Now I'm here blinking in the starlight...Now I'm here suddenly I see
The baby had fallen back to sleep with Coulson, and take off was easier than they had expected. After changing Skye headed back in to his office to assist with the paperwork, and also because she felt the need to be near the baby. Coulson himself felt the same, and would accept anytime that he got to spend alone with Skye. He sat on his couch in the office while cuddling the baby and Skye worked quietly at his desk.
He had always wanted a baby, Audrey and he had talked about it once or twice. He knew however, with his line of work, it was nearly impossible to secure a safe life for his family, and then he died. He died and any dream of a family he once had, had been taken from him and changed. He moved on and forward, and found Skye and his team. And now here he was contemplating what it would be like to have a family with the extremely much younger, and beautiful woman sitting in his desk chair, tapping away on her laptop. He couldn’t image how the future would be with her, and he couldn’t imagine the future without her.
He watched the baby’s eyes flutter open, and felt the smile stretch across his face as he gazed in to her eyes. The blue of her eyes made Coulson feel like he was floating, floating contently on a cloud, contently in a blue atmosphere with nothing to fear. He thought to himself, this is how I imagine being deeply in love would feel. It was much different from the feeling he felt when he gazed in to Skye’s deep brown eyes. Her eyes made him feel like he could be a hero, an Avenger, like he could lift mountains for her, and he honestly felt like he would if he needed to. He often thinks back to the day he found her covered in her own blood barely holding on to life. He knew he never ever wanted to see her that way, and would do all he can to protect her.
Coulson had lost himself in his thoughts, the baby didn’t seem to mind, keeping eye contact with Coulson. Skye had heard the little coos coming from the girl, and had looked up from the laptop to the pair sitting on the couch. She watched as Coulson moved the child in front of him so he could watch her face. Skye watched as he held the girl, and sat looking into her eyes, and the smile that was growing. Coulson looked so natural, so comfortable as if he had always had this child in his life. Skye watched and found herself wondering how Coulson would be as a father. She, of all people, knew how hard it was not growing up with a family, not having a father figure around. She also knew Coulson knew the same feeling, his mom raising him, and the missing father figure. When she first met Coulson, she saw how he was with Fitz and Simmons, a parent who hadn’t had a lot of parental experience, but with her she never saw him as a father figure. His eyes were too kind, and yet made her feel like her skin was going to combust in to flames all the time. Any chance she got to touch his skin she would take, any chance she got to be near him, work with him, she would take. The thing with Miles, that was nothing to her, the thing with Ward, was maybe her just working out her feelings for Coulson and not wanting to admit it. But now, now was the time she thinks she will actually listen to her heart.
She watches Coulson and the baby’s exchange, a smile had formed on the little girls face to match the one on Coulson’s. She watches as the baby reaches her chubby little hand to touch Coulson’s cheek, and she watches as he leans his face into the little touch and places a small kiss on the baby’s arm. The stubble on Coulson’s face must have tickled the child, as she starts to giggle. The giggle is so contagious that Coulson starts to laugh. This scene makes Skye smile and laugh along.
She gets up from Coulson’s desk and walks over to the couch where they are seated, and sits with one knee tucked under her and her leg touching Coulson. The baby pulls her hand away from Coulson and reaches towards Skye, grabbing for her cheeks and lips, and coos.
Coulson gives up the baby unwillingly to Skye with a laugh and a pouting face. The little girl notices and while one hand is on Skye’s face the other reaches for Coulson.
“She has had such a traumatic experience, I’m so surprised she is this okay with strangers.” Skye said.
Maybe we aren’t strangers but that wouldn’t make sense, we have never seen this baby before, Coulson thinks. “Well given the circumstances, I think you did a great job so far making her feel like she is safe and doesn’t have anything to fear right now.”
“Phil, I haven’t done that much, really. While I was working, I was trying to figure out what we should do with her and this is going to sound weird but I can’t think about letting her go. I have only known her for minutes, and there is just something about her that makes me feel like…and this is so weird… like I have always known her.” Skye confessed to Coulson. The baby who had let go of their faces made a giggling noise and a clapping motion with her hand. Skye held on to the little wrists and helped the baby clap. The sound and motion causing more laughter. The baby pointed at Coulson and attempted to clap again. “I think she wants you to clap with her.”
When Coulson clapped the baby smiled. “You know Skye, I don’t think any of that is weird. When you were working and she was sleeping, I couldn’t help myself from thinking about always having her around. I know that’s insane and we really in no way could keep her but I thought to myself what if we could. I guess it’s just more wishful thinking. We are going to need to come up with more reasonable solutions when we get back to the base.”
_
They arrived back at the Playground and Billy was already waiting for them in the bay. “Welcome back Sir. Agent Simmons advised me there was going to be a small guest joining us and we will need some supplies, so I have everything ready.” Coulson nodded, and looked back at Skye who was carrying the baby, Simmons and Fitz were walking with her, Fitz making monkey faces. May was behind still working in the Bus.
“Thank you Agent Koenig. I’m sure she’s hungry, we didn’t have much for her on the plane. Skye, she should eat, you should go feed her.” Skye nodded and walked off toward the kitchen. Fitz and Simmons walked their direction to their bunks. Coulson walked to his own bunk and dropped his and Skye’s bag inside. He wasn’t alone for very long but he started to feel empty without the baby nearby, so he decided to join Skye in the kitchen.
The rest of the team tucked themselves away, and the base seemed quiet and sleepy. Skye was holding the baby on one of the chairs and a jar of baby food was on the table in front of them. Coulson stepped in to the kitchen and the baby noticed him before Skye did. “Mmmm…is that good?” Coulson cooed to the baby noticing the baby food on her cheeks and chin.
She immediately smiled and looked at Skye. “This angle is a lot harder than I expected it to be. Billy didn’t get a highchair but did get us good supplies. Even got her a pack and play for her sleep in. If you are going to be in here, you are either going to feed her or hold her so I can feed her or not make a bigger mess.”
“I can feed her, here, give me the spoon.” Skye handed over the spoon and pushed the jar closer to where Coulson sat down. She moved her body so she was angled better towards him, their knees brushing. They worked together and fed the baby. “Did he get her some clothes, this t-shirt will not be good for her to sleep in, and shes going to need a new diaper?” He asked while putting the last spoonful in the babys mouth.
“Yup, I had him put the stuff in my room, I figured she would be comfortable with me, since she has already spent time and has gotten familiar with me. And I really didn’t want her away from me tonight.” She said while wiping the smeared food off of the babys face, the little girls hands grabbing at Skyes cheeks and lips.
“Oh, yeah. Sure. Would you like some help getting her ready for bed?” They both stood up, Coulson noticed a little baby food on Skyes cheek near her lip, “Here, let me get this for you.” He said touching his thumb to her cheek and lingered, he felt the softness of the corner of her lips and instantly wondered how it would feel to kiss them. He snapped out of his thought and pulled his hand away.
“Thank you, she must have had some on her hands.” Skye reached for the cloth and wiped the little girls hand. “You are a messy little one, aren’t you?” She cooed. The girl smiled and giggled but let out a yawn. “Would you like to help me get her ready for bed?”
“Of course.” And they walked to her room together.
_
Billy had setup the pack and play in an open area close to Skyes bed, and had laid the bag of diapers and clothes and blankets on her bed. They worked together to strip the oversized shirt and makeshift diaper off, and both reached for the diaper at the same time. Their hands touched, and they both looked at each other. Skye could feel the blush creeping up on her cheeks, “Have you ever put a diaper on a baby?”
“No, there was never really infants around growing up, and with this job it’s close to rare we have to deal with this type of thing. “
“Well, tonight is your lucky night. I used to help the nuns all the time with the babies, I will teach you the tricks of diaper changery.” Skye smiled and he took the diaper. She talked him through what to do and he took direction with a hitch. “Billy picked out the cutest little sleepwear. What do we want to sleep in hmm?” She asked to Coulson and the baby while holding up two sleeper onesies. One was pink with moons and stars on it and the other was light purple and had Captains shield all over it and on the butt.
“I think that should go without question, Captain all the way.” Coulson said grabbing it from Skye. The baby smiled and Skye let him take the reins in dressing her. She watched his movements, and watched how the baby responded to him. He finished and the little girl reached her arms up to him. He scooped her off the bed and she tucked her head in the nook of his shoulder, her little hands grabbing hold of his shirt and closed her eyes. Coulson nodded to Skye, and she tried to take the baby from him, but the little girl held on tight to Coulson’s shirt and made a whimper.
“Shhh… Hey I will just stay until she is asleep.” She nodded sat down on her bed, back leaning against the headboard. She patted the open space next to her and Coulson sat down and laid back. She rolled to her side so she could see the baby, and propped her head up on her hand. The other hand reached out and touched the little girls chubby fingers, which were still holding on to his shirt.
“She is so beautiful, and innocent. We are lucky the DWARF picked up on her, who knows who would have found her, if she would have been found at all under that pile.” Skye whispered, the little girl let go of Coulson and grabbed Skyes finger.
“Well she was found, and she was found by us. We can talk about her future tomorrow.” Skye nodded and smiled at Coulson.
“I think we should keep her.” Her whisper getting thick with sleep. Coulson looked over and saw that Skye had drifted to sleep. His thoughts started to run and he started to think of all the possibilities. I wish there was a we, and I wish that that we could keep her and keep her safe. Could it be possible? There are so many of us at the base that there would always be someone to watch her. However, its so dangerous, how can I possibly keep her safe? I know I would do everything in my power…just like I do for Skye, and the rest of the team. And Skye, she would help, and Fitzsimmons, and May. It would be like having our own little family. If we keep her, we can’t keep calling her Her. He looked at the sleeping figure on his chest, her little mouth parted open, her hand still holding on to Skyes finger. I shouldn’t get our hopes up, maybe she has her own family out there worried about her. He felt a pull of jealousy, and sleepiness come over him. He felt his eyes drift close as sleep won.