X – X-rays, always X-rays

"Hand me that torque, will ya Turbo?" Mack's deep voice resonated, even in the large garage off his and Elena's shared residence.

Fitz stood up from his bent over position and scanned the bench behind him. He grabbed the requested tool and slapped into his large friend's hand much like one would hand off to a surgeon. Mack smiled his approval.

"Do you truly believe you'll get it to work properly? It's rather old." Fitz shook his head.

Mack chuckled as he too stood and wiped the grease from his hands on the rather grimy rag that dangled from his back pocket.

"This here is a classic, Fitz. I've been working on it for as long as I can remember. My Pops was a mechanic back in the day. He carried this baby home in parts and I've been collecting the ones he didn't have ever since." He squatted back down and worked at a rather difficult bolt.

Fitz scrunched up his nose for a second. "That is certainly not possible Mack. Even if your granddad made his way home on the last day of the Second World War it is unlikely that you had even been born. Your own dad was probably a wee lad himself." Fitz shrugged again.

Mack turned a wide smile toward the boy and ruffled his hair. "Just a little exaggeration, Turbo," he laughed again.

"Pops brought a lot of parts home when he was discharged. They got tossed in a box in the back of his garage for a couple years until he and my Dad started tinkering with it. I guess I just picked up where they left off." The large man explained. "This baby was one of the experimental motorcycles of the war, built in forty two. It was a flat-twin shaft drive had a boxer engine was extremely reliable and low maintenance. There were only a thousand of these babies ever made. Parts are hard to come by, believe me I know."

"Where do you find parts that are more than fifty years old and are you certain they'll work when you do?" Fitz was astounded.

"Hardest thing to find was that knucklehead." Mack nodded toward an almost rectangular item that lay on the counter. To Fitz it resembled a very dirty cake pan with several holes along its edge.

"It's truly called a knucklehead?" The boy laughed.

Mack laughed as well. "Yep, but officially it's a 1942 Harley XA WLC WLA TA Military 45 Flathead Knucklehead OEM Crankcase Oil Pan." The man spit out.

Fitz nodded. "Knucklehead is a lot easier, I suppose, but it is a rather nonsensical title." The boy finished seriously.

"The Army has a way of nicknaming pretty much everything." Mack smiled as the bolt came free with a small pop and he bounced once to keep his balance.

Fitz considered for a moment. "Were you?" He asked and at Mack's confused look he added, "in the army, like your pops and your dad?"

"Me?" The big man chuckled a bit. "Naw, my number was pretty high, never got the call and then…well I got another call and…" He stood straight and spread his arms, "…here I am."

"You might have enlisted then." Fitz pondered.

Mack moved to the bench where he had spread his many tools. He surveyed them looking for just the right one. "You might say I did, Turbo, just not like most guys. There's a lot of ways to serve your country. I guess I just took another path to get to the same destination." He pulled a large wrench, gave a quick nod and turned back to his work.

Fitz nodded. He was never really quite sure what Mack did, or his parents for that matter. He was sure it was more than just providing security, but whatever it was they did he know they were the absolute best at doing it. That was enough.

Mack flicked a finger on the collar of Fitz's starched plaid oxford. "Your mom gonna be all out of sorts if you mess up that brand new shirt?" He smiled at the boy.

Fitz looked down and shrugged. "It's all I've got." He scrunched up one side of his face. "I suppose mom wouldn't be very happy if I went all grease monkey on it."

The boy's face fell as he realized helping Mack with his restoration work would not be possible now. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked at a small pebble on the garage floor. Fitz stood looking at the motorcycle parts, picturing the vehicle together with all those parts working perfectly. He stared at a mostly bent muffler pipe and envisioned the method he could use to correct it. He knew Mack trusted him with his tools and those he was unfamiliar with…well, the man would simply guide his hands until that little thing in his head clicked and he'd know exactly what to do. Of course all of that meant getting your hands quite dirty and wiping them on your pants or shirt was inevitable. Fitz looked up at Mack in his T-shirt and jeans and wondered why he didn't have more sense than to throw on a new dress shirt and shorts to visit his favorite mechanic. The only other clothing he had was a swimsuit but that wouldn't be very practical.

"Too bad you haven't got some sorta coveralls you could throw on over your streets or even just put on instead." Mack sucked in his lips and shook his head slowly, sympathizing with the boy. "I really could use your help, Turbo. Gotta few things here that have me perplexed."

Fitz let out a sigh and glanced up at Mack over his brows. Mom and Da had to go out of town for the day and Bernice was busy preparing for a church dinner. Trip had also volunteered to help his grandmother so the three youngest Coulsons were packed off to spend the day with Elena and Mack. Jemma insisted she was more than capable of caring for her younger siblings for one day, pointing out that their grandmother would be home by suppertime. Phil and Melinda were quick to nix the idea, not that they didn't trust their very mature daughter, but Fitz and Skye were more than capable of performing the unexpected on their own and together…well that was just too much to even imagine. Jemma was disappointed but happy to spend the day with their extended family members. (Especially since Mack lived just three doors from Travis Paulson and there was always the chance he might just stroll by…she could only hope.)

Skye showed up at the breakfast table in her bathing suit and was immediately sent back to her room to put on more suitable clothing. She marched off with a pout, slouched over like the Hunchback of Notre Dam. She returned a few minutes later and was once again sent back to her room to remove the suit that now served as undergarments and with the threat that mom would come help if she couldn't accomplish the order the second time.

All in all it went well from then on, with Phil and Melinda reminding all three of them and especially their youngest hellion of specific expectations while they were visiting. There was a lot of head nodding and yeses and 'I understand-s', although Fitz was pretty sure Skye hadn't heard a thing since she was looking out the window as they drove and just going through the motions. He laughed under his breath wondering just what kind of trouble his crazy sister would get herself into this time.

So now, here he stood, mentally kicking himself for not remembering how Mack loved working on this piece of equipment on weekends and just how much he loved helping.

"I guess I'll go see what the girls are doing." Fitz mumbled as he turned toward the large open garage door. He took a few steps and stopped when he heard something flop down on the concrete floor behind him.

"I figured you might need that sooner or later." Mack nodded at the large wad of material on the floor. "Might be a bit big but you'll grow into it." He smiled as Fitz picked up the item and shook it out.

"It's for me?" Fitz grimaced at the high pitched sound of his voice.

Mack pointed a screw driver at him. "Like I said, you're gonna need it if you're gonna be any help to me." He cocked his head toward the small restroom in the rear of the garage. "Pretty hot in here…" But the boy had already kicked off his sneakers and shed his clothing, driving one leg and then the other into the greenish denim jump suit. He flipped it up over his shoulders and pulled the zipper up as far as it would go then smiled at Mack as he held out his arms and admired it.

Mack smiled back and stepped toward the boy. "It is a little big, but like I said…"

"No, no it's perfect," Fitz laughed shoving his feet back into his sneakers.

Mack shook his head as he rolled up the sleeves of the coverall and cinched it a bit at the waist. He nodded to the clothing strewn on the floor. "Better stow that or this," he tugged at the collar of the boy's new garb, "won't make much difference."

"Right," Fitz agreed then picked up his shirt and shorts, folded them and tucked them into a small locker at the back of the garage. He stood for a moment and brushed his fingers over the embroidered name tag on the pocket of his new coverall. 'Turbo', it read in bright yellow letters on a black background. The boy had never been so proud to wear such clothing in all his life. He slapped his hands together and hurried back to get started on that muffler.

xx

"How long does it take to make fruit salad?" Skye whined as she threw back her head in her usual dramatic fashion.

Elena laughed as Jemma rolled her eyes. "It depends on just how much fruit we want to add, pequeña."

"Then watermelon and strawberries are enough," the little girl let out in a huff.

"Seriously, Skye, you need to develop a bit of patience." Jemma shook her head. "Yoyo has all of this wonderful fresh fruit for us to enjoy. You could help, you know, it would make the time go faster and we could possibly finish a bit sooner."

Skye plunked her head on her hand with one elbow resting on the table. "Well, if ya'd give me a knife I could do that." She grumbled.

"Oh, no, no, mi pequeña amiga, last time it was six stitches and Mack almost had to sit on you. No, today I return you to your mama and poppi in one piece and none of it sown back together."

"Then how do you expect me to help?" Skye asked, bouncing a hand in front of her. "And anyway I was only eight when that happened." She held her thumb up and examined the tiny white scar that ran along the outer side then shrugged and waited for someone to reply.

"And that was just last March, so you are a full four months older," Jemma scolded, eyebrows raised.

Skye let out a huff and turned up one side of her mouth. "How my 'spose to learn if ya don't gimme a chance?" She wondered.

Jemma let out a sputtery laugh of her own. "You only have a finite amount of fingers Skye. Do you want to have a scar on each?"

"It was a accident, Jemma." Skye wriggled her fingers at her sister using a snarky voice.

"An accident," Jemma corrected with a smirk. "And I know it was an accident, we just don't want another."

"¡Basta! Aye, yi, yi ¡No sé cómo lo hace tu madre con todos los argumentos!" Elena slipped into her native tongue in frustration.

Jemma giggled. "Por lo general, termina con Skye con dolor en las nalgas."

"That's not funny, Jemma." Skye scowled. "And I'm not the only one Momma swats when we get too loud or too…too…arguey."

"Oh, that's not even a word, baobei." Jemma laughed again. "And you get more swats than all of us put together, even Fitz and he held the record for a very long time."

"Okay, I have an idea." Elena marched across the kitchen and rifled through a draw then pulled out a wicked looking instrument that resembled something a very bad dentist might use. She shook it at Skye as she yanked open the refrigerator and grabbed a large bowl of almost purple cherries.

Setting the bowl on the table in front of the girl she held out the tool to demonstrate. "This is a…" she paused for a moment staring at the tool. It was metal, resembling a large scissors or better yet, pliers. One side had a small round stem and the other a little band about the size of one cherry. "It is a…"

Skye took if from her hand and squeezed it a few times. "It's a pliers." She shrugged. "I think Daddy has one for putting holes in things. Maybe it's a big hole puncher, my teacher gots one in school."

"Has!" she barked at her sister, correcting herself before Jemma could form the word.

"I believe it is a rather old fashioned cherry pitter." Jemma smiled.

Skye stared at the item, turning it over in her hand. "No way, nobody's pickin' cherries with this little thing. It'd take a million years."

"Pitter, Skye, pitter," Jemma repeated, stressing the t's. "And must you exaggerate so? Nothing takes a million years, Skye."

"Dinosaurs do," Skye smirked. Jemma shook her head and took the tool from her little sister. She placed a cherry in the small band and squeezed. Out popped the pit. Skye blinked once before her eyebrows rose in amazement.

"Wow, and I been spitting them out all this time." She smiled as she took the tool back, extracted the pit less cherry and popped it in her mouth.

Jemma let the grammar go this time as she watched Skye imitate what she had done, stick her tongue out to one side and squeeze the tool with both hands. Again the pit fell to the table and Skye quickly gobbled the juicy fruit.

"Okay, monstruo de cereza," Elena laughed as she tugged on one of Skye's short braids. "Everyone would like a few of those, so you pop out the pits here," she placed a pot next to the large bowl. "And the whole cherries, here," she set a second bowl on the opposite side of the first.

Skye looked into the first bowl. "There's a bazillion cherries in here, Oyo! I'll never get to swim." Once again a full pout covered the little girl's face.

"Once begun is half done," Jemma chirped.

"That's dumb," Skye grumbled. "If I done one, there'll still be a million left."

"A bazillion minus one is not a million." Jemma sighed as she sliced into a ripe cantaloupe. "In fact bazillion isn't a number at all. Zillion isn't a even number. There are lots of large numbers, with lots of zeros and strange, wonderful words that label them. A great real word to use is googol, which means one followed by one hundred zeros." She elaborated. "And that minus one would be exactly nine duotrigintillion, nine hundred ninety nine untrigintillion, nine hundred ninety nine trigintillion, nine hundred ninety nine novemvigintillion, nine hundred ninety nine octovigintillion, nine hundred ninety nine septendecillion, nine hundred ninety nine sexdecillion, nine hundred ninety nine quindecillion, nine hundred ninety nine quattuordecillion, nine hundred ninety nine tredecillion, nine hundred ninety nine duodecillion, nine hundred ninety nine undecillion, nine hundred ninety nine decillion, nine hundred ninety nine nonillion, nine hundred ninety nine octillion, nine hundred ninety nine septillion, nine hundred ninety nine sextillion, nine hundred ninety nine quintillion, nine hundred ninety nine quadrillion, nine hundred ninety nine trillion, nine hundred ninety nine billion, nine hundred ninety nine million, nine hundred ninety nine thousand and nine hundred ninety nine." Jemma elaborated in one long breath then smiled at the open mouthed expressions on her sister and their friend.

"In fact there are twenty five billion billions in a googol." She smiled with satisfaction. "And should we have that many cherries it would fill up the entire state. You would not live long enough to pop all of those pits. Furthermore, it would take over ten millennia to count that high."

Elena held up a hand to Jemma and pointed to Skye. "Let's settle for a few pounds and get to work."

Skye nodded and after several squished fruits and lots of 'tastes' she pitted the entire amount then stared at her blood red fingers. She sucked each one then held up her hands. "I got no cuts but it looks cool, like I was really cut all apart." She waggled her fingers at Jemma and laughed as her sister pulled back.

"Your face is not much better," Jemma scowled as she dropped the last of the melon into the hollowed out watermelon rind.

"I gotta see!" Skye squeaked as she held up her hands and ran for the powder room.

"¡No toques mis toallas limpias!" Elena called alter the little girl.

"I'll make sure she washes completely before she does." Jemma shook her head and followed her little sister but found the bathroom empty, two cherry colored handprints on the vanity.

xx

Skye dragged herself into the garage zombie style, drooling cherry juice and bits of the small fruit from the corner of her mouth. She held out both hands in front of her and dragged one foot as she moaned mournfully.

Mack and Fitz were bent over, head to head, discussing an unforeseen problem as the little girl limped around the garage door and fell to the ground, dragging herself forward with her arms only. Mack turned at the sound and jumped up at the sight. "Sweet lord!" He exclaimed as he rushed to pick the child up and examine her injuries. He looked over his shoulder unable to imagine how this could have happened and why Elena hadn't called to him. Several horrific scenes spilled across his mind before Skye's laughter shook them away.

Fitz stood staring as he dropped the ratchet to the ground.

"What the…" Mack dropped to his haunches, pulled Skye to her feet, held the child by the shoulders at arm's length and looked her up and down.

Skye sucked in the cherry debris and laughed again. "Got ya!" she pointed with one finger, unable to free her arms from the large man's grip.

Mack lowered his head and let out a relieved breath. "What is the matter with you girl?" He did not sound amused. "You scared the crap outta me, Skye." He gave her a gentle shake. "What is this?" He nodded toward her hands that he now held up in front of him.

"Cherries," she smiled. "Makes great blood." She stuck her finger tips together then pulled them apart. "Kinda sticky like blood too."

"You bloody almost gave me a heart attack!" Fitz bellowed as he stepped next to Mack. "Have you gone totally daft?"

"Ooooo," Skye laughed. "Momma's gonna whack your bahoochie!"

"Yeah?" Fitz shot back. "And yours won't sit til next Tuesday when she finds out about this little performance!"

Mack lowered his head and took a breath. "Hold it, both of you." He looked over his shoulder at Fitz and pulled Skye closer. "Your momma doesn't need to know about any of this." He spun Skye around and sent her toward the house with a quick but gentle swat. "Go get cleaned up." He ordered as the little girl dusted off the seat of her pants and scowled back at him. He took a half step toward her and she ran for the house.

Fitz laughed at his sister's expense for a second before Mack landed a meaningful punch on his shoulder. The boy reached for the spot as his mouth formed but did not speak a definite 'ow!'.

"Mind your language," Mack grumbled as he moved back toward the bike, muttering under his breath.

Fitz stood for a moment, expecting to be dismissed much like Skye had been. He kept a hand on his smarting shoulder and waited for his large friend to at least look at him. When Mack continued working, the boy turned and started for the door.

"Grab that torque, Fitz," he called after him. "I think I've got this figured out."

Fitz grinned ear to ear and hurried to snatch the tool.

xx

Jemma caught up to her little sister parked at the top of the front steps with her head in her hands. Cherry juice stains ran down both sides of the smaller girl's mouth and now two dirty, sticky, cherry hand prints marked both her cheeks.

"Skye," Jemma breathed, standing over her with hands on her hips. "What are you doing? I've been looking for you and…oh, look at yourself. You are an absolute mess." She shook her head. "Yoyo is going to make you take a complete bath before she lets you into the pool."

"I don't care." Skye grumbled.

Jemma paused for a moment. "Well, I do and I'm sure she does as well. You can't be taking all of that sticky grime into that clean water."

"I don't care." Skye repeated.

"Then I don't suppose you'll be doing any swimming this afternoon." Jemma sighed, eyebrows raised as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I…"

"Don't care," Jemma finished for her little sister as she sat down next to her. "But, I know you do, so tell me what ever happened in the short amount of time since you sprinted out of the kitchen."

Skye mumbled something unintelligible and kicked at the small stones on the brick step below where she sat. She pulled her sticky hands from her face and slapped them onto her knees.

"I'm sorry, Skye, but I did not understand a word of that." Jemma sighed.

"I said, Mack smacked me." The little girl mumbled again, a little clearer.

Jemma's eye's widened. "He did?" She paused for a moment then narrowed her eyes. It would take a lot for the gentle giant to take such an action. "What did you do?"

"I was just kiddin'." Skye answered in her trademark whine.

"About?" Jemma took a sterner stance. "What exactly did you do?"

"I played a little joke, a tiny little joke." Skye narrowed her eyes and held her finger and thumb less than a quarter inch apart then dropped her hand to her knee again. "He didn't think it was funny."

"Skye," Jemma warned. "What did you do?"

"This cherry stuff looks a lot like blood, Jemma. Doesn't it?" She smiled at her sister as she held out both dirty hands. "If you squish one in yer mouth and let it drip it out, it looks even cooler." The smiled turned to a frown at Jemma's glare. The little girl shrugged once and turned away dropping her head back into her sticky hands. "Anyway, I was just foolin' around."

"You didn't." Jemma shook her head. Skye did not react. "You did not pretend you were injured and let Mack think… Oh, Skye that is a horrid thing to do to anyone. You probably scared him terribly."

"I told him it was just kiddin' around." Skye mumbled.

"Momma is not going to be happy. She told you no shenanigans." Jemma reminded her.

Skye scrunched up her face, turned and pointed a finger at her older sister. "Momma never says shenanigans. She said no trouble. You say shenanigans. And Mack said he wouldn't tell. Are you gonna be a snitch, cuz if you are, Fitz said bloody and…"

"Now so did you," Jemma smiled at the little girl.

"Yeah, but I didn't really say bloody like Fitz said I bloody gave him a heart attack. I was just sayin' it to tell you he said it."

"And now you've said it again, twice." Jemma laughed.

Skye opened her mouth to reply then snapped it shut and glared at her sister. Jemma stood and shook her head. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up so we can have a swim before lunch." She started toward the walkway that led around the large house then looked back to be sure Skye was following.

"Yer not really gonna tell on us are you, Jems? Cuz we were just kidding and Mack already smacked me and maybe Fitz too. And Momma's gonna be real tired when she gets home tonight and you don't want…"

Skye's rambling continued all the way to the large glass door on the back deck.

xx

Twenty minutes of scrubbing and a lot of whining later Skye still had remnants of cherry juice on her fingers, cheeks and knees. Jemma did the best she could but Elena assured her the smaller girl was clean enough and that the chlorinated pool water would more than likely do the rest of the job.

Jemma surrendered. She wasn't quite sure she could take much more of Skye's wailing and complaining she was pulling off her skin. Anyway, Elena had none of that wonderful lavender soap Momma always used and Jemma wasn't sure if was her imagination that Skye was much worse without it. She held up a large towel and motioned for Skye to step out of the tub which the little girl did without a second request.

"Momma never scrubs me so hard." She complained. "You can't just keep rubbing til a person's skin comes loose."

"Oh, don't exaggerate so, Skye. Your skin is perfectly intact." She scolded as she rubbed the little girl dry.

Skye grabbed the towel with both hands. "I can do this myself, ya know. I'm not a baby."

"No, you're not." Jemma sighed as she dropped her hands into the angled lap formed by sitting back on her heels. "But you do a terrible job," she added with a laugh as she pulled the towel around Skye's chest and tucked it in toga style.

"I don't need clothes, Jemma." Skye smiled. "I'm wearing my swim suit until Momma comes to get us." She was gone before Jemma could answer.

The older girl shook her head and began picking up the debris left behind.

xx

Sitting on the side of the pool, Skye kicked her feet in the warm water. "How come I gotta wait for Jemma? Why can't you just watch me?" She grumbled at Elena who was busy rubbing sunscreen across the little girl's shoulders.

"Why, why…all the time why, pequeña. Why don't you just do as you're told? Hmmm?" Elena grinned at the child.

Skye shrugged her shoulders. "Everybody always tell me I gotta wait. It makes me tired." She kicked harder sending splashes in all directions.

Elena moved to one side and smeared lotion on Skye's arm, gently rubbing up and down.

"This stuff smells like glue." The little girl crinkled up her nose. "Feels like it too. How, do you know it's really sun screen?"

"Because you are not una langosta roja," Elena laughed, pulled the girl's opposite arm closer and rubbed in the sunscreen.

Skye sighed and churned the water faster. "Lobsters are black, Oyo." She replied without emotion.

Elena turned down the sides of her mouth and sniffed. "Okay, una langosta hervida." She agreed.

Jemma arrived wrapped in a towel with her own sunscreen in hand. Skye cheered once and moved to push herself into the water.

"Un momento, mi Sirenita…" Elena put a hand on the girl's shoulder. Skye let out a fake sob. "We need to sunscreen your sister as well."

Skye let out a groan and fell backward to the ground, kicking her feet wildly. "It's gonna be Christmas before we get to swim." Elena chuckled as she rubbed lotion on Jemma's back and shoulders. Skye spread out her arms and legs, squeezed her eyes shut and lay motionless. "I think I'm gonna die." She moaned as she let out a breath and held it.

Elena laughed again. "No habrá personas muertas en la piscina hoy."

"Then ya gotta let me go in now afore it's too late." Skye croaked with her hands around her throat. She finished with a grand expelling of breath and dropped her head to one side, tongue lolling out.

"Cannon ball!" Fitz's voice came from everywhere a second before the sound of him plunging through the surface sent water splashing over Skye's body.

"No fair!" She giggled as she sat up and pushed off the side of the rough slip resistance edge, ignoring the small brush-burns to both sides of her bottom.

Jemma shook her head as she dropped the towel and eased her way down the steps into the water. She was surely not going to go larking about like her younger brother and sister. She moved gracefully out into the deeper water and swam slowly across the pool.

"Hey, Jemma watch this!" Fitz called from the side before he flipped in the air into the pool a few feet from her. The wake rolled over her face causing her to take in a mouthful. She coughed it off and latched on to the side, scowling at the boy who surfaced with a smile.

"I can do that too!" Skye proclaimed a second later and managed a slight imitation of Fitz's wild dive. She too landed close enough to shower Jemma with a wall of water.

This time the older girl turned her head to avoid a second unwanted 'drink.' "You are both quite childish." She admonished the pair.

Skye giggled as she kicked and paddled to stay above the surface. "That's cuz we're…" she ducked under and came right back with her eyes closed. "We are kids." She finished, spitting out a spray of water. The little girl turned and paddled to the side, pushing herself up to try again.

Jemma shook her head and swam back to the shallow end where neither of her siblings could, would or should do any diving. She let out a disgusted huff at their silliness.

Mack stood just beyond the surface that surrounded the pool with his hands on his hips. He watched the action in the pool for a moment, smiled and shook his head. Elena placed a tube of sunscreen on one of the round tables and stepped to his side. She held the other for him to see. "Did you cover that little white boy with enough of this stuff?"

The man let out a chuckle and nodded. "Yep, slathered him up like a Christmas goose, used almost the whole tube." He pulled a flattened container from his back pocket. Elena smiled her approval for a second before dashing across the patio and plunging into the cool water. She surfaced just in time to see Mack pull off his T-shirt and followed suit.

Fitz and Skye let out a round of cheers and whistles. Jemma smiled from her perch on the steps.

xx

After a quick lunch of grilled burgers, corn on the cob and lots of fruit salad Skye was more than ready to plunge back into the water. She slunk into her chair when told she'd have to wait until clean up was complete. Mack let out a laugh and handed the little girl several plates to carry into the house.

"Come on Tremors," he smiled as he took a taller stack. "You wash, I'll dry…you can get some water play in before taking another dive."

"It's not the same," Skye grumbled as she dragged herself behind him.

With everyone helping clean up was done in less than twenty minutes but Skye growled when Jemma chose to relax on one of the lounge chairs with a book on something the younger girl could not begin to decipher rather than slip back into the water. Fitz asked Mack if they'd be working on the bike and seemed a little depressed when he was told they'd have to wait until some of the parts he'd managed to find were shipped from three different parts of the country.

The young boy began explaining how they could MacGyver a few of the items in the garage into a piece missing from the carburetor. Mack listened for a moment, nodding his head as Fitz spoke. He slapped the boy on the shoulder and decided they'd give it a try. Fitz smiled, telling the man it would take him only a few seconds to get back into his new cover-alls. They were gone before Skye could object.

Elena frowned as she stared at the crestfallen little girl. Skye loved the pool and would spend hours in it if she wasn't dragged out, and yes sometimes that meant someone physically dragging her kicking and screaming from the water to eat, to drink, to rest or just to de-prune for a bit.

"You know, cara mía, I was hoping you would like to swim a little more since I have no one to keep me company while I prefect my diving skills." Elena pouted.

"Really? You mean it?" Skye squealed as she grabbed both of Elena's hands. "Can you watch me dive off the board and show me how to do it right?"

"Hmmm," Elena frowned. "I'm not so good at that. Maybe we try together." She smiled and gave a quick nod.

Skye was off, jumping from the top step of the deck and sprinting across the yard as Elena warned her not to take the plunge before she was close enough to supervise. The little girl half turned and gave a quick wave.

Elena really wasn't sure what happened next or how it happened, but Skye seemed to slip throwing her legs up and then falling back landing hard on the ground. The wail that followed brought Jemma racing from her seat as the book fell the ground, pages flapping in the slight breeze. They dropped down on either side of the little girl at the same time.

Skye was screaming so loudly she barely heard her sister or Elena who both tried to help her sit up. The action only brought a stronger scream as Skye rolled to her side writhing in pain. Jemma gasped as she looked to Elena. The angle at which the little girl's arm was bent was far from normal. Jemma could see a slight bulge under the skin just below Skye's elbow.

"Don't touch me…don't touch it…don't touch it…" Skye repeated over and over as she rolled back and forth.

"Momi, we need to see…" Elena explained softly, trying to assess the damage. She looked up at Jemma and tossed her head toward the garage. The girl understood immediately and raced toward it.

"No, no," Skye wailed. "Momma, I want Momma…don't touch it."

Mack was across the yard in less than ten long strides with Fitz and Jemma racing behind. Jemma was in tears as Fitz took deep breaths to control his own fears. Skye was hurt and Momma was not there. He tried to quell his growing panic telling himself Mack and Elena would know what to do.

The large man took one look at the child and started barking orders. "Fitz, there's a news paper on the kitchen table, get it now. Jemma pull the straps off those goggles and give them to me. Elena pull the car to the front and keep it running."

With quick nods everyone ran in different directions doing exactly as Mack had instructed. He knelt at Skye's side. He spoke softly to her.

"Hey, Tremors," he smiled as he ran a hand over her head attempting to calm her. "Some trick you pulled there but you know we're gonna have to fix that arm."

Skye was shaking her head, jamming her bare feet into the grass to push herself away from him. "No, Mack, no…don't…don't help me." Her sobs did not lessen. "I just need my Momma, okay? I need her."

"I know, sweetheart, I know." The man sympathized. "But your Momma can't come right now." Skye cried harder, closing her eyes and letting out a long shaky breath. "It's okay, we'll call her and she'll come as fast as she can but right now you need to let me help."

Skye was still shaking her head as Fitz slid across the grass and pushed the rolled up newspaper to Mack. Jemma was a few seconds behind holding one hot pink and one bright yellow rubber strap in her hand.

Mack took the paper, folded it and rolled it again giving Fitz a quick nod. "Okay, Tremors, we're just put this around your arm and then we're off."

"NO!" the little girl shrieked, kicking both feet to keep him away.

Mack cocked his head toward them motioning for Fitz to secure his little sister's feet. He took the straps from Jemma and motioned for her to do the same with Skye's opposite arm. Both teens did their best. Fitz had to straddle the skinny little legs that suddenly had a lot more power than he imagined as Jemma laid her chest against Skye's whispering reassurances close to her little sister's ear.

Gently wrapping the paper around Skye's arm, and pulling the straps secure, Mack ignored the spew of language that came from the little girl as he scooped her into his arms and stood.

Fitz's eyes went wide as he sat back and looked up at Mack. "Don't look at me." He pointed to himself. "She did not learn any of that from these lips. Hell, momma'd have the skin worn off me if I ever…" He slapped a hand over his mouth realizing what he'd said.

Jemma was too emotional to even notice as she grabbed her terrycloth cover-up and pulled it over her swimsuit then grabbed Elena's and followed Mack and Fitz to the car.

xx

Mack placed the still wailing little girl on a stretcher explaining rapidly what had happened. Elena held the phone to her ear and shook her head at him as she ushered Fitz and Jemma into the large waiting area. Skye was whisked away but her wail could be heard throughout the ER.

Fitz looked around the unfamiliar hospital. "Dr. Stephens doesn't have privileges here." He whispered to Jemma, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "And Momma's not answering."

"Are you with the child just brought in?" A young nurse inquired trying not to obviously stare at the clothing this odd family wore. At Elena's nod she continued. "I need you to answer a few questions." She motioned for the woman to follow her.

Jemma was probably the least odd of the bunch in a blue one piece jumper that snapped up the front. Fitz still wore the slightly large coverall, now christened with several splotches of deep black grease, both knees green with the grass stains earned when he slid across the lawn to his sister's aid. His hands were far from clean. Elena pulled the robe Jemma had given her over her two piece swimsuit. It covered most of her but barely reached past the tops of her thighs. Even Mack, wherever he was, was splattered with grease and grime from his work in the garage.

Elena turned to the twins. "You stay right here. I will be right back. Do not move. Understand?"

Fitz nodded as he wrapped an arm around his sister's shoulders. "Is Mack with Skye?" He asked. "She's very frightened." Elena nodded although she wasn't really sure where her partner had gone.

"Can you tell me what happened?" The young nurse asked, holding her pen over a large clipboard.

"She fell…slipped on something in the yard." She watched the nurse jot something down. "Name…the child's name." She asked.

"Skye Coulson, she's nine years old." Elena offered.

"Your daughter?"

"No," Elena responded. "She's…she…my boss, she's my bosses' daughter. They're out of town. I'm having some trouble contacting them…perhaps they have no service." She offered.

After exchanging Phil and Melinda's information, including phone numbers, Elena made her way back to the twins and found Mack seated with an arm around each. She sat next to Jemma, taking the girl's hand in hers.

"They gave her something to calm her down." Mack said without looking at her. "Took her to radiology."

"So we wait," Elena nodded, smiling at Jemma.

"I'm sure it's broken." The little girl sniffled.

"Momma's gonna have a cow." Fitz shook his head.

Mack and Elena shared a concerned glance.

"Coulson?" A young man announced from the doorway.

Mack pulled his arms from the twin's shoulders and stood. The man smiled and told him they all could accompany him to Skye's room.

"She's sedated, so she's a little loopy but you can talk to her and let her know you're here. She's asking for her mom." He smiled at Elena. "Guess you were at the pool, having a great time when this happened. Always when you least expect it, huh?"

Mack nodded as they turned the corner and walked down a long congested hallway. The aid stopped at the second to last curtain and stepped aside. "He she is." He smiled. "The doctor will be in as soon as he reviews the X-rays."

The family nodded and moved into the small room, surrounding the bed that made the little girl look even smaller. She was now clad in a pink and yellow flowered hospital gown and covered with a light blanket. Her red and blue swimsuit was in a blue patient property bag.

Jemma took a quick breath, placing a hand over her mouth. Skye's arm was now raised in an inflated splint, her small fingers swollen and shiny. Wires led to the monitors over the little girl's head and a thin tube connected her to a clear IV solution. It was one thing to know what all of this was and how it helped a patient, it was another to see her baby sister lying there looking so very helpless. She reached out and took Skye's uninjured hand, relieved to feel the little girl squeeze back.

Elena flipped out her phone and shook her head. "No service in here. I'll have to go outside to try again." She dreaded going into the parking lot in her current outfit and hoped Mack would volunteer to make the call. Another different nurse entered carrying a set of scrubs she passed to the woman.

"I thought you might be more comfortable with these." She smiled. "Can't help what we're wearing when the unexpected happens. Brought my little one in with a raging fever, all I had was a robe." She smiled. "Glad someone had the sense to help me out, so I thought I'd pay it forward." Elena nodded her thanks and slipped on the garments over her two-piece. She smiled at Mack and slipped out to try Phil and Melinda again.

"Momma," Skye whimpered in a small tired voice.

"It's okay, baobei." Jemma hushed her, kissing her hand. "Momma will be here soon. Just sleep, bao bao." She felt the little squeeze again and quickly wiped the tear from her cheek.

A doctor walked in a moment later, he smiled at the twins and extended a hand to Mack. "Hello, I'm Dr. Yevitz. How's everyone doing?"

"Well, Skye's not doing very well at the moment." Fitz sneered, thinking it was a rather insipid question.

The doctor smiled. "I don't suppose she is." He stepped to the little girl and pulled his stethoscope to his ears then listened to her heart and respiration. Taking his small pen light, he looked into her eyes then stood back and took a breath. "She's got a closed fracture about an inch below the right humerus and a second hairline fracture about two inches above the same. No sign of head trauma and back and neck checked out fine. We're waiting for the orthopedic doc from peeds to take a second look." He patted the little girl's left arm. "We'll give her something for pain in the meantime." He nodded toward Mack. "She slipped and did this?"

Fitz let a flutter escape his lips. "Skye never does anything small."

Mack put his hands on the boy's shoulders and squeezed softly, letting Fitz know he needed to be quiet.

"I wasn't there, I mean not right there when it happened. She was running toward the pool and slipped on the wet grass. My…partner says she went up in the air and came down hard." The doctor nodded.

"I'm pretty sure it's just a simple set and cast, but the ortho guy will know better. Nurse will be in with a little injection in a bit." He reached out and took Mack's hand again.

"Crap, butt shots," Fitz groaned. "She is going to be seriously pi…perturbed…seriously."

"Nice save," Mack smiled jostling the boy by the shoulders he still held.

"I hope that night-night stuff doesn't wear off before that nurse gets here." Fitz shook his head. "I don't think there are sufficient people here to hold her down if she wakes up first."

Elena walked back into the room. Just her look told Mack she had not yet been able to reach the Coulsons. He couldn't imagine them turning off their phones being so far away from their kids. He filled her in on the doctor's visit and both moved to the side when the nurse entered with a small hypodermic.

"Okay, gents, you want to step into the hall for a bit?" The large woman smiled at the group. "Ladies you can stay."

"Huh," Fitz smirked. "Like we haven't seen enough of that little bahoochie."

Mack gave the boy a nudge toward the door and stepped out behind him.

"Okay, sweetie," the nurse crooned to the little girl. "We're going to roll you to the left a little bit," she spoke as she gently pushed the blanket aside and turned Skye away from her injured arm. Skye put up no fight, simply slumped in that direction. "Little pinch, little burn…" she gave a quiet warning before pushing the needle to its target. Skye let out a sad whimper as the nurse laid her back and tucked the blanket around her. Discarding the sharp she checked the monitors and IV infuser before smiling at Elena. She placed the call button on the side of the bed. "If you need anything just buzz." With that she stepped out.

xx

Two hours later the small group still waited for the orthopedic doctor. Fitz paced back and forth across the small room, glancing at the small television screen with volume that only the person on the bed could hear. Some goofy cartoon was playing, since the last nurse that came in to check on things figured it was the only thing kids ever watched. He wondered if this was what it felt like to be in prison and vowed never ever to break the smallest law, no matter how goofy it was.

Jemma, though still heartsick over her little sister's pain, watched the monitors and infusers taking in every bit of every blip and beep. Twice she left the room to stroll through the hall and assess other patients' injuries and illnesses. Fitz's stomach turned just thinking about it.

Elena tried twice and Mack three times to contact Phil or Melinda or both but had no success. It was beyond frustrating. How could they just disappear? Mack knew they had traveled someplace in rural Pennsylvania scoping out a safehouse for some family that needed protection during a nasty trial. Could it be that secluded they had no service at all? Could it take that long to check out this place and then drive back? Where the hell were they?

"I've left four messages and sent three emails, they have to get one eventually." Elena growled as she paced in the opposite direction Fitz had traveled before Mack sent him and Jemma to the commissary if for nothing more than a long walk. Both were ordered to have something to eat and drink and not return for at least an hour.

"MACK!" Fitz's voice startled the man out of his seat before the boy even entered the room. "Mack!" he repeated breathlessly as he skidded around the door.

"Fitz," Mack bellowed in an angry whisper. "You can't be carrying on like that here."

Grabbing Mack's hand he tried pulling him toward the door. "You have to come, Mack. Jemma, she…come on, Mack." He tugged at the man who threw a confused look at Elena. "You're not going to believe it, Mack."

Shrugging his shoulders, Mack rose and followed the boy motioning for Elena to stay with Skye. Fitz pulled him the length of the hallway and into the last room against the far wall.

"Fitz, what the…" the large man protested as the boy threw the curtain aside and held out a hand.

Mack's eyes went wide as Jemma waved from the bed, a large ice pack held against her midsection. The man pulled his hand from Fitz's and rushed to the side of the bed. "What the…" he started.

"She got her foot caught in the chairs in that big cafeteria and some big guy that was all yelling and carrying on about some sort gave it a shove and BAM!" Fitz slammed his hand against the counter top causing a bang that startled everyone within earshot. "Down she went," he shot his hand up in the air then straight down with a whistle and a crash sound as he did. "Bam! She hit the floor like a paratrooper without a chute. BAM!" He called again.

"Fitz," Mack warned. "Keep it down."

"There were doctors everywhere." Fitz was still excited. "Whisked her off like she was royalty." He turned his back to his sister and whispered around his hand. "They think it's broken."

Mack raised his hand to his eyes and massaged the headache that was growing there. They hadn't had these kids twelve hours and they'd already broken two of them. He considered sending Fitz back to get Elena, but changed his mind.

"Okay, you stay right here with Jemma. Do not leave this room. Understand?" Mack sounded totally defeated. Fitz saluted and gave a quick nod.

"Don't worry Mack," Jemma assure him. "I'll make sure he stays with me."

Mack gave half a smile and a sad nod.

xx

"¡Dios mío! ¿Qué diablos puede pasar? ¿Dos de ellos? ¿Dos niños rotos? ¡Nunca volverán a confiar en nosotros!" Elena threw her hands up at Mack's tale and wondered just how she could be in two places at once.

"Hola, soy el doctor Alcaldo. ¿Hay algún problema?" A tall thin man entered the room looking very concerned.

Mack turned to him. "No, no problem just…two kids on opposite ends of the hall"

The doctor looked at a pad he pulled from his pocket. "Skye Coulson, nine, double fracture, humerus and radius?" Mack nodded. The doctor smiled and looked at the next page on his pad. "Jemma Coulson, fourteen, simple fracture, scaphoid?" Mack looked to Elena who shrugged, neither had the chance to speak to a doctor about Jemma.

The doctor smiled. "Guess you're here for the special then, two for one day." He laughed but neither Mack nor Elena seemed amused. "Okay, Mr. Coulson we're going to treat this little lady first and then see to your other daughter."

Mack opened his mouth to correct the man, but Elena put a hand on his arm and her look told him to just let it go.

xx

"Lost?" Melinda was between a laugh and a growl as she exited the car and marched around it. "How the hell are we lost?"

"One rock looks pretty much like another, Mel. And these trees," Phil swept an arm toward the brush as he stared at the phone in his hand. "They are not great landmarks either."

"Directions?" She snarled.

Phil dropped the phone into his pocket and frowned. "Unless you see a talkative raccoon or maybe a personable porcupine, we're pretty much on our own."

Melinda looked to the skyline and shook her head. "You found the place with no problems." She looked at her watch. "Just backtrack."

"If it were that easy we wouldn't be twenty miles west of nowhere." Phil deadpanned. He turned and took in the forest scenery. "On the bright side we know they won't be easy to find."

Melinda glanced at her own phone for a moment then jammed it back into her pocket. "Or get in touch with them," she glared.

"They'll have a sat-phone for emergencies." Phil responded automatically.

"We should be so lucky," she growled.

"East," Phil answered.

"East," She repeated.

"The safe house is west of Philly. We just need to head east. It's after noon, so we keep the sun at our back and we're bound to find some kind of civilization." He smiled.

"Or the Atlantic," Melinda sneered as she yanked open the car door and dropped into the seat.

Phil glanced down the road at the miles of pine trees. "Or the Atlantic," he frowned.

xx

"Hey, Tremors," Mack smiled at the little girl now sitting up against the raised bed in the ER. "That is one bright pink cast you've got there." He pointed to the shoulder to fingertip fiberglass sleeve on the girl's right arm.

Skye blinked her wide eyes and stared at the thing that was her arm. She held it with the opposite arm as if it were a separate piece or a strange toy she'd somehow acquired. She watched the tops of her fingers and thumb as they moved slowly, wondering if they were somehow doing on their own.

The nurse who had given Elena the scrubs stood next to the bed and smiled at Mack. "She's still a little woozy from the sedative and the pain meds they gave her. She hears you, but she's not quite with us yet, are you sweetie?" She turned to Skye and patted her leg.

Skye continued watching her fingers, almost trance-like and gave a very small nod. She did not react when Elena wheeled Jemma into the room. The older girl sported a shorter cast from her fingers to her elbow. She'd chosen bright green as the color for it. Fitz stepped around them into the room.

"It's rather ridiculous that they have her in that wheelchair. She is perfectly able to walk with a broken wrist." The young boy smiled.

"I believe it has a lot to do with liability, Fitz. If I were to fall again or if someone might injure me somehow the hospital would be responsibile. I think they may just be aware of their own responsibilities for their patients." Jemma explained.

Fitz shrugged his shoulders. "Still seems like a waste." He turned to his younger sister. "Hey, Skye do you like the color I chose for you?" He lightly rubbed his hand across her cast.

Skye looked up at him, staring as if she wasn't sure who he was or how he'd gotten there. She blinked a few times as he smiled at her.

The nurse rubbed a hand across Fitz's curls and laughed a small laugh. "Doctor's prescribed some pain meds just in case you need them, for both and an antibiotic just in case. You'll want to schedule a follow up with your pediatrician within ten days and Dr. Alcaldo wants to see both girls in two weeks. The time and date of the appointment is with your discharge forms." She smiled at Mack and Elena who nodded their understanding.

"You want to have them wriggle their fingers to increase circulation and contact the doctor if either has increased pain or fever of one hundred one or higher. Watch for swelling above or below the cast and again, contact the doctor if their fingers become cold or numb." She looked at Jemma who was listening intently and nodded at each instruction. "If the pain becomes intense and cannot be relieved by the medication you'll need to call." Jemma nodded again.

"Well, I guess that's it for the rest of the summer," Fitz frowned. "Of course I'll have the whole pool to myself then won't I?" He smiled.

"Mmmm," the nurse frowned. "Jemma?" She pointed her pen toward the girl in the wheelchair. Jemma nodded. "Probably about six weeks." Jemma nodded her understanding. "The little one more like eight to ten weeks, but doctor will be able to tell more when you see him in two weeks."

"Still," Fitz shook his head. "That is most of the summer. Skye will be quite pi…pitterbed…" Fitz grimaced.

Elena glared at him over her brows as Mack stifled a laugh.

"She loves the pool more than an otter!" He explained. "You might need to give us more of whatever turned her into…whatever she is right now." He nodded to the nurse who stood next to him.

"Not to worry, young man. Dr. Alcaldo knows a lot about kids and summer. He made sure both your sisters have water resistant casts. They should be able to spend some time in the water, but I doubt they'll be bouncing cannon balls or going off the high dive." She smiled.

Fitz shook his head. "That's probably just fine for Jemma, but you really don't know Skye." He looked at his little sister who had fallen into a light slumber. "She's capable of pretty much anything."

The nurse smiled as she tapped the forms she had been reviewing together and turned the clipboard toward Mack. "All we need is a signature and you are free to go. Your prescriptions are attached. I would advise filling them before this evening, just in case sleeping is difficult."

Mack nodded as he took the item and scribbled his name across the bottom lines.

xx

Phil pulled into the parking lot of what might have been a gas station or possibly some back woods Honky Tonk. It was difficult to tell, but he and Melinda entered the dimly lit establishment hoping to find directions to the interstate and a working landline.

The air was full of stale cigarette smoke. Some twangy music played on what was probably one those old juke boxes that sat in 1960's restaurant booths. The place was sparsely populated but hummed with a mixture of quiet conversations, interspersed with rounds of laughter.

The couple traded a tentative glance as they approached what seemed to be bar but was more like an old door spread across two barrels.

"Evenin' folks," the bartender smiled through a toothless grin. "Ya must be lost, cuz ya sure ain't from 'round here. Git ya somethin' cool ta wet yer whistle?"

Phil smiled back as he let out a relieved sigh. This place gave him visions of Deliverance her could definitely live without. He felt Melinda's relief as she let her guard down about twenty percent. She was not so easily convinced.

"No, no thank you." He replied.

"Ya need gas then," he turned toward a group of men gathered around another small door set on yet another barrel serving as a small table. "Yo Zig, ya wanna man the pumps? Better check the oil fer this guy too, he's got himself all turned around." He turned back to Phil as one of the men rose and started for the door. "Lookin' fer the interstate are ya?" He almost laughed.

"Not a lot of road signs around here," Phil tried not to sound as embarrassed as he felt. "And yeah, fill the tank, please."

The bartender laughed and was joined by most of the patrons in the place. "Ziggy'll get ya there. He's darn good at pointin' it out. Most folks end up here soon'r later. Sure, I can't intrest ya in a cold one?" He held up an empty mug.

Phil held up a hand. "No, no thanks, got a long drive ahead of us."

"No problem," the older man smiled as he turned and clinked a few bottles together as he rifled through a small cooler. "How's this suit ya?" He held up two bottles of cold cola with an even larger smile.

Phil smiled as he stepped forward and gave a nod. He reached for his wallet but the man shook his head. "Nope, no charge…we give these here free with a full tank and directions."

Phil smiled back and took the offering. "You wouldn't have a telephone we could use?"

The man reached under the makeshift bar and brought up a black rotary dial phone. Phil smiled at the object as well as the memories it brought back. He picked the receiver out of the cradle and put it to his ear, holding it in place with his shoulder as he held the heavy phone and dialed the number. He smiled at the clickety sound of the dial spinning back into place with each number spun. The sound of a ring tone was almost unfamiliar. He smiled at Melinda as he waited for an answer that did not come. He placed the received back and thanked the man behind the bar.

"Maybe they're visiting that new ice cream parlor they're always talking about." He grinned at Melinda who had that 'look'.

"Maybe," she replied as she followed him out the door.

Ziggy had finished pumping the gas. He bent over the front of the car washing the windshield and turned to the couple as they approached. With one hand he brushed his long hair away from his face while shoving the rag he held into his back pocket with the other.

"Tank's full, oil's fine and got all the bugs off the windows," he pointed to the pump. "That'll be thirty-two eighty." Phil counted out the bills and held them out to the young man. "Let me get your change, only be a minute." He turned toward the building but was stopped by Phil's hand on his arm.

"Keep the change, Zig." He smiled. "Just tell us how to get to the highway."

"Sure," the young man smiled. "Just keep on the way you're headed about fifteen miles, go right at the 'Y' and then in five or six miles you should see the signs, when you have to turn go right again and you'll be about a mile from the what we call the shops. You know supermarket, WalMart and all. Just past there you'll hit the interstate. You should have cell service by the time you get to the 'Y'." Ziggy smiled. He watched as Phil attempted to turn the top off the cola bottle. "Let me get that for you." He took both bottles and walked to an old soda dispenser on the side of the building and used the cap remover to open them then walked back and handed them to the couple.

Phil smiled his thanks and took a long drink before joining his wife in their vehicle. They waved to Ziggy as they pulled back onto the road.

Half an hour later Melinda was listening to the message on Mack's voice mail after doing the same with Elena's number. She looked at Phil, worry growing on her face.

xx

The long streaks of reds and yellows stretched across the late evening sky as Mack pulled the car into his driveway. Elena helped Jemma to undo her seatbelt and slide to the ground as Mack took Skye in his arms and carried her toward the house. The doctor had told them she would probably sleep for the next few hours if not through the night.

Jemma insisted she was not in any pain although the look on her face did not say the same. Fitz stood and stared at her knowing she was definitely lying because she never wanted anyone fussing over her. He picked up one of the prescription bottles they had waited for at the pharmacy and read the directions.

"It says here you can have one every six hours for pain." He informed his sister.

Jemma daintily snorted. "Don't be silly, Fitz. I'm not in any pain, just a bit uncomfortable." She held the small cast in the opposite hand as she slid on to one of the kitchen chair. She turned to Elena as she entered the room. "How's Skye? Is she still asking for momma? Perhaps we should try to call her." The young girl worried.

Elena smiled at the girl as she took the prescription bottle from her brother and unscrewed the cap. She shook out one pill and put it into Jemma's hand then pulled a water from the fridge. "You need to take that, momi. No arguing." She held a hand to the girl's forehead. "Your mama and papa are on their way." She assured the girl. "Take that and you can rest while you wait."

Jemma did as she was told then set the water bottle on the table. "I am really not a bit tired, Elena. Perhaps I should see to Skye, sit with her in case she wakes before Momma gets here. She will be terribly upset."

Elena was already shaking her head. "Skye is sleeping and will sleep a very long time. You need to rest as well." Fitz nodded his agreement. "Come, the couch is big and comfortable. There are plenty of movies you can choose."

"Mack's got the new Star Wars film." Fitz encouraged her. "It may make the time go a bit faster."

"Fitz, you know that is ridiculous. Time cannot move any faster or slower than it does. It only seems that way because we are not watching it." Jemma spoke around the yawn she tried to hide.

Fitz smiled. "Then let's watch the movie instead of the clock until Mom gets here." Jemma nodded and followed him and Elena to the living room.

Once she had them settled with their movie and a few snacks, Elena walked back to the spare bedroom where Mack sat watching Skye sleep. She stepped into the room and rested a hand on the large man's shoulder.

"She will be okay, Mack." She assured him.

Mack nodded, leaned forward and rested his head on his hands. "She looks so calm, innocent…" He almost whispered.

"It was an accident, Mack. It's no one's fault." Elena whispered as she squeezed his shoulder.

"Two accidents," he reminded her, "on our watch."

Elena nodded. "Yes, Mack, accidents, something we could not see happening and could not stop."

Mack laughed through his nose. "Let's hope Melinda sees it that way."

Elena cringed a bit but nodded. "She will understand. She knows her children, especially this little alborotador." She sniggered.

Mack smiled and shook his head. "Jemma?"

"Probably asleep as well." She smiled. "Melinda left a message about an hour ago. They'll be later than expected."

"Got lost," Mack nodded still staring at the small girl asleep a few feet away. He meant to stay as long as Skye slept. He had no intention of allowing her to slip off the bed onto the floor and do even more damage.

Elena nodded. "She's okay, Mack, really."

He looked at her for the first time and smiled a sad smile. "I'm just going to sit here and make sure." Mack spoke softly, with a hint of profound sadness hidden in his deep voice.

Elena kissed his forehead. She knew. She knew he sometimes felt the loss of his own child so deeply she could not touch his pain. She understood right now he needed to comfort Skye more than the little girl needed it and despite the fact she even knew he was there. She kissed him again and quietly left him to guard his memories.

xx

Phil pulled into the driveway well after dark and let out a sigh of relief. It was like some bizarre game and they had finally reached the goal line. Melinda was already out of the car and halfway across the walk before she turned back. He sat with his forehead resting on the steering wheel that he still held with both hands. She walked back and knocked lightly on the window. He turned slowly without lifting his head. Her eyes asked if he was coming. He sat back and took a breath, rubbed a hand through his hair and opened the door.

xx

"Hey mom!" Fitz exclaimed quietly as he pulled the front door open and gave her a quick hug. He stepped aside and smiled as Phil slapped a hand on his shoulder. "Hi, Da. You really missed a wild day."

"We had some wild of our own, little man." Phil laughed.

"Where is everyone?" Melinda asked suddenly very suspicious of the silence that met her.

Fitz raised his brows and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, Jemma fell asleep while watching a rather sad prequel to one of our favorite movies and Mack is upstairs with Skye. Elena said she was going to make some tea or coffee so you could talk when you got here. I'm supposed to get Mack without waking Skye. I think I'm to take his place when I do."

Melinda furrowed her brow. "Why does someone have to stay with Skye?" She was already on her way toward the spare bedroom.

Fitz hopped sideways to cut her off. "Wait, mom, you really need to talk to Elena before you…" he stopped at his mother's glare. "Really, Skye is fine now. Everything is fine now, the excitement is all over and she'll probably sleep til morning. The doctor said…" Fitz stopped himself realizing, too late that he'd said too much.

"Doctor?" Phil and Melinda repeated together, both approaching their son.

Fitz stepped back and swallowed hard. "M-maybe you should talk to Elena…"

Melinda moved the boy aside gently. "I need to see my baby first."

Fitz nodded. "You'll need to see Jemma as well. She's a bit better but not one hundred percent perfect." He sighed.

Phil gave Melinda a curt nod, letting her know he would see to their older daughter then looked to Fitz who shrugged again and led his father to his sleeping sister.

Phil stood over the couch and stared down at Jemma who was curled into the corner of the large sofa. Her bright green cast was not hard to miss as she still cradled it with the opposite hand. He brushed a stray hair from her face then bent and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Turning to Fitz he raised his brows then motioned for the boy to be quiet as he pulled a light blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over the girl. He motioned for the boy to follow him from the room.

"It was an accident." Fitz began without being asked. "She got her foot all jumbled in the leg of a chair and some bloke pushed off on his own causing her to fall. It's a common happenstance when a person tries to break their fall and the doctor said it should be healed in a little more than a month." He spoke quickly, trying to get everything said in one breath.

Phil knit his brow. "Where…"

"In the cafeteria," Fitz answered before the question was completed. "Mack sent us for a snack because we'd been waiting so long for the orthopedic doctor and…"

"He sent Jemma for a snack when she was hurt?" Phil was more than confused.

Fitz paused for a moment and knit his brow, wondering how his father had gotten mixed up, then continued. "No, it was before all that. She was injured while we were having the snack." He smiled at his explanation.

Phil closed his eyes and took a breath. It had been a long exasperating day and it was not getting any better. He tried to remain calm. "Fitz…" he began.

"It's only a simple fracture of the metacarpal bone…the wrist," he simplified. "She chose the bright green herself but we, the both of us, thought Skye would prefer the bright pink. It's much more like her and…"

"Skye?" Phil questioned, stopping the boy's further explanation.

"Yes, we were waiting for the orthopedic pediatric specialist to see her when Jemma lost her footing and…"

"Broke her wrist," Phil exhaled. He took a breath and swallowed once. "What happened to Skye?"

"She's got a cast from here to here," Fitz ran his finger from the knuckles on his right hand to his right shoulder. "Two fractures, one here and one here," he pointed to a spot below his elbow and one on his bicep. "I think one might be where that Radcliffe guy hurt her when she was a wee girl."

Phil put his fingers to the bridge of his nose and massaged for a moment before he smiled at his son. "Let's go see if Elena has something a little stronger than coffee." He put an arm around Fitz's shoulders and moved toward the kitchen.

xx

Melinda pushed the door open on the spare bedroom and stepped inside. Mack still sat on the small chair resting his chin on his folded hands. His eyes were closed in a silent prayer, which was not usual for the big man of even bigger faith. Mack gave his troubles to the Lord and believed in the power of prayer.

The worried mother stepped around him to the side of the bed and gently moved the blanket from her child. She stifled the gasp at the shoulder to finger cast that covered her little girl's arm. She quickly leaned forward and placed her lips on Skye's forehead, checking for the slightest warmth. Relieved to find none, she tucked the blanket back around her baby and turned to the dark man seated at the foot of the bed.

"She slipped on the wet grass, landed hard on a rock in the yard. I'm really sorry, Melinda. I didn't even know it was there." Mack shook his head and blinked the tears from his eyes.

"Running" She smiled as she brushed Skye's hair from her face. "Always in a hurry, this one."

"I was…" he stopped wishing he had been there, wishing he had been there to stop it before it happened. "I was working on my bike. I'm sorry. I should have been watching her."

"I don't think it would have mattered." Melinda assured him. "Unless you tied her down you couldn't keep her from running."

"But…" he started.

Melinda shook her head. "Accidents happen, Mack. I'm just glad she was with you and you were with her." She stepped to him and patted his shoulder. "Fitz, says Elena's got some tea brewing. How about we join her and you can fill us in on your day?"

The big man shook his head. "Don't want anymore accidents today, two is more than enough."

"Two?" Melinda's eyebrows rose.

Mack shook his head. "Guess you haven't seen Jemma." He sighed.

Melinda let out a soft sigh. "Guess we have a lot to talk about."

Mack nodded as he stood and followed her from the room, leaving the door opened.

xx

By the time Melinda tucked Skye into her own bed it was well after midnight. She kissed her baby and checked again for any sign of fever before moving to Jemma's room. The older girl had managed to change and climb into her own bed before momma came to pull up the blankets and sit next to her.

"There will be no pretending it doesn't hurt. Right, Jemma?" Melinda pseudo-scolded her young teen.

Jemma shook her head. "No, Momma, but that pain reliever makes me so very sleepy. I really don't like that feeling. Can we try just a bit of ibuprofen instead? I promise I will tell you if it isn't relieving the pain. Please?"

Melinda tucked the blankets around the girl and smiled. "We'll see how you feel tomorrow."

Jemma let out a small breath and nodded then frowned. "I'm so very sorry about Skye, Momma. I should have been watching instead of reading and just lying there. She wanted to go back into the pool and I just…well, I should have taken her in with me, should have been more help to Elena and then none of this would have happened…"

Melinda laid a finger lightly on Jemma's lips. "This is no one's fault and least of all yours. It was an accident, Jemma.

"But…" the young girl began as her mother moved her finger slightly then quickly back.

"It was an accident, Jemma." Melinda warned and the girl nodded. Melinda smiled and kissed her daughter on both cheeks before rising and kissing her again. "Sleep now, it's very late and I'm sure Skye will be full of dramatics tomorrow." She smiled at the girl's giggle, kissed her again, turned out the light and shut the door as she left, meeting her husband in the hall.

"Whatever they gave Skye we ought to get for emergencies." He laughed. "She is out cold."

"Mack said they had to double dose her." Melinda shook her head. "I'm surprised that's all it took. I'm sure she put up quite a fight."

"Jemma?" Phil asked as he stepped to her door.

"Almost out, but no fever." Melinda smiled. "I'm sure she's waiting for you."

Phil smiled back as he opened the door.

She nodded and moved to the last goodnight knocking lightly on the door before entering Fitz's room. The boy jumped a bit and turned away quickly dropping his hand to his side.

Melinda tilted her head just a smidge as she eyed him suspiciously. "Thought you'd be in bed already, it's pretty late, bao bao."

"Just about to climb under the covers," he smiled back kicking small bits of paper under the bed with one bare foot.

Melinda easily recognized the remnants of band aids. She pursed her lips and put out a hand. "Let's see the damages." She ordered.

Fitz swallowed once then lifted his hand to his mother's revealing a nasty gash across the heel of his palm. Melinda grimaced and sucked in a breath through her teeth.

"I…it's not bad. I cleaned it but the plasters won't adhere. I suppose my hand is too sweaty." He explained.

"And you said nothing because?"

"Well," Fitz hesitated. "Jemma and Skye needed a lot more attention and I did take care of it myself. It's not in need of any sutures, just a wicked gash." He shrugged as Melinda led him to the bathroom and forced his hand into the sink. She gently washed the injury.

"When Skye screamed, Mack went racing out of the garage and I guess I jumped a bit. The screwdriver slipped and well…" He pointed to his hand. "I just wrapped a clean rag around it and then everything just happened so I kept quiet. But when we got back to Mack's house I washed it and poured some peroxide on it as well."

Melinda shook her head then pulled her young man into a tight hug. When she released him she shook a finger in his face. "Don't you ever pull stunt like that again. Got it?" She pulled a tube of Neosporin, a gauze pad and a roll of the same from the medicine cabinet and began dressing the wound. Once it was done she applied adhesive tape and admired her work before placing a kiss on the boy's hand.

"We'll see Dr. Stephen's tomorrow, just to be sure." She smiled at him. "I think you might be due for a tetanus shot anyway." Fitz groaned as she put an arm around him and kissed the top of his head. "I'm pretty sure they give those in the arm these days." She assured him as she walked him back to his room.

"I'm really too old to be getting tucked in," Fitz frowned as he climbed into his bed and snuggled into the pillows.

Melinda smiled as she sat on the edge of his bed and twirled a finger in one of his curls. "I think I'll decide when you're too big for me to just sit here and love being with my beautiful boy." She smiled at the blush on his cheeks then tucked the blanket up to his chin. "Thank you for taking care of your sisters today, bao bao." She smiled at him smiling back at her.

A moment later he was sitting up wrapping his arms around her. "I really love you, Momma." He whispered close to her ear. "I'm glad you don't think I'm too big."

Melinda blinked a tear away and hugged him back.