Seven Nation Army

You Are Not in Control

She doesn't know how long it's been; sometimes it feels like months, but she can never really tell since they drug her and never let her see a clock. She hasn't seen sunlight, felt fresh air, smelled the ocean wind in what feels like years, and all she knows now is that she has to get out.

"Skye..." a voice said softly in her ear, a hand rubbed her shoulder a bit roughly, "Skye you gotta wake up."

She groaned in response, tightening her grip on the pillow. "Lincoln..." she murmured, "just a few more... minutes..."

From above her she heard the gravely laugh she'd come to know so well. His voice was so warm, so comforting, so, kind. She could listen to him talk for hours and never cease to be warmed by it. "Come on, or I'll leave without you," he teased.

"No you won't," she grumbled and he laughed again.

"Fine, I won't." He paused, and then tried a new tactic, "You do know you have exams in and hour and a half, right?"

"Uhnrm," she replied groggily.

"I made coffee." He said after a moment.

"Urgh, fine," she sat up and rubbed her eyes, "but only because of the coffee."

"That'a girl," The voice said, but now it wasn't the gentle voice of her best friend, she turned to see Jiaying standing above her. "Only a few more rounds before you're broken," she said, walking slowly around the foot of the bed to come face Skye, "And then," she said menacingly, before her hands snapped around Skye's neck, "I can finally put you out of your misery."

She screamed and sat up from the table, her shackled hands making quite a racket as she threw them wildly in the air. She sat there, gasping for breath, glancing up to find Jiaying standing in the corner across from her.

"You looked so... Peaceful." she asked with her signature sickly-sweet tone of voice. "What were you dreaming about?"

"None of your goddamn business, that's what." Skye snapped.

"It's alright," Jiaying stepped away from the wall and began to pace around, "I've been thinking a lot about him too."

"Who?" Skye asked.

"Lincoln." Jiaying said simply.

"How do you—"

"—He works here," Jiaying interrupted, "for me."

Skye was too stunned to say anything; instead she sat with her mouth slightly open, staring at the older woman. "You see, Skye," She stopped pacing and stood in front of the reporter, "all roads seem to lead back here," she said slowly, "to me."

"That's why I had my people do some digging on you," She said, "you've known Lincoln for years now," she began her pacing again, "ever since the two of you were young, mere children in a big wide world; nothing to worry about except playground bullies and the weather."

"How poetic." Skye glared.

"You were adopted by the Coulsons." Jiaying continued, "You don't like to advertise it but, when you were twenty-one you went to court and got your name changed to Skye Coulson."

"Yeah, what of it?" Skye folded her arms.

"They abandoned you, why change your name?" Jiaying paused her movements, "Why try and keep them and their name?"

"Well their name meant a hell of a lot more than the name of the people who abandoned me originally so," Skye said venomously.

"You wanted them to find you?" Jiaying said, and Skye could help but feel like there was a brokenness to her voice that shouldn't have been there.