Disclaimer: Not mine.

Author's Note: Whatever did Sebastian want to talk to Skye about? Guess you better read and find out.(There's some easter eggs for the comic book readers among you here.) Next time, we'll get back to Simmons. Let me know what you think?

C.A.T.E.R.P.I.L.L.A.R., part 3

As Skye was talking to Lincoln about Eden's new teleportation ability, she could see Sebastian lurking out of the corner of her eye. He must really want that talk, she thought, and excused herself from Lincoln. What could he want?

"Hey Sebastian, what's up?" she asked, walking over to him.

"Perhaps we might talk privately?" he suggested, motioning towards an unused room in the med bay at the end of the hall.

"Sure," she said, following him in there.

"I know the clinical trial, if that is what this is, is finishing soon. I was wondering if I could stay," he said, getting directly to the point.

"Why?" she asked, just as bluntly. "I kind of thought you were rearing to go home."

"As Eden just demonstrated, our new abilities could come on at any time and we might not be able to control them. I would like to be taught how to use mine when that happens."

"That's reasonable," she said. "Of course you can stay. Is that all?"

"No," he said. He reached into the pocket of the overcoat he wore everywhere and pulled out a book. "If you are to teach me, I think I can trust you. This was left to me by my father."

"Who was your father?" Skye asked, taking the book.

"Anthony Ludgate Druid," he said.

"Oh."

"You don't sound surprised."

"I had my suspicions when I saw your last name," Skye admitted.

"Did you know him?"

"No, I merely saw a file once," she said. "He was...a magician, right?"

"Yes, in a way. He studied the occult, Far Eastern mysticism, Druidic rituals, hypnotism, yogic practices...all in addition to his career as a psychiatrist. He told me that I could have the same power he had, and he gave me this book. My time in New Orleans was part of my search for answers. Before New Orleans, it was New York. Do you know Dr. Stephen Strange?"

"Of him, yes," Skye admitted.

"His practice was boarded up. I thought, with the regional interest in folk magic, I might learn something in New Orleans. I didn't expect it to lead me here."

"We can help you," Skye said, "but there's no guarantee your abilities as a result of the Terrigen crystals will match those of your father's." It was likely his father had been an Inhuman descendant, she thought, though she'd have to talk to Lincoln about the genealogies to find out if he had undergone Terrigenesis. My powers were not often hereditary; look at her powers and those of her mother's.

He nodded, and passed her the book. "Have you seen this language before?" he asked.

She opened it, and flipped through it. "I'm sorry, I can't help you here," she said, passing it back.

"Oh."

There was silence between them, but Skye was thinking hard. Should she? She went for it. "As a civilian, you do not have the resources to pursue this line of research. However, if you were to join us, we might be able to help."

Sebastian gave her a look of surprise. "Join S.H.I.E.L.D.?" he asked, skeptically.

"I'm starting up a new project," she said. "Project C.A.T.E.R.P.I.L.L.A.R. Yo-Yo's already on board. You'd be a part of that. You'd have to train up, and you'd be using whatever abilities you were granted for the greater good." She hadn't really had time to work on her pitch, but it sounded okay.

"Yeah, okay," he said slowly.

"Good," she responded. At least Coulson was gone. By the time he got back, hopefully she could prove that this wasn't a bad idea after all. She didn't even know what abilities either of them had at this point.

Like he was reading her mind, Sebastian asked, "Is there any way to...trigger these...powers?"

"Why don't we go talk to Lincoln?" Skye suggested. He nodded.

They found Lincoln not too far from where Skye left him earlier.

"You're back," he said.

"Sebastian has some questions for you," Skye said, motioning Sebastian to continue.

"Uhh...how are abilities triggered?" he said awkwardly.

"Once you have control, you can trigger them at will," he said. "But for the first time, it's hard to say. Often, strong emotion can bring it out. Sometimes, it can happen without you really noticing it at first, like dreams that turn out to be prophetic," he said, with a sidelong glace at Skye. "Have you noticed anything unusual lately?" he asked Sebastian.

"Not really."

"Well, then, your powers will reveal themselves. You just have to give it time."

"Oh, okay," Sebastian said, with a dejected look on his face. "Well, thanks for your help," he added, and walked away.

"What was that all about?" Lincoln asked Skye, once he was gone.

"His father was Anthony Ludgate Druid," Skye told him. "He's hoping he inherited his father's powers."

"Oh...OH," Lincoln said, his confusion clearing up. "You think he was an Inhuman, since his powers were active?"

"I was hoping you could tell me," Skye told him wryly. "Being that you're the only one with the genealogies."

"We'd have to go back to Afterlife. If he underwent Terrigenesis, it would probably be within the last fifty years. I didn't bring those with me."

"Well, we have no pilot so we have to wait on that. Pity Eden didn't stick around."

"Another teleporter, popping up so soon after we lost Gordon? Crazy how these things work."

"Crazy's right. Do you think Eden's powers work the same way as Gordon's did?"

"I couldn't say right now," Lincoln said.

Skye nodded. "How's Jerry?"

"He's struggling. He wants to go home."

"You have more experience with me with the physical changes. Do you think that's a good idea?"

"He's going to get some funny looks, but it's not an extreme as it could be. I'm going to suggest to him that he pass it off as jaundice."

"The liver disease symptom?"

"That's right." He considered her. "I'm surprised you knew that."

"Grey's Anatomy marathons," she admitted, a little bashfully.

"That is not a realistic medical show," he insisted.

"I never said it was," she countered. "It's basically a soap opera in a hospital. But, you learn some terms. Like jaundice."

"Humph," was his only response.

"So, Jerry," she prompted.

"I admit, I'm a little hesitant to let any of them go before they get a handle on what their abilities are and how to control them. It could be..."

"Messy?" she suggested.

"Yeah, let's go with that. In Afterlife, being able to stay until you had control of your abilities was one of the conditions for passing through the Mist. But I guess this scenario isn't exactly the same."

"No, it isn't," she said a little sadly. In some ways, the system the Inhumans used seemed almost the most humane, oddly enough. No one was forced into anything. "But on a good note, Sebastian and Yo-Yo both want to stick around, at least until they've learned how to use their abilities."

"It's good they decided that on their own," he said.

Skye nodded. She wasn't going to tell him about their potential involvement in C.A.T.E.R.P.I.L.L.A.R. Lincoln had been...less than enthused the last time she brought that up.

"Did you get pizza?" she asked, changing the topic before it hit potentially dangerous waters.

"Yes, I ate with Jerry," he said. "It wasn't Chicago deep-dish, but it was okay."

"Not all of us can get to Chicago and back in seconds to satisfy your taste buds," she retorted.

"Too bad." He paused. "Maybe, when we have a chance, we can go to Chicago ourselves and get some? I know the best place."

She smiled. "Yeah, that would be nice. Look, I gotta do some stuff."

"Go, go." He shooed her off, trying hard to hide his smile. He lost the battle, but not until after she was gone. He had invited Skye on a date, and she had accepted. Granted, it was a someday date, but still.

Author's Note 2: I wasn't altogether thrilled with this chapter, but after rewriting pieces of it twice, I've decided to just go ahead and post it. If you have any suggestions, I'd be grateful to hear them.