Work Text:
Ava was a great kid, since she was a baby and Jemma acted like the over protective parent. Ava was a great kid actually, Jemma just... didn't know how to be a rational parent.
Examples of this were when they first meet her at the hospital, after long eleven months -they had to try twice before they got pregnant-, they finally had their little princess and they couldn't be more happy, except when Ava sneezed and Jemma went full mode overprotective parent.
"Skye?" she asked cautiously, and okay really really nervous.
Skye raised her eyes from her little girl and looked at her wife seeing the worry in her eyes, she smiled and said "Is okay, it was the blanket tickling her nose, wasn't it Ava?" she said moving said blanket out of Ava's nose.
Jemma tried not to worry too much over whatever Ava did, but the months after Ava's birthing were really, really stressful for her. Skye was more relaxed, knowing well why could Ava possibly cry
xxx
One night, when Ava was approximately nine and a half months old, Skye looked at Jemma, panic settling in her eyes and said "What if she has the same weird dna that I have? or what if my father knows about her and wants to- Jemma I don't want him placing his claws on our baby girl" Skye was pacing with little Ava in her arms trying to fall asleep, nuzzling her neck.
Jemma smiled at them, it was ridiculous of Skye think that anything related to her dad could happen to Ava while they, and the whole team, were so smitten with the little girl and would protect her at all costs, "Ava, sweetie?" she asked. Ava just turned her head to look at her and accommodated her body on Skye's arms. "Do you think mommy is being silly?" she asked the little girl.
Ava took a moment to process whatever her mommy was saying, "Mommy silly" she muttered seriously with a frown on her forehead. Who would try to take her out of her mothers reach? besides moms were smart people, they always played with her and made silly faces.
Skye laughed and Jemma looked at her with her "i told you so" patented look.
After that time Jemma just went with the flow, she knew nothing could happen to Ava as long as any of them were with her.
xxx
When Ava was two and a half year old she discovered that mommy liked to wear a white jacket that reached halfway her thigh.
"Hey kid" Skye said "what are you doing here?" she asked kneeling besides her daughter.
"Why does mum wears dat jacket?" she asked curious looking at Skye briefly, Ava was engrossed on her mum, the way she moved and the way she never bumped with Uncle Leo when they were working on the lab.
Skye smiled sweetly at her, placed one of her hands on her daughter's back and said "Because mum is a super hero"it wasn't a lie, Jemma did discovered how to aisle the chitauri virus after NYC, had like 10 essays published on scientific magz, helped Skye with her powers and did a lot of things that the scientific community recognized on her for being Jemma Simmons, not Agent Simmons.
Ava looked at her with her eyes opened so big that it looked that they would pop at any given moment "You serious?" she asked slowly to Skye, big words were difficult even for a two and a half year old who was a genius.
"From one to ten? I'd say a fifteen" Skye said caressing her daughter's back "why don't you go and ask her if what I said is true?" she knew that FitzSimmons were working on something that wasn't harmful, hence why she sent her girl.
Ava hugged her neck "Not sure, they seem busy" she said nuzzling Skye's neck, mommy's neck was so soft and she smelled so good.
Skye chuckled "Okay" she said lifting Ava on her arms and walking back to her office where she had her laptop and some of Ava's toys "what if you go back with me, we watch a movie and then wait until lunch time so we can ask mummy if she is a super hero for real?", she was decrypting some files and that would take a lot of time.
Ava just nodded against Skye's neck and wondered if superheroes were real.
xxx
Ava was three and a half year old Jemma and Skye had decided they should live outside the base so Ava had a healthy and normal childhood. She had some friends, Timmy for example lived across her house, and Beth loved her too much. Beth was her cat.
So one day Ava discovered a cactus outside her house, on the neighbor's garden. It looked like the needles that mum worked with, but the smell... It was different, and the needles looked really weird. Skye was looking at her from the front door, they liked when their daughter explored the world, even if it mean that they would have to kiss scraped knees and scold imaginary friends. Leo had told them that they looked relaxed, and less reckless in case of Skye. Jemma on the other side didn't like when her little girl scratched her knee or when she cried because of some imaginary friend she had told her something mean that normally was "green is not my favorite color" or "dinosaurs are dead, uncle fitz said it". They had gotten a cat mostly because Ava looked so adorable when she hugged the little kitty, and partially because Skye begged Jemma to get a kitten.
Back to the cactus; Ava looked at it, it was a weird tree, it didn't had any leaves or branches. Beth sniffed it and then sat in front of it looking at Ava.
"Waddaya tink?" Ava said to Beth "it 'mells wierd" Ava added lifting one of her hands and pointing to one of the needles.
"Ava, sweetie, be careful, okay?" Skye said from the porch nursing a warm tea.
The little girl turned around and smiled at her saying "Yeah mommy. I'z gonna be careful" and went back to her exploration. She wondered if mommy knew what was this weird tree, mum would know. Mum knew everything and a bit more. Ava wanted to touch this tree so bad, her kitten huffed at her and Ava shushed her saying "don't tellz mom Bethz, mommy will won't let us play wiff it" and probably mommy would say that it was dangerous and take them inside so they would watch Jake and the Pirates of Neverland. Ava wanted to touch the tree, it had a cute red flower on top and she wanted to take it so she had mum a gift. She looked at Beth and said "can you fetch?", the kitten just looked at her, huffed again and turned back to her favorite spot under a bush they had on their garden. Ava huffed, crossed her tiny arms and tried to remember the word that mommy used when Beth didn't do whatever she asked her. "Trincherous" she said after two minutes "trincherous kitten", it had to be mommy's word, right?
Ava decided she wanted the flower at all costs, mom said to be careful so she was going to be careful. Mommy's face was funny when she scrapped one of her knees, and mum's was... weird, all twisted and looked like she wanted to cry. Ava always hugged mummy after she scrapped one of her knees, mummy loved her hugs either way. Ava's main trouble now was how to reach the flower but not touching the pointy needles, she didn't know if they would only hurt once or twice, like that time she scraped her knee when she fell on the playground and then it hurt again when mummy cleaned it. So Ava thought; what would uncle Fitz do? maybe he'll just pick the flower, he was a big uncle, taller than her and had the same accent mummy had. So what would Auntie Bobbi do? or Uncle Phil and Auntie Mel? Probably Bobbi would take the whole thing, she was an all or nothing kind of person; she drank her whole glass of milk and ate all of her cookies. Uncle Phil would probably tell the tree a story about Cap'n Murrica and Auntie Mel would use her tai-chi to take the flower on a friendly way.
While Ava was sitting in front of the cactus and thinking god knows what Skye took a picture of her and sent it to Jemma with a caption that said "Definitely your kid". Jemma laughed, Leo looked at her and she showed her Ava's picture. Both -Leo and Jemma- decided that she either wanted to touch the cactus or the red flower it had on top. "What is she doing?" Jemma texted Skye back. Skye read her text and called Jemma "I'm not sure" she said when Jemma answered "I heard her a few minutes ago that she asked the cat if she could fetch". Jemma laughed lightly, only Ava would ask her 7 months old kitten that "Now that is definitely yours". Skye huffed, watching carefully Ava and told Jemma "she has been sitting there for the last five minutes, I bet she's analyzing her possibilities and that she either wants the flower and doesn't know how to get it or wants the whole cactus" she added. Jemma was going to say something when she heard Ava's cries, Skye winced and said to Jemma "Gotta go baby, love you". Jemma sighed, her baby girl was hurt and she wasn't there to see if she was okay, is not that she didn't trust Skye with their daughter, in fact Skye was more useful in these situations; is just that her motherly instincts hit her forcefully when Ava got hurt. She knew that Skye felt the same way.
Skye ran to Ava, the poor thing was clutching at her hand and nursing one of her fingers crying her soul out "Mommy" she said crying "the tree bite me".
Skye hugged her trying to not squeeze her hand "let's go inside, okay sweetheart?" she said eyeing the cactus to see how much harm was done.
Ava clutched at her, burrowing her face on Skye's neck and crying softly, she was a brave girl after all and mommy was so soft, warm and cuddly. Mommy would solve everything.
Later that day when Jemma got home she found Ava, Skye and Beth kitty on the living room watching tv.
"Afternoon" she said leaving her suitcase and jacket by the door and taking off her shoes.
Ava ran to her almost screaming "Mummy, mummy! Guess what mommy diiiiiid?" and then launched herself on Jemma's arms who lifted her and walked where Skye was.
Jemma looked puzzled at Skye who shrugged and smiled at Ava. The little girl looked at Jemma asking her to guess what Skye had done. Jemma followed.
"I don't have the slightest idea baby girl, what did mommy do today?" Jemma asked to a very eager Ava.
"She saved me from a very bad tree" she said showing her mom her hand with a Jake and the Pirates of Neverland themed patch on her palm.
Jemma gasped, what on earth was Ava thinking when she played with that cactus? "Indeed baby girl, mommy was very brave. But what about you? how you managed to get a boo on your hand?" she asked kissing Ava's forehead and eyeing Skye.
"Princess here" said Skye approaching them and kissing Jemma softly "thought that it would be nice to play near the neighbors succulent garden" she added.
Ava chuckled "silly mommy, those aren't suculents, ice cream is suculent" she said playfully scolding Skye. Jemma and Skye smiled at her and walked to the sofa, Jemma still had Ava on her arms.
"Succulents are plants, like the one you were playing today with" Skye said.
"Doesn't look very yummy to me" Ava said furrowing her brows.
Jemma laughed "No sweetheart, this are different succulents" she said kissing Ava's temple.
xxx
Ava was four years and a couple of weeks old when she discovered that superheroes were in fact very real.
Mommy and mum took her to her job, apparently it was "bring your kid to a boring day at work" day. There weren't a lot of kids and she couldn't bring Beth kitty with her. She had a stash of her toys on mommy's office and mum had her a "lab coat", because apparently that was the name of the coat that mummy and uncle Fitz wore. Moms' work was a really really weird place. They had planes, and helicopters and motorcycles but Ava couldn't touch anything, and there worked almost every relative from Ava. And auntie Mel had a gym there and let her do tai-chi with her, she said that it helped with energies and "chings", when she told mommy this she corrected her and said that it was fun to do tai-chi, and that Auntie Mel had said was that her energy and her ying wouldn't be so reckless. Whatever that mean sounded pretty good to Ava, she didn't want her energies to leave her; because according to mummy and uncle Fitz the energies where the teeny tiny things that helped her be warm. And she liked being warm, especially on winter when neither she or Beth kitty could go play outside.
Suddenly someone's voice sounded through the intercom at work that said that the Avengers were at the lounge, because moms' work had all this great stuff and their voices could be heard from uncle Phil's office and that was pretty awesome.
Mommy appeared at the gym, told aunt Mel to go and do some stuff with uncle Phil (Ava thought that once she saw uncle Phil and aunt Mel kiss, it was gross) that she didn't understand. Mommy said she'd introduce her some new friends, aunt Mel asked Ava is she wanted to meet their new friends and Ava happily said that yes, that she wanted (to either Skye or Melinda this sounded more like a screech).
"Indoor voice young padawan" mommy said.
Ava looked at her hands and apologized, Skye smiled at her said that it was nothing but that she should remember that there were people actually working in there. Whatever that mean Ava didn't know.
Skye looked at her daughter and stopped her tracks kneeling in front of her "Ava, sweetie?" she asked.
Ava looked at Skye who added "want to know a secret?". Ava eagerly nodded.
Skye smiled, this kid was going to be the death of her "do you remember uncle Phil's Captain America's stories?" she asked.
Ava nodded once again, because uncle Phil had told her he had meet Captain Steve once, and uncle Phil was old, so old he had crinkles on his forehead and his hands were rough and he used glasses. Mum used glasses too sometimes, but mummy wasn't old, not like uncle Phil though.
"Yeah mommy, I remember them" she said rocking on her heels.
Skye put one of her hands on Ava's shoulder softly and said "He is here, and he has some friends who want to meet you".
Ava opened her eyes and put both of her hands in front of her mouth, she wanted to shout a big yes but mommy had said that she used her inside voice.
"You want to go and meet them?" Skye asked to a very excited Ava who just nodded at her frantically. Skye lifted Ava on her arms (and Ava was a big girl like aunt Bobbi said always she saw her, but mommy was a strong one like aunt Mel said), and walked them to the lounge where Ava saw Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Doctor Banner -as mum said- and Thor. Mommy had read her their stories, Captain Steve Rogers fought the bad guys when uncle Phil was a little kid, Tony was almost smart as mommy, Tasha was a ballerina dancer and also fought bad guys, Doctor Bruce did something with rays and Ava thought it was cool and Thor called uncle Phil "Son of Coul" whenever they were together (Ava actually meet Lady Sif once who called uncle Phil the same, it sounded funny). Ava gasped, supereroes were very real. They all smiled at her, Tasha said that Clint couldn't make it because he was fighting some bad guys and had to make the world safer but that he send his regards to Jemma, Skye and little Ava.
"But I'm not little" Ava said hopping Natasha wouldn't heard her.
Mommy heard her though, laughed and said "I know you're not little, baby girl. You're a big girl, but you're kinda tiny" she said making a face.
Ava laughed at her mommy, because mommy's faces were funny "Can I go down?" she asked Skye who just kneeled and let her go.
Steve looked at her and said "Never in my life I had meet such a cute lady".
Natasha looked at him and said "What about Carter?" whoever was this Carter person Ava thought that they wouldn't be as cute as her, mommy always said she was cute, and uncle Fitz said it too so it must be true.
"which one?" Tony asked smiling like he got away doing a nasty thing, Ava liked this guy and mommy seemed to like him too.
"How many of they are again?" mommy said looking at Tony.
They teased Steve for a couple of minutes until Natasha asked Ava "Your mom told us you were a brilliant kid, is that true?"
Ava hugged Skye's leg and nodded at Natasha.
"She is also pretty shy, she got that from Jemma" Skye said.
And in that precise moment said woman was entering the lounge where they all were gathered "Who got what from me?" she asked looking at Skye.
"Don't worry Jemma" Bruce said "she was only saying that Ava is a shy one, like you" he added looking at Jemma who just smiled and started talking with Bruce and Tony about her current project, meanwhile Skye added her tidbits about some new intel she was researching, Phil spoke to Steve meanwhile Natasha and Melinda did their own thing.
Ava was bored, too much adult stuff. She let go of Skye's hand and went to where Thor was who seemed entirely too bored with too much mundane things
"Lady Ava" he said solemnly, Ava giggled because this guy was actually very funny, "I say we go save the galaxy while your parents and my friends are planning the next step"
Ava had the greatest day with Thor.
xxx
When Ava was five and a half she discovered that she could fly.
Thor and Lady Sif where on a visit, and Thor had bought her a copy of his hammer. Mommy said that she believed that Ava could lift the real thing but that she was too young to save the galaxy -also Ava knew that the galaxy was a big big space and that there were a lot of planets and worlds and it sounded pretty boring, and a lot of work for just a five year old-. Uncle Fitz got her an outfit that looked like Thor's and Lady Sif said she looked splendid.
"Thank you Lady Sif" Ava said smiling at her
"You're welcome Lady Ava" Sif replied and Ava giggled, she couldn't understand why Thor and Sif spoke so funny, it was nice though getting called Lady, like the old stories about knights and dragons and holy grails that uncle Hunter told her.
Thor looked at her mischievously and said "Do you know that if you wear a cape you can fly?"
Ava's eyes opened so big that she could hear mommy or mum saying that her eyes could pop, uncle Fitz said that her eyes didn't pop, unless they were under some circumstances. Then he proceeded to explain something about pressure and other things that Ava didn't understood, but she nodded because when an adult speaks to you you say yes so they can be happy. "No way" she said answering Thor's question.
Thor looked at her, smiled tenderly and said "Yes way. Especially if you're wearing my outfit and you have a Mjölrin of your own" and then he proceeded to show her how to fly.
Lady Sif just laughed at them.
Later that day when they got home Ava told her moms "Thor said I could fly".
Both Jemma and Skye looked at each other and shrugged.
"Oh you really can fly?" Jemma asked
Ava looked at her with one of her eyebrows raised like Skye did sometimes and said "Yeah mum, want me to show you?"
Skye huffed, surely Ava could fly. She also examined cautiously the replica of Mjölnir that Thor had given Ava. One does not simply accepts asgardian toys. "Shouldn't we go outside so you can show us?" Skye asked, anything could happen with this.
Jemma looked at Skye and tilted her head to the side a bit like asking Skye if she was sure, Skye just nodded and shrugged.
Ava ran to the kitchen door, and then back to the living room grabbing Beth kitty (that was more like an adult cat now) from the sofa. "Mommy wait!" Ava said not using her indoor voice "I can show you now, from here to the kitchen!" she added.
Skye and Jemma looked at each other and suddenly they heard frantic steps and an increasing sound. Ava passed them like a red blur saying "Nyyyooooommm" and ran to the backyard where she dropped Beth kitty who ran outside immediately. "You saw it?" she said proudly "you did see me, right?" she asked out of breath. Flying was so tiring, and Thor said she didn't need lessons of how to fly, that she was a natural. Whatever that mean. Skye and Jemma looked at each other asking themselves what on earth had happened and why Thor was giving their kid "flying lessons", chuckled because anything could happen at work and Skye said taking Ava on her arms "Yeah kid, we saw it. You certainly can fly" and went back inside so they could have dinner and then go to bed.
Ava wore that Thor outfit for a year and a half more, until Tony got her an Iron Man one, that was oh-so-real.
Tony was banned to gift Ava anything else until she was at least 18 years old.