ic contact (mask or menace)

[hackitude]

"Hey! You've reached Skye. Leave a message. I mean, if you want to. Or uh, don't. Whatever."

Comments

[hostage]

I know, just... I got this power now. I can survive just about anything anybody throws at me. I wish you'd just trust that, stay strong and trust me to get through it. 'cause once we show him he can't control us, that's when we won't have anything to worry about anymore.

[hackitude]

It's not about surviving-- what about torture, and pain? And we don't know if your powers can revive you from death or not.

[Skye gives a small sigh, because this tack clearly doesn't work on someone who doesn't value their own life. Time for a different approach.]

... You say you can't forgive yourself for your girlfriend's death. ... How do you think I would feel?

[hostage]

No. Hey. Stop right there.

Whatever that asshole does to me is not on you. If he tortures me or kills me or whatever he ends up doing... That ain't your responsibility.

[hackitude]

And your girlfriend over-dosing isn't yours, either. But you still feel responsible anyway, right? Because you could've chose differently. You still had a hand in the sequence of events that led to it.

[hostage]

This ain't the same thing and you know it. I brought drugs into her house. You didn't bring this asshole into this world. You got no control over him being anywhere near us. If he comes through that door right now, that's not you - it's him. But drugs didn't walk themselves back into Jane's life. I brought 'em there. So don't try and tell me this is the same as that.

[hackitude]

[That's the first time she's heard her name. Jane, huh...]

... I'm the one who went off at him in the first place. If I'd just left him alone...

I should've been smarter. I am smarter. I just... I lost it.

[hostage]

The guy's a spy, right? And from the sound of him, he ain't too stable. He woulda found everything out sooner or later and he'd probably be just as pissed about it.

[hackitude]

... Maybe. ... Maybe not. Just... let me try it my way first?

[hostage]

Your way's the only way, babe. Ain't nothing I can do one way or the other.

[He assumes Ward will come after him no matter what Skye does, anyway.]

[hackitude]

... Thank you. ... I'm going to keep you safe, I swear.

[hostage]

[Jesse runs his hand down his face, smothering a sigh into his palm. He's really going to have to kill that son of a bitch.]

[hackitude]

... Hey. [She nudges him with a foot, softly.] Forget all this crap. You know what we should do?

[hostage]

What?

[hackitude]

Blow off work tomorrow. Go to the beach. You promised you were going to teach me how to surf, remember?

[hostage]

Yeah... Yeah, okay. We can do that.

[Why the fuck not.]

[hackitude]

Good. Because, you know, I totally just bought a new bikini a few weeks ago, and summer's nearly over. I don't want it to go to waste.

[hostage]

It's Florida. Summer's never over.

But I wanna see that bikini.

[hackitude]

[There's the Jesse she knows. Grinning, she slides back on the bed with her arms, one eyebrow raised at Jesse the whole time, as if to say "Well?"]

Hmmm. Good thing we're going to the beach, then.

[hostage]

[Yes, fine, okay. Jesse can fuck and be sad at the same time.]

Mmm. Good thing.

[He eases forward, kneeling in front of her while his hands glide up her thighs.]

[hackitude]

[She was hoping he'd join her on the bed, but this works too. She makes a low hum of approval.


She doesn't fall asleep afterward easily. She lies there for a long time next to Jesse, looking out the window. Wondering what to do about Grant Ward.]