3700/Tidepool: Moonstruck

Tidepool: Moonstruck
Date of Scene:	21 January 2018
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Skye pops into Gino's for a pizza and runs, unexpectedly, into Agent May. They talk.
Cast of Characters:	Quake, Hawkeye (Barton), Melinda May

---

Quake has posed:
The Stark hack loomed.

So far Skye's safehouse had been left unquestioned. By then the loss of the phone Miles had given her had been noticed, and another had been attempted to be handed over. She'd refused, telling him that she'd already bought herself one. Skye couldn't tell if he knew the phone was bugged or not, but there was very little he could do to force her to take the new one - not without raising suspicions - so she'd avoided that.

She'd expected to be asked to relocate, or at least give up her address, but so far she hadned. It was something that made her slightly nervous, but there was no help for it.

Skye wasn't sleeping much, though she'd been trying to force herself to. She needed her wits about her, and lack of sleep wasn't going to help her. Instead she found herself staring at the ceiling, or watching endless repeats of the video of the Hilton shooting. Clint looked like shit, and it broke her heart...

It was late. Late enough she felt safe walking the streets without being noticed. Clint wouldn't believe it, but she was finally fed up with ramen noodles. She'd made herself yet another packet, stared at it, and left it untouched as she grabbed her jacket, a few bills, her laptop, and headed to Gino's. Tonight she'd have pizza and beer, and sit in a place with other humans. If only for a bit.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Gino and Joe were slowly in the process of closing up the shop. There was an hour or two left until the closing time on the sign, but the night was slow and they didn't want to be later getting home than they already would be. Especially in this neighbourhood. Still anyone hanging around at this late hour is given the full Gino's experience and friendly faces like Skye can count on being greeted like long lost family.

Melinda May has posed:
Having been assigned as case manager to a particularly sensitive case does not exempt May from being tapped when a mission needs a pilot with her level of expertise. So, having just returned from what turned out to be a milk run, she stopped to check in on Clint and noticed something that had not been there the last time she saw him -- a Gino's napkin with Skye's handwriting on it. She didn't have a chance to get more than a very passing glance, but that means that she'll juset have to drop in and see if Gino remembers 'that girl is just too skinny, here take another cannoli for her'. He usually does when it involves his food.

She's been at Gino's for the past half hour or so, the place reminding her that she'd not eaten since about noon and Gino refusing to let her leave without at least a sample of one of his new pasta dishes. It was supposed to be a 'fusion' sort of thing, but May told him as politely as possible that it just didn't stand up to the tried and true classics.

So, now she's got the remains of a salad and a small plate of rigatoni that she's picking at, and even a glass of red wine because Gino didn't want the new waiter to take home THAT much wine even if it was to impress his new girl. She's also sitting with her back to the door, something she never does unless she's someplace she knows extremely well. Like Gino's.

Quake has posed:
Skye *almost* missed it. Almost. She actually got in the door and started to give a weak, half-assed greeting to Gino when her eyes lit upon May sitting in the very corner she, herself, had been intending to occupy. Which left her with two choices: 1) Act like nothing was going on, or 2) Bolt. And given that the last time Skye had seen any SHIELD agents, she'd been shooting at them, the girl is thinking bolt is the better option. Even if it is May. Maybe specifically because it *is* May.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Before Skye can bolt Gino looks up from his scrubbing in the kitchen and beams a smile at her, "Hey Skye, get your ass in here, you're letting the cold in," he calls to her loud enough for the dining room to hear. While it may for all the world look like he's selling her out, it's just Gino being Gino. "Long time no, see, you back from business?" he asks moving towards the front counter to greet her.

Melinda May has posed:
That... was not what May was expecting. Not at all. But, she's more than capable of not letting her surprised show in her posture. She keeps on picking at the remains of her meal, pretending that she either didn't hear Gino or that the woman the restaurant owner has greeted isn't anyone she knows.

Of course, the fact that Gino had to tell her to stop letting the cold in tells her that Skye has definitely recognized her. So so much for pretending to not be here.

Quake has posed:
To bolt or not to bolt... Shakespeare didn't cover these eventualities.

Then again, Skye hadn't gone to high school. There were subtleties she had missed. This might be one of them.

If she bolted, she drew just as much attention to herself as if she stayed. There was no way that Agent May hadn't heard Gino. Gino wasn't only just a loud, exuberant Italian male, he was one who considered Skye family, and he'd greeted her as such.

That there was only Agent May in the pizzeria besides herself was a blessing, but it didn't solve what Skye was going to do. Other than the fact that she couldn't jjust keep standing there with the door open.

She lets the door close behind her and smiles at Gino. "Hey. Uh.. No, not exactly?"

Back from business? Huh? She'd not told him that. Where'd he get that ide...oh. It hit Skye that someone had told Gino she'd been away. It could have been May, but the best guess was Clint. Clint who'd think to concoct some reason for why Skye wasn't with him.. Skye who'd already dropped in here on her own.

The thought of Clint making a covering story, for whatever reason, had her smiling to herself.

"Not so long, though. Uh.." She couldn't help it. There was that elephant in the room. "Pizza, I guess." Her gaze drifting towards May with deliberation, even though she holds her ground at the door. She might have to run yet.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Gino makes his way over to the counter still smiling at Skye. "Well, glad you're back, even for a bit. I know your man'll be happy to see you, he looked like shit last time he was through here. Got shot, but I'm sure you heard about that," he confides in her. "And sure thing, make you your usual?" he asks as he goes to the cooler for the usual frou-frou beer to go with it.

Melinda May has posed:
May can all but HEAR the elephant settling right smack in the middle of the room. So, maybe it's for the best that she just leave and let Skye get her pizza. She gives up on her meal, takes one last sip of the wine, then reaches into a pocket to leave a couple of bills on the table. Gino might complain about her leaving so abruptly, but really, he should be used to it by now, even if she didn't get a phone call just before making a break for the door.

Quake has posed:
Oh, it's all fine and dandy to identify the elephant, but the elephant is standing in front of the door.. no. Wait. May is the elephant. But the metaphor still holds some truth. May can't leave without passing Skye, who is still standing in front of the door. And Skye can't move into the room, or leave, without there being some tacit acknowledgement of May.

No matter how you spin it, it comes down to everyone but Gino knows that Skye and May should be having a showdown at this moment and aren't...

Which is what informs Skye as to her next action. That May hasn't apprehended her; that May looks like she's intending to pay and leave; it all says that the woman knows. And whether or not this is an ill-advised move, Skye gives May a weak smile. Something more of a twisted grin. "So. I guess we should talk."

She nods to Gino. "The usual, please."

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Gino looks between the two ladies. He may not know all the details but there are enough clues in how the ladies are acting that he knows that he's missing something. However, he was one to let sleeping elephants lie so to speak, so when Skye places her order, he nods. "You got it," he hands over a beer to Skye and then looks to May. "You want another round, too? On the house."

Melinda May has posed:
Finally, finally May turns to look at Skye. But then she turns her attention to Gino when he offers her another round. "No thank you, Gino. I have to drive. May I have a glass of water instead, please?" Because she figures that it's time that she and Skye have that talk, all right.

Speaking of, her eyes go back to the hacker, then toward the empty chair at her table. Sit down already for pete's sake.

Quake has posed:
Skye takes her beer. She's going to need it. And then some.

"Thanks, Gino. Keep em coming." Which is a weak attempt at a joke from the young woman. She nods to May, then, and, taking a deep breath, finds her way to the empty seat across from her former Senior Agent.

She has no doubt this isn't going to be the most pleasant conversastion in the history of mankind, but she also knows since the contact has been made, she needs to use it.

Slipping into the seat, she shrugs. "So. About things. I'm guessing you know."

Melinda May has posed:
"I know that I had to keep Clint from crawling to the bottom of a bottle of rotgut whiskey." She toys with the wine glass seemingly idly. Or perhaps actually idly for a change. "But that's not on you anymore. That's on Fury." She looks at Skye square-on. "Do you know the only thing worse than a sad Clint two sheets to the wind? That's Tony Stark slamming back /my/ good bourbon to try and catch up with him." That, THAT May is holding over Skye. That solidly half of her bourbon disappared frighteningly quickly.

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
When Gino hands Skye the beer, a bit of folded paper goes with it, "Enjoy," he says with a nod before he turns to May and says, "And one water, coming right up." He goes to fill up a cup and brings it back to May. "You ladies sit down if you want. I'll bring out your pizza." That last meant for Skye.

Quake has posed:
The piece of paper gets an eyebrow raise of questioning from Skye, but she says nothing, pocketing the thing to look at later.

At the table, she listens. So far, less painful than she expected. Given threats laid out explicitly in the past on how she was to conduct herself with one Clint Barton, Skye fully expected a bed of coal out back and to be stretched out over them.

"It was my call," she admits quietly. "Maybe I was wrong. Just how do you say to someone, hey I'm off on a job, and then break out of the Trisk the next day and have them react like you're actually a traitor?"

Skye taps a finger along her beer can as she speaks before deciding to crack it open and taking a deep swig.

"Clint's okay? I mean, really okay?" She both looks and sounds worried. "Fuck, May. I'm not the one supposed to be sent off on this sort of shit. We didn't plan for this. I had no clue. And then it happened.. and I'll replace the bourbon. I'm sorry."

Melinda May has posed:
"He's doing better now that Fury's read him in. But take this as a lesson. You ever do this for real, and I WILL hunt you down. I don't care about the bourbon." The sofa will clean up as well. "And I'm tempted to have Gino teach you how to make a proper pizza." Because Skye owes Clint bigtime, and that would be a good place to START.

Of course, there's that one last little loose end: where the hell were they that Clint and Stark were drinking MAY'S liquor?

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
Gino's not long in finishing Skye's pizza. It was a regular dish here and it's brought out to the table in short order along with another beer. "Enjoy," he says before falling back to the kitchen to let the ladies talk.

Quake has posed:
Skye's lips purse together and she dropss her gaze to the beer in her hands.

"Remember the rooftop? After my fight with Nat? You told me I could go. That you'd square it with Fury. And I sat there and thought, fuck, this is what I wanted. This is what I've been fighting for all this time. To just be allowed to go back to my life.."

She shakes her head and lifts her face to give May a helpless look. "They're.. I can't believe I was ever that person. I mean, I see them, and what they're doing, and all I can think is.. that was me? When was I ever so shallow and stupid? And I think there's not a one of them wouldn't sell me out tomorrow if the price were right or their ass were on the line."

Another swig of beer goes down, and the can is placed back on the table to be played with awkwardly.

"SHIELD's my home. My family. I ever do this for real, you should hunt me down. Means I'm not the person I think I am. The person I want to be."

Like Clint, she looks just this shy of wrecked. Of course the smudges under her eyes don't show as much as his thanks to her colouring, and she doesn't have stubble, but she'd seen better days.

"Wait.. your couch? What'd I miss? And pizza, sure. Whatever." How hard can pizza be, right? if she's even really paying attention to that part.

Quake has posed:
Skye's lips purse together and she dropss her gaze to the beer in her hands.

"Remember the rooftop? After my fight with Nat? You told me I could go. That you'd square it with Fury. And I sat there and thought, fuck, this is what I wanted. This is what I've been fighting for all this time. To just be allowed to go back to my life.."

She shakes her head and lifts her face to give May a helpless look. "They're.. I can't believe I was ever that person. I mean, I see them, and what they're doing, and all I can think is.. that was me? When was I ever so shallow and stupid? And I think there's not a one of them wouldn't sell me out tomorrow if the price were right or their ass were on the line."

Another swig of beer goes down, and the can is placed back on the table to be played with awkwardly.

"SHIELD's my home. My family. I ever do this for real, you should hunt me down. Means I'm not the person I think I am. The person I want to be."

Like Clint, she looks just this shy of wrecked. Of course the smudges under her eyes don't show as much as his thanks to her colouring, and she doesn't have stubble, but she'd seen better days.

"Wait.. where'd this happen, Clint and Tony? What'd I miss? And pizza, sure. Whatever." How hard can pizza be, right? if she's even really paying attention to that part.

Melinda May has posed:
At Skye's admission that she could never truly go back to the way she was before SHIELD brought her in, May can only nod. "That," she points at Skye, "right there, is why SHIELD recruited you and not one of those other hackers." It sure doesn't hurt that the kid's one of the best hackers in the world as well.

"My place. I wasn't about to let Clint drink himself stupid in a dive bar," don't tell Luke she called it that, "and I sure as hell wasn't going to let him go back to your place where'd have reminders everywhere he looked." Of course, that doesn't explain how Stark got involved, but whatever.

Quake has posed:
Skye nods, still not looking happy about matters. So far she's not touched the pizza. "I know it's not why I went. This whole thing I'm doing. Just, I see it now. How different we are."

She cants her head some. "Think I'm still reeling a bit from it. I mean, I know you offered and I turned it down. And I bought in. Just seeing it all in action. I don't want it. I want what I have with SHIELD. I love what I do there. I don't like all of you, but.." She shrugs helplessly. It's that koolaid thing. "Always wondered why me. Why not someone else. Always kind of wondered what I did to fuck up, but mostly I wondered why me. And I see it now. I'm not one of them. I just didn't know it then."

She takes a long breath and exhales. "So yeah. That happened. I guess it's good in some ways I went back. And the rest has been more than a little crazy. Just who else were they going to send, right?"

She nods, trying hard not to look as worried as she is, even as she smiles hearing about Clint. And Tony. Because, really, you can't picture the pair getting pissed - at May's no less - without being somewhat amused. "I'm really sorry I couldn't tell anyone. I mean, the rest was Fury's call. Clint was mine. Just didn't know how to handle it. Made a judgement call. Probably the wrong one. And thanks, huh? For taking care of him. Been worried sick. But I shoulda known he had you. And Nat. And everyone else. Had to kinda hope he was in good hands. Pretty sure I'd have been all the shades of fucked up if he did that to me."

Melinda May has posed:
"Sometimes people need that reality check to bring home to them that where they're at is really where they're meant to be." She can think of at least a few other agents that fit that bill. "Also, you've realized what Coulson's true super power is. He can see a person's true potential past everything." Maybe after all is said and done, Skye will do something for Phil as a thanks for recruiting her. Of course, it's by no means necessary. It's what the man does.

"Next time, have Fury send him on a mission off-base. That way he won't be there to have to try and fake looking surprised." Which probably explains why May wasn't on base when Skye busted out. Fury would have known better than to let her be there, and likely assigned her some annoying milk run or other just to get her out of the building.

"He'd better not do that, he knows better. Now eat your pizza. It's getting cold." And then she plucks a topping off of it to eat.

Quake has posed:
Skye gives a lopsided grin to May. "Yeah. I remember. You hurt him, I will kill you. Pretty sure he got the same speech. And I know, I fucked up. I thought I was doing the right thing."

She gives one of those helpless shrugs as she shakes her head, and reaches for a slice, still feeling miserable, but suddenly much lighter in being for having been able to talk to someone about things.

"It would have been a lot better if he weren't there. I wish I'd have thought of that. Only I'd barely had time to come to grips with the fact that I'm saying that they need to send someone in and I'm the best candidate.." She gives May a solid look. "Let's face it. Nobody ever expected me to be sent undercover. I mean, I know I got the training everyone else did, but this was never supposed to be me. When is another job like this ever going to come up? When does /anyone/ have to break out of the Trisk like that?"

More head shaking as she takes a huge bite of the pizza - the first real food she's had other than ramen since Genus and she shared a pizza (from Gino's, even, it's how she left a note for Clint, a note she's fairly certain he got if she hasn't missed her guess on what Gino handed her). "I managed to deal with Nat. But Coulson and Clint nearly nabbed me in Housekeeping. So, yeah. Lesson learned. And what do you mean next time? When are we thinking there's going to be a next time?"

Melinda May has posed:
May takes a sip of the water. "I sure hope not for your sake, but I won't bet on anything. You pull this off and Fury just might consider you for covert operations training." Which is SHIELD-ese for learning how to do a tiny fraction of Natasha's job. "You can, of course, always say no."

She looks at the remains of her meal and considers, then calls out to Gino in a way she is only doing because there is no one else in the place currently. "Gino, could we have two cannolis and a to-go order of minestrone?" She figures that soup's something that'll keep better so she can force Clint to eat tomorrow.

Quake has posed:
Skye frowns a little as she considers Mays words. "That would be different, wouldn't it?" The covert training, that is. Being a mini Nat. She wasn't even sure what to make of the thought of that. A year ago she'd have laughed in the face of anyone who'd said she'd be in the pposition she was in now, actively working for SHIELD. Putting her life on the line for them. In her old playground, no less.

"Not sure I want to say no," she says finally. "I guess I'll have to see what happens. Probably end up back where I was anyway. I mean, it's not shitty job. I kinda write my own rules. Pretty sure there are still a few rules I haven't broken yet."

Skye grins, lips twisting in her trademark style as she allows the memory of her usual self to shine through, and makes a total nod to her outside the box thinking and irreverent nature.

"Fury's been getting the reports?"

Hawkeye (Barton) has posed:
From the kitchen Gino shouts. "You got it. Two cannolis and a bowl of minestrone to go!" he doesn't peek in though giving the ladies their privacy.

Melinda May has posed:
May nods to Skye. "He has. And when all's said and done, I want to know how you're managing that." Because seriously.

She stands then and gathers her dishes to take to the kitchen for Gino, and to give Skye a chance to get some more of that pizza eaten.

She returns a few moments later and settles back in her chair. "I'm guessing this gig didn't come with a fully stocked kitchen."

Quake has posed:
Gig didn't come with much of anything," Skye admits. "Been making it up as I go along." She does confirm, "I have a safehouse. There's a network if I have to flee. So far my cover seems to be solid. As to how I'm reaching Fury.."

Skye grins again.

"Probably sound cocky if I said there's a reason Fury trusts me with some things, huh?" Another bit of pizza disappears. "I have a few connections I'm pulling strings on. It's a bit complicated to explain other than they're pretty much untouchable, and willing to help me."

Which probably doesn't help May a whole lot.

"Probably should take a pie back with me. Think I finally hit my ramen quota."

Melinda May has posed:
No, it doesn't help May much at all, but she's not going to press for information right now. She knows better. "Probably a good idea. But you better ask quick, I'm sure Gino wants to turn the ovens down soon." That's another reason why she requested the soup. It'd be less effort on Gino's part.

Quake has posed:
Skye nods, and slips fromm her seat, making her way over to the counter to ask Gino to box up whatever is ready back in the kitchen, she's not picky. She also uses the time to pull the note from her pocket and read it:

~Took you long enough. Got your other message too. Love and miss you too. And Id never. Stay safe. Ill take care of Merida for you. - Hotshot ~

Up at the counter, Skye laughs softly, reading Clint's words, even as she blinks furiously, and has to look up and away to keep herself from crying. It takes her a few moments to get herself under control, and grabbing a napkin from the counter, she scribbles on it in return:

~Asshole. Damn I love you. Home soon as I can. You owe May a bottle of bourbon. The good stuff. Safe as I can be. You do your job. -Keyboard.~

She folds it up and makes her way back to the table, offering the thing to May. "Give that to Clint for me? Tell him.. tell him I'm okay. I'm gonna be okay." She gives another weak laugh. "You know, we talked about this, only it was what I was going to do while he was off doing this. Only I'm him in this scenario."

Melinda May has posed:
May takes the folded napkin and tucks it away into a pocket. She doesn't need to ask about it, she can guess. "Things rarely turn out the way we expect them to. At least this isn't going to permanently change things, I don't think." She pulls a couple more bills to set on the table with the ones she'd originally set out, to pay for all of the additional food. Yes, including Skye's.

Quake has posed:
"Guess not," Skye sighs, agreeing with May about things not turning out like you expect. "And I really hope I didn't fuck things up too badly. I think I'm okay, though." At least Clint's note made it seem like they'd make it through this.

Melinda May has posed:
"I think you're doing okay as well. But let us know if you need anything, okay? Even if it's just a menu to a good delivery place." Because as good as Gino's pizza is, one can't eat that EVERY day. It's as bad as eating nothing but ramen. "I'd better get going. Keep taking care of yourself, and we'll talk again soon."

Quake has posed:
Skye nods, and gives an actual smile. "Doing my best. Feel a lot better knowing things back home are mostly okay. Hope to have better news soon. And.. yeah. Delivery." There's a soft laugh from the woman. "Real food might be nice. And maybe I start taking cooking lessons after this."

Melinda May has posed:
May is honestly glad to hear that Skye is feeling better about things now, and she nods perhaps a bit too readily at her saying she might take cooking lessons. "I think you should. Because really, there's only so much I can teach you." Did she just admit to not being all-knowing about something?

Quake has posed:
For Skye's part, she's glad to have had a chance to talk to someone about things. To check in, and hear how life back home is going. All without the lecture she expected. But mostly it was just plain old good to see a friendly face, even if it wasn't quite the one she most wanted to see. In the scope of things, though, May's wasn't a poor second choice.

"Sure thing. Cooking lessons when this is all a bad and distant memory."