Their little star

Melinda

Seeing how tears starts to build up in Skye’s eyes, Melinda surprises herself by grabbing the young woman’s arm and pulls her into a hug. Skye grabbing hold of Melinda like her life depends on it.

“Shhh, I got you, I got you.”

Melinda tells her in a low voice, trying to calm the crying girl. Looking around herself, her eyes lands on a hoody that has been placed on the seats to the side. Carefully releasing the hug, she grabs the hoody and leads Skye over to one of the SUV’s. Opening the car door, Melinda let’s Skye enter the before she follows, closing the door behind her.

The moment the car door is closed, Skye leans on Melinda once more, making Melinda lay an arm around her shoulders. Letting the young woman cry out, she starts to comb through Skye’s hair, an action that used to calm her down when she was little and she is happy to see it still helps.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Melinda asks once Skye is calm enough.

“I didn’t know how, and I was scared I haven’t turned out what you or Coulson would think about me. And I can see neither of you are the same, something has change and..."

Skye starts to explain, working herself up in the process. Taking hold of her hand, Melinda moves so she can look Skye in the eyes.

“Hey, hey. Look at me, follow my breathing alright. Just do what I do.”

She instructs and after a minute, Skye calms down once more, making Melinda pull her into a hug once more.

“We would never be disappointed in...”

She starts to say, only to stop herself when she realises what Skye said before freaking out.

“Phil? Why would you be worried about what Phil thinks?”

She asks and Skye lifts her head to look at her.

“He never... of course he never told you.”

Skye says in a low voice, which makes Melinda wonder just how much she has missed during the years.

“After they moved me from you, they placed me with Phil.”

She explains, making Melinda shakes her head. She should have known, deep down she should have seen it coming, if Fury forced her to take care of a kid, of course he would put Phil through it too. And Skye’s life was still in danger even if they moved her from Melinda.

“We need to tell him.”

At her comment, she can feel how Skye freeze in her arms, not an action she was expecting to happen.

“No, no we can’t... he... I...”

She tries to get a word out, not fully able to come up with what to say.

“Xiǎo xīngxīng, calm down.”

Using the old nickname makes Skye calm down slightly and Melinda tries once more.

“We really should tell him, he has a right to know.”

She says, hopping this will make things easier for the young woman in her arms.

“I tired, sort of. After he sent Miles away  I gave him a memory card that contains a reduced version of my mission file. Not a single change in his eyes, he glanced over it so quickly.”

Skye informs her and Melinda can feel anger growing in her, how could he not remember something so important. Feeling how Skye starts to shake once more, she turns her attention towards her once more.

“And, its easier like this. If he doesn’t remember me it will be a lot easier for me to lie to my siblings of they were to call me when I’m here and...”