Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

May was walking past daisy's room in the crew quarters to get to the cockpit of the Bus. she rested her hand on the wall, knocked softly, waited for the hum of approval, and peeked her head in. She did this quite often. Most times no words were exchanged. May would just lean on the frame of the door and smile warmly for a short minute while she checked on her babies. Mays presence was comforting to every one of her kids. There was no such thing as awkward silence for them. Daisey flashed a smile and continued working on her art. Any time she wasn't hacking, Daisey had her sketch book opened and had an arrangement of every pencil you can think of plus that little deformed grey eraser.

Daisey let out a sigh and gently ripped out pages from her book. She tipped the small metal trashcan towards herself using her foot and tossed the pages in. May's face fell. This time she walked over and moved the hair out of daisy's face. She gently held her chin, stoking her cheek with her thumb before exiting and continuing to the front of the plane.

When everything was situated at the front and there was nothing left for her to do May went to find Coulson to update him on the flight progress. Passing by Daisys room again she noticed daisy wasn't in there anymore. May took the opportunity to reach into the trash and pick out the page's daisy had tossed earlier. They were unbelievable. May's favorite one was a beautifully detailed sketch of a young Sky sitting at a table, in the lab of the Bus, in-between Fitz and Simmons. She captured their emotions perfectly. They all looked so young and warm and happy, Laughing without a care in the world. This had to have been a memory from one of her first days on the plane. She collected the papers and left.

A week later Daisey went to look for may in the cockpit of the plane. She didn't find her in there because May was actually sitting at the bar with Bobbi and Coulson sharing stories with each other from their days at the academy. Instead, Daisey saw her art taped up around Mays workspace. She reached out to rub her finger on the paper making it feel more real. Tears started to well in her eyes. She knew she had a family here with SHIELD now and she had somebody to call her mother, but she finally got an overwhelming rushing feeling that took over and filled every hole in her heart or any feeling of unworthiness. The point of no return was crossed. there would be no more holding her breath hoping that she wouldn't mess this up and be sent away to live on her own again. This was it. This was home. This was permanent.

Chapter Text

It all happened so fast. How could she have miscalculated. She was a specialist for Christ's sake, trained to be observant, act fast, take out the threats. ALL OF THEM. But here she was on the ground cradling Daisy on her lap, screaming for Simmons. There had been four men not three. Granted he was well hidden but that wasn't an excuse. She messed up and now daisy was bleeding out fast.

May and daisy were clearing the floor of a building. She swung open the door and took out all THREE men with ease. She pushed the rest of the way into the room, when a fourth man sprung out from behind an old, deteriorating desk. He wasn't pointing the gun at daisy when he shot, but that's who the bullet hit. Daisy was following may into the room but still out of the shooters line of sight. she saw him before he was even fully standing. She shoved may to the ground as hard as she could, loosing balance and slightly falling forward herself. The bullet struck her thigh. From the floor may spun around and shot the sun of a gun in the head. before dropping the gun and tending to daisy.

Mays hands were shaking uncontrollably, but her face was calm. Her screams were desperate but clear and she was begging for Simmons, Coulson, ANYONE to help. She sat on her knees her hands dark red and bloodied, one holding pressure to the wound and one stroking Daisys hair from her face leaving smears of blood across her forehead. Simmons followed by Coulson rushed to her side. Jemma immediately began treating the wound. May pulled Daisys upper body closer to her own cradling Daisys head under hers gently rubbing her hand against Daisy's cheek and her thumb across her face whispering to her.

Her tone was somehow warm yet stern simultaneously. Filled with concern and love. "Daisy, don't you dare leave us. Stay with me honey. Come on. Come on Dais, your gunna be ok. Were gunna be ok Jemmas here, I'm here. Daisy open your eyes, that's it, keep them open for me hun. Daisy, please! eyes open! Dais.. For a minute May could have sworn that daisy was crying only to realize it was her own tears landing on her face. Cradling her head, May wiped them away and ran her hands through Daisy's hair, providing comfort just in case, in case she was still there, somehow still conscious.

The med team arrived. Jemma was informing them at a rapid pace, of the injury she sustained and what damage she could find from her own evaluation. May jumped when a pair of cold hands touched her back and startled her. she was beginning to hyperventilate but Coulson brought his lips to her ear. "hey, Mel, you have to let them have her." Mays voice barely a whisper murmuring no as she shook her head. Coulson put a hand around her shoulder and she looked up at him. He could see her eyes red and puffy, lips shaking, cheeks stained with tears, and the small patches of smeared blood may had on her own face from anytime she wiped sweat from her brow or moved her hair from her eyes. He hadn't seen her like this since..

Looking back at the med team she gave a nod of approval and she let them lift daisy from her arms. Her heart was tearing more and more the less she could feel daisy's weight in her arms. they just took her baby from her and now daisy was going to be alone on some helicopter with an unfamiliar team, without her mother by her side. they laid daisy on the stretcher and may collapsed into Coulson's arms. she couldn't breathe. A panic attack hit her like a ton of bricks. Coulson tried his best but there wasn't anything he could do but hold her while she was shaking in his arms. "Its my fault. It was supposed to be me. I should have seen him. Now she's.. and i-" she was sobbing while Coulson tried to hush her and comfort her and reassure her that it wasn't her fault and that daisy SAVED her. But he knew, she was reliving bahrain.