DISCLAIMER: I do not own AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. or any of the characters herein. I'm just a fan that likes to play in the world.

A/N: This is just a one-shot set during episode 1x20, after Skye unlocks the drive and is put in Interrogation and before Ward tries to fly the plane. I know things are bleak with these two, but I can't help it; I love them so.

Also, this is my first fanfic, so be gentle!

Skye sits alone in Interrogation, arms crossed and staring at a specific spot on the wall just above the door. Her head is reeling with what feels like a million thoughts, but only a few come to the forefront of her mind the most. SHIELD is HYDRA. Ward. Ward's betrayal. Ward is HYDRA. Ward's ability to kill SHIELD agents without a single thought. In Skye's eyes, he should simply be a monster, but she knows he's more than that.

Even though he basically kidnapped her from Providence, even though all he wanted from her was the ability to access the hard drive, when he said he would never hurt her, she truly believed him.

And that is why she's staring at that spot on the wall – to keep from throwing up.

Why couldn't she just get a break? Why couldn't things be simpler in her life? There are so many things that have happened since teaming up with SHIELD: finding out about her 0-8-4 status, how so many agents sacrificed themselves to save her for reasons that are still unknown, getting shot by Quinn… The list of horrible things goes on and on.

Looking back on all of them, she knows she'd have still joined up regardless. Through all of the crap that's happened over the last several months, there was still good in there as well: finally feeling like she belongs, the friendships of Fitz and Simmons, the fatherly relationship between her and Coulson, even Agent May and her silent protection over her. Knowing they all would have her back with anything makes her smile sadly.

And Ward…

Her smile fades.

She should hate him. It would be so simple; just think of all the things he's done since showing his true colors for HYDRA. He's killed who knows how many people; he killed Agent Hand, Agent Koenig, and lots of nameless faces of SHIELD that probably had families. Whose families are wondering why their fathers or mothers or whoever aren't coming home…

He helped Garrett infiltrate the Fridge. He helped Garrett steal countless dangerous weapons. He helped Garrett set free all the prisoners that SHIELD put in there. Hell, a few prisoners that Ward himself helped put in there as well. Ian Quinn being one of them.

Skye's stomach turns whenever she thinks of Quinn. She unconsciously places a hand on her middle, trying to still the movement, squeezing her eyes shut. She doesn't remember a lot about the day she was shot, but she remembers the sharp noise that pierced the air. She remembers the white-hot flash of pain that started in her abdomen and stretched all across her body. She remembers Quinn's warm breath in her ear when he grabs her, softly leaning her weak body against his.

Against his gun, which went off a second time.

She remembers trying to call for help, the taste of blood reaching her mouth, slowly oozing out the corners. She couldn't call loud enough, so she sank against the wall, hoping someone would enter the basement. Hoping anyone would have the conscience that Quinn and the Clairvoyant certainly didn't have.

Skye's eyes snap open and she's back in Interrogation. Now Quinn's escaped, most likely with the Clairvoyant. With Garrett. Which is where she's probably heading now in the Bus with Ward and Deathlok at the helm.

Skye's hands are shaking from clutching them into fists for so long. She's angry, but mostly she's scared. She doesn't know what Garrett will do to her when he gets his hands on her. He was the one that wanted to know about the miracle drug that saved Coulson's life. That's why he ordered Quinn to shoot her; so that Coulson and the team would take desperate measures to make sure she survived. Even if that meant using the mysterious drug to do it. Now that she's alive – that the drug worked – she's probably going to be led to a group of scientists that will study her and experiment on her. Do everything they can to find out the truth, even if that means killing her on the damn operating table.

"No, I would never hurt you."

Maybe not, but that won't stop you from handing me over to the men that will, right Ward?

She doesn't know she's crying until she sees a tear splash on the smooth surface of the table in front of her. She quickly wipes her face with her jacket's sleeve. The cameras would most definitely be on in the room, and she didn't want them to have the pleasure of seeing her cry. Definitely not Ward.

When she knows her face is dry she clenches her fists again, and this time she slams them on the table, causing a small echo to reverberate in the room.

It is at that exact moment when the door opens slowly, and Ward enters. Skye turns up to glare at him when he quietly shuts the door. She doesn't even notice the sandwich in his hand until he places it on the table in front of her. Her eyes narrow and she sees him glance at the corner of the ceiling before turning his gaze to her. She turns her head sideways and sees the camera out of the corner of her eye. She exhales sharply through her nose.

"Daddy dearest watching?" she scoffs.

He stays silent, studying her face. It makes her uneasy, so instead she turns her attention to the sandwich in front of her. "A peace offering?" She gives off a hollow laugh at this. Like there would ever be peace between them again. The thought makes her face crumple for a moment, but she holds her hard stare once more. You chose to hate him, remember? Keep it together, Skye.

He looks at her for a moment longer before answering. "You need to eat something."

"Need to make sure I stay strong before the dissecting and experimenting starts?" Skye tilts her head to look at the sandwich and the anger ebbs away once more. A turkey club with no tomatoes, cut diagonally. The same sandwich she would make herself almost everyday on the Bus, back when the world wasn't upside down and she still had her friends and her SO…

Skye hears Ward sigh. "Skye…"

He doesn't deserve to be the exasperated one. He's the one keeping her on the Bus against her will, away from her family. He doesn't even deserve to say her name like that. Like he cares…

Anger clouding her mind once more, she grabs the plate that the perfectly created sandwich is placed and hurls it against the wall, shattering the plate and sending turkey and lettuce everywhere.

Ward winces, but he doesn't move from his stance. He looks sadly at the remnants of the plate and food and turns to look at her once more. His expression is not unlike someone about ready to scold a child. It causes Skye to grit her teeth.

I should have thrown it at his smug face.

"Suit yourself," Ward turns to the door. His hand is on the knob when Skye's voice echoes through the room.

"Hey."

She doesn't mean to say it so loud; she just wants to get his attention and make sure he knows she means business.

Instead of hurling more insults at him she tries a different tack. "Remember a while ago when you and the team were all so… pissed at me for working for the Rising Tide and with Miles?"

This makes Ward turn back to her. He still has the same look on his face as before, but there is a hint of confusion in his eyes. Skye doesn't continue until he acknowledges her question. "Yes…" He stretches the word out a bit longer than necessary. Skye smirks.

"Remember how upset Coulson and May were? How disappointed FitzSimmons were in me? Remember how… disgruntled you were when you found me at Miles's place? Luckily May got to us sooner, or you would've seen us in a super uncompromising position –"

"Is there a point to this?" Ward interrupts, looking at a spot on the wall just above her head. Skye sees his jaw clench over and over.

"No point, really. Actually, not really sure what made me think of that now… That act of 'betrayal' I did. That Miles did." Skye put air-quotes around the word betrayal. "Looking back at it now, it seems… almost laughable, doesn't it?"

Ward snaps his eyes to hers, and she can't help it; she slinks a little bit lower in her chair, but her gaze never leaves his.

"It took you weeks to forgive me, to trust me again. Tell me," Skye pauses, crossing her arms on the table, leaning forward slightly and smiling an unfriendly smile. "How long do you think it'll take me to forgive you?"

Ward exhales sharply through his nose, his eyes getting more and more intense. Skye swallows loudly. His eyes were always her favorite thing about him; the way they can just pierce through whatever wall she had up and see the real her. It was almost unfair; how he had that skill – that power – and Skye didn't. Otherwise she would've seen this coming. The skills of a specialist…

It is at this moment when his face hits her with such intensity, such love, that she knows she can't beat him. She built up her feelings for him to be purely hate and disgust because she truly believed it would be easier that way, that all she had to do was just think of all the horrible things he's done and not let any of the good in. When he isn't around, it's easy. It's easy to feel that hate, feel that anger.

But when he's standing in front of her, with a look that could take the air out of any room, she knows the anger and hate she feels doesn't make up for the fact that she loves him too. It doesn't stop her from thinking of all the time they've spent together. All the missions they went on when they had each other's backs. All the board games they would play when things were slow. It doesn't stop her from thinking about his rare smiles, his broken past, his searing kisses…

So instead of feeling disgust towards him, she feels it towards herself.

I guess that will have to do.

Suddenly feeling ill, Skye pulls away from the table and pushes off the floor with her feet, making the chair slide and hit the wall behind her. She is trying to get as far from Ward and his damn face and his damn perfect body and his damn feelings as possible. The sound and sudden movement makes Ward jump slightly.

"Get out," Skye hisses, like she has that kind of power, to just dismiss him.

"Skye, listen to me –"

"Don't you have a job to do? A mission?"

"Skye, please –"

"Stop saying my name like that…" Skye whispers, squeezing her eyes shut. She tries to block out Ward's presence, block out his gaze, his voice, anything. She lays her head against the wall behind her, suddenly very tired.

Her head is swimming with so many thoughts and memories that she doesn't hear Ward approach her until he is kneeling in front of her chair. He grabs her hands that were limp in her lap, and for some reason she doesn't resist.

No, I know the reason…

Ward brings the first hand to his lips, then the second one. His eyes are filled with the love that she saw in the cargo hold, when he had her handcuffed to the staircase.

"They're real, Skye. They always have been."

The tears that Skye tried to hold back finally trail down her cheeks. Ward captures both of Skye's hands in one of his and uses his free hand to wipe them away. He leans in closer, and for one wild second she thinks he's going to kiss her. Instead he rests his forehead against hers, their breath mingling together, and closes his eyes.

Skye is shaking with emotion. She knows she should rip her hands away from his and push him away. Hell, maybe she could grab a jagged shard from the broken plate and find a way to wound him enough to get his gun and escape. But she's frozen in the chair, her eyes staring at Ward's closed eyelids and her hands feeling his thumb slowly run across her knuckles, back and forth, back and forth…

Ward finally opens his eyes and stares into hers. Through hers, past the wall she always has up, and into her soul. "I won't let anything happen to you. I will keep you safe." He says the last part with such intensity his voice cracks slightly.

It is too much for Skye; a sob escapes her throat before she can stop it. "Ward…"

Suddenly there's a noise from behind the door, and before Skye can even blink, Ward wrenches himself away from her and stands up, his hand on his holster and his back rigid. His stance is one of protection; Skye's seen it countless times out in the field.

The door swings open and Deathlok is standing in the frame. Ward doesn't move from his stance.

"Time's up," Deathlok glances down at the mess of porcelain and turkey, his expression stony. "Get this plane in the air now."

It isn't until Ward grunts out a "fine" that Deathlok turns away, leaving the door of the Interrogation Room wide open. Still shaking, Skye looks up at the back of Ward's head. What feels like an eternity later he finally relaxes, taking his hand off his holster and turning back toward Skye. For some reason she thinks she'll see the same look as before; the one filled with love and regret.

Instead, when he turns, he looks at her with the same expression he had when he first entered the room. The one where he's about ready to say that he's on a mission and he has a job to do. That it's 'nothing personal'.

Letting out one more sharp sob, Skye stands up and looks into Ward's emotionless eyes before she reels her right arm back and her fist connects with his cheekbone.

He staggers back into the table, a look of shock on his face. Skye, for a moment, feels a sense of pride. When his eyes find hers she glares daggers back, a smirk on her face once more.

"Nothing personal, Robot," she spits out, flexing her right hand by her side.

When Ward regains his composure, he looks as if he's about to say something, but decides against it. He turns sharply towards the open door and disappears behind it, shutting the door with a snap.

Skye, exhausted, angry, and confused, sinks back into the chair. Nursing her right hand against her chest, she decides she doesn't care who hears or sees and finally lets the tears fall freely.