Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I do not own anything. Everything belongs to their rightful owners and I am not making any profit from this.

Avengers Age of Ultron

After Ultron attacks the party, and after the Avengers find out what Tony has done, Clint has gone off on his own to call his Mom as he hasn't been able to get through to anyone in his family in about a week and is starting to grow concerned.

"Hello." Melinda answers

"Finally." Clint says, feeling glad to hear his mother's voice, "What is going on? You've been unreachable for like a week."

"I know; things here have been complicated." Melinda explains.

"Is everyone okay?" Clint asks worried.

"Yeah, it's just a long story. I'll tell you when we see each other face to face." Melinda explains, "How about you? From the info we've got from Maria things seem far from okay there."

"Yeah, things are very complicated." Clint tells his mother, using her own words as when it comes to their family 'complicated' usually means can't be discussed over the phone, "I think things are going to get pretty bad." Clint admits.

"Be careful." Melinda tells her son.

"Yes, Ma'am." Clint answers.

"And tell Natasha the same." Melinda requests.

"Will do." Clint says, smiling to himself, "I've got to go. I'll talk to you later." Clint informs his mother.

"Okay, I love you." Melinda tells her son.

"You too." Clint says before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Steve asks curious.

"My girlfriend." Clint lies, it feeling pretty wrong to do so, but he knows that it's not the right time to reveal the truth.

After Natasha, Steve, Bruce, Thor and Tony are all brainwashed Clint knows that he has to get his team somewhere safe and as he thinks about where he realises that there is one place he can take them, the safest place he knows, his Grandmother's farm.

With Natasha leaning on him, with his arm around her, Clint leads everyone inside.

"Grandma! It's me." Clint calls out, "Please don't shoot." Clint adds, causing everyone else, except for Natasha, to exchange looks.

"Clint. Good choice on safe houses." Lian informs her grandson as she walks out from the kitchen and sees who her grandson brought with him.

"Why am I not surprised that you already know." Clint comments, "It's good to see you Grandma." He says walking over and giving her a hug. "Everyone I would like you to meet my Grandmother, who has a higher security clearance than anyone in this room." Clint introduces, causing Tony to give Lian a surprised and impressed look, "Lian May." Clint introduces, "I guessing you don't need introductions."

"No, I don't." Lian answers.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ma'am." Steve says.

"I thought you had no family." Tony comments as he learnt that from the info on Clint he has seen.

"Yeah, that's what most people think." Clint explains, "When I was fifteen I was on my own and two S.H.I.E.L.D agents; Phil Coulson and the person who had been and continued to be Coulson's best friend and partner since he was seventeen, Melinda May, brought me into S.H.I.E.L.D. They thought I was seventeen." Clint explains, "A week later I was sitting on the fountain at the S.H.I.E.L.D base I was brought to, trying to figure out where I would run to when Melinda sat down next to me. I told her everything and she offered me a home, she became my legal guardian and within a few weeks she adopted me." Clint says with a smile, "When she brought me home that night meet her daughter, who she adopted when she was one, Bobbi, or as I call her Bobbi Bear." Clint explains, "Five years later Melinda adopted a genius Scottish boy who had been abandoned by his mother because of the fact that he was a genius, Leo Fitz or Little Lion to me."

"Leo Fitz is your brother." Tony says shocked.

"You know him?" Steve asks surprised.

"Yeah. He's one of the best engineers in the world." Tony says, it being clear that he is impressed.

"That's my Little Lion." Clint says proudly, "Three years after Leo was adopted Mom adopted a girl, who had been put into foster care by S.H.I.E.L.D agents, Skye, or Speedy to me." Clint says, "Because of Mom's work, and the fact that Grandma, along with Peggy Carter, who's a close friend of grandma's," Clint says, purposely looking at Steve, "Practically created modern espionage, our family was kept secret for our safety, thought it didn't exactly work because my siblings and I were nearly killed a few times when we were growing up. Nick Fury, who is like a brother to my Mom, made sure that nothing was in S.H.I.E.L.D files and helped cover thinks up. My family is so secretive that up until last week not even a dozen people knew the truth. Mom's best friend and partner, Coulson, only knew that Mom adopted four kids, he didn't even know our names." Clint explains.

"What happened last week?" Bruce asks curious.

"My youngest sister developed powers a few weeks ago." Clint explains.

"What kind of powers?" Tony asks curious.

"She can cause earthquakes, and practically anything to shake." Clint explains.

"Sounds like she can manipulate everything's natural vibration." Bruce comments.

"Sounds about right." Clint explains, "And about a week ago the people who are with my Mom, brother and sister, found out. Bobbi called me because she felt that Skye needed me." Clint explains.

"And I went because I've known the truth since not long after Clint brought me into S.H.I.E.L.D and I care about Clint's siblings. Plus, I trained Skye." Natasha explains, "Lian, seeing as how we've barged in on you what can we do to help?" Natasha asks as Thor walks out, feeling like she could use a distraction.

"Thank you, Natasha." Lian says gratefully and she starts to give everyone tasks, tasks that Tony doesn't even argue with as he has enough sense not.

After Thor disappears, and while Tony and Steve head outside to cut wood and Bruce heads upstairs for a shower, Clint goes searching for Natasha who he finds sitting around the back, on the grass, by a pond.

"Do you want to talk about what the Maximoff girl made you see?" Clint asks curious as he sits down next to Natasha.

"Nope." Natasha answers, "Did your Grandma know any more about what's going on at the Playground?" Natasha asks curious, changing the subject partly because she doesn't want to talk about her, and partly because she is truly curious about that.

"No, but she hadn't heard from anyone in days." Clint says, sounding concerned, "Although she did know that there was an incident at The Retreat." Clint reveals.

"What kind of incident?" Natasha asks curious.

"Trees have been destroyed, and powers being used were resisted on the sensors. Grandma didn't have many more details." Clint explains, it being clear that he is worried as that sounds like it could be Skye, but what he can't figure out is why Skye would be at the Retreat.

"Hey." Natasha says reaching over and grabbing her partner's hand, "Your Mom or siblings, or Coulson would have called if something bad happened. You know that." Natasha tells him, "But because I know words won't help once we've dealt with Ultron we'll go to the Playground and get to the bottom of this."

"That's if we make it through this." Clint comments.

"We will. We have to, otherwise your Mom will kick both our asses." Natasha says as an attempt to get Clint to smile, something which she does manage to do.

"Yeah, she will." Clint says and he and Natasha drift into silence.

Clint and Natasha have been sitting together for a while when they hear footsteps and they both turn to see Lian walking up to them.

"Hey, Grandma." Clint greats.

"Nick is in the barn and wants to talk to Stark but doesn't want anyone to know that beforehand. I need you to find a reason to get him there." Lian requests.

"Sure." Clint says, not even questioning that as his grandmother has given him stranger requests before, "I'll see you later." Clint tells Natasha, wondering whether it was his grandmother's or Nick's suggestion to be dramatic.

"Actually Natasha I could use your help with something." Lian tells Natasha.

"Sure." Natasha says and she goes to help Lian and Clint goes to get Tony to the barn, planning on saying that his grandmother's tractor needs fixing.

A couple of hours later, to Clint's horror, his grandmother has shown Bruce, Tony, Steve, Natasha and Nick, who was there for most of them, his family pictures, and now the Avengers are getting ready to go to different places to do their work.

"I'm going to have to borrow Ms Hill." Fury informs Tony.

"Sure. She never really worked for me did she?" Tony asks curious and Fury just grins, "Hey, Barton." Tony says to Clint who is saying goodbye to his grandmother.

"What, Stark?" Clint asks curious.

"Is Hill on of the few who knew the truth?" he asks curious as he figures she is.

"Nope." Clint answers, "Which considering she was Bobbi's roommate at the academy, and was trained by Mom, she is going to be pissed about that." Clint admits, not looking forward to that as he figures with a lot of people knowing now it's only a matter of time before Maria finds out and she isn't going to be too happy about not knowing.

"Good to know." Tony comments

"I'll talk to you later, Grandma." Clint says giving his grandmother a hug, "I love you." Clint tells her.

"Love you too." Lian responds, then to Tony's amusement she pulls Natasha in for a hug too.

After using the old school methods that Natasha is using to find her Clint tracks her down to Sokovia and when he gets to the Hydra research base Natasha has already broken herself out and immediately joins the fight.

Once the battle is done and everything has calmed down, something which took days, almost a week. Clint has tried to call his family, having sent a quick text to his entire family to say that he is okay right after, but none of them answer, though he left a message for his mother.

"Are you okay?" Natasha asks concerned as she walks up to Clint who is staring at a wall in the New Avengers facility.

"No one's answering. Not Bee, or Mom, or Skye, or Leo, not even Coulson." Clint says as Melinda gave her son Coulson's number when they visited, just in case, "I have a bad feeling about this." Clint informs his partner as she walks over and stands next to him.

"Okay. Then let's get the training started and then go to The Playground." Natasha says as she knows that for no one to answer then something must have happened.

"What if something has happened, Nat?" Clint asks, looking upset, "I can't lose my family." Clint says, a tears coming to his eyes.

"I know." Natasha says, putting her arms around her partner and hugging him tightly, knowing that there is nothing that she can say to comfort him so instead she just has to be there for him.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 2x20

Ever since the news broke of Ultron and what was happening Leo has been worried about his brother, and Natasha, which is why when he received a text a few hours ago from his brother saying that both he and Natasha are alive and okay, he was thrilled.

"Skye keep saying that she wants to take Lincoln home when he wakes. Has she said anything to you?" Simmons asks Fitz curious as they watch Skye sit with Lincoln.

"We talked, her first night back." Leo explains.

"So what happened? Where is home? Where did Skye go? Does she really know how to use her powers?" Simmons asks.

"Jemma…" Leo starts to say but Simmons cuts him off.

"I don't like that tone." Simmons informs him, "You're not going to tell me anything, are you?"

"What Skye told me isn't mine to tell." Leo explains, "When one of my siblings, or anyone in my family tell me something, I keep it to myself, just like they keep anything I keep to themselves." Leo explains, "When Skye tells me something that she doesn't tell Mum or one of my siblings then I don't tell them because if Skye wanted them to know she would tell them herself." Leo explains, knowing that there are very few exceptions to that, but the entire family know them, "When Skye is ready for you to know she'll tell you." Leo says, knowing that because he knows his sister, "Have I made you mad again?" Leo asks worried.

"No. It good that you have such loyalty to your family." Simmons says, understanding while Leo is being secretive.

"He's waking up." Leo notes.

Hours after Lincoln wakes up Skye finds herself in Coulson's office with him and her mother, being questioned by the artefact in the cargo hold.

"I have no idea. Seriously, I have never heard of anything like that before, and neither has Lincoln." Skye explains.

"And you believe him?" Coulson asks suspiciously and.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You barely know him." Coulson objects.

"I know enough. He and Jiaying helped me. They never tried to hurt me. Th-They taught me to channel my power so I wasn't hurting myself. These are good people, Coulson." Skye says, speaking directly at Coulson as she has already had that conversation with her mother.

"Are they? People, I mean. Look, I know you feel connected to this group, but you won't tell us much about them, you're keeping to yourself... "

"I've been taking care of Lincoln." Skye objects.

"Okay, but from our perspective, we don't even know what to call them."

"Inhumans. Our ancient ancestors called themselves Inhumans, and we just want to be left alone." Skye says purposely saying the word we because she wants to have a real conversation with her mother, which she can't have with Coulson in the room, even though he knows their secret.

"We?" Coulson asks suspiciously.

"Phil, give me a minute with my daughter." Melinda requests.

"Sure." Phil says, looking between Melinda and Skye as he walks out.

"What's really going on, Skye?" Melinda asks her daughter once Coulson has walked out, knowing Skye well enough to know that there is something else going on.

"They want to be left alone, and I get that, I do, and I don't doubt that true, that they do want that." Skye tells her mother, "But I also have a feeling."

"What kind of feeling?" Melinda asks her daughter.

"That there is something else going on, that's why I haven't told anyone about our family." Skye tells her mother, "You and Natasha taught me to trust my instincts, something which wasn't easy for me and I do, Mom, I do. Which is why I know that there is something going on, more than just wanting to be alone." Skye explains, "Do you think the committee and Coulson will want to do something?" Skye asks concerned.

"Without a doubt. Gonzales and the committee will probably want to do something drastic, likely invade Afterlife, but Coulson will talk them into a sit down meeting first." Melinda tells her daughter.

"That will be a very, very bad idea." Skye tells her mother, "No matter what else is going on secrecy is what they value most." Skye says, "This isn't going to end well, Mom." Skye says as she can't help but fear what is going to happen.

"I agree, but I don't know whether I can talk them out of it." Melinda admits.

"Okay, let's think, we can't stop Coulson or Gonzales." Skye realises, "But I might be able to talk to Jiaying, talk her out of it or least figure out what is going on." Skye says, "Lincoln and I have to go first, it's the only way this has a chance of not ending horribly."

"Are you sure?" Melinda asks her daughter, not having a good feeling about this.

"Yeah." Skye realises, "Can you and Bee do your best to make sure that Gonzales doesn't do anything reckless or stupid?"

"I'll try." Melinda tells her daughter and they both know that it's the best she can do.

"I love you, Mom." Skye tells her mother, giving her a hug, "So much."

"I love you, too." Melinda tells her daughter.

"Can you talk to Coulson?" Skye asks curious as she hugs her mother.

"What do you want him to know?" Melinda asks her daughter, knowing that that is Skye's choice.

"Tell him that Jiaying is my biological mother and that Lincoln and I will go first if a sit down happens, that's it." Skye requests.

"Okay, I can do that." Melinda says and there is a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" Skye asks as she and Melinda break apart and the door opens and Bobbi sticks her head in the room.

"So Coulson sent me. The council wants to talk; do you need me to stall or are you good?" Bobbi asks her mother and sister.

"We're good." Skye says, "I should get back to, Lincoln, good luck." Skye says to her mother and sister.

"Thanks, Kye. I think we're going to need it." Bobbi says and Skye leaves the room.

A couple of hours later, after meeting with the council, a meeting which was basically an argument about Skye and Afterlife where Coulson, Melinda and Bobbi were on one side and the rest of the council were on the other; Melinda is standing out in the hanger looking at the empty space where the Bus used to be.

Melinda has been standing for a few minutes when Phil walks over and stands next to her.

"I miss my plane." Melinda informs Phil, wanting to talk about that rather than what they have to talk about.

"Me too." Phil admits, "But you know if you think about it mostly terrible things happened on that thing." Phil says and Melina doesn't even react to that, "What's going on, Melinda?" Phil asks concerned and Melinda goes to open her mouth, "Don't say nothing. I know that you're still mad, and you deserve to be, but if something is going on than I am here for you." Phil tells Melinda.

"You know the woman Skye's been talking about, Jiaying?"

"Yeah." Phil says with a nod.

"She's Skye's biological mother." Melinda reveals.

"Oh, Melinda." Phil says, having no idea how hard that must be for Melinda.

"Skye said that it doesn't change anything, that I'm her mother and family, not Jiaying, but how can it not?" Melinda asks, "Skye's wanted to know about her biological parents for basically her entire life, it's why she went undercover in The Rising Tide, and now she's found them."

"Your daughter loves you, Melinda. I know that because of everything you've told me, and everything I've seen." Phil says, "If Skye told you that it doesn't change anything then you should believe her, as hard as that is."

"I'll try." Melinda says and she and Phil drift back into silence, "Skye and Lincoln have to go to Afterlife first, alone." Melinda tells Phil, "We've discussed it and it will be the best thing for everyone."

"Okay." Phil says, trusting his best friend, "Melinda, I want to apologise for everything."

"When you found out the secrets I was keeping, you were hurt, you were mad, and yet you were doing the exact same thing." Melinda tells Phil, "That's what hurt the most, Phil. That's what I'm having a hard time getting over." Melinda says before walking away, leaving Phil watching her go and wondering whether he will ever have his best friend back.

While Simmons is finishing the rest of the assessment on Lincoln, Skye, Bobbie, Melinda, and Leo have snuck off to Bobbi's bunk so that they can talk.

"Simmons has a present for you so please say goodbye to her before you go." Leo informs Skye.

"Will do." Skye confirms.

"Are you sure that you and Lincoln going first is a good idea?" Bobbi asks her sister worried.

"It's the only thing that has a chance of making this not end horribly." Skye informs her sister.

"You still need to be careful, if something feels off, get out of there." Melinda tells her daughter.

"I will, I'll be okay, Mom." Skye says with a comforting smile.

"What about Gonzales? What if he does something to make everything worse?" Leo asks worried.

"He won't." Bobbi says, causing her family to look at her, "Gonzales may not have the smartest ideas sometimes, but he doesn't want a war any more than we do. He won't risk the peace, he's not a complete idiot." Bobbi says.

"Do you trust him?" Skye asks her big sister, needing to hear her say it.

"Completely." Bobbi says, meaning that as while she has doubts that doesn't change what they have been through together, her doubts haven't caused her to lose her faith, and the four of them drift into silence.

"Okay, May family minus one hug." Skye says after a few minutes of silence and they do just that.

When Skye gets back to Afterlife with Lincoln she realises, as she talks to Jiaying that she is holding back, that there is something she isn't saying. Using everything that Natasha taught her Skye watches Jiaying carefully and as she does she comes to one conclusion. She realises that there is one way to get Jiaying to open up more, to reveal more, maybe not completely, and so it feeling completely wrong and a betrayal to Melinda Skye calls Jiaying, Mom.

It has been about fifteen minutes since Bobbi left The Playground with the person that she believed to be her mother, but is in fact Agent 33, and the entire time they have been flying in silence.

"I'm worried about, Kye." Bobbi says, breaking the silence.

"You don't have any reason to worry." Kara says, it being the only thing she can think off as she honestly has no idea who Kye is.

At what Kara said Bobbi has to fight not to frown as that's not what her mother would say in that situation, and so Bobbi decides to try something, "Yeah, I mean I know he's with his Dad and he's safe, but I still worry, you know?"

"Yeah, I know." Kara answers.

In a split second Bobbi locks the autopilot on and flips Kara backwards off the chair.

"May's my Mom. Did you really think you'd be able to fall me into believing that you were her?" Bobbi asks as she pins Kara to the ground.

"We didn't know she was your Mom." Kara says as she pulls a needle out of her waist, removes the cap, and throws it at Bobbi's leg before she could dodge it, within a few seconds Bobbi falls to the round, sedated, "Which is why when I found out I came up with a backup plan." Kara says as she walks over to where the ICER is and fires several rounds into Bobbi.

(line break)

As Cal gets taken away Skye walks over to her mother.

"What's with the last minute change of plans?" Skye asks her mother.

"The Council thought Coulson was too close." Melinda explains.

"So why aren't you in there? Doesn't the council only know about Bee and Leo?" Skye asks.

"You're right, they don't know, but I still can't be in there." Melinda tells her daughter.

"I should get back."

"I know. Be careful, Skye." Melinda tells her daughter.

"Will do." Skye says as she walks away from her mother.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D 2x21 & 2x22

As soon as Jiaying says that Gonzales shot her Skye doesn't believe it as she trusts Bobbi's judgement more than she trusts Jiaying.

"You should get out of here." Skye tells Jemma.

"What about you?" Simmons asks as she can't imagine Skye choosing the Inhuman rather than her family.

"I'm where I need to be." Skye tells her friend, giving her a look which she hopes Simmons understands.

"Okay." Simmons says, being pretty sure that there is more going on, but she doesn't have any time to question her.

"Have you had any contact with Bobbi? Her Quinjet still hasn't arrived, and she's not answering communications." Melinda says to Phil, Hunter and Fitz. Without a word Hunter and Fitz go running, Melinda knowing that they are going to contact Bobbi.

"How's Skye?" Phil asks, trying to distract Melinda from the fact that one of her daughters is missing.

"Wishing you were here." Melinda answers as Jemma comes running in.

"Agent May. Sir, there's been gunfire. Skye's biological mother's been shot, allegedly by Gonzales. I'm afraid it's going to get worse." Simmons reveals.

"What about Gonzales? Where's he?" Phil asks.

"I don't know. Got what he always wanted." Simmons says.

"No. He wouldn't do that. It has to be something else." Phil says and Melinda has to agree.

"Find Gonzales. Get everyone out. I don't want to escalate the situation till we find out what we're dealing with." Phil instructs.

"Have all three birds ready to fly the second I return." May tells the agents in the plane, "He may be a part of it. Make sure he's secured." Melinda says, pointing to Cal as she goes running out, planning on going to find her daughter.

If Skye wasn't already sure that Jiaying was up to something a Quinjet firing at one of the buildings would have convinced her as she knows, without a doubt, that her mother, and Bobbi, would never let that happen when she was in the area, but because she knows that she needs Jiaying to believe that she has been betrayed Skye acts like she has been.

Ever since she left the Quinjet Melinda has been looking for her daughter, and it takes a while but after a few minutes Melinda finds her.

"Skye. It wasn't…" Melinda starts to say but Skye cuts her off.

"I know. Jiaying's up to something. I don't know what, but I need to find out." Skye informs her mother.

"You're going to stay." Melinda realises.

"I need to." Skye informs her mother, "They're not bad people here, but they are being misled and I need to figure out what is going on so that I can help them." Skye explains, "This is something I need to do."

"Okay." Melinda tells her daughter, realising that there is no way to talk Skye out of it, "If you're going to get Jiaying to trust you then she is going to have to really believe that you feel betrayed by S.H.I.E.L.D." Melinda tells her daughter, "Use your powers on me."

"No! I won't do that." Skye tells her mother.

"You have to." Melinda tells her daughter, "Skye, do it now." Melinda tells her daughter as she notices one of the Inhumans watching them, "I believe in you, I know you won't seriously hurt me, I trust you." Melinda tells her daughter.

As Skye looks at her mother her instincts tell her that she is being watched, "I'm sorry Agent May, you're not welcome here." Skye says before using her powers, hating herself for doing so, and causing her mother to be sent flying before hitting the ground.

After what only feels like a few seconds to Melinda but is actually a lot longer Melinda wakes up on the floor of the Quinjet.

"May." Phil says, as she stands feeling glad to see you.

"May, how are you feeling?" Simmons asks.

"I'm fine." Melinda answers, "Have you found, Bobbi?" Melinda asks Coulson.

"Fitz and Hunter are working on it." Coulson answers, not surprised that that is the first thing Melinda asked.

"I can't believe Skye would use her powers on you." Simmons says socked.

"She only did so because I told her to." Melinda says to everyone's shock.

"Why would you do that?" Simmons asks confused.

"I'll explain back at base." Melinda says, "What do we know?" Melinda asks and Coulson, Weaver and Simmons explain everything and decide what to do next.