Well, I can't tell you much about the story as I don't want to spoil it. I didn't want to write it so long but I wrote 9 pages already. I guess it's a half of the story so it will have at least 4 chapters.

It's AU. I didn't want to write any more AoS ff but I couldn't help myself.

It could be sequel to my other stories (Hide your feelings, Believe and The Mission) but it's up to you.

There are probably (most likely!) mistakes in this story so feel free to let me know about them. ;o)

Skye took a deep breath before she entered the Bus. She was away just for a weekend but to her it seemed longer, so many things changed. She wasn't sure how she would handle everything but she had to at least try. She looked down on a bundle in her arms and smiled a little bit.

She went through a cargo hold and peeked into the lab because she knew it would be easier explaining everything to Jemma first. She could give her an advice how to tell Coulson but Skye wasn't that lucky. With another deep breath she climbed up the stairs. Skye heard voices from the lounge area. "Ok, baby girl, we will handle this," she whispered to the sleeping baby.

"Hi," she said as she walked into the room.

"Skye!" Simmons squeaked, get up of the sofa where she was chatting with Fitz and ran to her. She wanted to hug her but spotted the baby. Jemma froze. "What is it?"

Skye smiled, she couldn't help herself. "It's a baby, Jemma."

"Baby?" Fitz repeated as he came closer to the girls. "You don't have a baby."

She rolled her eyes. "I do now," she answered with a sigh. She looked at Coulson who was frowning.

"Could you explain that?" Their boss asked.

"Lilly is my friend's daughter. She is...," Skye shook her head, "she was my best friend. We grew up together in the orphanage. Nobody wanted us. We knew that when we will come back from another foster family we will always meet in St. Agnes. But I know that it's not what you want to know," she assured them. "Claire got pregnant by some guy who left her when she told him they are going to have a baby. She was four months pregnant when they found out she's got a cancer. She had to decide if she wants to keep the baby or not. Well, there wasn't much to decide. She always wanted children. She was caring, she loved them, she was so happy." Skye stopped talking. It took a few minutes until she could continue as memories came back to her. "She started a treatment after Lilly was born but it was too late. She died yesterday afternoon just a few hours after I arrived to the hospital. I had to promise her I will take care of her little girl. I'm sorry AC. I know it's not ideal but I can't let Lilly go to the orphanage. I can't keep her either I know that but I want to find her a loving home. I will understand if you don't want me here and I will go away and find us some place where we could stay. I just had to come and see you at least for the last time. I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye."

"Oh, don't be silly!" Jemma said. "You're not going anywhere!" She stopped as she looked at Coulson. "Is she, Sir?"

He shook his head. "No, she's not," he assured them.

"Thanks," Skye smiled. It was just a small victory but at least she didn't have to raise a child as a homeless person.

"Wait!" Ward called out. It was the first time he spoke since she entered the lounge area until now he just stared at her. "Baby on the Bus? Seriously, Sir? I think we've got enough trouble without the child on board! What about the missions? Who will look after that when all of us will be in the field?"

"It's not that! And she's got a name, Ward," Skye snapped.

He made a face. "I don't care about its' name. How do you want to continue with your training when you will have to take care of the baby? Do you even know how to take care of it?"

Skye's face turned into stone. She made a few steps in his direction. "Her name is Lilly. You might be surprised now but yes, I know how to take care of a baby! Who do you think looked after her since her mum died? She's two weeks old so she couldn't take care of herself like you or I did!"

"She's staying, Agent Ward," Coulson made a decision. "I want to have a private talk with you right now!" He set off to his office. Grant gave her last annoyed look before he followed his boss.

"What is your problem, agent Ward?" asked Coulson as he sat to his chair behind the table in his office.

Ward raised his eyebrows. "My problem, Sir?" He pretended he's confused because it was much easier than admit anything.

Older man gave him a sharp look. "I know you know what I mean so just skip that part and tell me what your problem is. Why don't you want that baby here?"

Grant sighed. "I just don't think it's safe." He shrugged.

Now Coulson was the one who was really confused. "I don't understand."

There was another sigh. "They could use it as a weapon against us."

"Who? Skye and who?"

Ward shook his head impatiently. "I don't mean Skye. That little girl could be used against her too because Skye really cares about her. She looks like she cares about her more than anything. That baby probably means a world to her. But it's bad because everybody who will go after us will take advantage of that! They could try to kidnap the baby or hurt her."

Coulson pressed his lips together. He knew Ward could be right but he couldn't send Skye away; he knew that her only home was this plane. "I get it now but I don't think it will be a problem. Actually Lilly could help us with our next mission," he said and his eyes widened.

Grant frowned. "What mission, Sir?" he questioned but he didn't get any answer because his boss was already on his way out of the office. He followed him and frowned more if it was even possible.

Coulson stopped in the lounge area where the rest of the team still was. "I've got a new mission for us!" he announced cheerfully.

FitzSimmons exchanged a confused look, May's expression didn't change and Skye seemed to be fully focused at the little girl in her arms.

"What mission, Sir?" Ward repeated his question, disappointed by not much enthusiasm from the team.

Coulson told them about a married couple with a two-year-old boy – which seemed as a very important information – currently living in London. He said that S.H.I.E.L.D. is watching over them because of the unknown superpowers. He told them about the Programme Pegasus which was about to give them those superpowers. There were no signs of them – until now. In their neighbourhood happened many suspicious things lately which made S.H.I.E.L.D. worried so they wanted somebody to befriend that couple, gain their trust and figure out what was happening.

"As there aren't many children in that area I would like to send Lilly too," ended Coulson his explaining.

Skye looked up. "You want me on that mission?" she asked, surprisingly. She didn't want to go on a mission. She wanted to be with her little girl and remember her late friend. She wanted to grief at least for a few days.

"It doesn't have to be you. If you want to Simmons can go undercover."

She shook her head. "I can't just hand in Lilly to anybody yet. I'm sorry, Jemma." She looked at the biochemist.

Simmons smiled. "It's okay. I really don't want to go. I will happily stay in the lab." She assured her.

"Ok then, Skye will go with...," Coulson looked around questioningly.

Fitz looked like that he's going to cry if his boss would say he has to go. He really didn't want to. He wanted to stay with Jemma in the lab because it was the only place where he was happy. He didn't like the missions. It wasn't safe. He still remembered South Ossetia and it wasn't a very good memory. Well, not every mission was like that one but none of them were really safe or without trouble and he experienced too many troubles for his taste.

"I'll go," said Ward and rolled his eyes as he looked at Fitz.

Skye raised her eyebrows at him. She was really surprised he wanted to go on that mission because he was avoiding her and it didn't seem like he likes Lilly. "Are you sure?" she asked. "You know that Lilly is going to be there all the time, right?" She didn't want to question his decision but she didn't want him to regret it.

He sighed, giving her one of his looks. "Of course, I know that. She's a quite important asset for this mission, don't you think?"

She made a face. "You don't have to be offensive. I just don't get it! Why do you want to be there when you don't even like her?"

He pressed his lips together. He should have seen that coming. He should have known she would have realized that and she would want her answers but he wasn't ready to give them to her yet so he improvised. "Because you need a protection and I don't think Fitz can effectively protect you." He turned at the younger man. "No offence."

"None taken," he assured.

Coulson smiled for a bit. He knew Ward would want this mission if Skye would be involved. "Skye and Agent Ward it is then."

"When do we start, Sir?" the specialist asked.

"Tomorrow morning," he answered. "You will need to read those," he handed them files with all the information they would need.

"Thanks, AC," nodded Skye and took the file. She was going to read it later in her bunk when Lilly would be sleeping and nobody would have any more questions.

"She's hungry, Ward!" explained Skye and tried to pull herself from his arms.

"I don't care! You've got training! You agreed with it!" pointed out Grant.

She sighed. "It's not my fault that Lilly wants to eat!"

He narrowed his eyes. "Simmons!" he yelled.

"Why are you calling Jemma?" Skye was confused and she forgot about the crying girl only few steps from her for a little moment.

"Do you need something, Ward?" biochemist asked as she looked out of the lab. Her expression clearly said she's not very pleased by all his yelling.

"Yes! I need you to feed the baby and take care of her until we're finished with our training."

Jemma frowned. "Didn't you forget something?"

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"First I could be busy. Second when you want a help from somebody you are not just yelling! I'm a human being not a robot!" she snapped.

Skye chuckled and Ward's arms around her body tightened.

"Could you feed the baby and look after her for a little while?" he asked. "Please," he added when Jemma lifted her eyebrows.

"Of course I could," she smiled and walked to them.

"I don't want her to! I can take care of Lilly!" Skye tried to resist. She didn't like the idea of being without Lilly for more than a few minutes and she was sure Ward would want to train for at least another half an hour.

"No, you can't!" he snapped. "You need to train!"

"I hate you, Ward," she whispered as she watched Jemma taking Lilly into her arms.

"Don't worry, Skye. She's safe with me," she assured her friend.

"That's not it. It's just," she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I will come as soon as possible."

"I know you will," smiled Simmons. She would have to be blind if she wouldn't see how much the young agent cares about that little girl. She walked back to the lab, cuddling Lilly.

For next twenty minutes Skye and Grant couldn't hear a single sob. But when they were just about to finish in five minutes loud and heartbreaking crying reached their ears. Skye froze in the middle of her move so Ward knocked her out.

"Damn it, Skye! You need to focus!" he frowned.

"I can't! Lilly's crying! I have to see her," she snapped, stood up and rushed to the lab.

"You will do twenty push ups for every minute away!" he yelled after her.

"Yeah. Sure."

Ward stayed on the same place and didn't really understand what just happened. Did she just agree to do it later because of that little evil in the lab? What the hell happened with his Rookie? He sighed and went to the lab as well. He could see Skye with the calmed baby against her shoulder.

"You will not believe that, Ward! Lilly stopped crying at the moment Skye appeared! She didn't want to stop since Jemma fed her and then Skye came in and she's calm. She looks like she'll sleep at any minute now," explained Fitz excitedly.

"Amazing," sneered Ward.

After two more minutes Lilly started to breath regularly. "She's sleeping," said Skye. "We can go back to our training." She looked at her SO.

He checked his watch. "Seven and a half minutes, Skye."

"Yeah, I know. One hundred and fifty push ups, I heard you, don't worry," she assured him before walking back to the cargo hold. She put the baby girl in the sleeping basket and went to do those push ups.

Grant was surprised she did it without at least trying to avoid it. He blamed the baby.