Junior Agents of SHIELD (DemonicOne & Dbspock)

[dbspock]

"Almost there!" Barbara Whitmore called out happily, though truthfully she wasn't as happy as she sounded. How long had it been since Courtney had said anything? Two hours at least, since they had stopped for lunch, and that had been only so Courtney could order her food. Mike wasn't any better, though of course Barbara didn't know her new stepson nearly as well. From what she could tell, Mike was quiet by nature, so his silence wasn't necessarily alarming. From what Barbara could tell, he was playing some sort of video game, but he had the earphones connected, so if it was making noise, no one else could hear it.

It had been a long drive, and Barbara and Mike had both dressed for comfort, not fashion. Barbara was wearing shorts with a red blouse, while Mike had opted for jeans (shorts made him self conscious) and a T-shirt with a Star Trek logo on it. School wasn't due to start for the pair for nearly two weeks...hopefully enough time to get the kids settled. Barbara didn't like taking Courtney away from her school and friends, but the job opportunity Mike had was too good to pass up.

A small frown appeared on Barbara's face when she rounded the corner and could finally see their new house...a house. A marked improvement over the apartment they could barely afford back in LA. Sure enough, there was her husband...husband...that was an adjustment too...Pat's car...but where was the moving van? Barbara pulled into the driveway next to Pat's car...yes, the driveway was wide enough for that...and Mike almost shot out of his seat. Barbara wasn't sure if the kid just wanted to stretch his long legs, or get away from the icy atmosphere it seemed Courtney had created. In any case, Pat came out to greet them, and after giving Mike a quick hug, to the boy's chagrin, Mike headed inside to explore.

Pat headed over to the car and gave Barbara a quick kiss. "The moving van's been delayed, I'm afraid. Flat tire. They aren't sure when they will arrive yet." He explained the truck's absence before he addressed Courtney. "Hey Courtney." He didn't try to hug her...he knew better than that. "Mike's inside. I figured you two could have the run of the basement..decorate it how you like..w.ithin reason...and figure out who gets what room. Better get inside before Mike takes over and hangs starships everywhere."




************************************************

It had not been a good couple days for Skye. She'd been to the mall for a bit of shopping, only to return home and discover that everything was being packed up. Worse...it seemed she was not going with them. The people who had been responsible for her the past couple of months hadn't even told her in person...that had been left to a man Skye had never meant before. And it seemed not only was she losing her home, but the town she had been living in. The man explained her new home was several hours away.

Skye had packed up what few belongings she had...when you moved as often as she did, you didn't get much stuff...and the man had at least helped her put her suitcases in the car before he'd driven her to a very dreary building. It didn't seem to be a foster home...no other kids were around. Indeed, it seemed more like a prison, as Skye wasn't free to leave. The man at the desk had made that very clear. Thankfully Skye had only had to spend one night there before she was put into another vehicle, with another strange man who hadn't really answered any of her questions, before she was driven to the CPS office in another town. Skye didn't really need to read the sign on the door to know that...she'd been in enough of them in her life to practically smell them.

Skye had been ushered into a conference room, without anyone bothering to ask if she'd eaten, and told to wait. As the door was locked, she was left with few alternatives. Two hours later, the door opened and a middle aged gentleman walked in. He, at least, had the decency to place a bottle of water on the table, as well as a McDonald's bag. If Skye opened it, she would discover it contained a burger and fries. As for the man, he wasn't wearing a suit like everyone else Skye had met today...instead, he just wore a leather jacket and a button up shirt.

"Hello, Skye. I'm Henry." Henry began, sticking out his hand for Skye to shake if she chose. "We're...going to be living together for a while." Henry tried to choose his words carefully, not wanting to imply Skye didn't really have a choice. "I have a son, about your age. His name is Barry. Would you like to meet him? And Jane...that's my wife...is cooking up a big pot of spaghetti for us. Do you like spaghetti?" He sked with a smile.

 

[DemonicOne]

Courtney sat in the back seat of her moms car staring blankly out the window as the scenery passed by. She was to say the least displeased with having been uprooted from her life back i the city and being forced to move into a small town where she didnt know anyone other than her mother. Sure she technically knew her stepbrother Mike and her new stepdad but did she really "know" them? Not if you asked her. Hearing her moms enthusiasm didnt do much for her mood either.

She understood why they were moving, her stepdad just got a new job and it was in a different town and it paid too good to pass up on and was too far to just drive back and forth. That didnt mean she had to like the idea of being uproot in the middle of her high school career and moved to a whole new city with an entirely new school and a whole new group of teachers to get to know. The 16 year old was just starting to find herself in life and now life as she knew it was being changed.

Eventually they pulled up to the house and her stepbrother who had been enthralled in his video game instantly jumped out of the car followed by her mother before she herself begrudgingly got out of the car and made her way up the driveway passing her stepdad as she did so. She heard what he said but she couldnt be bothered to care. She wanted to go back to her old home in the city.

She was dressed rather simply given the weather. A t-shirt and a skirt with a pair of reasonable shoes to go alongside the outfit. Something that would keep her cool but at the same time also not show off too much. She walked into the house and down the stairs where she found Mike wandering. "Well I guess we better decide who gets what room. Id prefer the one closest to the bathroom. Especially since theres only the 1 and Im a girl and whatnot. But really I dont care what room I get. My REAL room is back in the city at the house I had to leave behind."

****

Skye had been bounce from foster home to foster home for longer than she could remember. Some better than others and some...well lets just say some only saw her as a girl and leave it at that. So when she got home from the mall that day to find all her stuff had been packed up and everyone else had simply moved on without telling her. She was...less than surprised. In fact she had almost suspected this would happen. It didnt piss her off any less but what was she going to do about it?

When the man tried to help her load her things into the truck she shoved him away and insisted on doing it herself. "Move! ill do it myself! If you want something done right the first time you should just do it yourself." She said as she roughly threw her bags into the back of the car and got in slamming the door behind her. It was clear she had become very angry with the world after everything she had been through. Having been moved around and told that you arent wanted by anyone would have that effect on a person.

The man eventually got in the car and drove them to a building where Skye stayed for the night. Despite it being made clear she wasnt allowed to leave that didnt stop her from trying to simply walk out the front door only to be caught and sent back to her room. The next day she was loaded into another car with another man who only seemed to manage to piss her off more. How was that even possible? She was already going nuclear on anyone who spoke to her. What could possibly have made it worse? Simple. She asked what was going on and where she was being taken next and the man either didnt understand or chose to ignore her.

When they eventually got to the new city and the inevitable stop at the local CPS office she did everything she could not to punch the man as she took her bags and walked into the office of her own accord as she was ushered into a conference room and then ignored some more. Alone, hungry, angry and whether she would ever admit it or not, a bit scared, Skye was left in the room for 2 hours before another man came in. She swore to herself that if the next man through the door was wearing a suit she was going to punch him so fortunately he wasnt wearing a suit and he came with a peace offering of water and what she hoped was a bag of food.

She made very quick work of the food as it was all she had eaten in the last 24 hours while the man sat across from her and introduced himself as Harry and told her she would be living with him for awhile. She didnt respond to this directly but instead gave a grunt and rolled her eyes. When he mentioned having a son around her age that thought didnt particularly move the needle one way or the other. However the mention of more food? That did it. "All right. Anything beats spending another night here."

 

[dbspock]

Pat repressed a sigh when Courtney brushed past him without saying a word. Truthfully he wasn't surprised...he knew she blamed him for the move, and rightfully so. But what was he going to do about it? He couldn't try and bribe her to like him, the new job didn't pay that well, and he didn't want her to become a spoiled brat. He'd hoped the offering of the basement for the kids would make a dent in her demeanor, after all it was as big as their entire apartment back in the city, but it didn't seem to make a difference. "She'll come around." Barbara whispered to Pat quietly, and he could only hope it was true.

Mike was already in the basement, of course, and he glanced over at the stairs when he heard someone coming down. When he saw who it was he just as quickly glanced away, his face turning a bit warm. Why had Courtney decided to wear a skirt, of all things? he didn't have the right angle to look up it as she came down the stairs, and he wouldn't have looked even if he could, but the temptation was there, and he didn't want her to think he was trying to sneak a peek at her panties. They had to live together, after all. But...why did his stepsister have to be so darn cute? And with such a nice pair of legs?

Mike blinked as Courtney abruptly addressed him for the first time today without so much as a hello. Thankfully what she said wasn't complicated and he managed to follow it. "That's fine." He agreed when she said she wanted the room right next to the bathroom. He'd glanced at both rooms, and they looked almost identical, so there was no point in arguing about it. Especially with the mood Courtney was in. He had no reply to her statement about her real room...there was nothing he could do about that...though he did turn a bit red at her reminder that they would be sharing the bathroom. In other words, they would both be in the shower...naked. Not at the same time, of course, but still...

"Ummm...Dad stocked our fridge down here with Root Beer." Mike said instead. It was his favorite drink, but he quickly realized he didn't know if Courtney even liked it. "And there's some lemonade too. And the water dispenser works..." Mike trailed off. He was supposed to be nice to Courtney, he'd promised Dad, but he wasn't sure how to do that. Talking to cute girls was not one of his gifts. "Or I could help bring the luggage in and set up the air mattress. We might be spending the night on the floor again..."

***************************************

Good call. Henry silently congratulated himself when Skye all but inhaled the food he'd given her. Of course, that meant she probably hadn't eaten for at least today which pissed him off but didn't surprise him. Typical government bureaucrats, not thinking about things like feeding those in their so-called care. Her response to the revelation that he was her new guardian didn't make her happy, but then he hadn't really expected it to. At least she didn't punch him or refuse to go with him. That was a start.

"I couldn't agree more." Henry said with a smile, though it was a bit forced. She hadn't responded to a possible friend her age, or confirmed the fact she even liked spaghetti. All she'd said was that it was better than staying here in the dreary conference room. A very low bar indeed. "Shall we?" Henry asked as he rose to his feet, and if she didn't stop him he would take one of her bags, leaving one for her, not wanting to create the impression he thought she couldn't handle it.

The door, tellingly, hadn't locked behind Henry, so he had no problem opening it and ushering her outside. He removed the key fob from his pocket and opened the trunk of the Honda Accord...not the flashiest of cars, but not the junkiest either. He waited for her to place her other bag in the trunk before he climbed into the driver's seat, repressing the urge to be overly polite and open the door for her. He had a feeling she wouldn't appreciate it.

The car rumbled to life as soon as he pushed the on button, and he waited for Skye to settle into her seat before backing out of the parking lot. "So...we'll be passing pretty close to a Wal-Mart on the way." He told her as he began to ease into the traffic. "Anything special you might like? Barry's a Root Beer guy, and I like Mountain Dew, and we got a couple of Cokes at home, but we can stock up on your favorite too. And grab you some snacks. Oh...do you have any allergies or food preferences I should know about?" He didn't want to poison his charge, and her medical records had gone 'missing', but he didn't want to offend her by offering her meat if she was a vegetarian, for example.

 

[DemonicOne]

Courtney, having come to a qrather quick and rather sensible agreement with her new stepbrother on their rooms was left in an awkward situation where she didnt know what else to say. "Well that was uh....easier than I thought it would be." She said admittedly referring to their choices on rooms. In all actuality both rooms were practically identical and were probably no more than a couple feet difference from the bathroom. But she did enjoy having the ever so slightly shorter trip even if it meant she had to pass by Mikes room to leave the basement since there wasnt a door leading outside form down there. She would need to talk to Pat or her mom about that and see if something could be done about it.

"Huh? oh uh....root beer is fine. Im not normally much of a soda drinker but you cant really go wrong with Root Beer." She looked around and her stomach started to rumble. "Damn, didnt realize it had been that long since lunch." She said mostly to herself not hearing the rest of what Mike had offered. But then after her stomach quieted she took a moment to process what he said. "Yeah, judging by what mom and Pat were talking about earlier it sounds like the moving truck may not make it tonight." She sighed now wishing she hadnt worn a skirt if it meant she was going to have to sleep in it since her luggage didnt have her pajamas in it.

"You can probably just leave my stuff in the car. Not much in there but some books and a few other things. Most of my clothes were in my dresser when we loaded it into the truck." She sighed. "So I guess we should get to work setting up our air mattresses?" She hoped the moving truck would at least make it by tomorrow since she was hoping to sort her wardrobe out ahead of school starting in a couple of weeks.


**********

Skye watched carefully as Henry picked up her bag. Now that she was less hangry and more just her normal angry she was more inclined to accept help from others. She didnt immediately snap at him and he had left one of her bags for her to carry so he was clearly respectful enough to know she could handle her own luggage but he was just trying to help so she wasnt gong to fault him for that.

She was wearing an old "golds gym" shirt that looked like it was meant for a guy 2 or 3 times her size and a pair of sweatpants that had been given to her by one of her foster sisters a few years back. One of the few presents that she enjoyed even if they were cheap. She loaded her suitcase into the back of the Accord before getting into the backseat. She wasnt used to being allowed to ride in the passenger seat so she often defaulted to the back. Somewhere she could be "seen but not heard" as it was often put to her.

"I uh...dont think I have any allergies. I dont know. When you grow up bouncing from foster home to foster home and being treated like I was you dont get much say in your diet. You eat whats in front of you or you go to bed hungry." She shrugged. "As far as drinks? I wasnt usually allowed soda much either so I guess water is fine with me." She wasnt used to being treated like an actual human being so she was a bit on edge but if Henry continued to show he seemed to give a shit then maybe she would open up and soften up a bit more. But right now she was still very guarded and on edge half expecting this to be a dream.

 

[dbspock]

Mike couldn't resist a small smile at her reaction to his agreement. "Well, I could argue about it if it would make you feel better." He attempted to tease her. So far, talking to her was almost like talking to a human...maybe having a step sister living in the next room wouldn't he the end of the world. She also surprised him when she accepted his offer of root beer...Pat wasn't a fan, so Mike usually got it all to himself. Sharing his stash was going to be...different. But Courtney said she didn't drink much, so maybe he wouldn't have to hoard it to protect himself. In any case, Pat had bought a case, so he could easily spare one. He got one out for each of them, and handed Courtney a can of root beer. "I don't think there are any glasses." He said with a shrug. But at least it was cold. The fridge had an icemaker that was working, but without glasses there wasn't an easy way to use it.

Mike actually hear her stomach rumble and glanced over at her stomach...he then just as quickly looked away so she wouldn't think he was ogling her chest. "Well, it was kind of a small lunch, and we kind of skipped breakfast too in all the moving stuff." Mike agreed, then grinned at her. "Hey...maybe if we gang up on them, we can convince them to order pizza." Mike suggested...yes, having a sister could have its advantages.

Mike nodded when she said to leave her stuff in the car. It didn't make a lot of sense to him since she'd have to bring it in eventually, but there was no point in arguing about it. It was her stuff, after all. it was only after she mentioned her clothes being in her dresser that he made the connection with her earlier sigh. The skirt...wasn't the best choice to sleep in, probably. "Ummm...Ihavesomesweatpantsyoucanborowifyoulike." Mike suddenly blurted out as he tried to get the words out before he lost his nerve. He wasn't trying to judge her body, but it was obvious she wasn't fat, and they were at least close to the same height...he bet his sweatpants would fit her.

He nodded at her suggestion to get the air mattresses and headed back up the stairs, hoping she wouldn't notice his red face. Had he really just offered to let a girl, of all things, wear his clothes?

***************************

Henry hadn't had any kind of briefing about Skye, so he didn't think there was anything unusual about her allowing him to carry one of her bags. The one thing she did that did surprise him was when she climbed into the back seat. He glanced over and confirmed there was nothing in the passenger seat to prevent her from using it, so what was the deal? It wasn't like anyone else was present to try and claim shotgun. "Uh...where to?" Henry asked with a light chuckle as he glanced at her in the rear view mirror. She made him feel like a cab driver.

He nodded when she claimed she didn't think she had any allergies. Who wouldn't know something like that? Skye, apparently. "Well, if you ever start to feel queasy after eating something, let me know." He requested, not knowing any other way to find out. He did know enough about her past to know that asking her about any family medical history was a bad idea. He frowned when she explained how dinners used to work. "Well, it's not like that for you anymore." Henry declared. "Everyone in the house is allowed to determine one food they won't have to eat. Mine is radishes. Barry can't stand peas. Nora...that's my wife...she got called into emergency surgery tonight...can't stand peanut butter. When you discover what yours is, just say the word. Other than that...yes, you are expected to eat what everyone else is eating, but you also get to pick the menu once a week. You can thank Barry every time we have pizza...the spaghetti was my idea. And of course you can have water, but if you want to try a couple different sodas and you find a favorite, just say the word, and I'll stock up on it. "

She didn't say anything about stopping at the store, so Henry drove past the exit. They could always come back at some point once Skye had a better idea of what she might need. And yes, Henry had noticed her ill fitted clothing, but wasn;t sure how to broach the subject. That seemed like more of a Nora thing.

 

[DemonicOne]

"I mean I probably wouldnt want to start an argument with me. I was captain of the debate team back home. I can come up with a counter argument for any argument anytime anywhere." She laughed. That was one thing she was quite proud of, her debate team. She had leaft them in what she had hoped were capable hands. Who knows maybe she would end up facing them in the State finals one day? For now she would have to get used to a new school and hope they had a debate team.

"Thanks." She said cracking open the can and taking a small sip. "I try not to drink too many of these. I dont need the sugar." She laughed and looked around. While this wasnt her old home back in LA she knew she didnt really have much say in this move and so she may as well make the most of it. "Yeah, maybe. I know we passed a pizza joint on the way in. Maybe we can talk them into going back so we can try some of the local food instead of the fast food joints all over the place." She was going to have to get used to the idea of having a sibling. Not to say she didnt want one, but she would have preferred a sister or at least a brother who was a few years older. Having one around her age made her feel a bit awkward but Mike seemed like a good enough boy that she didnt feel the need to be too concerned with him.

Then he blurted out something about sweatpants? The two were the same age and fairly similar in builds from the waist down so what was the harm. "I uh..." before she could get the words out though he had taken off running back upstairs. "Oh, okay" She said sipping her root beer before going to sit down in her room and scroll through her phone to see if any of her friends from back home were online.


*********

Skye looked at him oddly when he asked her where to. "Uh....Home? Or whatever I guess?" It was clear the joke went over her head as she sat in the back not thinking about much of anything really. Its not like she had any fond memories to look back on or any friends she would miss from her old home. She typically avoided making friends at school just to make the inevitable good by ethat much simpler so she didnt have them to think about either. All she could really do was focus on the present and right now she was staring out the window at the clouds as they drove.

"Oh...okay...sure sounds good. If I have anything I find doesnt sit right or makes me sick Ill be sure to let you know. I dont have much of a memory of anything doing it though so I guess for now its safe to assume I dont have any." When he mentioned picking one menu item per week she just nodded in agreement. "Thanks uh...I dont realy have a favorite food either. Ive learned not to get too attached to things. Food is food. Especially in some of the homes I grew up in with 4-5 other kids of varying ages."

She continued to stare out the window mindlessly watching the clouds go by as he continued to drive. Occasionally she would hum songs to herself that she remembered from various places either advertising jingles or actual songs she had heard on the radio ot TV theme songs. Anything to pass the time so she didnt have to be the one to initiate the conversation.

 

[dbspock]

Laughed. She actually laughed. And it was a nice laugh too. Had he said something funny? Mike didn't really think so, but he wasn't an expert on humor. "Hey...unfair advantage." Mike protested when she said she was part of the debate team, and he recalled seeing some of her awards when he helped pack up their apartment. He simply nodded when she said she didn't need the sugar...Dad said the same thing, but Mike didn't really pay attention to that. He had been too engrossed in his video game to pay much attention to their surroundings, and had missed the fact there was a pizza place close by. He found himself nodding in agreement with her. "Sounds like a plan, Miss debate Queen." He tried teasing her.

It was only after Mike was back up the stairs that he realized if Courtney had answered his question about borrowing his sweatpants, he'd left before he heard it. And where was she? Hadn't they just agreed to gang up on their parents to get pizza? And wasn't she supposed to help with the air mattresses? Well, she was the captain of the debate team...there was probably some loophole in their discussion he wasn't remembering correctly.

One of her friends, Bethany, was indeed online and waved at Courtney when her activity bubble turned green. Bethany asked the expected questions about how was the move going, and what was it like to suddenly have a brother of all things.

Mike returned after a few minutes, Courtney's luggage in hand. Yes, Courtney had said to leave it, but Pat had other ideas. Mike's arms were also full of the air mattresses and the pump...the teenage boy was too stubborn to take two trips. he navigated the stairs all right, and got across the living room, but he couldn't really see where he was going, and he did NOT see Courtney sitting on the floor of her room. he didn't know she was there until he tripped over her, and went sprawling, Courtney's luggage and the air mattresses flying though the air as Mike face planted on the floor. THEN he saw Courtney, and the angle he was at...he could see right up her skirt.

*********************************

"Home it is." Henry stated, thinking Skye had gotten the joke and was playing along. In any case, it confirmed his earlier thought that she didn't want to stop at the store. He nodded at her promise to let him know if she discovered she had allergies...there wasn't much more he could do with that. He nodded sympathetically when she mentioned 4-5 kids fighting over food. "Well, you don't have to worry about that here. Barry's the only other kid you have to worry about." he promised her. "And that's all right. When you decide, you just let me know. And it's not a lifetime decision. You can change your mind anytime you want."

Henry hoped they had covered enough of the basics to assuage any fears she might have. He didn't want to overwhelm her, and when she didn't ask any questions, he didn't ask her any either, giving her her space. The rest of the ride passed silently, except on the occasion that Henry recognized a song she was humming...then he tried to join in a couple times, hoping it would relax her.

A few minutes later, Henry pulled into the driveway, noting the vehicles that were now in the driveway. "Well, looks like our new neighbors have arrived." He mused to himself, not expecting Skye to reply. As Henry climbed out of the vehicle, the front door burst open and Barry rushed out, grinning when he saw Skye in the backseat. "Hi!" He told her as he dashed to the rear of the car and grabbed both of her bags in his eagerness. "Come on...I'll show you your room!" Barry promised her as he headed back into the house, not thinking to look back over his shoulder to see if she was following.

Henry, for his part, chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah...that was Barry.' He told Skye.

 

[DemonicOne]

Courtney had plopped down against a wall in her room and had forgotten she offered to help Mike but he took off so quickly and it looked almost like he might have been a bit embarrassed by something so she didnt think twice about going after him and instead opted to sit and talk to Bethany. She told her about how boring the move was, that her mom was trying to make her feel better but it wasnt really helping and how she missed her old place. She told her Mike wasnt a bad guy, he did seem a bit awkward but she hoped they would overcome that in time and be friends.

Just as she finished talking about Mike she heard him stumbling down the stairs and she was about to get up and go help him when he made his way into her room and she inadvertently tripped him and left him at such an angle that he could see up her skirt. She had on a simple pair of panties, solid black in color. It took her a couple of seconds to realize that he could see up her skirt before she blushed and quickly closed her legs and got up to try and help him. "Are you okay?" was the first thing she asked trying to dismiss the thought of her stepbrother having just seen up her skirt (not that there was much to see since she had on simple underwear thankfully.

She knelt down beside him making sure to keep her skirt opening behind her as she started to help him pick up the things that had spilled out of her luggage which unfortunately for her included her vibrator that she used on occasion. She was still a teenager after all and she had needs of her own to address from time to time. But she quickly gathered it blushing profusely hoping against all hope that Mike hadnt seen that.


******************************

When they finally pulled up to the house Henry mentioned the new neighbors and she saw a boy probably about her age taking what was clearly way too much stuff into the neighboring house as the adults stood outside looking for something. Then when Henry got out and the young man ran up to her and grabbed both her bags it took everything in her power not to snap but even that wasnt quite enough. "Dont touch my stuff! I can carry my own bags!" She snapped at him and snatched her bags away.

When Henry introduced Barry to her she glared at them both. She could see the resemblance between them. If this was how he was going to be, over eager and clearly overstimulated, then this was not going to be a happy relationship. Especially since he seemd to be her opposite in every way. She was quiet, reserved and generally not an outwardly friendly person while he seemed to be the guy everyone wanted to be friends with and that wasnt quite going to work well for her.

She followed him into the house and up to her bedroom where she proceeded to close the door in his face and lock it before siting down against the back of it so no one could push it open. After that encounter she had enough of dealing with people for awhile and wanted to be left alone.

 

[dbspock]

"I'm fine...landed on the air mattress..." Mike told her quietly, but his face was beet red as he processed the fact he now knew what kind of panties his new step sister wore. Black. Did the color mean anything? Probably not, but it did mean that his first view of a woman's underwear on an actual woman, not on a mannequin or on TC or a magazine, was Courtney's. And that was a memory he would carry with him for the rest of his life. Well, it could have been worse. He told himself. At least she HAD been wearing panties. If she'd gone commando, like he heard some girls do, he never would have been able to get that image out of his head.

Mike didn't even look at her as he focused on picking up the stuff she had dropped, so he didn't notice how careful she was not to give him another view. He did notice her vibrator, but he had no idea what it was or what it was for. In his mind, girls were some weird alien species who had a bunch of stuff he didn't understand, and that was just another example of it. And since he was being quite careful not to look at her, he didn't notice her blush either.

The way Mike was focused on his task, it wasn't long before Mike had her air mattress all blown up. He carefully laid a pair of his sweatpants on top as well. Courtney hadn't said yes, or no, so Mike had been torn on whether to lend them to her or not, but seeing up her skirt had clenched the deal in his mind.

"Uh...I talked to Dad and Barbara. It's a go for the pizza place..." Mike muttered.

*****************************************

"W...what?" Barry asked, dumbfounded. Dad hadn't asked him to help her inside...it had been his own idea. He had no idea what she had been through prior to her arrival, but if she was coming alone it had to be pretty bad, and Barry wanted to try and make her feel welcome. Clearly he had failed, but he didn't know what more he could have done. He just started after her as she entered the house, afraid of what else to say. Or do.

Henry would have to deal with Barry later. For now, he followed Skye as she headed into the house...a house that seemed in much better repair than the one she had lived in the past couple of months. Clearly the Allen family, while not rich, at least made enough money to be comfortable. The living room was tastefully decorated with family photos, and Henry, sensing Skye's desire, just gestured for her to head downstairs. The basement, similar to the one next door as all the houses on the block had been built at the same time, had a computer workstation along one wall, with a rack of computer equipment humming along quietly. Henry ushered Skye into her room...a room that contained a bed, at least, with blankets and pillows, but absolutely nothing else at the moment, except for a window that offered a view of the backyard, which contained a pool Skye could catch a glimpse of.

Henry didn't object when she shut the door in his face, and no one tried to open the door after she shut it. After a few minutes, though, there was a light knock on the dinner. "Your dinner is here." Henry called out, then she could hear him going back up the stairs. If she opened the door, she would find a tray with a plate of spaghetti, salad, and French bread. There was also a glass of water and a can of root beer. Sitting next to the tray was a well worn stuffed rabbit.

 

[DemonicOne]

Courtney quite often DID go commando when wearing a skirt. It just felt more natural. But something told her to wear panties today so she did and thankfully so at that. If she hadnt been wearing them who knows how much more awkward things would have been with her step brother. As it was he saw p her skirt. Being seen in her underwear on a normal day down the road may not have bothered her so much. But today? Today it was awkward. She had known Mike for a bit, ever since their parents started dating, but that didnt make her comfortable enough to let him see her in her underwear.

"Oh, thats good then. Still, that looks like it hurt. Do you need a bandage or some ice or something?" She said as he started to blow up the air mattress. "Im uh...sorry I didnt come help. You uh...kinda just bolted away so I didnt know if you wanted me to follow you or not." She said awkwardly as she began to place some of her things around the room. She didnt have much in her duffel bag mostly just books and pictures of her and her mom or her and her friends.

"Oh yeah? Awesome!" She said excitedly as her stomach grumbled again this time a bit louder and longer than before. Once he finished blowing up the air bed and put the sweat pants on her bed she smiled again "Thanks Mike. Lets go see if Pat and mom are ready to go. Im starved!" She said and stood up fixing her skirt before walking up the stairs


************

Skye spent the next few hours alone in her room. It was a simple room. It had a bed, and a window. More than she was used to. And it had a door that locked. Two things she wasnt entirely used to either. The biggest thing she wasnt used to was privacy. Having her own space. Too often she had to share with her foster siblings or if she did have a single room it never had a door let alone a lock on it.

It didnt take long before Skye passed out from emotional exhaustion as she was sitting with her back to the door in a quiet room by herself so when Henry called out food was ready she woke up slowly and replied. "Th-thanks...." She opened the door and took the tray of food and slowly started to eat. It was the first home cooked meal she had in a few days what with her last foster family simply abandoning her and then she was forced into that hole in the wall place.

Eventually she finished the food and brought the empty dishes back upstairs she looked around for Barry to apologize but she couldnt find him. She did spot Henry and who she could olnly assume was Nora sitting at the table together and she walked over placing her tray and dishes on the counter. "Thank you for dinner." She said politely before she made her way back towards the stairs and down to the basement where her bedroom was.