she heard the mention of the mockingbird. But even if that was what originally caught her attention her eyes didn't fall on the blond, instead it fell on the brunette behind. "And lastly we have-." May tried before Natasha pushed her away and cut her off.

"Skye?"

"Hi, Talia." She only whispered back. She could feel everyone looking at her. Jemma, Bobbie, Leo, Coulson, Maria, May. Still, her eyes were fixed on the redhead who tilted her head and looked at her with the same soft look, she remembered she had. The same green eyes and a soft smile. She leaned slightly forward and Skye could feel her body walk towards her. Pulled over like a magnet pullet towards metal.

"I… I missed you so much." Skye fell around the redhead's neck and couldn't help her tears and she buried her head in her neck. Skye's voice broke completely as she grabbed the redhead again as if she was holding on for dear life.

"I missed you too." Natasha pulled back for a second and looked at her before taking her head in her hands holding it close to her chest and let Skye leaned on her. Her rock, her everything. Taken away from her, but now finally together.

Skye pulled back slowly. She didn't mean to cry, but she couldn't help herself as her eyes locked with Natasha for a second time. The redhead looked at her with a soft smile as she slowly moved her hair behind her ear to get a better look at Skye's eyes.

"You have gotten taller. Grown-up. You look beautiful." Natasha whispered letting her hand glide through the brown hair bushing it slowly.

"You… you look mostly the same." Skye stumbled over her words as she sobbed. What a ridiculous comment. Natasha only smiled at her with a small laughter.

"I guess I do." She only whispered back before she slowly let her left hand glide over Skye's face. Skye leaned into it with a soft sigh. She felt everyone's eyes on her, but she couldn't care less. And she knew Natasha was ignoring them as well. It didn't matter. All that mattered was Natasha, and how her hand was slowly brushing away her tears and her soft voice who talked and comforted her just like it had years ago.

Skye stood still for a second, closing her eyes letting it all sink in before opening them again. Her eyes immediately fell on the red spot on Natasha's suit, something she hadn't noticed before.

"You're bleeding. Natasha, you're bleeding!" Skye shook her head as she pushed Natasha off her and down on the closest chair. She knew Natasha let her do so, because there was no way in hell she could push the woman if she didn't want to. She lifted the arm and twisted and turned it to see if it only was that one wound, which thankfully it was.

"Malyshka, calm down," Natasha said in a calm voice and Skye almost stopped when she heard her old nickname roll off the Russians tongue. Instead, she looked at her with a serious look before saying.

"No. Jemma get over here." Skye tried to push the soft look on Natasha's face away not giving in before she dragged the zipper down and started to fiddle with the sleeve to get it off the agent. The blood and fabric were almost glued to her body, and this was exactly why the tight bodysuits were so impractical.

Jemma came running over to her sinking down beside Natasha trying to help her get the suit off. Natasha huffed with an annoyed tone when the suit didn't budge. Growling low the woman yanked the fabric with more force than Skye thought was necessary, practically ripping it off her body until her whole upper body was exposed, leaving her with only her bra sports bra on.

The second the fabric was of the woman Jemma was leaning over the wound moving the arm around as Skye had done just a few seconds earlier, but she had a lot more professional look on her face, unlike Skye who was just a mess at this point. She also didn't seem to be bothered with the fact that the spy was half-naked, while all the men in the room tried to avert their eyes to another direction.

"Gunshot. Pretty deep. Bullet is not to be seen. Somebody give me something to rinse it with and a medkit." Jemma said turning over to Skye as if she was asking for permission. Skye didn't know what to answer. She just wanted Jemma, who unlike her, actually knew what to do in situations like these, to do something to help Natasha.

"Mel, hand me the bottle," Natasha said with her eyes closed as she leaned back into the chair. Skye watched her carefully as Jemma inspected the other woman. She leaned over the redhead and placed her hand on her face and forehead.

The way Natasha leaned back was hard to read. Skye wasn't sure if it was because she felt sick or because she was amused, both seemed likely. Clearly, her ability to read Natasha's body language had drastically fallen, or maybe Natasha had become even better to hide it.

"Natasha, you are not drinking vodka while my agent is fixing –"May got cut off almost immediately.

"Melinda May!" Natasha growled and Skye froze. She had never heard Natasha's voice turn so mad so fast, and she could tell Jemma reacted as well as she stopped her movements and turned to look at her. Using May's full name was a head-turner on its own, and the angry voice of such a dangerous human was really not helping the case.

"Fine. I hate your stubbornness." May mumbled back, handed her the bottle. While Melinda didn't look very surprised by Natasha's rude voice, she tossed her an annoyed look anyway. Skye watched Natasha roll her eyes dramatically again before turning the bottle on its head pouring 80% of the liquid over herself and Jemma. The doctor's eyes winded only watched almost losing her jaw in the process.

"Do you need any more?" Natasha said before slamming the bottle down on the counter making poor Jemma jank in her seat. She looked down on her now soaked arm and pad in her hand before she turned her attention to the also dripping wound before nodding no.

Natasha hasn't even flinched when she had poured the alcohol on herself. And the wound was burning red, how had she not shown any reaction to that? It looked like her arm was falling off. Skye remembered Natasha pulling off some crazy stunts before, but the spy had never let the girl close on her injuries and tried to keep her away from her missions if possible, even if it didn't always work out that way.

"Give the rest to Clint," Natasha said nodding at Maria who grabbed the bottle. Skye turned carefully. She had honestly forgotten the other Avengers were still there. Clint had a long cut down his leg, but Maria had cleaned it pretty neatly already. She chose not to pour the liquid-like Natasha, instead she dampened a small pad before she slowly started to rinse.

"I am pretty sure water actually works just fine" It was Coulson who said it of course. He laughed at the spy's silly behavior and Natasha only glared at him.

"I am sure it would've, but I like the rush." She only answered before she closed her eyes.

Natasha was leaning back in her seat as Jemma slowly rinsed the wound. The redhead obviously didn't want to talk or say anything, just closing her eyes and turning off the rest of the world. Nobody said anything, and all they could hear was Maria and Jemma work on the two agents.

It was unbelievably awkward, and Skye could probably have sliced the tension with a knife if she wanted. The Avengers were still in the room with an unknown team where one of them was poking another with a needle so that was something. And they, well, they were standing in the same room as some of their heroes, of course, it was weird. This was all very weird.

"I think I'd rather die than be in this room," Tony said out of the blue breaking the silence. Skye turned around for a second to look at him. To, see if he was serious with that ridiculous comment of his. Of course, his face was dead serious giving no hint of any jokes.

"You guys can stay. Not that I have any saying in this anyways. Just don't destroy anything. You are a part of the avengers now. We expect you to be good to us. Work with us. And nobody touches my stuff!" His voice was firm, but his word choice was ridiculous and hard to be taken seriously. Tony pointed at all of them before for he backed out of the room with Steve, Bruce, and Thor close behind.

"Breakfast is usually 9 am," Steve said with a smile nodding at the small team. Skye smiled back as he passed, and the soldier threw her a genuine smile at her before he turned to the door and followed his teammates out. They all watched then leave before Coulson again broke the silence.

"So… Fun mission?" Phil tried as he moved over to Natasha and leaned on her chair. Skye made a grimace on the horrific comment. God, he was the awkward dad none of them wished for. Skye could see Jemma give him a similar grimace of her own and Clint giggle softly at the man.

"Coulson if you try one more joke, I will kick you out the window. Got it?" Natasha growled still with her eyes closed. Even just sitting there Coulson seemed to take it seriously shutting his mouth very fast and turning away from the redhead and instead walked over to Maria and Clint.

"I like her," Bobbi said with a smile nodding at Natasha who just had her arm finished and wrapped up.

"You have seen nothing yet," May answered coldly, and Skye was not sure if that was supposed to be a good or bad thing.

Natasha opened her eyes and looked at Bobbi for a second. Then she turned to Fitz, and lastly, she looked at Jemma. Skye watched Jemma look up at the agent just as she turned to her as well, and she could see the woman shrink under Natasha's stare as she slowly finished up the stitching and started to wrap her arm in a clean bandage.

"So. Coulson's team. I honestly did not think he would go there. Was actually surprised he even wanted to keep his work at SHIELD after he got shot. Not to even mention what happened to his trading cards. He seemed down when he talked to me. What changed his mind?" Natasha stopped, lifting an eyebrow at May who shrugged back.

"I don't know. Guess you and Maria, plus a push from Fury just made it work." May answered with a low voice, making Natasha nod.

"Not a big team but didn't expect much different. A team, but so very different from his other teams. All kinds of agents mixed in one. A weird but seems to be a functional team." Natasha said with a firm voice as she scanned over the group. She was talking more to herself and May than to the rest of the group and Skye felt slightly awkward sitting beside her as she was analyzing them.

"You, you, are clearly a doctor. But something more as well. You are a biochemist." Natasha said looking at Jemma who only nodded slowly. How did she possibly know that? Skye was sure none of them had introduced Jemma any further than just Simmons, so where Natasha got her facts from, she had no idea.

The redhead then turned to Fitz, eyeing him out for a second, looking between the two youngest members.

"You are her partner, but you don't seem very comfortable, so I am guessing you are more an engineering type," Natasha said slowly as she was visibly judging the two.

"They were the youngest to graduate from the academy." Coulson shot in. Natasha only nodded at that. She didn't seem impressed, but not surprised either.

"And then there is the mockingbird. May have told me about you. Apparently, you are good." Natasha said leaning forwards in her seat to look at her closer.

"Get in the ring and I show you good," Bobbi answered coldly making Natasha laugh softly.

"We'll see. But everyone who dares to challenge The Black Widow will get a run for their money" Natasha looked at them one more time before saying. "Maria will take you to your rooms. Birdie, Skye, and Simmons will share one room, nr 9. Fitz will get the small bunk. May and Coulson, I am sure you don't mind sharing one as well?" It wasn't as much of a question as a statement and before anyone could protest or really do anything Natasha was on her feet and walked out the room.

"I cannot believe that just happened. We are in the tower, with the Avengers." Jemma was sitting in the bed she was sharing with Skye while Bobbi was leaning on the wall sitting in her own single bed.

"I don't know what to think. We are looking at the world's biggest heroes… And somehow Skye knew one of them all this time." Bobbi turned her head and looked at her with a serious look.

"How long have you known Agent Romanoff?" Jemma asked carefully. Skye turned away before taking a deep breath.

"We met years ago. I was only 14. She was 18." Jemma's eyes widened and Bobbi tilted her head in disbelief.

"14 she echoed." Skye only nodded.

"But that was when... That was when she still was in KGB, isn't it? She was still an assassin. A killer. I mean no offense to her, but she killed hundreds of people before she joined SHIELD." Jemma asked slowly. The brunette looked at her unsure and Skye only nodded back.

"I know that is the word on the black widow, but it was different. We lived together. She took care of me when I had no one else to turn to. I am forever thankful. I just didn't say anything because I didn't know what to say. I mean I didn't even know she was alive until the attack on New York. I never thought she ended up in SHIELD when I lost her." Skye mumbled looking down at her hands. She felt like they were investigating her, and she didn't like it. Maybe she should have mentioned it before, but how do you start a conversation like that in the first place?

"All the stories I've heard about the black widow. They are all so… dark. Even after she became a part of SHIELD. Everyone feared her. Except of maybe Coulson, Hill, and May. And Barton of course, but even he seemed to have his reservations from time to time." It was Bobbie who pointed it out. And it was true. But everything between Skye and Natasha. It was real. It was no fear. Just plain caring for each other.

She didn't want to have this conversation now and thankfully it seemed like the two girls got that as they stopped asking. The three of them sat in the room quietly when they heard a soft knock on the door. Bobbi turned her head and looked at them questioning and Jemma only nodded.

"Meeting, in our room, now." May looked at the blond before she started walking expecting the three of them to follow.

May and Coulson's room was more like a small apartment. The director was sitting by the table with Maria on one side and Leo on the other with four pizza boxes between them.

"We wanted to talk to you. All of you." Maria started as she slowly pushed three plates towards the girls as they took their seats. Jemma sat down slowly and turned her head watching as she slowly started to speak.

"And who are we?" Skye asked lifting an eyebrow and leaning forwards over the table. Maria only rolled her eyes at her.

"I didn't know you knew Natasha. How long?" Coulson brushed her off as he looked at her with a small smile.

"We were together for almost two and a half years. Turns out the last mission where I thought she got shot in her chest was only Barton saving her and dragging her into SHIELD. Not my first guess to say at least." Skye said rolling her eyes and earning a sharp look from May.

"I tried to find her, for years. But I mean you changed her name and everything, so I didn't have much to go after. God knows how many times I've broken into SHIELD's archive just to find nothing about my family or her. Not that I knew you had her, but she was a KGB assassin, I thought it was a good place to start." Skye said as she slowly tore off a slice looking at the three of them. Maria nodded slowly while May and Coulson threw a few looks at each other.

"So, you weren't even 18 when the two of you got separated," May stated. Skye only nodded softly in conformation. "Natasha was 21 when we found her or, so we were told." May continued to mumble turning to Maria to get a confirmation if the math added up.

"Remember when she came her and how she was. It makes sense." She continued in almost a whisper looking directly into Maria's eyes. Maria only nodded before adding.

"Partly. But I also remember when Barton took her home and it all kinda changed. It has to be more to it right. The way she acted doesn't really add up to what happened." Maria started before Coulson cut her off.

"She told me she lost someone to them." Skye threw a look between them. They were literally talking over her head and she had no idea what was going on. "Whoever them was."

"She did, clearly. They spent years together and then they got separated." Maria tossed her a guilty look.

"No, but if that was the case she would have broken out of SHIELD; she would've gone after Skye if she knew she was alive right? But she wasn't like that when she came here. She had no fight left in her, so something must have happened. Nat will tear off anyone's neck if it means she can protect the once she cares about." May stated earning a small nod from Coulson as he lifted his hand to cut her off again. Skye could see Jemma shiver by that statement, but it was true. The black widow could snap a neck in two just as effortless she could snap a match.

"No. What I mean is, she thought she lost her permanently. She thought she saw her die."

Chapter Text

"Wait. Hang on, I am not following. What did Natalia say to you?" Skye shot up from the chair before she got a firm grip on her shoulder from Bobbi forcing her back into place.

"Natalia? Really?" Coulson asked, looking at her, making her shake her head.

"Sorry… Force of habit. But what did she tell you? What do you know about that day?" Skye brushed Bobbi off before dumping down on the chair again.

"Apparently something that says against what you saw." Skye glared at him. She could feel her anger rise and she was about to turn around and walk out the door when May let out a loud sigh.

"We didn't gather all of you to talk about this, Skye. But we need your opinion on something." May interfered. She looked at her with a firm, but almost kind look and Skye only nodded slowly.

"We wanted to talk to you all. About asking Romanoff to join our team."

*-*

"Phil. I am sure your small little troupe slept very well after having their inner debate about letting an Avenger but also a former assassin joining their team. You all met me one day ago, except Skye, and somehow all of you are willing to let me be a part of this little utopia of yours." Natasha was in the kitchen with the rest of the team looking at her. Unlike Skye and her team, Natasha seemed very relaxed and calm about this offer. They had all talked long and hard about this, and Skye herself wasn't sure how she felt about it. On the one hand, she loved the other woman, but they hadn't really talked since they met yesterday, and it was kinda awkward.

"Utopia isn't exactly what I would call it," Fitz mumbled looking down on his hands.

"Well. I am a part of the Avengers and we don't work for SHIELD anymore. Quite frankly we technically didn't know you guys existed until yesterday." Natasha said with a small smile while she handed May a glass of water she accepted with a nod.

"You knew the whole time?" Jemma asked confused while throwing Coulson a look. He too looked a bit thrown off by that.

"Come on I am not stupid. Yes, I was at the Triskelion when it fell, but I am not dumb enough to think that was the only fight. Everywhere HYDRA is, SHIELD follows. And I also know about Tahiti." Skye turned around and watched Coulson's mouth drop as he realized Natasha had been hiding this from him all this time. That was very big. Natasha knew more than expected, meaning she was even more important now. This was a game-changer.

"And you didn't bother to tell me that?" Coulson asked, staring at Natasha with an angry look. The corner of Natasha's mouth moved a bit and she tilted her head.

"I am sorry, but I just followed my orders. I knew, Mel knew, and Maria knew. We all agreed and believed you would be safe with May, even if there are any side effects. And it seems to be working quite well not going to lie. I didn't want to interfere with that." Natasha said with a soft smile and Skye watched May nod slowly in conformation.

"Well, then you owe me to join us. Just for this mission." Natasha rolled her eyes slightly before she smirked softly at him.

"Phil… I will join, but not because I owe you anything, and not because you asked nicely, because you really didn't. But I do think this is important. We need to take down HYDRA. I can tell they are looking for something. And so are you. I just haven't decided if that's the same thing yet or not. Not that I think you know the answer to that either." Natasha stated looking at all of them.

Skye did not understand how this woman just kept gathering information none of them had mentioned at any point and still, somehow, knew everything perfectly. How was that a thing? No wonder why she had been such a good spy.

Of course, she wasn't the only one who had picked up on this. The genius to Skye's left had done so as well. "She really is good at this, isn't she?" Jemma whispered to Skye who only nodded swallowing the lump in her throat.

"We don't know what HYDRA wants yet, but we are looking for one of their puppets. Grant Ward." Clearly, Coulson was now trying to push past the fact that Natasha had hidden something so big from him and was trying to get his head back in the game. This was exactly why Skye sometimes questioned SHIELD's ways. She hated how everyone was hiding everything from everyone.

"Ward. I believe Maria texted me once, telling me he called me, and I quote, eye candy. Really didn't know you could make that an insult, but this guy somehow managed to do just that." Natasha said slowly looking at Phil with a strict look. She did not seem impressed at all, that was for sure.

"Really got yourself boyfriend of the year didn't you Skye." Bobbi turned her head to Skye, and Skye only looked down on her hands.

"I need to talk to Rogers. May, Coulson, on my floor in 90 minutes, Jarvis will open the elevator." Natasha turned to them and the team only nodded slowly. The redhead locked eyes with Skye for a second before adding softly. "And you hopefully later this week. Okay?" Skye only looked at her before she watched the woman disappear out the door.

Skye was sitting in the room the girls were sharing scanning over some documents Fitz had sent her. She was supposed to help try to track down Ward, but all she could think about was Natasha. She was so close to go tell May she couldn't do the mission, only getting distracted by her feelings. She was compromised and unless she had somebody to go to and figure out what happened the night they got separated, she really didn't know how long she could keep it up.

Apparently, they had all seen it. All of Natasha's SHIELD friends had seen her defeated. Seen how she had given up after she thought Skye died. Clearly, that was wrong. She was alive. But she had seen the same thing. Seen a bullet hit her chest and Natasha falling to the ground. Somehow none of that was true. Instead, it had been SHIELD who had hunted her down and saved her. None of this made sense. None of it.

"Hey. Skye." Skye looked up from the screen when Bobbi knocked on the door softly.

"They asked us to meet in Coulson's room again. And we were supposed to be dressed for activities." Skye tilted her head before nodding slowly. She closed the laptop carefully before slipping out of bed and starting to open the dresser she had borrowed. Coulson had made it clear that this was where they would stay for the next few weeks, so they had all decided to unpack from the plane for a change.

"Know anything about what we are doing?" Skye asked as she dragged her sweater over and off her head. She knew better than to refuse an order now, but she was taking the chance to ask questions if possible.

"Nope. Training maybe? Heard the gym here is pretty nice." Bobbi answered with a shrug. The blond was doing the same, undressing from her everyday clothes just to slip into her training attire.

The two of them continued to change in silence before Bobbie guided her out of the room and down the hallway. By the time they got to the room, the whole team was there. Jemma had her hair in a tight ponytail and her face was stone cold as she watched them enter clearly lost in her own head. Leo, on the other hand, seemed very uncomfortable and jumpy there he stood, and Skye was pretty sure she had never seen him look so "athletic" ever in his joggers and a t-shirt. In his hand, he had a night-night pistol, but Skye didn't understand why.

Jemma lifted her head when Bobbi and Skye walked into the room. Skye had put her usual training attire which was a pair of tights and a black top with her hair in a tight ponytail. She had no idea what to expect so she had chosen not to bring anything else than herself. Bobbi too had chosen to leave behind her weapons. She was dressed simple as well, with her hair braided away from her face. Of course, unlike the rest, she looked very ready to go.

"What is this? Do we have any idea of what we are doing?" Skye asked, looking at all of them with an almost angry look. She didn't mean to sound as rude as she did.

"Natasha's idea," Jemma said between her teeth looking back at them almost like she was blaming the two of them.

"Pardon me?" Skye asked, turning to May who only nodded.

"She wants to see you train. All of you. As an evaluation. She won't join if she doesn't think you are up to the task." She answered simply. Skye moved backward before throwing a look at Bobbi who looked just as confused.

"But they aren't field agents, sir," Bobbi added nodding at Jemma and Leo who both seemed to rather want to melt in a puddle of their own tears than to be with them right now.

"I know that, but we need to answer her. We need Romanoff, very badly. And I am willing to let her get what she wants. Maybe you all can learn something today." Phil said simply before turning to the door and slowly started to walk away.

"Excuse me, but you can't just leave now," Skye said trying to stop him. He only looked at her with a small smile before saying.

"I can, and I will. Banner is helping me with something. Now please, follow May down to the training facilities." Skye groaned loudly before turning to the team making May give her a disapproving look before nodding at the door. Jemma only nodded biting her lip throwing Skye a worried look.

Skye tried to force herself to calm down. Being stressed helped nobody. She could feel Jemma tensing up beside her. Fitz too seemed to be worried. He seemed to get more nervous by the second. She could understand why. None of them knew that they were walking into. At least she kinda knew Natasha, Fitz, and Simmons didn't.

"Come on guys, it can't be that bad." Bobbi tried looking at Fitz's with an encouraging smile. He responded with an ugly look before saying.

"Easy for you to say. You are an actual agent with real talent in the field. We don't know what we are doing." Skye stayed quiet as the conversation continued.

"It's not like I know what to expect either, I am just trying not to bury my own damn grave before we have even stepped into the room." The blond hissed back.

"What do you think she will make us do?" Jemma asked carefully looking at May with a small look.

"Nothing. Natasha won't force you to do anything if you don't want to, but she will probably make you want to do it, she is good at that kinda thing. And then she will evaluate you. This is a test, and either you fail, or you pass, easy as that." May answered not even bother to answer her as she pushed the door open and a huge room revealed itself.

It was a gym with mats on the floor, but targets for weapon shootings on one of the walls. And in the middle of the room, was their target, Natasha. Natasha had her back towards them, but even then, she seemed intimidating. She turned around, and to Skye's surprise, she smiled.

"I am sure you are somewhat surprised I called you all. But this mission, this isn't just hacking and some science. This will require fieldwork, and I need you, all of you, to show me what you got. Okay?" Natasha walked over to them with a soft smile on her lips and Skye's eyes followed her closely.

"All I want is to feel you, how you work and think. You guys will spar and shoot with me, that's it. You can either watch or train when it isn't your turn. Any of you who want to go first?" Natasha's voice was so calm and unthreatening in every way. Not the same badass commentary she had with Coulson either. She was soft and caring, obviously to calm them down, and it really did work. Immediately Skye felt safe around her. Just like she had when she was just a kid, she felt like Natasha really was there to help. And maybe that was just one of her many ways, but it worked so well.

"I'll do it," Fitz said, lifting his hand as he volunteered to be the first one to go with the other agent. While he walked over to her Bobbi nodded at Skye and dragged her over to a mat slowly starting to throw a few punches at her to get them warmed up. In the corner of her eye, she could see Leo talk to Natasha, but only talk. It was like he was explaining something to her.

Skye could see Jemma standing with May. Jemma wasn't much of a fighter and knew almost nothing about combat. May had, of course, showed her some of the most basic of moves, but Skye knew she didn't like it. But she, like the rest of them would have to step up with Natasha, and soon enough the two of them also started to warm up.

Skye was very happy she had Bobbi. Bobbi was an excellent fighter. She like May was amazing in the field, and Skye thought she was a great teacher as well. She also talked more than May, which she appreciated. The two of them kept going for a while when they both noticed Jemma and May had stopped their training and were watching Fitz with Natasha.

"So you built it, to make sure you don't kill them but rather..-"

"Knock them out to a kind of sleep-like state, yes." Natasha didn't answer to Fitz interrupting her sentence even if Skye knew she hated it when people did that. Natasha let her hand glide over the night- night piston, looking at it carefully. Before she knew what was happening Natasha lifted her head in rapped speed pulling the trigger twice, making it echo in the whole room. In the corner of her eye, Skye could see Jemma jump closer to May in surprise and Fitz backing up from the redhead when she had pulled the trigger.

Natasha lowered the weapon almost just as fast placing it on a table before clicking on a few buttons making a hologram of the target she just shot at pop up. Two holes, inches away from the middle.

"Damnit. That was definitely different from my weapon of choice." She said with a small hark. Skye looked at Bobbi before shaking her head. She had seen Natasha hit a bullseye with her eyes closed, she never missed.

"Yeah well, I have heard it is a bit heavy… around one once."

"One once." Natasha shot in at the same time making Fitz laugh and nodding. Skye let out a small breath, hu. She remembered Ward saying the same, maybe he was right after all.

"Yeah. Well, I learned how to use it even with that one once off so." Fitz said with a small laugh and Skye could see the corner of Natasha's mouth move.

"Show me," Natasha said, picking up the gun, handing it to Fitz. Slowly he accepted the weapon wrapping his hand around it tightly before aiming towards the same target Natasha had just shot. Skye squinted as she watched Natasha's left hand move slowly. She was really wondering if she was going to punch the man or something to test him. Instead, Natasha moved the gun only an inch upwards the same time Fitz pulled the trigger making it pierce through the middle of the target. And now Skye understood what she was doing. Fitz would have missed, and he didn't even know it.

"Wow. Nice shot Fitz's. Not really a real gun, but if you can shoot one of them like that in the field I won't mind." Natasha said as she zoomed the hologram bigger emphasizing the bullseye. Leo only nodded before putting down the gun on the table. Skye could tell the man was beyond proud. She turned around towards May to see if she had noticed as well and the older woman just nodded in confirmation as their eyes met.

"Now to the fun part. Hit me." Skye was sure she looked just as surprised by that as Leo did reacting to that comment. He stepped back and looked at her like he was struggling to hear her.

"But you are hurt." He argued, pointing at the arm Natasha had only yesterday gotten patched up. The woman only rolled her eyes at that before saying.

"I am fine. Just show me what you can do." Natasha said with a small smile before adding. "You will not hurt me, Leopold" Fitz stood stunned for a second before nodding. Skye didn't even know Natasha knew their first name, apparently, she did. Skye jumped backward when Fitz threw a surpassingly powerful punch at Natasha's. Of course, she dodged it with no problem at all, only saying.

"Watch your elbow, keep it higher. Do it again" Natasha looked at him daringly. Nothing seemed to happen before Fitz charged up again, and this time Skye could tell he really was thinking about that elbow. He had the same look in his eyes as when he was tinkering. Distanced from the world around him, only focusing on what was right in front of him.

The next fifteen minutes was just Natasha saying what to do and Fitz doing exactly that. He hadn't come close to hitting her once, and Natasha seemed to just be teasing at this point, and Skye wasn't feeling like watching that at all. She instead went back to some light sparing with Bobbi who too seemed to be wondering what the hell Natasha was doing.

"Come on, Agent Fitz. Prove to me that you aren't the useless nobody I have heard rumors about." Skye threw her head towards them exactly the same time Fitz threw five fast punches Natasha's way, making her jump backward forcing her to physically block two of the punches with her arms.

"Okay, Simmons get over here." Fitz stopped the second Natasha caught his hand in hers forcing his arm to stop moving. He only nodded before backing away and walking up to Bobbi and Skye. He looked hurt and surprised when Natasha pushed him away, but he knew better than to talk back at her.

"So how did that go?" Bobbi whispered as they watched her walk over to the older woman.

"Honestly, I have no idea," Fitz whispered back to her.

Jemma was beyond nervous Skye could tell. While they were talking she was staying out of Natasha's reach the whole time, not that Natasha would ever hurt her.

"I don't like guns" Jemma hurried to say as Natasha unfastened her pistol from her thigh holster.

"Okay. That's fine. I won't force you then. But if you would like to try you are allowed to" Natasha placed the gun on the table between them and smiled at the younger woman. Her voice wasn't pushy or rude. It was a small offer and it wasn't anything harmful about it.

"But this is a real gun, with real bullets." Jemma pointed out, not even touching the gun, only looking at it. Skye had to let out a small laugh at that comment. Jemma knew what a gun looked like, obviously. God, she was such an innocent little girl sometimes.

Skye knew very little about guns and only really used what she was given. This one was different from the Smith & Wesson M&P they used at SHIELD she could tell. But she didn't know what kind.

"It is. My personal favourite. A Glock 26. Like I said you don't have to, but I would like to see you try if you feel comfortable. I am guessing May has shown you how. It's just you not feeling it, and that's fine." Natasha said with a soft smile. She looked at the woman and Skye could see the redhead lower her guard, proving to Jemma she trusted her.

"Okay," Jemma said, taking a deep breath picking it up with a shaking hand. Skye could see her gulp as she unlocked the safety.

"Guess this is what May meant with making us want to," Bobbie mumbled as she watched Jemma look at the gun before clicking the safety off. Skye only nodded as she watched Natasha place her hand over Jemma's before aiming it for her.

She had no idea what Natasha whispered to her friend before the gun fired and Skye jumped backward. Jemma was held in place by Natasha's strong body, not even letting her flinch. Natasha forced Jemma to move her hand down before she nodded at her before smiling and backing off.

Natasha looked at Jemma, and Skye could tell she was talking to her, but in such a low voice none of them could hear it. Jemma only nodded at her before she lifted the gun again. Natasha took a deep breath and didn't exhale before Jemma did the same. The next second two shots were fired, and the gun was lowered again.

Skye watched Natasha's face light up before lifting her hand high-fiving the woman. Jemma looked more surprised than anything handing the gun to Natasha carefully.

"Told you she is good at what she does" Skye jumped forward when May's voice came up behind her. Skye let out a heavy breath looking at the woman who didn't seem to care about the fact she almost killed her sneaking up on her like that.

"Clearly. Those were two solid shots almost straight through the middle. And I haven't even got Simmons to lift a gun yet." Bobbi mumbled as the hologram popped up and the picture of the target showed.

"Well, Natasha has her ways. Believe me when I say it's nothing that woman can't do" May said nodding at Natasha who now, somehow, had gotten Jemma to spar her. Unlike how she had been with Fitz this time she was the one punching most of the time letting Jemma block and counter. Clearly, Natasha was miles from hitting the woman, but it looked pretty intense from Skye's point of view.

"Can she fly?" Bobbi asked out for the blue the same time Natasha knocked Jemma off her feet grabbing her just seconds before she hit the ground.

"Of course, she can. Quinjet no problem. Probably in her sleep" May answered simply.

"Languages?" Bobbie followed.

"Probably more than the two of us combined."

"Well guess the mat is the only place I might have a shot then," Bobbi mumbled back just the same time Natasha nodded at Jemma before calling over the blond.

"Morse, show me what you got. The rest of you, why don't you all come so we can all watch what the Mockingbird has up her sleeve" Natasha challenged. It was completely different from the soft voice she had used with Jemma, but if anything, it seemed to drive the blond even more.

"May told me she scouted you out herself. Need to be pretty solid to get May impressed. Now let's see if you can do the same with me." Natasha said, handing Bobbi her beloved gun.

It took Bobbi approximately seven seconds to pierce through five of the targets with two bullets each and Skye was starting to wonder how the hell she was going to top that when she was up next.

"You missed three," Natasha said almost uninterested as she took the gun back from the blond after she finished.

"I did not." Bobbi challenged with an annoyed look.

"Yes, you did. Both of the shots on target two and the second to last." Natasha said as she reloaded the gun clicking the ammo on smiling at the sound of reloading the gun.

"I did not miss anyt-'' Bobbi got cut off when Natasha clicked on a button and a big hologram popped up.

For Skye, it had seemed like 10 perfect shots, but Natasha was right. The three shots she had called out had all hit just on the line in the middle of the target therefore the machine did not count it. How the woman had seen that with her bare eye before the hologram showed up, she had no idea.

"A gun isn't really my weapon of choice." Skye could hear the blond mumble under her breath probably annoyed Natasha didn't count them as bullseyes when they certainly could be argued they were.

"Not saying it was bad, Morse, just pointing it out," Natasha said before looking at her. "And I am sure fighting is more your style anyways." Bobbi only nodded before Natasha moved over to the mat.

"Let's go Birdie," Natasha said simply before going into a defensive stance.

"You sure. I'm not sure your arm can handle it." Bobbi mocked making Natasha laugh softly.

"Think I can prove that theory wrong." Natasha didn't give her time to respond before she punched after her and Skye could tell the block from Bobbi was pure reflexes before the blond forced her head into the fight and punched back.

It was clear Bobbi gave Natasha a good fight but it was no doubt the redhead that the upper hand the whole time and five minutes in Natasha jumped her wrapping her legs around her torso and throwing the blond over her and down on the floor with a loud bang making the taller woman groan loudly

"Did she just do that..." Jemma started.

"With her legs?" Leo finished looking stunned at the redhead who was standing over the blond. May nodded, not looking surprised at all.

"Good, but not quite there yet. I do think with some training with me and the results might be very different in a few weeks." Natasha said with a smile dragging Bobbi up to the floor. It was only now Skye noticed how out of breath Bobbi was compared to Natasha who didn't seem to be tried at all.

"Thanks?" Bobbi said with a confused voice looking at her before the tuned to the team. Fitz only lifted his shoulders and Jemma turned away.

"You're good Morse. But I can tell this isn't your preferred battle style. Still, this was a very solid opening. You lasted longer than most with me. Believe me." Natasha said and May nodded in confirmation.

"She knocked me out the exact same way the first time I spared her to. Did get my revenge though." May shrugged, making Natasha roll her eyes.

"Once Mellie. You defeated me once." Natasha said before pulling up a water bottle from a bag handing it to Bobbi who looked between the two.

"Only one who has, so I will take it," May said, making Natasha laugh softly.

"Wait. Only one who has what exactly." Fitz jumped in asking the one question they all were wondering about.

"Defeated her sparing," May said casually.

"You can't be serious right? Somebody else has to have thrown her down on the mat other than you?" Bobbi said, looking at the redhead who shook her head no.

"Have drawn with a few. May, Maria, Steve. But no. I have hit the mat though. But only to throw them into the wall. Like is said. It was a solid try." Natasha said looking at her with a small smug smile.

Skye could see Bobbi nod at her before she backed up from the other woman.

"Skye your turn. Unless you guys want to see May and I try to break each other for 20 minutes." Natasha said with a small laughter.

"As entertaining I am sure that would be, I rather want to get this over with," Skye said between her teeth. God she really didn't want to do this.

This was Skye's nightmare. She was awful at shooting, and she was not good at fighting. Natasha was running rings around her and even on a good day, Skye could probably only perform 50% of what Bobbi had done before her, which didn't make the situation better.

Her performance wasn't like awful, but even if it wasn't trash, she felt an odd amount of pressure on her. And it was nothing she wanted more than to run away from all of this.

Skye landed on the mat with a loud thud and a moan.

"God, please let's never do this again, T" Natasha laughed before offering her hand to help her up on her feet.

"T?" Bobbi asked, looking at her with a confused look.

"Just an old nickname, not important." Natasha brushed her off with a small smile before turning to the whole group. "Dismissed. Hope you all learned something. I will talk to Coulson later on and I will get back to you soon okay?" Natasha said not giving any of them room to answer her before she turned around and walked out of the room.

"So, how was training?" Coulson walked into one of the common rooms in the tower balancing three boxes with donuts in his arms. Their team had decided to spend the evening together after dinner. The Avengers were off to a press conference, so they had the tower for themself with the exception of Maria who also was there with them.

The whole team was kinda down. The mood was low, and Skye wasn't going to sugarcoat it, she just felt…down.

"They aren't especially happy with their performance," May said coldly looking at all of them who had their head down and were looking down at the wood table.

"Why would we, she was basically playing us," Fitz said throwing his arms up defeated. None of the girls answered but Skye nodded looking at Coulson with big eyes.

"Well, that is pretty much all Natasha does. Believe me, she does so with all of us too." Maria said opening one of the boxes and picking out a donut with a small smile.

Skye wasn't sure how she felt about that excuse, but at the same time, Natasha had always been very good at pushing her in the right direction when needed back then.

"But in a good way. Romanoff is an excellent spy. In fact, she approved all of you, so doesn't matter what you think, she liked you guys." Phil added with a happy voice. Skye watched the girl raise their head. Was he serious, she had no complaint about any of them?

"I mean she missed two shots on propose for Fitz so I would think so," May said with small eye-roll. Maria nodded in approvingly.

"Wait she did that on porpoise?" Fitz said with a suspicious voice. Skye should have guessed. Natasha would never have missed a shot like that.

"She doesn't miss, not like that," Maria said simply before turning to all of them. "Natasha didn't play you to manipulate you. She evaluated you to make sure she pushed you in the right direction. To make sure she got to see you on your best."

"So that is why she acted so differently with all of us," Bobbi said turning to Coulson who only nodded.

"She is brilliant. She is so manipulative you don't even notice it. Even her actions are so seamless. I bet Fitz didn't even notice her re-aiming for him. And the way she talked to me. I have never witnessed anything like it. She is so good at that." Jemma said turning to Skye with big eyes. Skye only nodded slowly back. She was right, kind of. While she agreed with all of what was said, she really didn't feel like Natasha had done any of that with her.

"Wait she re-aimed for me?" Leo asked looking at all of them who kinda just tried to look away.

"Natasha was very impressed with all of you…" Skye felt a poke on her shoulder as Maria was talking and turned to Coulson who looked at her with a small smile. He nodded at a corner and Skye nodded back standing up and following him away from the group.

"Sir?" Skye asked carefully, keeping an eye on the group to make sure none of them followed.

"Natasha's evaluation on the team was very strong Skye. The only downside was you." Skye turned her attention from the team and instead on Coulson. He looked down on her with two almost disappointed eyes, and Skye immediately felt insecurity build up in her.

"What why? I mean I am not that good, but I don't think it's fair that I…" Phil only raised a hand to shut her up and Skye only nodded snapping her mouth together.

"It's not about your skillset. It's about you not pushing yourself. She told me she didn't want to try any tricks on you because she wanted it to be you and her, not a persona she made up. But you never responded to that. She is disappointed in you. And so am I." Phil looked at her for what felt like a year before he turned around and walked over to the team.

"I am expecting a very different conversation between us the next time we talk about your training."

"Yes sir." She whispered back. He was already out of hearing range and Skye watched him walk over to the team who was talking to each other happily, none of them noticing how she was standing there alone now.

Natasha had done nothing but being kind to her over the years, and neither had Phil. She didn't think she had disappointed them. She thought she was finally doing something right. So why did she feel like crying?

Chapter Text

Living in the tower was a slow life compared to one the move. Not that any of them were complaining at all. They had been there for four days now, and most of their days were spent just staying in the tower relaxing. Of course, they were still doing some research and all that, but nothing was really happening on the HYDRA front, so it wasn't like they were needed for anything anyways.

After the gym session with Natasha, the girls had started to go down to the gym once a day. May and Bobbi were helping Jemma and Skye and in the end, they took some energy out on each other while the two others watched.

Fitz and Jemma had now access to one of the corners of the tower's lab which they had been talking about nonstop. And Skye wasn't to complain when she too had gotten a new laptop from the Avengers. A laptop which was way more powerful than the one she had already. They were all treating them so well, and even if they all had things to do on their own, they took the time to hang out with the team. They ate together most evenings and had a movie marathon one night.

The only person that was missing was Natasha and Clint. Clint had gone to a classified location soon after he had gotten home from his mission, while Natasha had just disappeared out of thin air after their small fight session.

This was one of the days where the tower seemed more or less dead where everyone was just doing their thing. Thor had gone to god knew where and the rest of the Avengers were probably going other hero work stuff.

Coulson's team, on the other hand, was used to being on top of each other most of the time and did never really spend any time apart.

It was around 10 pm and the team was sitting in a dark kitchen with multiple pizza boxes between them. Fitz was laughing of a dumb joke Jemma had just told while Skye had Bobbi leaning over her in tears. May did not look too impressed with their childish behavior, but she smiled at Sky still.

Coulson was missing, or not missing, he was out looking for some ice-cream he apparently needed in his life, so it was only them now. But even without him, the atmosphere was nice and calm.

They had landed on staying in the open kitchen living room, room. A big open concept and one of Skye's personal favorites because of the big window that reached around most of the room. The only light source in the room was a dimmed light over the table and the nightlife in New York shining through the big window, but even int the dark she had no problem letting her guard down feeling safe with her team.

Stark had given them access to more or less the whole tower and money from his account to pay for whatever food they needed when the Avengers couldn't join them. It was so generous, but when they had tried to say no they had just said they owed it to SHIELD.

"What do we want to do tomorrow?" Bobbi said trying to kill her laughter as she talked.

"Whatever you want. I think you all deserve some days off this week." May said with a small nod. Skye couldn't help her smile as May said that. Her whole body felt dead and she would love a day off with Jemma and Bobbi. Maybe hang out and go shopping or something.

"Banner has promised me to show something down in the lab this weekend. He told me he had some new gadgets." Fitz said as he dragged a tablet from under the table and showed them a picture. It was a blueprint of some sort, but Skye couldn't tell of what. Not that she actually cared. Jemma, on the other hand, looked very impressed and took the device from out of his hand and studied it carefully.

"Wow, that is incredible. If he can figure out a way to get that generator to work, then we might have a solution to…"

"To the new scanner I designed, yes I know."

Skye rolled her eyes as she watched them speak in each other's mouths.

"You know, you can always show him the pistol. I know weapons aren't Banner's thing but he might have some nice input on the idea of…-"

"Guys… stay quiet for a second." Jemma stopped mid-sentence as Bobbi interrupted her. Skye had no idea what had caught the girl's attention, but both Melinda and Bobbie were currently moving around in their seats as if they were trying to locate something.

"You heard it too?" May's voice was almost a whisper as she turned to Bobbi who whispered back.

"Yes, barely" Jemma threw Skye a look as she slowly handed Fitz his tablet back. Skye was barely able to see anything passed the table, and she had definitely not heard anything.

"What are we looking at?" Skye whispered turning around to try to spot anything. May and Bobbi were both looking towards where Skye knew the door was, not that they could see anything but a small light reflection on the doorframe. She squinted trying to make out if there was anything there, but it really did look empty.

Both May and Bobbie did a dramatic 45 degrees shift in their seats, almost jumping out of their seats in a hurry. This time Skye had heard something too. It had almost been unnoticeable, but it had been there. Like a small exhale.

"Guys?!" Fitz whispered as he turned to Skye with wide eyes. Skye only swallowed hard as she watched Bobbi nod at May as they were making an agreement to move.

Skye slowly moved up from her seat as well, gliding after May and Morse who really just seemed to take a jump of chance as they walked into what conveniently was the darkest corner of the big room.

They were moving very slowly all of them. Bobbi and May were both in a defensive stance as they lead the group. Skye didn't know how to act, but she was ready to at least try to throw a few punches if anything happened. At least she had some sort of shot of doing any kind of damage, unlike Leo and Jemma who was behind her.

"Oh, for god sake!" Jemma swore out as she bumped into the couch. Both May and Bobbi threw her a disgusting look before they stopped. They were both looking at the exact same spot, but it was nothing there. It was literally just black in front of them, surely it was nothing there.

"Jarvis turn on the lights." The second the words slipped off the blond's tongue both her and May fell into an aggressive stance ready to jump whatever was in front of them.

"Oh my god." Jemma's worried and sickened voice filled Skye's head even before her eyes had really adjusted to the light and she made out what was in front of her.

Natasha was laying on the couch sleeping, covered in blood and dirt from her head to toes. She was full-on blacked out sleeping with her hand over a nasty gash in her side with her suit ripped as well. It honestly looked like something had tried to rip part of her body off.

"Jesus, Natasha. Whatever happened to trying to take care of yourself…" May was the first one to shake herself out of shock as she leaned over the sleeping woman and pushed her to lie on her back. "Jemma help me" May continued as she inspected the wound closer.

Skye felt sick as she watched the two trying to get the suit off her, but instead ending cutting part of it off.

"Whatever that mission was, I'll think I pass," Bobbi mumbled as she handed Jemma two gloves from a first aid kid Skye didn't even see her grab.

"Yeah well it isn't as bad as it looks, she stopped the bleeding herself and it is not fatal. She knew that, clearly." Jemma said as she slowly rinsed it.

"Who let her go out alone doing something that would result in this?" Skye motioned to her the whole redhead who was still completely out of it.

She didn't get an answer from any of them and ended up just falling back in a chair as she watched the others look at the injured woman. Skye was well aware Natasha was a light sleeper, so she was surprised she was so out of it.

"That should do it," Jemma said as she backed up from the woman. The wound was covered, and right now it all looked more peaceful than anything. Nothing in the girl's face said she was in any kind of pain which was a relief.

"So, what now. Do we let her sleep?" Bobbi asked as she nodded at the redhead.

"Natasha would probably not want us to move her, but if…" May trailed as she turned around to the redhead again when they all heard a soft moan.

"God, he had a mean punch." Natasha was already in a sitting position and looked at them with a calm look on her face as she was expecting no different. Skye watched the girl look at them with a small smile and Jemma looked like she was going to faint right there and then.

"A… are… are you okay, Romanoff? tried to make sure your…" Jemma stopped as Natasha lifted a hand and looked at her with a soft expression.

"Jemma, please, it's okay. Thank you." Natasha's voice was slow, and they could all tell it was forced, but the look in her eyes told them all that she meant it even if she was hurting.

Skye was expecting her to talk but before that happened the silence got broken when a sharp ringing sound started.

"Really," Natasha mumbled as she shifted to get her phone. She rolled her eyes dramatically when she looked down on the screen before she pushed a button throwing the phone on the other end on the couch, she was on not caring about where it landed.

"Barton, you are on speaker and Coulson's team is here," Natasha said coldly looking at May with a small eye-roll.

"Tasha, where the hell have you been!" Clint's voice was angry, and Skye watched May chuckle. She had never seen the woman do anything close to that before, that the hell.

"Nowhere fun. And tomorrow is not going to be any more fun either. I found this thing. I think it might lead…." Natasha mumbled back with her eyes moving around in the room while she talked slowly as if she was looking at something or trying to locate it. "to where he originated I believe it..-" Clint cut her off mid-sentence.

"So, you don't know what day it is?" Skye watched Natasha stop completely and close her eyes to think. It was like a lightbulb actually turned on in her face as she realized.

"No, no, no. Clint no. I can't, he will kill me if I lose this trail." Natasha was already scrambling forwards to grab her phone and they could see the panic spread in her face.

"And she will also kill you if you don't get" Skye watched the redhead turn off the speaker and bring the phone up to her ear.

"Clint, you know I promised to do this.

I know that. But I.

I mean just because I am injured doesn't mean I can't

Who? This is way too dangerous. I am not sending Maria there. She will get ripped apart.

Well yes, but who will this team b…-

I can barely fly. I almost crashed on my way back. My vision was not good enough for that and I can't get anyone to drop me off like I would on a mission I…

You mean Morse?

I guess yes.

You do realize what it means…

I want to see her too."

Skye looked at the woman who had increased her talking speed by a crazy amount and at this point, none of them had any idea of what was happening in front of them. Skye had caught only a few words and now everything else was just a blur. Or that was until the woman hung up her phone and turned to them and looked at them with a small smile.

"You have all been so kind, but I need to ask all you for a favor?" Skye turned to her team and lifted her eyebrow at them. They all looked just as confused before May nodded slowly.

"I am supposed to be in two places at once. I got a very important clue on an important mission for Steve yesterday but was forced to fall back, but I can't ignore this. May, can you and Coulson please look into this. You will get all of our best men if you need. I just need to get somebody on the case." Natasha said looking at May who just stared at her back.

"You said Hill would get ripped to pieces." Bobbi pointed out. Natasha nodded.

"Yes, alone she would. But you and Coulson together. I mean Maria can go if you would like her too, I guess. But none of you can go alone." Skye turned to her S.O who nodded slowly.

"What will you do?" She said agreeing to Natasha's plan.

"Go home." She answered simply making Skye lift her eyebrow. What did she just say?

The detail exchange had gone ridiculously fast. It seemed like Coulson and May already trusted Natasha enough to just blindly agree to everything she said. Skye knew she was respected in the intelligent community. Either they respected her as the amazing spy and agent she was or the very dangerous assassin she once was. What side, good or bad, didn't matter because she was still The Black Widow, and everyone knew better than to mess with her.

It made her annoyed that Natasha could just boss them around like that and none of them had any say in this at all. Coulson and May were taking over her mission while Bobbi was flying Natasha, Jemma and her to an unknown location while Fitz had to stay back as he might be important for some data. But they didn't know what kind of data, and Natasha didn't give them any room to ask either.

Skye wanted to protest, and she wanted to tell Coulson it was unfair, and this shouldn't be like this. But by the time he came back with this ice cream Natasha had already pitched her idea to May and Coulson didn't question it once. Skye didn't want to say against Natasha. Of course, she didn't. She trusted her, or at least she did before. And questioning her might just push her away. It was confusing and frustrating.

All she knew was that she had packed for a three days leave to somewhere she didn't know, with Bobbi was flying them there. She had no idea what to expect, and Natasha again didn't pay any attention to them as instead filled May and Coulson in on their mission, which seemed odd and scary. And Skye was not happy with any of this.

It was four am in the morning when they walked on the quinjet. Skye wasn't surprised when they found Natasha already in the copilot seat with her eyes closed leaning back into the seat.

Bobbi shrugged before she dropped her bags off in a corner before taking the seat beside the resting agent.

"Guess we have the back for our self then," Skye said slipping down on a seat beside Jemma. "How are you keeping up? Having to patch up Natasha and all that." Skye asked as the plane took off. They had been awake for hours now, and while Skye hadn't had the best day in her life, Jemma had actually had to deal with a down agent. And then get pushed away because Natasha didn't talk to any of them. It had to have been a rollercoaster of emotions and feeling too.

"Fine," Jemma simply answered, and Skye definitely noticed the bitter tone in her voice.

"You sure, because you look kind of tired, Jemma. You can always nap on the flight…"

"I am fine, Skye." Jemma cut her off and Skye only nodded before she turned her attention back at the front of the plane where Bobbi was watching over with Natasha fast asleep.

It seemed they were flying with the sun or moon or whatever, towards the east. Meaning the time almost went backward with the time zone they passed. They were somewhere in the central time zone, so one hour behind. They flew for three hours, meaning when Natasha pointed them downwards it was just over five in the morning and Skye had been awake for 20 hours already.

Despite Jemma telling her she was fine, the woman had fallen asleep only 30 minutes in the air and was leaning on Skye's shoulder.

From her spot, Skye couldn't see much. She could see a hint of something that might resemble the sun on the horizon, but it was mostly black.

"Over there, by the trees. Turn on the cloaking." Skye could hear Natasha said to Morse with a quiet voice as they started to prepare for landing.

"Jem, we're landing," Skye said carefully shaking the sleeping woman softly.

"Hmm. Jem? Didn't know we did at nicknames yet." Jemma said with a small laugh as she stretched her arms, making Skye blush maybe a bit more than necessary.

"Shut up," Skye said as they felt the wheels touch ground softly. Skye unbuckled herself walking over to the pile of bags just beside her. Crazy how much stuff three girls could bring with them for one weekend. Between them, it was at least 7 bags, and Natasha didn't bring anything. You would have thought that three women that usually lived on a plane and were agents and spies didn't have that much belonging, but here they were.

"Do we know where we are anyway?" Jemma asked as she followed her to grab her bags. On her way she threw a look out the window, but all they could see were trees, and not even the scientist cared that much about a tree.

"Nope. Natasha didn't say anything, but at least it doesn't seem too dangerous." Skye said handing Bobbi one of her bags as she walked up to them.

"It's not." Skye turned around just to see Natasha walk up behind her with a small smile. She had dressed herself very casual like, with yoga pants and a hoodie. She had also taken her time to braid her hair, which Skye remembered she did when she was younger too. It didn't seem like she did it as often anymore though, considering all the pictures she had seen of the Black widow consisted of her with loose hair. But this was something completely different. All her walls were down, and she seemed very comfortable and calm as she lowered the ramp.

Skye wasn't sure what she expected, but a big white house and a barn were not on the list. In front of them was an old farm. With fields and forests surrounding them. It was only one road there and she couldn't see any other houses around in the dark, so if it were any, they were fairly far away.

It was only one light source other than Bobbi's torch and that was the light from inside what she was guessing was the living room. She could see a shadow move past the window, and before she could question who it was the front door opened and Clint walked outside.

Skye could see she wasn't the only one who was surprised by that. Bobbi too seemed to be thrown off guard as she almost stopped completely.

"Heya," Clint said with a soft voice taking Natasha into a soft hug while smiling to the rest. Skye watched Natasha pull back before smiling at the rest of the small group. Without saying anything she nodded at the house leading the way with a body language that said she felt very at home with everything.

"You should maybe be a bit careful about where you step now, Nat." Skye almost didn't catch Clint whisper as they all slowly followed the redhead.

Well into the living room already Natasha turned around with a frown.

"Why. She isn't awake, is she?!" Natasha hissed just as Skye noticed another shadow from the kitchen.

"Actually." The shadow soon turned into a person walking into the room. It was a woman about Natasha's height. She had brown long hair framing one the kindest faces Skye had ever seen. With two dark brown eyes, her soft expression was already telling Skye this woman was nothing but kindhearted.

Immediately Natasha walked over to her and Skye watched the woman open her arms to let the redhead hug around her holding her tightly.

"Why are you awake? It's the middle of the night." Natasha mumbled as she pulled back looking at the woman.

"Nat. It's basically morning, and it's not like five is very early for me anyway." Her voice was soft and caring as she slowly let her hand brush away Natasha's red hair.

Skye turned around to the three others lifting an eyebrow to make sure they were all seeing the same thing in front of them. Bobbi looked surprised and shocked, while Jemma looked more in awe as they watched Laura inspect Natasha.

"What happened, what's wrong?" Laura said as she lifted Natasha's shirt as if she knew she was hit there. "You seem exhausted." Skye could hear her add with a low voice looking at the woman with a very worried look.

"I'm… Let's talk about it later okay?" Natasha answered as she turned around to the group for the first time since she had seen the other woman.

"Guys. This is Laura. She is Clint's wife." Skye almost dropped her mouth on the floor as Natasha revealed who the mysterious woman was. Clint Barton. The superspy had a wife. A house. A life outside of SHIELD. That was NOT what she was expecting this was.

Skye turned to Clint and the man nodded with a smug smile on his face.

"Yup. Kept it off SHIELD's files. I would like to keep it that way." The last part of the sentence seemed like a threat and Skye watched Jemma hurry to nod to that before they turned their attention to Laura again who smiled softly at them.

"Laur, this is…"

"Coulson's team." Laura cut Clint of, surprising everyone. Instead of trying to cut in again Clint only nodded while Laura made their way over to them.

"Coulson told me. Said he needed to talk to somebody that wouldn't spill everything." Laura explained turning to her husband with a small laughter.

"This is Agent Morse. Or Bobbi." Natasha started pointing at the blond who smiled at Laura with a charming smile. Laura countered the smile with a soft expression of her own before turning to Jemma.

"Jemma Simmons. Biochemist and doctor. Really good with the needle." Natasha said earning a very sharp glare from the woman.

"Natasha" Laura's said with a warning tone making the redhead laugh softly.

"Well either that or I don't do anything about it. I think we both know what you prefer." Natasha said with a small smile making the older woman look at Jemma beggingly making the agent laugh softly.

"She isn't the best patient, but I can deal with impatient patients. Have one regular patient who can't seem to keep her butt on a bed for more than five minutes." Jemma said throwing Skye a look, making her gasp.

"Excuse me?!" Skye said pretending to be shocked by the statement with her hand covering her heart grimacing at Jemma. Laura turned to her and looked at her carefully. Skye's playful look immediately disappeared when she met the woman's concerned face.

"Sorry." Skye harked with a small smile trying to get the very concerned face to turn another way.

"I'm… I'm Skye btw. No last name. Or not that I know of. I don't even know if Skye is my name. I mean… Um… Sorry, I don't know why I said that." Skye blurred out when Laura didn't respond. Already she was acting like an idiot and she could feel herself getting redder for every second.

"You're Skye?" Laura whispered looking at her again before turning around to Natasha. "She is that girl?" Skye turned to Natasha who looked at the other woman with a small nod.

Laura knew about her? What did she know? What had Natasha told her? Skye turned to Jemma who looked just as confused when Laura walked back up to Natasha grabbing her arm pulling her down on a couch.

"Okay… You know what I think we should go and get you three settled into your rooms okay." Clint said abruptly before turning out the door making the girls follow.

Their guestrooms were downstairs. Bobbi got a small bedroom in what seemed to be their study at the moment. It was very cozy as the rest of the house, and Skye could honestly not remember the last time she had been in such a homie house like this.

Jemma and she shared a slightly bigger bedroom with a double bed. It was small and had only one drawer other than the bed and a window, but none of them were needy and they honestly didn't need more than a bed.

Jemma put down her bags before slowly starting to make the bed with the sheets Clint had handed her. Their room was on the west side of the house and Skye could see the sun starting to rise.

"Clint has a wife. I did not expect that. Though meeting her can't be what they were talking about on the phone right? He sounded way more threatening, and Laura seems like the woman that can even harm a fly." Jemma said as she finally got the last corner of the sheet on.

"That and the fact that not only Laura knew about the team. She knows about me." Skye said turning to Jemma while slowly slipping on the pillow cover. "Natasha trusts her, I can tell. And Laura. I don't know, but the way she was looking at me and Natasha. I don't know why but I have a bad feeling about this."

Jemma turned to her with a small, sad smile.

"It does seem like they all know a fair bit about Natasha's side of the story. It all seems so dramatic. I don't understand what could have happened that makes them all seem so spooked. I mean your end was just that you thought you saw her die. And obviously, that is traumatic, and the brain usually does take quite the damage with such shock, but I mean now you're together. What is making them so hesitant?" Jemma finished turning to Skye who only nodded slowly at her.

"I don't know. And I don't understand it either, but I hope she tells me soon. She almost seemed desperate to get her after Coulson and May agreed to go on her mission. Something must have happened, and I need to know why." Skye turned around just as Bobbi opened the door to their room.

"Clint is requesting us in the kitchen, apparently we need to get ready and brace ourselves for what will happen?" Her voice was clearly confused as the tilts her head and move her eyebrows slightly. Skye only nodded at her before throwing the almost finished duvet on the bed before falling her out to the kitchen and living room.

They find Natasha sitting on a chair with a cake in front of her and a piping bag in her left hand. The two others moving around in the kitchen with Clint flipping some pancakes and Laura making what seemed to be a fruit salad.

"They will be downstairs in a bit, could you set the table, cutlery is in the drawer there and plates over there." Clint points around in the kitchen and Bobbi and Jemma both nod slowly before they spread out to find everything.

"How many?" Jemma asks as she balances some of the plates in her hand.

"8" Clint answers simply before tossing another pancake in the air.

Skye turned around to Natasha who seemed to be deep in her frosting. Using what she assumes is pink chocolate she Skye watched Natasha slowly start to spell out a word in the center of the cake. 40 seconds later it spells out Lila.

"Done. And I don't think a moment too soon." Natasha huffed as she put down the piping bag and pushed away the rest of the white icing.

Skye was just about to ask what she was talking about when she heard the sound of running feet upstairs. She turned to Natasha who only winked at her before she stood up and walked out in the living room. Skye was just fast enough to turn around the second a girl threw herself around Natasha screaming.

"AUNTIE NAT!"

What the fuck?

If Skye had lost her mouth when Clint had revealed Laura, her jaw was now officially lost on the other side of the earth. The girl couldn't be much older than maybe 5. And as if that one child wasn't enough Skye almost lost it when a boy walked out from around the corner.

Natasha immediately dragged the boy into the hug as well, wrapping her arms around him with a smile.

He seemed older than the girl. Maybe closer to four or five years older, making him somewhere between nine and ten if she was right. Both had brown eyes and hair. She had the wild look in her eyes like Clint, while he had a softer look like Laura.

The thought of Clint, the badass Avenger, and former assassin was a father was crazy. Like nothing could have prepared Skye or that surprise.

"Guys this is my two kids. Cooper and Lila." Clint said as Natasha slowly slipped Lila down on the floor before turning to them and nodded slowly.

"Natasha has known them for their whole life," Clint said before any of them asked as he stepped away and let the kids run to their seats.

"Happy birthday Lil," Laura said as she hugged her girl who could barely sit still in her seat.

"Wooooow. This cake is so pretty! Can I eat it? And can I open my presents? PLEEEEAAAASSSEEE" Skye turned to Natasha and threw a look between her and the kid confused. Natasha only laughed before guiding them to the table taking her seat.

"Well Lila, we have pancakes too. So, let's do that first okay? And I don't know if Auntie Nat bought any." Clint said turning to the redhead who actually seemed quite sad when she shook her head.

"I am sorry, flower. I didn't. I came straight from a mission; I didn't have time." Natasha said with a soft voice turning to the girl who seemed was about to cry.

One thing was that Clint had kids and Natasha knew them, that was to be expected. But it was not Skye realized how important Natasha actually was for the Barton's. Putting it all together made it very obvious how involved she had been in their life.

Everyone in SHIELD knew the story about Clint and how he had chosen to go against Fury's orders of killing the black widow, instead, sparing her life. Skye remembered well when Jemma and Fitz had told her after she had seen her in the attack on New York. But this, seeing Clint trusting Natasha with his family. How loving and very protective Laura was over her as well. And the kids and how much they loved her too.

"But I brought some friends I think you will like," Natasha said with a wink trying to cheer the girl up with a small laugh. Lila only first now seemed to notice the three other women and looked at all of them.

"Jemma is very smart, and I bet she could teach you how to stitch Mr. Bear's arm together. Plus, she would be great to ask for help with your math homework." Natasha pushed the girl playful making the girl smile at Jemma. The scientist nodded before smiling and saying.

"I would love to do all of those things, Lila" Jemma's voice was soft as she smiled to the small girl.

"And Bobbi, she is super cool. She is really good at work like dad and me, and is great at sports." Natasha said pointing the blond.

"She can play baseball with us!" Lila exclaimed. Natasha's strategy of cheering up was clearly working making her laugh softly.

"She can. She and Skye are spies too so we can do all the games you want. She is also very good with computers if any of you were wondering." Skye was confused about the last part, surely that girl didn't know anything about computers right. She was like five. She tossed Natasha a look, but to her surprise, Natasha wasn't realty looking at Lila anymore, but at the boy, Cooper.

"She is a hacker Coop; she is very good. Not that she would *hark* teach him anything like that." Natasha said with a very mischievous smile.

The Barton's were so nice it all seemed unreal. Laura was hands down the nicest person Skye had met since Jemma. She was so caring and soft. She was curious about their work, but she never pushed them too far and only listened.

The kids were hilarious and so cute. They were very well behaved, which with the parents there had plus Natasha, really didn't surprise her the slightest. They were so happy when they told them they were staying for the weekend and while they couldn't tell Skye could see this was why Natasha had brought all of them and not just Bobbi as her pilot. They had enough energy to keep them going for days and being alone with them had to be quite a job. Especially when you were in the state Natasha was in.

Natasha was very clearly out of it. She fell out of the conversation very easily and she seemed exhausted. Skye wasn't the only one who had noticed. In fact, everyone but the kids seemed to have, all throwing her a few glances now and again as they ate.

Because it was a Friday the kids were going to school. Now Skye knew nothing about what a normal day in a good and safe childhood was, but this really did seem like a great one. They had eaten enough for the whole week before the kids were jumping into the car to let their dad drive them to wherever their school was.

Before they had done that, they had all had to promise to be there when they were back and help them with their homework, play ball and draw with them later on. Skye had never been around kids like this, but she liked it, she thought, maybe? Even if she felt very awkward all the time at least it felt nice to be included like she was. Nobody said they had to do that, but they did. And she was so grateful.

"Is Lila always that hyper. How do you do it?" Skye said with a small laugher as she watched the car drive away and she followed Laura into the living room.

"Not always, you and Natasha being here don't help the case though," Laura said with a small smile picking up a stray jacket from the floor.

"Thank you for being here. All three of you. I can tell Natasha trust you. And I think she needs the break, even if it might upset the ki-" Laura stopped abruptly before pushing Skye softly out of the way the exact same time the sound of glass shattering filled the room.

Skye's initial reaction is backing away from the sight. Confusion and pain filled her, and all she can do is standing there helpless as Bobbi ran straight into her.

With tears already streaming down her face, Natasha let out a small gasp before Laura reached her, grabbing her arm the just in time as the woman fell to her knees.

Chapter Text

"Nat. Natasha, sweetheart. Please look at me." Skye watched in horror as Laura got pulled down when Natasha forcefully dragged her to the floor shaking uncontrollably. The woman was up against the kitchen counter, squeezing closer to one of the corners with her legs up. Her body twisted inhuman like as she moved her neck and head as someone is trying to pierce her neck. She whimpered again bringing her arms in front of her to shield her off with her eyes wildly moving around.

"Nat. Look at me." Laura tried again as Natasha continued to shiver backing up even more from Laura. Her eyes were filled with tears and her hands were shaking so much it looked like she had lost control over them.

"No. No, not again. Please no." Natasha looked down on her shaking hands as if she is trying to force them to stop with her mind. She threw herself around with heart-wrenching scream almost falling right into Laura in the process.

Skye almost dropped herself as Natasha screamed in agony when her whole hand got cut by the glass shattered on the floor. Not even sure she was aware it was there Skye watched in horror when Natasha grabbed it with her bare hands throwing the shard at the wall.

"Please don't. I can't. Please. Please." The woman slid down against the counter down on the floor falling together with a small cry. Skye could only make out a ball as the woman curled up covering her head in her shaking arms gasping loudly. She could see the ball shake and Laura trying to reach out for her without hurting herself on the glass.

"STOP" Natasha screamed as Laura grabbed her arms trying to violently get away from Laura's grip.

Skye's stomach twisted as Natasha tried to rip her arm out of Laura's and Laura fighting her back to get her to look at her again.

"I can't tell! Laura please." Natasha sobbed as she sat up hitting her head into an edge making her cry out again. She was completely out of it and Skye had never seen anything like it before. It looked like somebody was controlling her from a distance and all Natasha could to was trying to fight it with no success.

"It's okay. Natasha, look at me. It's me. Only me. You're in the kitchen." Laura crawled over to her wrapping her own hands over Natasha's, stabilizing the shivering woman.

"You're home. And it's only me, Bobbi and Skye here. Nobody else. It's exactly how you remember it" Laura whispered dragging her into a hug letting the woman hide in her hair. "Nothing else. Trust me, trust yourself." Laura continued slowly holding around Natasha's hands to make sure she doesn't try to hurt herself.

"Good girl." Laura praised softly.

Skye just now realized she was shaking herself, with her own pair of protective arms on her shoulder. She looked up to meet Bobbi's two red eyes. She could feel her shiver too, but it was almost unnoticeable and unlike Skye, she seemed to control herself well enough to wrap her arms around her to keep her on her feet.

"Bobbi, Skye, please… please get a blanket and a pillow. And a small face cloth dunked in some cold water, it's one by the kitchen towel." Laura turned around towards them still wrapped around Natasha.

"Now. She is going to faint if she doesn't calm down by the next two minutes, so I need you to move." Laura shot in. Skye registered the sentence, but no part of her body was moving or willing to listen to Laura as Natasha twisted in the woman's arms, again arching her back and yelping.

"NOW!" Skye felt a hard push in her back making her stumble as Bobbi shoved her. She could barely think as she grabbed the closest blanket she could find and a random pillow from the couch.

By the time she had collected herself enough to finish her task, Bobbi was already down beside Laura handing her the towel with a concerned look.

"Natasha you need to breathe. You are killing your airways by doing that. Now I need you to lean back." Laura tried slowly pushing Natasha way from her. Natasha only gasped again hugging her stomach whimpering as she continued to hyperventilate.

"Natasha it's okay. It's Bobbi and Skye." Laura pushed her again with a bit more force and Skye met the redhead's eyes for the first time. Only for a second, but it was long enough to see how much she was struggling, how much she was hurting.

"Oh sweetheart, I know." Natasha's eyes were filled with pain as she arched again as Laura slowly wrapped her in a blanket.

"Lay down Nat. Breath for me. It's okay." Laura continued pushing her down on the pillow stretching her legs to make sure she didn't curl up in any way.

She was shaking but her breath seemed to be evening out. Still, she seemed to be struggling and Skye was getting sicker and sicker watching her.

"Good. Okay, now you need to listen to me. I know you're scared, but you need to please try to calm down. Listen to me, and just trust I am telling the truth." Laura continued slowly as she let the cold cloth touch Natasha's face. Skye could see the whole body relax and it almost looked like the woman turned herself off.

Laura turned to them after Natasha closed her eyes and slowly stood up from the mess of blood and glass. Skye noticed how Laura was slightly shaking as well, seeing the woman too was trying to get her hands to stop vibrating.

"We need to call Maria," Laura said looking at the two of them with a serious look. "We need her here, now." It was a complete one-eighty from the soft voice she had used with Natasha. This one was bossy and very clear about what she wanted.

"Get in contact with her, now," Laura said before turning around to pick up the glass.

Skye watched as Bobbi turned out the door to get in contact with Maria. She knew she should probably follow her, but she was still struggling with getting herself to move. She didn't know why but she did, and it was frustrating.

"I'm sorry Skye. I know it's a lot. I will explain later, okay?" Laura said with a soft voice turning to her. Skye watched the woman pick start to clean up the mess not caring about the blood on her hands or having to wash it off the walls. And for some reason, Skye got the feeling this wasn't the first time this or something similar had happened.

Skye was struggling to keep up. After the incidents, Clint came home and he and Laura exchanged a few words before isolating Natasha from the rest of them for the next 12 hours. That meant the three girls who knew nothing about really any of them had to hang out with the kids' who they also didn't know to make up from the absence of their aunt who was maybe like dying. She didn't know what to do with herself, and for every minute she could feel her anxiety rise.

After the kids went to bed Skye tried to collect herself hiding in her room with Jemma and Bobbi both doing the same. None of them said anything at all just looking down at different things pretending to work even though they all knew they weren't doing anything productive at all.

The kids had been very helpful in a way of keeping their minds on something else. While they obviously knew something was wrong, they didn't dig and ultimately helped to keep them occupied with something else.

None of them seemed to be in the mood to talk about really anything and it wasn't before a knock on the door at 10pm Skye somehow caught up with everything. She had no idea how any of them made it here so fast, but there they were, May, Coulson, and Hill, all in front of them with the same worried look in their eyes.

May was in her black mission suit and so was Coulson. Maria had a leather jacket and a top making it look like she came straight from a meeting.

"Where is she?" It was May who said it. Her voice was demanding and cold as she pushed Clint out of the way.

"Kitchen, she is with Laura," Clint answered stepping away letting the two others enter with a nod. Maria gave him a small smile and Coulson squeezed his arm. Again, it felt like everyone knew what was going on and Skye just didn't get it. What was going on? Why was everyone so… not prepared, but knowledgeable? Not completely lost at least.

Skye hadn't seen Natasha since, well, well since she was laying on the floor more or less crying. Now she was sitting in the kitchen beside Laura with her eyes closed with her hands wrapped around a glass of water. Her left hand had a white new bandage around it, which Skye was just guessing Laura had helped her with.

In a way, it almost seemed worse. Skye remembered Natasha as a brave and fierce woman who couldn't care less about bruises and scars. But now she was sitting there with a defeated body language. Skye could tell the woman was tired, which was understandable. But it was something else too. A change in her. Something more permanent.

May was already sitting by the table looking at Laura talking with a very low voice. Skye wasn't aware May was friends with Natasha more than just co-workers in SHIELD. But she seemed worried as she kept throwing glances at the redhead.

It seemed like it was turning into a meeting when Maria and Coulson too took their places by the table. Maria took the seat on the other side of Natasha, which seem to be the right move because the second she walked up to the chair Skye could see Natasha leaning towards her. She could tell Maria was whispering something to her and Natasha nodding back.

"Guess it's no reason to ask why we are here," Coulson said turning around to the other adults, and immediately Skye felt like a small child as she took her seat beside May with Jemma and Bobbi close behind.

"Natasha?" May's voice was so soft, and Skye had very rarely heard May with such a caring voice. It was no hiding that May was the colder type, but this was different.

Natasha didn't answer, and it seemed none of them expected her to. Her just closing her eyes seemed to be enough for them all to understand whatever signal she was sending to them.

"I don't want to be disrespectful, sir, but could you maybe explain what is going on?" It was Jemma who asked, looking at Coulson and then at Natasha who had closed her eyes again.

"Skye, when the two of you got separated, what do you remember?" Maria asked turning to Skye not caring to let Jemma get her answer. Skye frowned at her before looking down at the table. She hated this question because every time they asked it, it seemed like they got disappointed or mad about her answer but what did they expect. Did they think she was lying?

"Natasha was called into a mission, and as always she told me to stay back. But because it involved a big secure building, I chose to follow her in case she needed technical help, with hacking or anything." Skye started looking at Natasha hoping for some sort of reaction.

"So you went against your orders," May said coldly.

"Well, I only did it because I wanted to help," Skye growled back earning a mad look from Maria. "She was on a rooftop when I saw her getting shot. She fell to her knees. And I just knew, I had this feeling that she died. Killed, murdered in front of my eyes." Skye said between her teeth, already feeling the anger rise. She felt like everyone was judging her for her answer and I pissed her off.

"What about after?" Maria said ignoring the fact that May was staring at her like she was lying and wanted to tell her off like she had done many of times when she held back in their training.

"Other than feeling completely heartbroken, abandoned and alone for the billionth time in my life, I felt great, thank you for asking," Skye growled at her.

She could see the others look between them again and for the first time Natasha looked up. She looked dizzy and unwell like she was about to pass out again. Maria saw it too and laid a reassuring had on her arm. A move you didn't think two superspies would exchange.

"I don't understand. Why did they react so differently?" Clint mumbled turning to his partner who seemed to be really struggling to digest the information too.

"Can somebody please just tell me what is going on?!" Skye exclaimed turning to Maria with a begging look. Maria ignored her again but tossed Laura a small look who nodded.

"Skye. What you saw is completely different from what she saw." Laura said with a soft voice turning to her looking at her with a small sad smile.

"Yeah, I've heard" Skye mumbled back still annoyed. She didn't get it. Everyone kept on telling her that and every time it made her more and more annoyed.

"That night. You weren't on the ground when she spotted you; she saw you right in front of her. Only a few feet away" Laura started turning to Natasha making sure the woman was okay. "And she saw you getting killed. Somebody sliced your throat." Laura chocked the last word and Natasha turned away from her closing her eyes exhaling loudly.

"What? I… I wasn't close to her. I was like a block away or something I could barely see her?" She turned around to the others with a helpless look. "I… I don't get it."

"That's not all Skye," Clint said tuning to Maria who nodded in silence. "When I found her, she wasn't just wounded. She was destroyed mentally, and she could barely stand. She kept saying your name over and over again. And I couldn't leave her, I just couldn't. That's why I took her in even if my orders were to kill her."

"But why does that have anything to do with what happened today?" Bobbi asked looking around at the others for help. None of this was making sense.

"After that Clint took her here. To help her heal. But she developed something. She started having episodes where she couldn't separate reality and imagination. Like somebody put a vision into her heat that wasn't there." Laura said turning to Bobbi. Skye was lost again, but the blond nodded slowly as if she at least as getting a grip on what was going on.

"It took her months to shake it off, but even years later she still had minor panic attacks where she lost herself again." Laura trailed.

"You mean like today." It was Jemma who said it. She turned to Coulson who nodded.

"It seems like it." He replied.

"She said she couldn't tell. She couldn't tell what was real." Bobbi mumbled low and Laura nodded in silence confirming it again.

"How?" May whispered turning to Natasha with big hurt eyes. Skye saw Natasha meet her eyes with a so painfilled look it looked like she was going to break down in tears.

"Tasha, you shook it off. You haven't had an attack in years. And Laura has even told me things that would have triggered it before didn't face you anymore." May reached out after her but Natasha retracted away from her.

"Bucky got shot," Natasha whispered and Skye watched May, Coulson's and Maria's mouth drop. "I saw it, but I didn't believe it. It had to be wrong. I lost myself and got hit. I had to go back to HQ. But that was why I needed somebody to just conform I was wrong, and he was alive. Whether it was me or somebody else." Natasha said straightening up a bit more.

"I didn't think… It… The person who I thought I saw shoot him… She shouldn't be alive. It had to be wrong. I knew it was, but I couldn't believe it happened again. Not that I knew back then when I thought I lost you, that it was only a trick. But knowing what I saw then wasn't real, I…" Natasha turned to Skye. Her eyes were filled with tears as she turned her head away from her, and instead leaning into Laura.

"So, you are telling me you think somebody is tricking with your mind to see things that aren't real?" Coulson asked slowly looking at Natasha clearly not believing her. "Is it even possible? Simmons?" He turned to Jemma.

"I mean, we haven't encountered somebody who has done such thing, but considering we have been dealing with enhanced humans lately I wouldn't say it's not possible. I can try to get in contact with Fitz?" Jemma answered slowly, getting a confirming nod from Coulson.

"Well if this is possible and that's the case, we have to catch whoever it is. This is very dangerous." May said turning to Maria with a serious look.

"Nat, how are you feeling?" Maria said to Natasha ignoring May completely.

"I'm fine." Natasha pulled back from Laura before shaking her head and answering with a low mumble. Was she actually thinking about going back out there? Now?

"We need to talk to Fitz about this, but we all agree this need to be prioritized," Coulson said looking at the group with them all slowly nodding.

"Fitz is saying he is ready for a call whenever we are," Jemma said pointing at her phone. Coulson nodded before turning to the group.

"Guess it's time to get to work, team."

It was already midnight, but everyone was sitting in the living room looking at the hologram of Fitz and his work. They had somehow turned this small living room and kitchen area into a big workstation for all of them with stuff throw all over the place.

Skye and Jemma had their laptops on their lap, while Bobbi, May, and Hill had a notebook each scribbling everything down. Laura was looking over Natasha's shoulder down on her tablet while Clint was reading some of Coulson's notes as he phased around fiddling with all kinds of small devices keeping the signal and computers going.

"I've looked at the security footage from the day Romanoff and Skye got separated. I think the theory is possible. If we look at all the different security footages from the different streets, we can see Skye and two others just turning around walking away even without any reason." With the setup, they had now they had one computer showing Fitz floating head and an additional smaller projector Coulson had sat up to mirror his screen.

Skye could see a hologram of some old security footage on the second hologram. It was years ago, and they could tell from the video, the quality sucked. She could barely see herself on the old blurry tape, but it was her, it was no doubt. She remembered how she had spent a good amount of time trying to find some black to wear when she went to follow Natasha on this mission, trying to blend into the shadow as she knew she wasn't supposed to be there.

She had even ended up stealing one of Natasha's leather jackets. It was one of the very few things she had kept after she thought Natasha died. She had tried to throw most of it away as she couldn't really bring lots of stuff with her. Plus, it was her way of getting over the loss by not holding on to everything.

Looking at it now it really wasn't that different from how she actually dressed now. Very black, kind of depressing.

She watched herself stop and look up. She remembered that ally. How she had jumped behind that corner like 5 minutes earlier as if a random car would have cared she was there. She was allowed to walk there it would have been fine.

Skye was clearly looking at something, she was guessing the rooftop where Natasha was. She only looked at it for a few seconds before backing off, turning around to walk away.

She didn't look scared and definitely not like her best, and only friend at the time had got killed right in front of her. It just looked like she changed her mind about where she wanted to go.

But in reality, Skye was sure she had seen her. She even remembers her backing up into the brick wall hitting her head in the corner as she saw it. And she had screamed because she saw somebody drag her body way. She was so sure.

Her heads got pulled back to reality when she heard a voice.

"Okay, Fitz, how did you even find this footage?" Bobbi started turning to the man. "This was years ago; this should have been erased from the system long ago. Unless…"

"Unless somebody wanted to see something too, yes, yes I know." Skye saw Bobbi shake off the interruption before nodding slowly.

"And I have a theory on that too. The way this works is very fascinating" Fitz said as he continued ignoring the questions everyone had on their minds. "This is the rooftop you were on." Skye watched Fitz point at a big building in the middle of a satellite picture.

"If we imagen you are the center of a circle and this is the three who all turned around. As we can see the radius is actually about the same from all of you. About 300 meters. All three react the same way, they all spot you but then turn around and away. Nobody was closer Romanoff so we don't know who they would have reacted. But what is really interesting is this car." Another new video popped up on the screen and Skye watched a black car drive. The video cut from different cameras all the time and it was impossible to follow. All she could see was the same car taking a few turns. And she didn't get what this was all implying at all.

"It is going around." Skye turned her head to Jemma. The girl was looking at the video with a tilted head while writing something down on the pc. how could she possibly know that?

"A perfect semicircle around her." Before Skye knew it, she pressed a button and a new hologram popped up beside the one already there. It was a minimap, and like Fitz's map it had a circle with Natasha in the center and the three people around, this one was with a much bigger diameter and didn't have the three humans drawn in.

Skye watched the video of the car get rewound and when it started again the minimap showed the car's route going around the whole event before it ended up back on track.

"On the exact same x-axis," May said turning to Jemma who nodded in confirmation.

"How big was that radius?" Coulson said turning to the Fitz in the hologram.

"Around 3 miles, Sir," Fitz said looking at Jemma to get a confirmation. The woman nodded slowly while looking down on her laptop to make sure it was right.

"I don't think I understand," Clint said turning to Maria who too seemed to have lost the trail. This was the first time the man had said anything, but Skye agreed. She was not following at all.

"Think about it as an explosion. She was the epicenter, and everything around it that did get effected, the closer to the center, the stronger the effect. That was why they reacted differently later on. Natasha was in the core, so she got all of it, while Skye was further out. She felt it, she saw a death, like her, but the aftermath was weaker. The car probably didn't see anything. It just avoided it because it felt right just like Skye said she "just knew" she was dead without any real confirmation."

Skye stopped completely. How did he figure out that from this? It all seemed crazy, but it made sense. This, this was insane. All of it.

"It was nobody around with that kind of radius when Romanoff was hunting the winter soldier, so we don't know it had the same effect. Though it was three other people there…" Fitz said slowly looking at Natasha with a look that as almost disapproving.

"Yeah. The bartender, a customer and… the one I was hunting." Natasha mumbled looking at Fitz.

"Right. Well, look at this footage from your mission." Skye turned her attention to the screen again. How Fitz had pulled any of this in a few hours was beyond her, but at this point, they needed every bit of help they could get.

At first, it only seemed like a security video of two people in an empty bar. Normal, quiet evening. Nothing special. The bartender was talking to the other guy when the door got smashed open from out of nowhere. Skye could feel Jemma jump in her seat beside her when Natasha threw the guy onto the floor. The redhead didn't seem very aware of the two others or at least not paying them any attention before the man got up on his feet and kicked her right in the stomach. Skye watched Natasha tumble on the floor for a second before throwing her head up.

It was like somebody controlled her body or brain because seconds later she backed off dropping her handgun to the floor. Her eyes were locked on something in front of her as she backed away with shaking hands.

Skye turned around in her seat to look at everyone else. They were all glued to the screen watching her every move before Skye saw Natasha close her eyes and everyone jumped in their seats. Skye threw her eyes back on the screen. The whole bar was now on fire and two other men were running out the broken door with the man she was hunting aiming a mean weapon at her.

"Okay! That's enough!" The footage immediately stopped when Maria's raised her voice. Natasha still had her eyes closed and knowing how Natasha's state was when she came back Skye had a bad feeling of what would have happened next.

"What did you want us to see with this footage Fitz," Colson asked shaking his head.

"Well Sir, it wasn't anyone else on that rooftop with Romanoff that night," Leo said jumping back to some footage of the rooftop. It was completely empty and no sign of anything.

When it started to play it was still nothing for a while. The roof was completely empty with nothing on it before they saw a head over one of the edges. Natasha was moving her head carefully around before she jumped up from whatever ladder or edge she was on.

The redhead was still looking around when she made her way over the roof, looking back and forth before she stopped in her tracks and turned to her left. She was looking directly at something behind the camera before she rapidly turned her attention forwards again aiming a gun Skye didn't even know she had forward.

"Turn it off." It was Natasha. Skye turned around carefully. Natasha was shaking in her seat and she was cleansing her fist. In the corner of her eye, she could see the Natasha on the screen rapidly back way from something Natasha screamed.

"I SAID TURN IT OFF!" Skye jumped back into Jemma as a knife came flying hitting the device Coulson had sat up in the middle cutting the signal with the additional screen. Skye watched Natasha's eyes getting filled with anger before she sat down on the couch again. Her eyes were on fire as she turned her attention away from the group breathing heavily.

"Okay guess she is good with knives too then," Bobbi mumbled as they watched Coulson slowly pull out the knife while Fitz was moving around as if he was trying to see what was going on.

"Fitz. What are you showing us?" May said with a strict voice trying to ignore the fact that everyone seemed like they all wanted to leave the room.

"Well, you… in the video… Nat… Romanoff she." Fitz was scrambling his papers in front of him leaning forward as he was looking for something still not making any sense. And at this point, Skye really wanted to go tell him to just shut.

"He showed us how he thinks it happened." Jemma cut him off turning to all of them with big eyes.

"I'm sorry but how does this show us anything? All I am seeing is no answers and kinda just making us angry." Skye shot in as she nodded to Natasha who still looked like she wanted to put a bullet in both Coulson and Fitz forehead.

"What were the two things in common with those two videos?" Fitz said turning to all of them as it was the most obvious thing.

"I highly doubt you want to hear what is swirling in my head," Natasha mumbled before turning around with a small moan holding around her head as she was going to pass out again. Immediately Skye could see Laura wrapping her arms around her to calm her down with Natasha in a very obvious disco

"She looked directly into somebodies' eyes. Or not like literally directly. But she probably made them scared right or at least she made them aware that she was aware of them." Fitz said carefully.

"How. The rooftop was empty, there was nobody around." May pointed out earning a small nod from Skye and Bobbi.

"Well the security footage in the building was saved as maybe he did a bad job forgetting to delete it, but it is still accessible. And she looked directly into the camera. She spotted it the same way she suddenly got aware of the two in the bar. She looked at them to evaluate how to handle that situation meeting their eyes." Jemma jumped in turning to all of them with a serious look. Skye dropped her mouth. This was crazy. It was no way?! It all. It was true. But how could somebody create a thing like that? It was insane. A person that could show them a vision of a fake death.

"But it also tells us another very important factor." Jemma's voice was low as she continued. She looked around at all of them with what seemed to be a worried look.

"What?" May said impatiently turning to Jemma with an almost annoyed look in her eyes.

"I don't think it was intentional. I don't think this person meant to do this."

Chapter Text

Skye was the only one awake. The meeting had ended around 3 am and everyone needed sleep before the kids would be down. They had somehow squeezed everyone into the small house with Colson and May sleeping on a big couch in the other big living/entertainment room, and Maria sharing Natasha's room.

Skye had decided to run away, or not like run, run away, but like get away from everything. Everyone was stressed and confused, and it just felt like everyone and everything was closing around her. It was uncomfortable and she needed to get away, there was just no other way.

She was currently sitting in the co-pilot seat of the quinjet they got traveled with. With her computer on her lap and earbuds in her ears, she chose to close off the rest of the world, even if it was just for a few hours. She was tired and a bed would be nice, but there was something about going back to the house having to be with all of them, being with Jemma, that just wasn't appealing. Not because she didn't like them, obviously, but because she didn't want to have to deal with any of their questions and theories right now.

The questions and looks they gave her. She knew they never meant to be rude, but it felt like a silent judge around her all the time.

She could see the sun on the horizon starting to rise, and knowing she should get some kind of rest she slowly pushed away her laptop and instead connected her earbuds to her phone to play some relaxing music. It was cold in the aircraft without the engine on, but with a good blanket and the sun, it wasn't too bad.

She could soon feel the sun warming her through the window. A nice warm feeling that somehow made her feel peaceful. For the first time in a long time, it felt like her body was on rest, slowly turning off and drifting off to sleep.

When Skye finally woke up hours later the sun was high on the sky. It had to be around mid-day judging how high the sun already was. The sun was warming the small cockpit with the reflection bouncing off the walls. This had to be the most relaxed she had felt in days, feeling like she really did have a nice sleep for once.

Outside she could see Clint sitting on the terrace with Coulson, Bobbie, and May. They were looking at a tablet obviously talking about work. They were all wearing that face you have when you are in deep concentration.

On the other side the corner, by the front door were Maria and Laura. Unlike the others, they seemed relaxed. With a cup of tea in their hands, they watched the two kids play a ball with each other with Jemma beside them. She was helping them pitch while they tried to swing the bat. And while Jemma wasn't the most athletic person ever, she wasn't awful at throwing.

Of course, Skye wasn't surprised to see that Natasha was missing. She had known Natasha for years, and she knew Natasha liked to process things alone, being raised to work alone. It wasn't because she was running from everyone else, but because that was how she worked the best.

Not wanting to join them, Skye instead opened her laptop. She had things to do. Or at least things she felt she needed to do. Even if she hadn't technically got told to do so.

As expected, Fitz had already sent her everything he had found. While he was smart, he wasn't too tech smart so everything he hadn't figured already he had sent over to her.

One very key part they were missing from the puzzle was identifying the main "suspect". Jemma was still convinced the man who might be the cause of whatever this was, might not be doing this by will. Laura had agreed to the theory early on, meaning his body language was telling a completely different story. Maria had backed off voting blank, while the others were hesitant with Jemma's theory more shifting to the other end of the spectrum.

Skye wasn't sure what to believe. The footage wasn't great, and they only saw his face a few seconds but just by looking at him, he seemed quite normal. But then again, looking normal wasn't really good enough.

She was sure Fitz had already tried this a few times, but she chose to try herself, saving a few of the frames of the video to send through SHIELD's face recognition program. While running the face recondition Skye looked at the rest of the files she had received. She had gotten all the security files, a few documents on the different buildings, the mission report from Natasha and some other boring files.

It wasn't a lot and it only took her an hour or so to go through everything, including taking screenshots of the man and feed it into an additional program.

All the documents were just a fast read so most of her time went to look at the security data. She had looked through most of them already. Frame by frame she had watched all, just to see if she missed anything. Every single video, all except two of them. The two they watched yesterday.

Natasha had made it very clear she did not want any of them to watch the full videos of the two events. And while Skye wanted to respect her wishes she didn't get what could be so bad about them. They all needed to learn about however they were facing. He was dangerous, even if he didn't mean to.

Skye lifted her head when she noticed the front door of the old house open. She watched Natasha walk out the door joining the two other women. She couldn't really see her face because of the distance, but she watched her take a seat beside Laura on the couch, leaning on her while talking to her and Maria. Laura was already playing with the redhead's hair and was wrapped around her like a protective blanket.

They all looked relaxed and comfortable even if she couldn't see the expression in their face. It was surprising to see them all with their guards down like that, but at the same time it proved how good Maria and Natasha were at their jobs being able to switch off and on even in times like this. Giving them some time to heal and recover if needed.

Skye kept watching them for a few more minutes before turning her head back to the laptop immediately checking up on the face recondition. The programs she used didn't match anything. The reference was shit and she needed to do something else. The program SHIELD had wasn't that bad, but she needed more. Like it didn't have to be much but at least some kind of match would help.

Lost in her head she slowly started to take apart the program diving deep into the codes. A language she at least understood, unlike most things SHIELD.

She didn't plan to make a completely new program today, but sometimes things just happen. She knew what she was doing, and it just felt good doing simple things like this. Just small things like simple codes, just like she did before SHIELD had happened.

She lost all feeling of time when she worked like this, and it wasn't before she was doing some last touches, she looked down in the corner of her pc to check the time. It told her she had already spent two hours on this. Even with the short amount of time, it felt solid and stable. After maybe 10 backups later she decided to give it a go.

Personally, she thought this was a solid first attempt for a new program. It was a powerful tool but was easy on the software and needed less power than the program SHIELD used. It felt smooth and fast as she fired it up for the first time.

Using some fun algorithms she came up with, as well as integrating some of the better parts of SHIELD'S own program Skye watched the program use less than 1 second to scan and confirm the face of one the press photos of the Black widow. Of course, that was an easy one, but it was ridiculously fast. It was like any other face recognition just better and faster, and just fucking amazing if anything.

The test photos she used was in a way better quality than the one of the mystery man, but it was a very good start. The program was even able to find Jemma based on the picture where most of it was just her ponytail and a slight profile of her face.

Taking a deep breath Skye finally dropped the screenshot of the video into the program. For the first time after her test runs, she saw the program starting to shuffle through multiple pictures of different people. She watched it for a while before realizing this would take time and she switched tab.

The program was so easy going she could without any problems work on something else, which was a big upgrade from the chunky old program.

Instead of going to work on something else, her brain went back to the videos of Natasha. She wanted to know. She needed to know.

Natasha had been her everything. The one thing she truly had cared about. The one person in her life she truly trusted and loved. Every time her brain went back to that night. It always felt like something was missing. Even before they discovered the "fake the fucking death of your loved one" wizard.

Skye had always thought about Natasha's death as something that was just meant to be. That the universe never wanted her to have her. Because truth be told, Natasha had always been too good for her. She came into her life just when she needed her most and gave her everything she ever would need at that time, immediately risking everything for her. She never deserved somebody like her.

She had always thought she would grief the redhead more than she had. But she never did. She had accepted it almost immediately and while it was hard to walk into their apartment alone for the first time, she had just packed her things and left. Left everything behind her. Just like she left the life she had with the black widow behind like it never happened.

As much as she had hated the thought of the lose it was never her death itself that had bothered Skye the most. It was missing her that was the worst part. But she had always missed her as if she had just left for a mission, never as if she had gotten murdered and killed and never coming back. That part never stuck with her. It was almost as if it didn't happen.

It was a weird feeling, it really was. But at least now, compared to before, she knew a third party was involved. Somebody who messed with her head. And even though that was fucking scary at least it made her messed up feeling and thoughts all slightly more okay and reasonable.

What didn't rest with her was knowing Natasha had suffered so much more than her. So much Skye felt she should have had suffered from the redhead's "fake death". Natasha has spent years trying to process the trauma. And clearly, she was going through the same shit again now. It was no hiding the fact that she was more or less falling apart in front of everyone. And if anything, it seemed like it was worse this time. Like she had no fight left in her at all. It was heartbreaking.

Skye wasn't even aware she had clicked on the before the video started playing. Like yesterday it started slow, with just the two men by the bar. It looked like every other bar with mostly wood everything and yellow dimmed lights and a few candles. Nothing special to say at least.

Skye tried to keep her head straight as Natasha and the other man came flying through the door. Natasha was insane at fighting at close range. The man was like twice her size, but she had no problem throwing him, flinging him over her with one smooth movement. Her green eyes were glued at him as she tried to pin him down. Even without sound, she could see the man scream at her as he got kicked.

She had no backstory for this fight, but the guy was prepared, and Skye watched Natasha take the kick to her stomach with a groan before she got kicked off him only barely getting time to readjust herself to soften her fall. She only looked up for a second before the immediate reaction, throwing herself backward getting way from the bar as fast as possible.

Her eyes were wild as she rapidity almost fell backward, dropping her gun in the prosses. Her body was shaking as she continued to back away before she hit the wall behind her.

Skye stared at her as her green eyes got lit up in orange when the bar blew up, but the woman didn't budge. The two men barely had time to jump away from the explosion before they ran for the door not even throwing a glance at Natasha as they escaped.

The man Natasha had tackled must have had carried kind of explosive on him from the start. She hadn't taken note of his weapon or his clothes last time she watched the video. And even now she hadn't noticed any explosives. But it was no other real explanation to the explosion than having it planned from the start.

The big man turned around slowly. He looked at Natasha who was still glued up against the wall with her eyes wide, staring at something in front of her. The man slowly unbuckled something in his belt, something Skye hadn't noticed the first time she watched the video. At first, it only looked like a small handgun, but before she knew what was happening the weapon changed in his hands. Like a small pocket pistol that could unfold.

Skye watched Natasha shaking uncontrollably, with her chest rising and falling fast as she gasped for air. She had tears in her eyes, and she was leaning on the wall, closing her eyes just the weapon fired. She didn't even seem aware of the guy before her body took the shot right in her side making her fall to the floor.

She wasn't even strong enough to stand up before another shot is fired hitting her the exact same spot making the woman throw her head back. It was only now it seemed like she shook her head out of the spell lifting her head just in time to fall forwards barely dodging the third shot.

Skye's mouth dropped when the video stopped. Immediately she started looking thought the files Leo sent her. Surely it had to be more. He couldn't cut it like that. How did Natasha even get away? She couldn't even stand.

She couldn't believe that was it. But it was nothing more. None of the files showed anything after that. And Skye knew the only way she would ever know was if she asked Natasha herself.

Sighing loudly in defeat, she switched back to her recognition program. To her disappointment, it hadn't found anything yet. The program was jumping between to pictures like it as stuck in a loop. And while two was better than a hundred this kinda proved she couldn't trust this finding just yet.

She opened the codes again and looked at it. This was really not what she wanted to be doing right now. But she saw the mistake early on, thankfully. She also saw a few things she could change so at least it wasn't a complete loss.

As she fired up the program for the second time her thoughts started to float back to yesterday and the video from the day she had supposedly died. That was now the only video the hadn't watched. She had already gone against Natasha by watching the last video. And even if her head told her no, Skye slowly pressed the play bottom.

For the second time, Skye watched Natasha jump gracefully up on the empty roof. Unlike on her last mission, she looked ready in this one. While she was on edge watching her back all the time, she seemed younger and wilder. As if she really wanted this.

Natasha had never been a wild person per se, but she Skye remember her as someone who really fed on her mission. The one thing that had for day one been pushed into her brain, firing up the woman as fuel. The one thing she was always meant to be hunting. Her mission. Nothing was going between her and her goal.

She still didn't know what had caught the spy's attention when she turned her head to the left looking at the camera. Just like last time she watched it, Natasha's eyes immediately got filled with panic as she spun around forwards again, gripping hard around her gun aiming it straight. It was nothing there, only emptiness, but her eyes were locked on something.

It looked like she had seen a ghost as she backed away from whatever she saw. Her eyes were already filled with pain as she backed away. Immediately Natasha dropped her gun to the ground while her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

Having no idea a gun even could fire like that, Skye almost screamed when Natasha's own gun fired straight upwards as it hit the concrete roof. Natasha fell to her knees as the bullet pierced into her thigh, forcing her to desperately try to hold around it with one hand while lifting the other in the air in defeat.

Skye watched the woman gasp after air as she continued to shake, eyes glued at whatever was in front of her. Her hands were socking in blood and tears were already streaming down her face.

She could practically hear her scream as Natasha threw herself forwards in a desperate attempt to stop what happened in her vision. Scrambling to her feet only falling to the ground half a second later throwing her head backward in sheer pain as her leg gave up under her.

"It was the worst day of my life" Skye froze as she heard Natasha's voice up behind her. She hadn't even noticed her walking on board.

"Ta- Natasha, I'm so sorry." Skye pushed away the pc slamming it close, already feeling the heat in her cheeks. Natasha was looking at her with a calm look as she walked over to her and sat down on the seat beside her.

"It's okay," Natasha said simply before turning her head looking out the window. Skye turned to her carefully, but Natasha didn't look at her back. Her eyes were looking out the window and she watched the woman watch the kids, her eyes carefully following their every move. She didn't say anything and didn't give Skye any kind of attention either. She only watched everyone outside. At one point she turned to Laura instead, and Skye could see the corner of her mouth move into a smile as Laura laughed at something Maria had said. Whatever relationship Natasha had with the Barton's it was a close one.

"I love this," Natasha said with a soft voice as she kept looking at them all. She was smiling softly as she tilted her head moving her eyes around. Clint had pushed away the tablet and replaced it with a can of what seemed like iced tea. May had gotten her sunglasses too, leaning back in her chair.

"Scuse me?" Skye said turning to Natasha who still didn't give her any attention.

"Watching them all take a break for once. Just enjoying the nice weather outside." Natasha answered simply just as Bobbie started laughing at something somebody said.

"I guess it is?" Skye answered. She was confused. Did Natasha really come here just to say that? Did she not come here to maybe… talk to her? And she wasn't going to mention Skye going against her direct orders either? What was going on?

Natasha kept looking out the window. Her walls were all completely lowered, with her eyes almost half-closed and her slow breathing as she was resting in her seat. She didn't turn her head once. Not when Skye reached after her pc again and not when she started working again. She didn't even lift an eyebrow.

Skye tried to go back to work, she really did, but it was impossible with the redhead beside her. She kept throwing glances at her even if Natasha didn't give her any attention.

Soon she gave up again. She closed the laptop with a small sigh. She needed to tell the team about her results, but after turning her attention outside she stopped that thought. Natasha was right. The team hadn't seemed this relaxed in weeks, and they had been in one of the world's most secure buildings not long ago so that was saying something.

Instead of staying split up they had all kinda gathered on the same side of the house. Jemma had taken a break from the ballplaying sitting with Maria, Laura and May, all watching Clint, Coulson, Bobbie and the kids playing something that reminded her of baseball. The table they all sat around was filled with all kinds of lunch foods now. Skye hadn't even noticed any of them walk in to get it, but there were sandwiches, a platter full of fruit and more beverages to choose from now.

She didn't want to ruin any of this. They all deserved this time off.

"It is something about this place, something that just makes you turn everything off," Natasha said softly as if she was reading her mind.

"That's why you went here, after... everything?" Skye tried carefully looking at Natasha with a small look. Natasha turned to her and smiled at her with a small, sad smile.

"No. I didn't know about Laura back then. But Clint brought me here after talking with Coulson." Natasha started. She looked at her with blank eyes before turning her head down looking at the floor instead.

"After everything, I lost it. I turned insane. Heartbroken after what I saw. Maybe I was scared it was the red room. Maybe it was a result of my brainwashing. I didn't know. I just knew I was scared. Confused about everything that happened around me. Clint brought me here to take my mind of everything. To take me away from the industry." Natasha said with a low voice.

"Cooper was just a baby back then. I was horrified by him and Laura. I've never met anyone besides you who ever cared for me. I've never seen a family like his. I thought it was one of the visions. I thought I was going to lose that too." Natasha whispered. Her voice almost broke, and for the first time, Skye really understood how much Natasha was still hurting. She never stopped. It still hunted her after all these years.

"Laura gave me everything. She was the only reason I got through it. Even at my absolute worst, she was still there helping me through it all. Even when I gave up myself." Natasha lifted her head and Skye could see she had tears in her eyes.

"You mean when you gave up hope?" Skye asked carefully. Natasha shook her head softly. She gave her a small defeated smile.

"No. I never had hope back then. I gave up on my life." Skye stopped. She only looked at her stunned. Natasha had tried to take her own life?

"When I realized this might be happening again. When I saw you when I woke up. When I realized what had happened between us, that what I saw never was real…

If that had happened again. I knew. If I somehow could get anyone out in the field to confirm the winter soldier was still alive and I could get back to Laura, I would do anything to do so." Natasha looked at her with a firm look. Skye could only nod at her. She barely understood.

"Laura know me back and forth. If I trust anyone to be around me, even when I don't trust my own head, it is her.

I lost everything I had when I thought I lost you. And Laura and Clint gave me something to live for. They gave me a reason to fight. They gave me a clear vision of wanting to avenge you." Natasha said. Skye gulped as Natasha's eyes lit up. Revenge was all over her face and Skye could tell nothing was stopping her if she ever laid her hands on the possible suspect.

Skye slowly turned her head forwards again trying to prosses what the redhead had just told her. Like Natasha, she tried to focus her attention on everyone outside, still, her head was only focusing on what Natasha had just said.

"What about you?" Skye turned to Natasha surprised. Her voice had done a complete one-eighty from the voice she had just used and was soft and kind as she asked. No anger, so sadness. No, nothing.

"What, what?" Skye asked, trying to reflect the soft voice Natasha had given her.

"What happened to you after everything?" Skye was a bit put off that question. Not only did it kinda surprise her that Natasha was even interested, but she genuinely looked like she cared. Something Skye first now realized she had really missed.

"I don't know why, but I fell at ease with everything pretty easily," Skye admitted carefully. Natasha didn't seem to take it personally nodding.

"Well if what Fitz said is true that would make sense," Natasha said with a small encouraging smile. Skye was happy Natasha wasn't mad at her. And it was good knowing Natasha was kinda understanding her and where she was coming from. Even if she didn't really get it herself.

"I still went on for the search for my parents. Kinda fell on SHIELDS radar and then got dragged into this mess" Natasha only smiled at that giving her a small wink before letting her continue.

"I've just kinda been hanging around here, I guess. With my team." She said nodding at the group who had now decided to take a break squeezing everyone around the table. Natasha smiled at them all before turning to Skye again.

"Has it always been you guys?" Her voice was so soft, and it was nothing suspicious about it. It just sounded like a question. At this point, Skye was seriously starting to wonder if Natasha was using one of her many ways to manipulate her. Sand maybe that was an awful thought, but she had been playing with all of them back in the tower, what made her not wanting to this now.

"No… we had another one before. He turned out to be HYDRA. And Bobbi is a newer addition. Found her when she was undercover in HYDRA not too long ago." Skye answered short, biting her lip by the thought of Ward.

"Grant Ward," Natasha said simply. Skye only nodded. Of course, Natasha already knew all about him. Why couldn't she, she knew everything about everything.

"Tell me." Natasha turned around and looked at Skye with firm eyes. Skye only tilted her head confused.

"Tell me about your team. The good parts." Natasha simply added. Skye smiled at her softly before closing her eyes for a second.

"Ward was my S.O but May took that role. She is… just incredible."

"Incredible."

Skye looked up when Natasha's voice matched hers. Natasha nodded softly at her with a smile before saying.

"I've been in SHIELD a lot longer than you kid." Natasha winked making Skye laugh at her with an eye roll.

"And then Fitz and Simmons. I mean they are just something special. They were part of the original team. I'm really thankful for both of them." Skye said still trying to kill her laugher making Natasha smile at her.

"You do know we referred to them as Fitzsimmons even before they ended up on Coulson team right," Natasha said chuckling at her softly.

"Wait you know about them?" Skye looked at her confused.

"Well no, I never met them in person. And I mean everyone in SHIELD is quite extraordinary already, but a team like them doesn't go unnoticed. Was Maria who mentioned them first. I had no idea what they were doing and what field, but I recognized the names when Melinda introduced them." Natasha answered almost matter of factly.

"Wow. I knew they were smart and all, but I didn't know that was that smart that everyone knew about them." Skye said looking at Jemma thought the window with a small smile.

"Well I mean, one thing was how smart they were, but they also kinda disappeared to join a team with a leader that was already, you know… dead…" Natasha said with a small smile. Skye nodded slowly trying to prosses all of it. Simmons and Fitz. Natasha already knew about them. Like she had known Bobbie. Clearly, when Coulson had chosen his team, he knew what he was doing then.

"Morse is kinda the same story. I knew the name Mockingbird. But I never saw her. Only Maria and Melinda mentioning her a few times. Guessing you have quite a different take on her." Natasha said softly.

"Well, she was undercover in HYDRA. We picked her up around one and a half months ago. She reminds me a lot of you, you know. Maybe some friendly competition." Skye tried grimacing at Natasha who only laughed at her.

"We'll see." She answered simply but she smiled at her with a grimace.

The two fell into a comfortable conversation. It almost felt like old times. Natasha was so easy to talk to. She had always been. Her natural charm and soft voice as they talked. The kind looks in her eyes and now she always looked at you when she listened. It reminded her about all the time they had missed, and how happy Skye was about finally being reunited with her.

"What about dating?" Skye almost lost her jaw turning to Natasha shocked. Natasha only looked at her casually as if that was a completely normal thing to ask just like that.

"Calm down Malyshka I was only asking." Natasha laughed softly as Skye continued to just look at her. "Beside Morse mentioned you dating Ward, which I highly doubt is a thing now." Natasha continued casually. Skye only nodded at her slowly still very thrown off by everything.

"Anyone on the team maybe? Fitz doesn't really seem like your type" Natasha continued to push. Skye just huffed at that shaking her head making Natasha laugh again.

"Bobbie, maybe? I mean she is hot and a badass superspy." Natasha winked at her making Skye fall own in her chair trying to get away from the redhead.

"She isn't quite my type." Skye only mumbled making Natasha laugh again.

"What about Jemma" Natasha continued to push, making Skye sink even further down in her seat.

"How did you even know I am queer." She mumbled trying to avoid Natasha's eyes. Natasha laughed loudly again before saying.

"I didn't, but I do know." Natasha winked at her and her mischievous look made Skye blush even harder.

"I hate you," Skye mumbled grabbing her pc to hide behind her screen. Natasha's laugh was soft, and her eyes were shining happily. It was nothing like how she was yesterday. Her recovery time seemed way to fast to be real, but Skye knew she didn't want to comment on it.

"No, you don't," Natasha said leaning over pushing her softly. Skye rolled her eyes at her, but Natasha just giggled. Of course, she didn't care about her eye-rolling. She was practically the one who taught her how to roll her eyes.

"It's getting late, ready to go back in?" Natasha said softly looking at her with a smile. Skye turned to her with a small frown. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go back yet. Part of her knew she needed to at one point, but already she could feel the anxiety. The day was soon over, and the play was finished. They would be talking shop now, and she wasn't ready for that yet.

"It's going to be fine, Skye, I'm right here. Trust me on this one okay." Natasha said with a sweet tone. She stood up and nodded at the door with a smile. Skye threw her head towards the house watching everyone go inside. She turned to Natasha again who waited patiently by the door still smiling softly at her.

Yeah, she really did trust Nat on this one.

Chapter Text

Maybe Natasha was the injured, hurt, damaged one, but she gave no shits about following the rules or letting anyone push her around. Maybe it was different when she was in the actual tower with her actual team, but here nobody was her boss, clearly. If anything, she was the one running the show letting none of them even try to get a word in.

All of the higher-ranked agents, May, Coulson and Hill had all stopped even trying to take charge, and the smaller younger agents only kept their mouth shut knowing they had no say in whatever this really was.

Coulson and May went back to the tower two days later, while the rest of them stayed at the Barton farm. Skye thought about joining them, but she would feel even more left out if she didn't stay back with Natasha. Not that she felt like she was talking to the woman at all. The woman spent a lot of the time with the kids or Laura. And if she wasn't doing that she was training with Bobbi or Clint.

Everything between 6am – 8pm was non-work-related time. If any of them even tried to bring it up it was a big chance Natasha would kick them out of the room. She had absolute zero tolerance and at worst she would stand up and plain leave the room. It didn't matter if Coulson called or Jemma had found something that probably could count as a breakthrough in their search, Natasha would not care, and you would just have to wait it out.

Everyone found it frustrating, everyone beside Maria, and Laura if you wanted to count her as well. They were the only two that didn't seem to be bothered by Natasha literally shutting everyone's mouth by threatening them to kill them. Clint seemed to be slightly okay with it as well, which was to be expected. He knew Natasha so this was probably not a new territory for him.

Skye didn't really know what do to. She was trying to look around at some work Fitz has sent her and such, but her head was at the wrong place and it was hard to concentrate.

Skye was sitting with her pc in her lap inside looking out the window while she tried to work. Outside she could see Bobbi with Natasha. It was dusk, but the two of them were out doing some sort of training. Bobbi was copying Natasha's stand while Natasha was coaching her. They had been outside for a while, and technically it was work hours and they were supposed to be inside working on this case trying to figure out HYDRA and this crazy man who fucked with their head.

Skye looked down at her pc again with a loud sigh. They had tried to track this guy for a solid week, and they had nothing. It was frustrating. Skye's program had gotten a clear picture of a face, but the real problem was now to understand who he was. They had a name. A really generic as name. James Johansson. And according to every filing system ever it was like a million of those. And yes, of course, they had gone down the list, matched it with the face and looked at every single detail about his life. But it was nothing interesting there.

This James, he was just an ordinary guy. He was just a few years older than Natasha and looked to be a very normal man. The only thing was a few years ago he started to take a step back. But nothing more than just lay a bit low it seemed. He liked to travel and was moving all over the world exploring. It didn't seem like he was hiding according to Fitz. It was just a man who likes to see the world.

Skye lifted her head when she saw a movement outside. It was Bobbi who made a small run before she flipped gracefully in a kind of front flip thingy with Natasha watching her from the side. She watched as Natasha nodded softly before she walked over to the blond and changed her stance slightly with a soft, careful movement.

Even trough the window, Skye could see Bobbi's eyes widen as Natasha moved her arms slowly. Skye wasn't surprised Bobbi and Natasha had a natural connection. They were both great spies with a lot of similar traits. Bobbi was the less experience of the two, but she had such a love for learning. And Natasha was such a great teacher as well, so it was only a matter of time really.

"Don't tell me, you feel left out." Skye felt it through her whole body as she froze and could literally feel the fear go from her toes up to her head when Maria snuck up on her.

"Holy shit" Skye mumbled, still feeling her spine vibrate as Maria slowly moved around to face her.

"You would think you would have gotten less jumpy by now," Maria said with a small smile making Skye wanting to literally evaporate and just never ever be seen again.

"I don't think left out is the word I would use…" Skye mumbled trying to get the burning in her cheeks under control still feeling her heart pound in her chest.

"Though I would like to actually try to find this guy. And staying here and having only a few hours working together is not helping… Especially when they aren't even here when we are supposed to work." Skye muttered the last part as she scrolled down on her pc not really paying attention to what she was doing or looking at.

"Well, if you haven't noticed, Natasha's head is far from the black widow when she is here. It's wonderful to see."

"It's really annoying." Skye stopped and looked at Maria who gave her a surprised look as she tried to finish her sentence.

"Not as in, I don't think she deserves a life, but I don't even recognize her. She is nothing like she was before, and I don't like it. And I don't like how she isn't spending her time actually trying to get control over this dude when he literally made her suffer for years!" Skye let out a small sigh before she closed her laptop after a fast save.

The older agent looked at the girl with a look in her eyes that Skye wasn't sure meant she wanted to kick her out the door or if she agreed.

Maybe she was being really childish, but that was how she felt right now. And at least she finally got it out of her system, because she was just so frustrated.

"You sound like you haven't changed at all the last few years?" Maria said with a calm voice leaning back in her chair smiling at the younger woman. Immediately Skye felt like she was in therapy. But now the therapist was also a world-class agent who could probably beat her ass in 50 different ways. Or more. And it was something about the look in Maria's eyes it was hard to disagree or argue with her.

"Point taken." Skye only mumbled back lowering her head not wanting to start something really dumb now.

"Natasha was at the absolute lowest without you Skye. I know it feels like everything have changed between you two, but I want you to know, Natasha needs you. You just need time to figure it all out again. And she needs time. To heal. This is her process. And I know it feels really weird and maybe a bit distant. But I promise you this is what she needs now. And she will come to you when the time is right." Maria said with a small smile before she stood up and walked over to the kitchen leaving her behind.

Maybe Maria was right, and they needed time. But time was the last thing she wanted now. She wanted progress. She wanted to do something. Anything.

Skye turned her head when she heard steps from outside the living room. Laura walked in with Jemma behind her with a soft smile on her face as she listened to Jemma talk to her with a calm voice. The two of them had hit it off extremely well, and again while Skye didn't want to be the jealous type it just felt like everyone for some reason really clicked with each other and she didn't.

Why wouldn't Jemma and Laura hit it off really? They were so similar in so many ways. And Skye was basically the opposite of Jemma.

"So, I am guessing the kids are actually in bed now?" Maria said as she lifted her glass of water to slip on watching as the two entered the room together.

"Something like that," Laura said with a small almost mischievous smile. "Clint is with them. So, we'll see how it goes" Laura continued as she sat down to join them. Her voice was so kind in every way, and Skye could definitely see why Natasha felt drawn and save around her. It was like she was just radiating kindness

"Are they still going? Haven't they been doing this for hours now?" Jemma said as she turned to the window to watch Bobbi launch herself into yet another flip while Natasha continued to instruct her.

"Yes, and I am starting to wonder if we will ever get back to work!" Skye let out frustrated. Her tone was maybe a bit angrier than she had planned, earning an annoyed look from Maria and a confused one from Laura.

"I just mean we haven't really gotten anywhere the last few days" Skye tried, giving Maria a small look that certainly did not help the case at all. The senior agent glared back at her and Skye, who already felt beyond stupid turned her head away from her.

"You know what… I'm just going to shut up I think." Skye mumbled turning her head back to her pc. Whatever she said something it always seemed to come out the wrong way, and she didn't need to make everyone mad at her. She also didn't need to make herself look like a fool.

They sat there for at least a good 20 minutes before they all turned their head to the staircase as Clint finally joined them downstairs. By then it was actually dark outside, and Skye didn't really see the point of training outside in the dark. But Natasha and Bobbi hadn't joined them inside yet, the group finally decided to start looking into some of the work alone even without the two agents.

May and Coulson had already sent them lots of materials together with Fitz, so it was no shortage of work to be done. But since none of them wanted to take charge, the work speed was way slower than Skye would have wanted. The whole group was clearly in this unmotivated, and a lot more playful mood, instead of focused, and it was driving her insane.

For the second time, the whole group lifted their heads when they heard a muffled scream outside followed by a grunt and a thud. Laura was already on her feet and almost out the backdoor before Skye got herself up on her feet to follow the sound. The look on the mother's face already told Skye this was Natasha even though she herself had not even had a chance to identify the sound as something the spy would ever have made.

While she knew she didn't have to follow Laura and Clint she felt she had too. Even though she probably would not be helpful at all, and Jemma and Maria who held back would be a lot more helpful if anything had or were to happen.

It was pitch black outside. Where Skye knew Bobbi and Natasha and been training earlier were now just an empty space with none of them in shight. But the sound had been so clear it had to be at least close. Skye just didn't understand from where. Unless she screamed louder than Skye originally thought. And if so, that would be bad.

Shit.

She was getting a bit scared now.

Thankfully both Clint and Laura seemed to know exactly where they were headed as they both took a sharp turn around a corner only exchanging one look before they moved towards where Skye knew the barn house was. It took them only a few seconds and another corner before they saw some dimmed lights.

"Hey, it's okay." Skye almost walked straight into Clint as he came to an abrupt halt in front of what was just two shadows, barely getting lit up by the nearby light.

Bobbi was leaning over Natasha's body breathing heavily as she spoke softly to the redhead. The avenger was squeezed up against the wall and between the blond, and for a moment it didn't even seem like she was breathing.

Skye could feel her own heart staring to race in her chest. Unsure of what to do and what was going on in front of her. She couldn't see anything other than Bobbi's back. She was shielding off most of Natasha with her own body, but Skye could see part of the red hair spread across the ground. And with her beating, scared, heart, she felt herself tense up even more as she watched Bobbi slowly help Natasha to move to get up from the ground.

The redhead spent a worrying amount of time getting herself up into a sitting position, closing her eyes as Bobbi leaned her up against the wall.

Physically she looked fine. Of course, they knew she was injured from her previous mission but looking past that Skye couldn't see anything wrong with her. She looked fine. Or at least as fine as she could look. But she was still mostly hidden behind the bigger woman and Skye was struggling to really understand what was going on in front of her as Natasha kept letting out small groans.

"It's okay, it's okay." Bobbi continued to talk with a low voice still covering most of the girl with her own body. It was hard to tell what was happening. With both the dark and the fact that Bobbi wasn't letting them close to her they had no idea what had happened nor what was happening. And the one guess Skye had was not a pleasant one. She really hoped she was wrong.

"Natasha. Look at me. It's going to be okay. Trust me." Bobbi continued this not as soft but a more almost strict voice. As if she tried to wake the woman up with her tone of voice "Trust me, trust yourself." She whispered leaning forward when the woman didn't show any sign of response.

Skye couldn't see exactly what the woman was doing but only a few seconds later Bobbi moved her head and for the first time giving Skye a good view of Natasha's face. She was completely white, and her eyes were drained with all life. It looked like she had been thrown off a building or something with both stressed and clearly in pain look in her eyes. She had some dirt on her face and her hair was messy. She really didn't look well. With shaking, hands and the tired look made an awful combination.

"Oh, honey," Laura whispered as she too got a look at the girl, moving forward slowly to get a better look at her. To everyone's surprised the small movement from the woman seemed to completely throw the woman off as she threw herself away from the woman, not getting far only slamming into the wall behind her with a loud groan.

Skye watched as Laura's eyes lit up in fear before she backed up. They all knew how close Laura and Natasha was, so the fact Natasha now were clearly scared of her was really an indication of how bad this was.

Bobbi turned her head towards the small group with one both confused and scared look before she turned her head back towards Natasha. "Natasha, it's only Laura," Bobbi mumbled as she slowly let her hand glide over Natasha's shaking arm.

Skye felt so bad for even getting mad at the two earlier now. Natasha was a mess. They both were. And the fact that she had gotten annoyed at the redhead when she clearly needed to break off from this case was so unfair. She had been selfish, not being able to look past her own anger. When Natasha just a few days ago had literally talked to her about this exact topic.

Natasha was still shaking as she closed her eyes leaning back on the wall she had just crashed into, trying to collect herself as her shaking only got increasingly worse. It was hard to even focus on anything other than Natasha. Both the way she was moving, and breathing was so awful to look at and listen too, but impossible to look away from. She was so clearly in discomfort even if it wasn't physical pain.

Skye watched as the woman brought both her hands to her head coving her eyes with a small sigh trying to take a deep breath. Forcing her hands still by her head resulted in her legs starting to shake. And while the woman tried to calm down it was not a successful attempt. It anything it seemed to get worse. A lot worse.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay." Bobbi tried again this time moving even closer to the woman only a few inches from the redhead.

Even if Natasha was squeezed up against the wall right now, Skye knew very well that if Natasha, for some reason tried, or something triggered her to do so, she could snap Bobbi's neck in an instant. And if she did. None of them would be close enough, and not even remotely fast or strong enough to stop her.

While the present Natasha wasn't a fan of killing, the woman had not held back in the past. And while she normally always could control herself, always aiming to injure rather than kill, her training in the red room had made her instinct to always go for the fatal result and nothing in between. What the red room had done to her had always been Natasha's biggest fear as well as her biggest talent. And Skye was well aware that the scars were so deep and integrated into the woman's system, reflexes and instincts, a lot of the time not even she was aware of her own actions before the damage was done.

But still, Bobbi, who was too aware of how strong and very dangerous this action was, continued to move closer to the woman before finally touching the woman's face.

It was like the woman melted in front of them. The second Bobbi finally got to her the body shut off. Her eyes rolled back into her head and Bobbi had to physically throw herself forward to catch the woman before she ended up on the ground again.

"Shit" Skye watched as the blond in shock held around the now completely unconscious woman, scrambling with her hands to feel after her pulse.

"Her heart. It's dangerously fast." Bobbi turned to them with a look that screamed panic. "She is struggling to breathe. She needs oxygen." Bobbi continued, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible even though she sounded more desperate by the second.

"I'm getting Maria and Simmons." Skye turned around the second Clint ran off. Feeling compactly helpless at the moment. The woman could only stand there as Laura for the second time tried to move over to Bobbi to help her. She wasn't able to move a limb.

The blond held the woman still as Laura was now leaning over her inspecting the redhead. She could see the emotions in Laura's eyes as she held around the woman's face and neck trying to stabilize her head. "come on Nat. please." Laura whispered as the woman let out a small, chocked gasp.

The mother didn't turn around before they could hear Jemma, Maria and Clint run over to them. And it was then Skye saw how horrified Laura really was. She had seemed so calm but when she turned around her face was lit up in fear.

Clint was the first one by them and instead of going after Natasha he instead grabbed Laura dragging her into his arms and away from the redhead just before Maria and Jemma reached her seconds later.

"What the hell happened to her?" Maria fell to the ground but didn't get a reply before Jemma shoved what seemed like an Ambu mag into her hands. Maria looked back at Jemma for a second but still not getting an answer as the doctor focused her eyes on the woman in front of them instead of her.

"She is really struggling," Jemma whispered not moving from her spot only holding a hand on the redhead's chest as Maria tried to get the resuscitator going.

"Then why hell aren't you doing something?!" Clint snapped holding around Laura tightly as he looked horrified at the doctor.

Instead of replying, Jemma stayed silent letting them watch as Maria helped Natasha take the first deep breath. The gasp was desperate and her whole upper body arched in desperation when she finally seemed to get back her breath. With her whole body shaking in Bobbi's strong arms, they all watched as the woman continued to gasp.

"How are you even still alive?" Jemma mumbled as she slowly lifted the shirt away from the redhead's chest letting her hand rest on her body.

The comment made Sky's skin tighten. If Jemma was questioning the ability of the woman's body to keep her alive that could not be good at all.

She had finally stopped to gasp, and her body seemed to finally start to relax. Occasionally Skye could see her face twitch, but it seemed better. Or at least more stable than her previous gasping for oxygen.

"let's move her inside," Jemma said finally, lifting her hand from her chest and standing up slowly. Maria looked at her for a second before she slowly, hesitantly, moved then Ambu mag away from the redhead and followed Jemma's lead to stand up.

Thankfully Natasha's body seemed stable and strong enough to run on its own now. But clearly, Jemma already knew that.

Bobbi looked down at the woman on her lap before she carefully slipped her arm under her leg slowly lifting her up from the ground, standing up slowly.

As the blond carried Natasha away Skye looked at her in silence not even moving from her spot before Clint put a hand on her shoulder snapping her out of her trance.

She was shaking. She could feel her body shaking as she tried to force herself to follow them. She felt paralyzed.

The second they got inside, and Natasha settled on the big couch supported by Bobbi in her arms, they went directly to Shield.

"What the hell happened?!" it was May who picked up and her voice was already on edge as she leaned closer to the hologram. Clearly even before she had gotten a clear picture in front of her, she had known something was wrong. But the second her eyes landed on Natasha Skye watched her face change into a more scared look.

"Is that Natasha?!" Skye could hear Phil's stressed voice enter the call before he only a second later walked into the frame.

"We don't know. We weren't there, only Bobbi" Clint starter trying to get the conversation going clearly not wanting to have to look at Natasha's unconscious body for much longer.

"Morse?" May asked with both sharp and confused voice as she turned her head towards the Mockingbird.

"I don't know what happened." Bobbi started slowly letting her hand glide through the red hair. She had one hand on the redhead's chest to feel it rise and fall under her fingers while playing with her hair with the other. She didn't look up at May as she spoke. Only keeping her eyes at the redhead.

"We were training. And after putting away some equipment in the barn she just… something happened. It wasn't like last time when she seemed to get this vision. She just. Switched. She jumped at me. I… I threw her down on the ground with me. I thought it would snap her out of it. And if not, at least I could keep her down. But she got the upper hand before I even registered what happened. She was only a few seconds away from my neck before I kicked her off me into the wall." Bobbi whispered. This time she did lift her face to meet the group. But mainly she looked at Laura. Almost as she was apologizing.

"She attacked you?" Coulson asked looking at the woman who was now sleeping in the blonde's arms. His voice sounded like it was in unbelief.

"Well, she got scared of Laura too, so I guess we don't know what to expect anymore," Skye said with a half sarcastic voice earning a very sharp and angry look from all of the veteran agents.

"Hey, I'm just saying. It happened. I don't know what really happened back there, but it looked like she was genuinely scared of her." Skye said throwing a look at Laura who only nodded slowly. None of them replied to her. but Skye hadn't really expected them to.

After a very awkward minute of silence May finally broke it again. "How bad was it?" her voice was low, but Skye still noticed a lot more emotion in it than she had heard her use around in the bus. Both her voice and her face showed she was clearly very concerned, just like she had been when she had arrived at the farm earlier when Natasha had had the first episode.

"Bad. But she pushed through. As always. Sometimes part of me wonders how she does it. The other part wishes she didn't." Maria mumbled.

Skye felt her whole body stop for a second. What had Maria just said? Surely, she had heard that wrong. Or maybe her brain interpreted it wrong. She couldn't mean…?

She lifted her head to see a shocked face from May. She looked just as shocked as she felt. So, she hadn't heard wrong then. But that meant that Maria… "Maria how can you say that?! You know we-" the woman got cut off when Laura stood up. Her eyes were upset, and Skye watched as the tears pushed on her.

"I need to go." Laura turned around and even before she got out of the room the tears were streaming down her face. Skye turned in her seat so confused about what was going on. Natasha had said something back in the quinjet but…

"Well, I don't know what you were expecting Hill, but there you go!" May was already on her feet as if she was going to punch Maria through the hologram

"You know what I meant!" Maria was shaking in her chair.

"I am never letting you touch her ever again if that is the way you are going to treat her." May's voice was only a growl back and Skye could clearly see the anger in her eyes ride.

"Well, you weren't here feeling her heart beating out of her chest!" Maria screamed back when Clint finally raised his voice.

"We ALL know what you meant Maria and as much as I know she wished that upon herself that is not the answer. And I know you will never go there either, but I do not want to hear anyone mention anything like that ever. Even if part of me really agrees with you after witnessing this." Clint looked between the two women before they finally nodded.

"We just need to focus. So, we can find this man and stop whatever he is doing and end her suffering. Have I made myself clear?" Clint looked at all of them meeting Skye's eyes for a second forcing a nod out of her.