The Captain (The Attolian #1.5)

Chapter 5

I wake up an hour earlier than I probably could have. I'm not sure why I had but it's fine, it's not like I needed that hour of sleep anyway.

After a quick shower, I quickly get ready, putting on a pair of clothes that I set aside last night. I grab the shuffle and go to the Music of Today! playlist and hit shuffle. I put my earbuds in and I'm greeted with a woman singing. "All the All the Single Ladies " repeatedly. I nod my head to the beat as I wait for someone to come get me and take me to the cabin.

After five and a half songs, I hear a knock at the door and I take my earbuds out. I tell whoever it is to come in as I place my shuffle into the suitcase.

"I brought you something." I look up and Coulson is holding a smoothie. I smile and close the suitcase.

"Thank you." I say as I take my suitcase off the bed. I walk over to take the drink but he moves it.

"I wasn't talking about this." He steps aside and Ava was standing behind him. She was crying. I run up to her and wrap my hands around her.

"Why do you have to go?" She asks, sobbing into my hair. "I thought you were going to be training here for a while."

"I did too." I say as tears role down my cheeks. "I'll be back soon though. Then we can have a play date?"

She pulls away and wipes her tears from her face as she nods.

"OK, promise?" I nod but she continues. "Cross your heart."

I feel myself tense up and all I could think about was my sister saying those words that night a year ago. I make an X over my heart and embrace Ava again. Tears roll down my face and I hold back a sob, both for Ava and Margeratha.

"Grace, we have to go." Coulson says gently.

Ava and I step apart, both of us have puffy eyes and tears. Coulson pats me on the shoulder letting me know that he has the suitcase. I walk out of the room past Ava. I look back at her as she waves to me goodbye, I return with a small wave before I turn the corner with Coulson.

We soon come up to two steel doors and Coulson stops me with his arm.

"You do know that this isn't some sort of punishment, right?" He asks.

"Yes."

"And you also know that there's nothing wrong with you right?"

"Yeah." I lie, there is something wrong with me since they can't fix me, right? If I was normal then they would've fixed me, or I wouldn't need fixing. Coulson smiles.

"Good, come on, let's get you to the cabin." He says as he gently guides me to the plane.

We walk on to the platform of the ship, a red convertible sits next to a full black jeep. I reach my hand out to touch the red car but Coulson grabs my wrist inches away from the car.

"Don't touch Lola." He says.

"You name your cars?" I scoff.

"Yes, yes I do." I stop smiling and move my head forward in a 'are you serious' manner. "Her name is Lola."

I nod and move my hand away. We walk up a small spiral staircase that leads to a small living area. I plop down on a couch that sits by a window and look around the room seeing little tips that show this is a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft, such as a glass pane that has the bird symbol on it. Coulson stays standing, he seems to have a sad look in his eyes.

"Aren't you going to sit?" I ask gesturing to the chair across from me.

"I'm not coming with, I just had orders to bring you her, and," he stops taking something out of his pocket, he holds out a small gift, "Fury forgot to give this to you at the meeting last night." I take the small gift and unwrap the ribbon. I open the box and a small card on top of a lanyard with the bird S.H.I.E.L.D. symbol show up every inch on it. The card has a picture of me from a month ago, an 'A' with an arrow in it sits next to my picture and my name, 'Intern' sits at the bottom.

"So I got moved up from 'child' to 'intern'." I don't change my expression, it would have been more real if Fury had given it to me. "Thank you Coulson."

"Bye, Grace." He says, I quickly get up and give him a hug.

"Please tell me you are one of those people who are going to visit me." I say.

"Only if Fury sends me." He says and walks out. "I hope he will though."

I feel the plane jolt and we begin to ascend. I pull out my shuffle and press the shuffle icon for all of the music.