Chapter Text
“There was still dust in the air when the SHIELD jet arrived on a small island off the coast of Asia. Agent Phil Coulson and his partner Agent Melinda May had been sent out and told only that there was a report of an 0-8-4 in the area. Fury believed they had reason to assume that the 0-8-4 caused the earthquake that devastated the island. Luckily, very few people lived on the island, and all of them had been able to escape the carnage. Coulson and May had been the closest agents, breaking up an illegal trading ring in the Australian Desert, and had been the lucky ones dispatched to take care of the situation.
“Do we know where the epicenter is located?” Coulson asked as he and Melinda disembarked. His wife looked at him over her shoulder.
“Three kilometers southwest, still no exact cause for the earthquake.” Without waiting for her husband to reply, Melinda moved off in the direction of the epicenter, where they would begin their search. Coulson bit back a smile as he followed his wife. It had taken them a long time to get to where they are now, able to adequately separate their personal lives from their professional lives, and he didn’t want to ruin that because he couldn’t help but think his wife was gorgeous when she was in her element. Her intensity was one of the things he loved the most about her.
Silently, Coulson followed his partner. She kept her body facing forward, looking for any immediate threats while Coulson looked all around to make sure there wasn’t anyone sneaking up behind them or coming in from the side. They made it to sight without any trouble but both pause on the edge of the damage, taking stock.
The dust had settled, leaving only crumbled buildings and cracked sidewalks in the wake of the destructive force of the earth shaking. Silence coated the area as they both took stock in the situation. A faint noise drew May’s attention to the southern end of town. She strained her ears to hear better, silently following the noise.
“May?” Coulson asked before the sound registered in his ears as he followed his wife across the broken streets. May’s pace quickened as they neared the sound, acting on instinct once she realized that there is only one thing she knew of that would draw her attention like that. She’d always had a bit of a soft spot for children. Coulson kept pace behind her, noticing that May was barely touching the ground as she ran towards the sound.
The sound came from a nearly destroyed building on the edge of town. May barely paused to take in the damage before leaping over what was left of the foundation and crashing through the rubble. With only her instincts to guide her, May found the source of the cries faster than Coulson thought possible. By the time he caught up to his wife, May was already holding the wailing child in her arms. “What is going on?”
May briefly glanced up from the baby in her arms to see her husband standing beside her, clearly flummoxed and holding his hands on his hips as he processed the scene. It made no sense for the entire town to be virtually destroyed but this one child, this baby girl survived.
“She’s the 084.” Coulson said softly.
“She’s just a child.” May answered him, her eyes locking on the deep brown irises of the girl in her arms. Something in her chest tightened and released. When their eyes met, May couldn’t explain how she did, but she just knew.
The memory clouds May’s mind without conscious thought. She supposes she should have expected it to come forward. That day had changed everything for her. Everything in her life shifted the moment she looked into that child’s eyes, nothing mattered except for her. She was officially hers and Coulson’s within the week.
Skylar Daisy MayCoulson, they had kept her middle name Daisy after finding it etched onto the corner of the blanket she had been wrapped in. Once Skye had gotten older, right after she joined the Academy, she combined her last names to Mayson, allowing for a faster and easier recognition. Skye had been everything May didn’t realize she had needed in life.
And now her life was hanging in the balance.
She watched Simmons walk away, her hands trembling at her sides, after informing them that they would need to be at the nearest medical facility as soon as possible. Fitz followed her, the best comfort she would find since the arms she normally would run to were currently lifeless and cold in the hyperbolic chamber. May’s heart broke for the woman she knew meant so much to her daughter, for the woman who couldn’t show exactly how much this whole situation was destroying her because of their orders.
Her daughter was dying and May couldn’t even react the way she wanted. Fury hadn’t released them from their gag order yet, as pointless as it may be, since Skye was technically still undercover. She wasn’t an agent right now, Skye was an orphan, hacker who had managed to make it onto SHIELD’s radar. She wasn’t an agent. She wasn’t May’s only child.
But she was
Phil kept his eyes on his wife, not seeing any sign of her internal turmoil but knowing it was there nevertheless. He always knew when it came to his family. He yearned to go sit by his daughter’s bedside, to watch her chest rise and fall as she took a breath, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t look at his daughter, his world, with two gaping bullet wounds in her stomach and covered in her own blood. The thought alone had him swallowing back the bile that rose in his throat.
So, instead of following Ward into the room currently housing Skye, Coulson followed his wife into the cockpit of the plane. He watched her get the plane moving, calling the nearest medical center and telling them to be ready. He didn’t bother trying to tell Melinda that everything would be alright, because he wasn’t sure it would be. Their whole world, his whole world, had a hole in her stomach, and he wasn’t sure he would ever get that image out of his brain.
They sat in silence, for almost the entire flight. Coulson knew Jemma, sweet, kind, caring Jemma was wracking her brain to try and figure out how to save Skye, he was too. The difference was that Jemma wouldn’t be able to think straight. Jemma wouldn’t focus because she would still feel Skye’s blood on her hands, would be replaying everything that had happened in her mind, over and over again. Fitz would stand beside her, hug her, let her cry but she wouldn’t be truly comforted until Skye opened her eyes. Jemma would be wracking her brain on how to save Skye, her Skye, because Coulson knew that his daughter had been Jemma’s from the moment he saw them together, seven years ago on their first holiday from SHIELD Academy. From that day on, he knew that Skye was Jemma’s just as Jemma was Skye’s, and that knowledge had never bothered him until today.
Because if he loses one daughter, he’ll lose both.
Jemma would lose herself without Skye. She would recover, of course, but she would never be the same. None of them would be.
Jemma wracked her brain trying to save Skye. Coulson was trying to save everyone else.
You need to call her family.
The words rang in Jemma’s head, loud and repetitive. She watched everyone’s face fall at the news, saw May clench her fists, heard Fitz fighting his tears, waited for Ward to punch something in anger, and Coulson lose almost all his strength. She could see it in each of them, but she couldn’t stand to look. May’s gaze turned to her and Jemma couldn’t even act surprised at the show of emotion in her eyes. If there was one thing Jemma knew that could break May’s stoic demeanor, it was her daughter.
Jemma had watched the struggle since the moment Skye stepped on the plane. Her own heart had leapt out of her chest at the sight of Skye, but May had only be able to brush past them silently. Skye, of course, later told Jemma that it was going to be hard on all of them, Skye had been ordered to keep her cover. Jemma had nodded and fell into Skye’s embrace, knowing that May, the closet thing Jemma had to a mother since moving to America, May who felt everything so much more than anyone else and never showed it, May who had watched her husband die and her daughter disappear, would be struggling just as much as Jemma would.
Jemma’s own struggle with hiding her emotions had followed her around daily. When she had woken up alone in their shared bed so many months ago, after the Battle of New York, Jemma had known with certainty that the next time they saw one another, Jemma would never willingly let her go again. She couldn’t, Skye, after seven years Jemma knew, was the love of her life, the only one she would ever feel so strongly about. The only person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Hiding the fact that Jemma was hopelessly in love with Skye was impossible. She did a poor job of hiding her emotions, she is fully aware of that. Coulson, May and even Fitz had silently berated her each time her gaze lingered on Skye for two long, or she brushed against Skye in a little too familiar manner. Skye scolded her too, later on when they snuck into one another’s bunks long after everyone else had called lights out. Although, Skye’s lectures normally involved cuddles and sleepy kisses to Jemma’s neck and forehead.
May storming out of the room drew Jemma from her thoughts. Jemma could tell by her demeanor that following May would not be in her best interest. She let Coulson handle his wife, instead keeping her own gaze forward, staring blankly ahead as her mind drew pictures of her and Skye, everything they had done together over the last seven years, everything they still wanted to do. The ring that was waiting for them right time back on the Bus, hiding with all of the science books that she knew Skye would never touch. She had been in possession of the ring for nearly a year now, just waiting to ask the question.
“Simmons, get her ready for transport.” Coulson ordered as he moved to follow his wife.
“Sir,” Jemma began to protest.
“I know, I know. I have to do this Jemma, if those doctors can bring me back from the dead they can sure as hell save my daughter.” He didn’t wait for Jemma or either of the boys to speak before walking out of the room.
“What’s he talking about?” Ward asked but received no answer from Jemma or Fitz as they both went to retrieve Skye. “His daughter?”
They were in the air quickly, ushering Skye to the medical bay and making sure she was properly hooked up to all the various machines Jemma would be using to monitor her. Coulson stepped out of the room almost as soon as she was situated and Fitz followed shortly after. Ward was tending to the two agents who had boarded their plane to retrieve Ian Quinn. Jemma was glad to be rid of the monster who had done this to her love.
“Hey,” Jemma whispered once she was sure they were alone. “You’re in pretty bad shape, Skye. But that’s okay, you know I won’t give you up, not without a fight. I can’t lose you now, not after I just got you back. I promised you and myself that I wouldn’t let you walk away from me again. We’ve done a lot together Skye, but there’s still so much more I want to experience with you, only with you. So I need you to fight, Skye. I need you to fight to come back to me.” Jemma pressed a soft kiss against Skye’s temple and then another. “I love you, Skye, so much.”
Skye didn’t respond to her words, Jemma knew she wouldn’t. She just couldn’t keep herself from speaking anyway. Skye once said that she loved the sound of Jemma’s voice, of course she hadn’t meant to say that out loud and had been exceedingly embarrassed at the time but Jemma kept that knowledge close to her heart.
“Simmons, we need you in the lab.” Coulson’s voice rang out from the speakers.
“Don’t you dare give up on me.” Jemma brushed the hair off of Skye’s face gently and kissed her again. “I love you.”
She left the medical bay, completely ignorant of the tall, dark haired agent who watched the entire scene with a frown marring his features.
“Look, I don’t care about your ranks or clearance level.” Coulson spoke in a firm voice to FitzSimmons. “The answer to saving Skye, my daughter, is in this folder. I know the both of you want to help her.”
“Of course, I want to help her!” Simmons spoke up. “Phil, you know what that place did to you, do you really want to put Skye though that pain?” Even after the slight skimming she had done while the three of them argued showed her that what they had done to Phil was diabolical.
“Jemma,” Phil said and at this moment they weren’t two agents, or an agent and her superior officer. They were two people who loved a dying girl with all they had. Phil was a father, Jemma was a girlfriend. “Please, I don’t want – I can’t lose her.”
“Do you think I can? Do you think my whole world isn’t tilted incorrectly because she isn’t standing beside me right now?” Jemma took a deep breath to steady herself, her hand clenching with the desire to hold Skye’s.
“I know it is, and that’s why I know you’ll do this.” With that, Phil left the room trusting his daughters’ girlfriend to figure out how to save her.
She had yet to fail him, he knew she wouldn’t now.
“Mom, Dad, please. I have everything that I’ll need, I promise. And home is like, two hours away so I can be there in a flash. Stop smothering me.” Voices floated to Jemma from the other side of the partially open door to her new room. She had a box in her arms and a bag slung over her shoulder but couldn’t bring herself to enter the room just yet. Two laughs, one male and one female, followed the good-natured complaining before the female spoke up.
“We just want to make sure you have everything. We’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you guys too, but my roommate will be here soon and I’d really like to not scare her off with my overbearing parents.”
“Alright, alright we’re going.” Jemma backed away from the door as it was pulled all the way open. A couple stepped out, followed by a shorter girl who Jemma assumed was her new roommate. She averted her gaze from the family as they said their goodbyes and then steeled herself before entering the room.
Lucking the other girl hadn’t pushed the door all the way closed so Jemma didn’t have to struggle with the door too much.
“Oh, here let me help you with that.” Jemma allowed the box to be pulled from her arms as her new roommate smiled at her. Jemma tried to form an articulate response but was so struck by the beauty of her new roommate that all that came out was a long ramble of stutters and thanks. “Don’t worry about it. I’m Skye.” The girl held her hand out for a shake.
“Jemma.” The Brit finally found her voice and introduced herself. They grasped hands and smiled at one another. That was the day everything changed.
Jemma pushed on Skye’s chest, counting out the repetitions for CPR and barking orders at Trip. Skye coded again and it was all Jemma could do to keep her heart beating. Coulson and taken Ward and Fitz off to find some miracle drug, GH-23, in the hopes that it could once again pull a member of MayCoulson family back from death. Jemma thought back to the words she and Trip had exchange before Skye began to crash.
You can’t imagine your life without her.
Although Jemma had been lying about how long she had known Skye, the fact that she knew her life would never be the same was true. Skye had changed her life from the moment they met, when a simple handshake had turned her world sideways. It had yet to flip back around, even during those months when Skye was undercover, Jemma was sure it would never be balanced in quite the same way again.
“C’mon, baby, please.” Jemma didn’t mean to say the words, whisper them as she continued her repetitions of CPR. She shouldn’t have said them, she knows that, because Skye is still technically undercover, but damn it she just couldn’t hold it in. Skye, her Skye, the love of her life was dying beneath her hands, slipping into oblivion. Jemma felt her own heart break with each forced pump of Skye’s.
Ward rushed in, followed quickly by Fitz and Garret, and thrust a vile at Jemma. Trip took over CPR while Jemma plugged the medicine into Skye’s I.V. Coulson came rushing in a few moments later as the plane took off.
“Don’t give it to her!”
“I was already losing her.” Jemma didn’t fight the tears rolling down her cheeks as Trip stopped the compressions and everyone turned their attention to the screen displaying Skye’s vitals. They began to rise. “It’s working.” Jemma almost released a sigh of relief but stopped short when Skye’s vitals spiked and her back arched off the bed. “Baby, please.” The desperate plea escaped her lips as Jemma smoothed back Skye’s hair with one hand, waiting for the thrashing to stop.
Just as quickly as they spiked, Skye’s vitals calmed and she settled back on the bed. Jemma let out an audible cry as she leant over and kissed Skye’s forehead. She whispered something that the others couldn’t make out before kissing Skye again and then rising. She turned to look at Coulson first.
“It’ll be a few hours before she wakes up.” Jemma said. “I’ll monitor her until then.” Phil nodded once and turned to leave the medical bay. He led Garret to a beaten and bloody Ian Quinn, eager to be rid of the bastard who nearly killed his daughter.
Once Quinn was taken care of, Coulson made his way to the cockpit. May had the plane set on autopilot as she stared straight ahead. Coulson reached for her slowly, placing a hand on her shoulder.
“She’ll be okay.” He said softly. May, in a move that would have been surprising to anyone except the man who had been married to her for over twenty years, removed herself from her seat and collapsed into his arms. She sobbed into her husband’s chest, finally releasing all of her pent-up emotions with the knowledge that her daughter would be all right.