A/N: To explain why I haven't been writing much recently, on this story or others...

This previous Sunday one of my students, a young woman who I have been with for two years, who I have cared for in her home and at the hospital as well as at school, passed away suddenly. She wasn't just my student - she was my friend, despite all of her medical issues and her severe developmental delay. I love her like a sister. She had been going through some medical issues since January and came home with a lot of new equipment. This last round, she had been home two weeks and two days when she passed.

I am heartbroken and shattered and unable to focus on much of anything. Everything feels wrong. I miss her so much that it's hard to breathe.

So I haven't been feeling very inspired and I haven't had any desire to write. I'm working on a scrapbook for her parents and a slideshow for her memorial service and I'm pretty much a wreck.

I don't know when I'll be back to full speed. This is the last chapter of this story, but I'll be working on writing chapters for my other stories as well, depending on how things are going. I'm gone to Portland next week (18-22 August) and will have Internet access there but no real plan for writing.

Thank you to everyone who reads/reviews/follows/favorites. I really appreciate all the support.

Six months later

"Jemma, let's go! The plane's landing!" Fitz hollers down the hallway.

Jemma looks up from the microscope. She'd completely forgotten that this was the day she and Fitz and May were heading off to the Avengers' headquarters to see Skye, and to hopefully bring her back to the Playground. So many things had happened since Skye's illness and Fury's willingness to find someone who could train her. Jemma and Fitz had watched, horrified, as a battle in Sokovia against an evil robotic army had nearly resulted in the destruction of that entire country. They'd heard about a new gifted individual joining the Avengers. Fury kept them pretty well-informed, but at the core of it all Jemma just missed Skye.

Such a pretty girl. Is my daughter in love with you?

No matter where she went, Jiaying's words still echoed in Jemma's head.

"Let's go!" Fitz hollers again, and Jemma takes off her lab coat, picks up her backpack, and heads out to meet the plane.

She makes it out to the landing bay just as a gorgeous, confident-looking woman with red hair strides off the plane. "Good morning," she says. "I'm…"

Fitz interrupts her. "You're uh… you're…"

"This is Natasha," May says, looking only slightly amused. "Nat, this is Leo Fitz, our lead engineer, and Jemma Simmons, our biochem specialist."

Natasha Romanoff shakes their hands in turn. "Jemma," she says, holding the girl's hand just a little longer.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jemma says.

"Skye talks about you all the time," Natasha says, and she smiles.

Such a pretty girl. Is my daughter in love with you?

"I miss her very much," Jemma says honestly.

"She'll be very glad to see you. Let's get going."

The ride to the new Avengers' training facility is relatively short. Jemma busies herself looking over Skye's files; someone at the base has been kind enough to forward them onto her.

Skye had been taken to the facility in a kind of half-sleep; she was able to be roused for food and water, but her words were slurred and she had a difficult time focusing her eyes or getting her arms and legs to move in the ways she wanted. The first week at the base had been passive range-of-motion therapy and letting Skye sleep off the remainder of the foreign substances coursing through her veins – the poison from Jiaying and the antidote Jemma had slapped together. She was carefully monitored, all of her vital signs checked regularly, and given nutritional supplements, since during her illness she had lost nearly twenty pounds.

Once the drugs wore off Skye moved onto more strenuous rehabilitation. She worked first on standing, then walking with the aid of a walker or a cane. Her arms and legs still didn't cooperate all of the time, but Skye was focused and determined. Within a few weeks she had returned nearly to baseline, at least with her physical abilities. Other therapeutic exercises enabled her to focus her eyes, and brought back the majority of her fine motor skills.

Then the work on controlling her powers had begun. As it turned out, Dr. Banner had been unable to assist in Skye's case, since after the battle of Sokovia he had disappeared into thin air. A report from the training facility let the team at the Playground know that someone else was consulting on Skye's case, and that she was making remarkable progress.

"Wonder if Captain America'll be there," Fitz says as Jemma looks up from the files. "Or maybe Thor."

"Thor went back to Asgard," May says.

Jemma and Fitz both turn to look at her.

May shrugs. "I like to be kept in the loop. Also, Sif was in the vicinity a week or so ago assisting with an Asgardian weapon we found, and she mentioned he had returned home for a bit."

"Or Hawkeye," Fitz allows. "Any of them, really. I'd love to see how their uh… their…"

"Equipment?" Jemma offers.

"Right. Their suits, their weapons… it's fascinating stuff."

"We'll be on the ground in less than five." Natasha's voice echoes over the PA system.

The base is located in the middle of a lush green forest, and Jemma likes it immediately. She sees cadets running on an outdoor track, and another group of young men and women practicing at an archery range just beyond that. Fitz nearly bounces with glee when he recognizes Clint Barton, better known as Hawkeye, working with the students.

"Skye's in here," Natasha says, leading them into the minimalistic building and down an open corridor. "At least, she should be, if she hasn't badgered her way out of exercises and gone for an early lunch."

"You go," May says to Jemma as Natasha moves on ahead, opening a door.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," May says. "Fitz and I will go drool over something."

"I don't drool," Fitz protests.

Jemma smiles.

"You were the one who took care of her," May goes on. "You deserve to see her first. And if she's doing as well as they say she is… she'll be back with us in no time."

"Okay," Jemma says softly.

"Do you think Hawkeye'd let us shoot his bow?" Fitz asks.

May grips him firmly by the elbow. "I don't know," she replies, "but I hope I'm there when you ask him."

Natasha pokes her head out of a door at the end of the hallway. "You coming?" she asks Jemma.

Jemma nods. "Of course."

The training room is much larger than she was expecting; it looks like it could be a racquetball court in any other type of facility. Instead it's just large, with a high ceiling and gray rubber mats on the floor; high above there's a few skylights and some windows, indicating a place that observers could stand and look in on the action. As she enters she hears a voice, strongly accented. "Try again. This time, think little."

It sounds like leetle, and it makes Jemma smile.

Skye has her back to the door, and Jemma takes a minute to study the setup. On the far end of the room, a young woman with long dark hair stands in a defensive stance. She's wearing a black dress, a red jacket, and black boots that remind Jemma of the ones Skye liked to wear. Around her neck are some dangly necklaces. In short, she looks nothing like the skilled trainer Jemma was expecting. She looks like the snarky outcast in a teen movie.

"Wanda Maximoff," Natasha says quietly.

"The new gifted?"

Natasha nods. "She's very powerful."

She looks completely ordinary to Jemma, an impression that remains until she raises her hands and pure red energy bolts out of them, winging towards Skye.

Jemma moves to warn Skye, to call out, but Natasha's hand on her arm stops her.

Skye raises her hands, one out to each side, and she pushes gently, sending the energy back to Wanda.

"Very good," Wanda says. "See? Leetle is no problem."

"Big is no problem either," Skye says, but there's laughter in her voice.

"Da, I know this," Wanda says, rolling her eyes. "Or have you forgotten you crack my sternum first time we train?"

Jemma can't see Skye's face, but something in her knows it's gone bright red.

"And I tell you I'm sorry every day!"

"Bah!" Wanda waves one hand. "Sorry, sorry – is all I hear!"

For a moment Jemma feels intensely jealous. Skye obviously has a deep relationship with Wanda, and it's built on things Jemma can never share with Skye. Skye is happy to be with the Avengers, happy to be with Wanda – what right does Jemma have to make her come back to the Playground?

"Wanda," Natasha says. "Can we take a break?"

"Yes," Wanda replies. "There is girl in corner has missed you very much."

Skye turns around. At the sight of Jemma she beams. "Oh, hi!" she squeals, and bounds over to Jemma, throwing her arms around the Brit.

"Hello," Jemma says, a bit stunned by the effusive welcome.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

"Because we haven't been in contact since you got here," Jemma reminds her. "No cell phones, no email."

Skye pulls back, looking worried.

"But that's fine," Jemma says. "You had a lot of things to take care of."

"I missed all of you every day," Skye says. "Especially you."

Is my daughter in love with you?

"I may have had an ulterior motive in coming in here," Natasha says. "Skye, Cap's wondering if you could come fix the wifi again."

Skye groans, rolling her eyes theatrically. "What's he trying to watch this time?"

"I think he was really getting into 'Orange is the New Black,'" Natasha answers.

"He crashes the wifi every day," Skye murmurs to Jemma. "Honestly, it's like being with Coulson. Just… a taller, more physically impressive Coulson."

Jemma has to smile at that. "Go, fix it," she says. "I'll find Fitz and May."

"I can take you to them," Wanda offers.

Skye leaves with Natasha, and Jemma hesitates, trying not to stare at Wanda.

"Is all right," Wanda says. "I can see what you are scared of."

Jemma frowns.

"I peeked," Wanda goes on. "Is intrusive and wrong, but… people are boxes. Filled up with so many things, some spill out."

"You were in my head?" Jemma can hardly believe that.

"Just a little," Wanda says, and Jemma hears leetle again.

"That's very rude."

Wanda shrugs. "Could have been worse."

"My head is private," Jemma says, trying desperately to keep anger from slipping into her tone. "As are most people's."

"Why are you so afraid to tell her of what you feel?" Wanda asks.

Thrown completely off balance, Jemma can only gape.

"Is it because her mother was one who put thought in your head?"

Is my daughter in love with you?

Wanda studies Jemma.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jemma stutters.

"Hmm. Or is it perhaps you are afraid she will reject you?"

"That's none of your business," Jemma snaps.

Wanda tilts her head, seemingly unaffected by Jemma's outburst. "When she first came here, I look inside her head. So much problems. So much confusion, and anger, and sadness. Twisty wires, she would say. Very much memories of a cabin, of being sick there, of thinking she was dying."

Jemma remembers all too well.

"Then after this… you. Memories of you," Wanda continues. "Of you making her well."

"I couldn't make her well," Jemma mutters.

"Always you were there," Wanda says. "This is what matters to her."

"That's not love, that's…"

Wanda cuts her off. "Sacrificing your well-being for one who is weak and powerless is love."

There's something in her eyes that makes Jemma believe her.

"So maybe… before you take her home, you tell her," Wanda suggests.

"I thought she wanted to stay here."

Wanda shakes her head. "There is nothing for her here. She can control powers. Her body is strong again. Her mind… that will take time, but is much better for her to be around those she knows while that is worked on."

Jemma says nothing, her mind now flitting through every horrible moment of Skye's illness. Everything she couldn't fix. Every time she thought she would lose Skye. Everything that happened at Afterlife, every quake Skye caused, every high fever, everything. It floods over her like a wave knocking down a surfer, and she goes weak in the knees.

Wanda grabs her and they slide down to the floor together. "Is all right," Wanda says gently.

Tears roll down Jemma's face and she's not sure where they came from. "All I wanted," she manages to get out, "was for her to be safe."

"This is what she wants," Wanda says. She looks down at her hands and then back up at Jemma. "May I show you something?"

Jemma turns to her, face wet with tears.

"Will require me to go inside," Wanda says, touching her own temple. "Will not hurt."

Jemma can't think of anything she'd like less, but something in Wanda's caring tone makes her think that whatever it is, it must be important. She nods.

Wanda brings one hand up and tendrils of red flow from her fingers towards Jemma's head.

They're back in the cabin, the two of them, lying on the bed together, Jemma sleeping. Skye is finally peaceful, and calm, her fever down, her heart rate slowed, her oxygen finally normal. She looks at Jemma, a small smile on her face, seeing her friend relaxed for the first time in weeks. There's love in that look, and joy, and gratitude. All of Skye's feelings rush in towards Jemma – there's so much care. The feelings are delicate, and uncertain in places, but Jemma knows in that moment that Skye feels exactly the same way about her that she does about Skye.

Wanda pulls back from Jemma and waits until the other girl looks at her. "You see?"

"That was…" Jemma thinks. "That was a really good moment. She was better. I finally felt like I had done something right."

"Think you have done something right all along," Wanda agrees. "Now you tell her."

She helps Jemma to her feet and indicates the door. "Think she will have the computers fixed by now. Until the American man breaks again."

Jemma pauses. "Wanda?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you for taking such good care of Skye. And thank you for all the work you've done on her powers. She's… she's so very important to me, and I knew there would be things in her life I could never really understand… and you came in and showed her those things."

"She is a wonder," Wanda says. "It has been great honor to work with her. She needs more than I can give but it is enough, a start."

She starts to speak, then shakes her head.

"What is it?" Jemma asks.

"I was just thinking of someone I loved very much," Wanda says, a bit shyly. "And what he might say of your sudden understanding of your feelings for Skye."

Jemma looks at her expectantly.

Wanda smiles. "He would say 'You didn't see that coming?'"

Jemma finds Skye in the kitchen of the facility. Fitz and May are nowhere in sight, and Jemma's glad for that. She needs to get the words out.

"Skye," she says.

Skye turns towards her. She looks so healthy, so normal, that Jemma can't believe that a short time ago she was basically in a coma. "Want an apple?"

"No. Well, maybe later," Jemma allows. "First I want to talk to you about something."

"Okay," Skye says. "These apples are really good."

"Yes. I believe you."

"Were you talking to Wanda? Isn't she great?"

"Yes. She's very nice."

"She's been working with me since I got here. Did you know she was imprisoned by HYDRA? Her and her brother, and they both…"

Jemma can't take it anymore, and she blurts out, "I'm in love with you and I have been for quite a while now."

Skye freezes, and the apple she'd been holding drops to the floor. "You're… what?"

"I just… I've always cared about you, and since taking care of you when you were sick, and Wanda showed me in my head, and…"

Skye cuts off the rambling, pressing her lips to Jemma's.

"Oh. Well then," Jemma says when Skye pulls back.

Skye laughs. "How very British of you, Agent Simmons."

"I'm a woman of many secrets, I'll have you know."

"Oh, I know," Skye says, a devilish glint in her eyes, and she leans in again.

Jemma hears Jiaying's words again – Is my daughter in love with you?

And this time she shoots back an answer – Yes.

fin.