Chapter 4
“Good.” Fury says briskly. “We’ll set a course to the Triskelion and I expect we will be there in about a day or so. I’ll leave you to pack your things.”
“Wait! What do I tell my team?” What do I tell Grant?
“Tell them that you’re being transferred because of your 0-8-4 status and your relationship with Agent Ward so that I can keep my eye on you.”
Skye takes a shaky breath.
“If you can’t do it I can tell them.” Fury says in a surprisingly gentle voice. “The first lie is always the hardest but you’ll learn in time. It’ll get easier eventually.” He walks out of the room leaving Skye still sitting in the empty office.
Oh God, what have I just agreed to? She is hyperventilating in her seat. It’s the only way, you’re the only one who can do this. But I can’t, says the voice in the back of her head, I still can’t even shoot an ICER! Skye quickly squashes away her doubts. You can and you will. You have to.
The sound of shouting suddenly reaches her ears.
“Director I cannot let you do this!” Her heart throbs when she realizes its Coulson’s voice. Soon the rest of the team join in his protests. She can hear Fitzsimmons’s raised and slightly hysterical voices and even May’s. Everyone but Ward’s.
“My decision is final! Agent May, I have already set up coordinates for the drop off point. I will know if they are changed.” Fury’s voice booms through the whole BUS.
With rising trepidation Skye rises from her seat steps foot out of the office. She hopes that no one will see her for she can’t bear to see the look on their faces or hear them ask any questions. Because if she does, she knows that she wouldn’t be able to keep up with her cover story.
Xx Line breaker xX
When Skye and Fury walk off to Coulson’s office, Ward spins around to face the rest of the team.
“Sir, do you think he will really take her off the plane?”
“I don’t know.” Coulson answers honestly.
“As if we’ll let him.” May says in a voice seeping with anger before she storms off to another part of the plane.
“Why didn’t you tell me or Simmons that Skye is an 0-8-4?” Fitz asks quietly. Skye had wanted to tell them but Coulson had said that the less people know, the better. A part of her was upset at Coulson’s decision because the team rarely ever kept secrets from one another, but the other part (it was so small that you had to squint to see it) was relieved that she couldn’t tell them. Skye knew that Fitzsimmons are scientists’ intent on discovery and couldn’t help but worry if their next new discovery would be her. She was their perfect subject and the mere thought of them doing tests on her, no matter how innocent they may be, sent shivers down her spine. “It’s not that we’re bothered by it, it’s just I thought we didn’t keep secrets from each other.”
“We don’t Fitz,” Says Coulson, “But we had to for this. If anyone even thought that you knew something they would take you in for questioning. Skye wanted to tell you but I told her not to. It was too big of a risk.”
“It’s alright.” Simmons assures Coulson even though she is slightly hurt that she was not informed like everyone else. “Besides, I’m an awful liar so it was probably best.”
“You’re not terrible a liar.” Fitz says grudgingly.
“Fitz, at the HUB I tried stalling Agent Sitwell and I ended up complimenting him on his head.”
There is a long silence during which May returns to the lounge, Fitzsimmons fidget on the couch, Coulson stands stoically, and Ward paces back and forth. The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife.
“What is taking them so long?” Ward asks impatiently. “What are they talking about?”
No one knows the answers and in some ways they don’t want to know.
Finally after what feels like hours Fury steps out of the office. Everyone perks up from their positions.
“Director—“ Coulson starts. Fury holds up his hand.
“Skye is being transferred to the Triskelion.”
The uproar is immediate.
“Director, I cannot let you do this!” Coulson shouts.
“Please, Director Fury, sir,” Fitzsimmons desperately pleads together. “Couldn’t she just stay here on the BUS?”
“Sir, with all due respect, but we have been able to maintain control of the situation without you or the rest of SHIELD being involved.” May’s voice is icy. Not a good sign.
““My decision is final! Agent May, I have already set up coordinates for the drop off point. I will know if they are changed.”
“But why? Like Agent May said, we have had this under wraps.” Coulson asks.
“Due to Skye’s 0-8-4 status added to her relationship with Agent Ward I’m afraid I have no choice to transfer her. Her training will continue and her origins will remain classified but she needs to be observed directly by me to determine if she is an asset or a liability. I do seem to remember you,” Fury addresses Coulson, “That you claimed that this girl would prove to be a valuable asset to SHIELD. Now is the time for her to prove it. If she does manage to then you will be allowed to see her again.”
“Can we at least keep in contact with her?”
“I’m afraid not.” Simmons’s makes a noise from the back of her throat and May’s glare becomes harder. “I do not want her to have any distractions, least of all from all of you.”
As everyone else around him speaks, Ward is silent. He can feel the remnents of rage from the Berserker staff clawing up his stomach and throat begging to be released. Released on who? he does not know. Everything else is blurred and all he feels is cold and numb. No, he thinks, this can’t be true. She can’t be leaving, she can’t be leaving me. How did this even happen, how did Fury even find out about all this? Did someone tip him off? The only people that know Skye is an 0-8-4 are him, Coulson, and May. The same can be said about their relationship, plus Fitzsimmons. None of them would say anything. Was SHIELD watching us? He thinks suddenly paranoid. Was Fury watching us? And for how long?
He doesn’t want to believe any of this, not until he hears it come from her own lips. So he storms off to their bunk to find her. The sight that reaches his eyes is not assuring. Skye is sitting on their bed, hugging his pillow, struggling to keep the tears at bay with her bag of belongings next to her.
“Is it true?”
He only has to see the look in her eyes to know her answer. Words can’t seem to make their way out of his mouth so he just sits down on the bed next to Skye and embraces her. The dam breaks and she’s crying silent tears into his chest.
“Fury says that once it’s all over we can see each other again.” He says lightly against her neck, more so for her sake than his.
And she sobs harder because Grant has no idea. No idea what she is about to walk into and no idea that she is doing it all because she loves him.
Wait a minute. Love?
Do I love him? I know I love the team but do I love love Grant? I’m doing all of this for him so I have to love him. Of course I feel something for him but is it love? Does he feel the same? Can I even say it aloud since I’m leaving? Is it even fair to leave him waiting for me? No, I can’t say it. It wouldn’t be fair to either of us. It would hurt too much.
After a few minutes of silence, and the faint sounds of Skye’s sobs, she eventually breaks away.
“I, um, I should get ready.” Her voice, she notices, is shaky. “Fury said that we should reach the Triskelion tomorrow.”
“Skye,” Grant says quietly, “I can’t just—“
“You can’t what?”
“I can’t just let you leave, Skye!” He is running his hands through his hair. “You’re the only person I’ve ever—that I’ve ever let—“
“Grant,” Skye knows exactly where this is going and she is dreading it.
“Skye, I l—“
“Skye,” Simmons appears in the doorway. “Everyone is looking for you in the lounge.” She holds back her tears in hopes of being strong for her friend.
“Um, okay.” Giving one last (she hopes its not their last) look towards Ward she takes a deep breath and walks towards the lounge area. Even though it is less than twenty feet away, it feels like a lifetime until she sees the faces of the rest of her team members. Fitz is wringing his hands, Coulson is sitting with his head in his hands staring blankly, and May’s stance is even more stiff and rigid.
“There you are.” Fury’s voice is businesslike. “Course has just been set. You will arrive there tomorrow at approximately seven in the morning. If you will excuse me, I have other business that needs taking care of.” With a swish of his black coat he turns to the ladder leading to the jet on top of the BUS. After a couple minutes (which are filled with silence) the sound of the jet can be heard before the BUS gives a shudder from finally being relieved of its extra weight.
“I guess we won’t be seeing a lot of each other now.” Skye says lightly in hopes of lightening the ever dreary mood.
“Why didn’t you tell us you are an 0-8-4?” Fitz asks quietly once again.
“Fitz, we’ve already been over this.” Coulson’s voice is tired. Turning to Skye he says, “And I’m sorry that I told you not to tell Fitzsimmons.”
“It’s alright.” There is another period of silence. Skye can’t help but think that they’ve been having a lot of those since Fury delivered the news.
Suddenly an angry voice rings through the quiet room. “This isn’t right!” Everyone turns to find the source of the voice coming from May.
“How can Fury take you away like this? He doesn’t even have the right to, you are technically not an agent and therefore not he shouldn’t be able to order you to do anything!” May is seething. Everyone had noticed that May and Skye had gotten closer over the last few weeks but no one had expected May to lose her control. “God, how did he even find out that you’re an 0-8-4! Fitzsimmons didn’t know so how did he?”
“I don’t know, Mel.” Coulson responds.
“Has he been watching us?” Ward asks. “And if so, for how long?”
“Everything on this plane is secure.” Fitz says. “Even the director couldn’t have been keeping surveillance on us without us knowing.”
“We can’t let him take you, Skye.” Simmons joins in. “Like Agent May said, he simply does not have the jurisdiction!”
Knots begin to form in Skye’s chest. Her team, her family, are so heartbroken at her having to leave. If she could have it any other way, she would but she can’t.
“I have to go.” Skye gives an inward cringe. “If I don’t, then that will cause more trouble for the rest of you.” It wasn’t a complete lie, she tells herself, if I don’t leave than they will be in danger of all the inside Hydra agents.
“But Skye—“
“Please, just drop it. What’s done is done. Can we just do something normal, like have a movie night? I don’t know about all of you but I don’t want to spend my last night here moping.”
Knowing that he won’t win Coulson concedes with a reluctant, “Okay.” He gets up and puts a hand on Skye’s shoulder. “But this will not be your last night here with us, I can promise you that.” Skye nods, too afraid of what her voice will sound like.
Ward gently guides Skye toward the couches. “So what movie will it be tonight?”
“Anything but Simmons’ documentaries.” May says.
“Now May,” Simmons says as if May had committed something scandalous. “I’ll have you know that it’s rather important to know how to perform lobotomies, especially when in the situa—“
The rest of the team chuckle to themselves and proceed with the night’s plans. As the team gathers around the couches, they turn on the movie that Skye and Ward had been watching just before Fury had come aboard. With the rest of her team surrounding her watching the movie, Fitz munching on his pretzels with Simmons occasionally taking a handful, and her head in Grant’s shoulder, Skye almost thinks that it’s just another normal day. But it isn’t, she reminds herself. This is the end of normality and the start of a dangerous game in which she can only hope she will win.