I don't own Agents of SHIELD and never will. No copyright infringement intended.
Skye strode into Ward's cell and immediately took down the wall and barrier. He stared at her in utter shock. "What are you doing?"
"Let's go – you're taking me to see my father because I need answers and you're the only one I know who has some." She wasn't happy about letting him free but she was sick of the lies and secrets.
"Are you sure?" Now that this was happening, Ward was unsure that taking her to see him was the right idea. Should he trust Raina? The answer was no but she had tried to help John and that meant a lot to him, even though he didn't like the woman.
"Don't ask me that, Ward! I took out the cameras but we need to hurry anyway so no one sees us."
Ward looked down at his feet. "I need shoes, Skye." He didn't want to leave barefoot.
She rolled her eyes. "Your stuff is still on the Bus so you can get some once we take off. Now hurry the fuck up, Ward! Damn it, this prison break thing is harder than I thought."
He rushed out of the room and followed Skye through the base, noting that nobody was there. "Where is everyone?"
"On a mission so I saw my chance and took it," she answered angrily.
Ward had some more questions, however, so he began pestering her. "What made you change your mind about your father?"
Skye sighed angrily as they walked up the ramp. "I already told you that. Now start the fucking plane and then go get your shoes."
He set everything up and then hurried back to his bunk, surprised to find everything still there. Ward thought they would have thrown it away after they discovered his betrayal and didn't understand why they hadn't. They probably didn't have the time and it meant nothing. He slipped his shoes on and considered a shower and a change of clothes before realizing he had already kept Skye waiting long enough so he rushed back to the cockpit. "I'm done," Ward told her.
She scoffed. "Took you long enough."
Ward didn't respond and the two sat in silence for a long time until Skye finally couldn't take it anymore. "So how did you find out about my father anyway? You never told me."
"Raina told me." And then he launched into an explanation of the story he had been told in the lab, including the fact that her father was still alive. Ward didn't know anything about her mother and apologized for it but she was in shock and still trying to process the bomb that had been dropped on her.
"So you do realize we're most likely walking into a trap, right?" she asked shortly after they reached their destination.
He nodded. "At least we know so we won't be caught by surprise. I know how much you want to meet him but we need to be prepared just in case he really is a monster." He was worried that this could end horribly and with their deaths but didn't mention that to her because Skye didn't need to panic with him (honestly, she probably already was).
The lights started flickering as soon as they entered the building. Both looked up at the ceiling in horror. "That's not terrifying or anything. Ward, you have your ICER?" She didn't trust him with a real gun and he didn't blame her for it.
"Yeah, I have it but are we sure an ICER Is going to work?" They had to be realistic about this.
"It better. Now get in front of me, Ward! I don't trust you back there." Skye had her limits and he was pushing them.
Ward sighed and walked in front of her so Skye would feel safe – he didn't want to upset her at all and he understood why she didn't trust him. He was a monster and he deserved to rot in that cell for the rest of his life. He'd continue to carry out his sentence after they left here, depending on how it went (he figured he was going to die here, and Ward was okay with that. He deserved it). "Is it freaking you out that nobody has showed up to greet us or kill us, Skye?"
"Yes but stop talking." She had no clue what they were about to walk into and she needed to calm herself down so she didn't make a fool of herself. She was about to meet her father, the man she had been searching for for a long time.
He shut up and continued to walk down the hallway as the lights stopped flickering and actually went out. They were completely in the dark now – literally and figuratively. "This bodes well."
She grabbed a hold of his shirt and Ward looked down in surprise. "Don't say a word, Ward. I just can't see is all and we stupidly forgot to bring flashlights with us." Skye tried to calm her pounding heart but none of the techniques Ward and May taught her seemed to work. Fuck.
And then a door entered their line of sight. "I think this is where we're supposed to go," Ward whispered.
"Ya think? Open it!"
"Why do you want me to open it? He's your father and you should do it." But honestly, he wanted to protect Skye as much as possible so he ignored her glare and with a little bit of fear, turned the knob.
They stepped in and squinted their eyes as bright light flooded the room. Raina grinned when Skye and Ward adjusted to the change and saw her standing there. "We've been waiting for you for a very long time."
"Take us to my father," Skye ordered.
Raina laughed. "Oh honey, the Doctor comes to you. He's been looking for you for a very long time and is excited to finally meet you." She headed to the corner and just stood there, waiting for him to arrive.
"The Doctor?" Skye mouthed at Ward.
Ward shrugged. "She didn't mention that before," he admitted.
The lights started flickering again and Skye's hand shot out towards Ward's (she blamed it on the fear coursing through her). "Don't leave or I'll kill you," she hissed. Truthfully, she just didn't want to be alone in this place and if she had to rely on the man she hated (loved) she'd do so.
And then he stepped in.
"Your daughter is here – with the man I told you about," Raina breathlessly informed him.
The grin that spread across the man's face scared the shit out of both Skye and Ward. "My daughter, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I lost you a long time ago and I have searched for you in many universes. And we never got to name you before you were taken away from us."
Skye's heart pounded. "What is your name?"
He shook his head. "I'm sure you have many questions but I will not answer them right now. Just call me the Doctor."
Ward stepped in front of Skye to protect her. This doctor made his skin crawl and he didn't trust him with her at all. "Don't hurt her," he warned, knowing standing up to this man could lead to his murder. He already regretted his decision to bring Skye here but he couldn't do anything about that now.
The Doctor threw his head back and laughed. "Hurt her? Oh, boy, don't you dare think that I would hurt the child I've been trying to find for over twenty years."
Skye spoke up then. "You're not human, are you? You're not from Earth."
"You're on the right track. No, I am not from this planet. You come from a long line of Kree, darling, and I want to unlock your full potential."
Skye now had several answers but even more questions. "What does that mean?"
He giggled and it sent a chill down their spines. "Oh, just that you've been living among humans for far too long and it's time we rectify that."
Before Skye and Ward could blink, they were pinned to the wall. "Don't give him what he wants, Skye." Ward threw his head back against the wall and groaned at his stupidity. He was seeing everything a bit more clearly now but he was still really fucked up. The overwhelming guilt (over several of his fucks-ups) wasn't helping matters much.
Skye looked down at the floor and tried to find a way out. She grunted as she tried to figure out a way out of the invisible binds but nothing seemed to work. "What is your endgame here, daddy dearest?"
The Doctor began pacing back and forth. "Just what I told you – unlocking your full potential and then unleashing you on the world. SHIELD is going to pay even more for taking you from me. From what I've heard, your mother never recovered."
Skye tried to come up with a plan to distract him and futilely tried to escape again. "What's my mother's name?"
"I thought I told you that your questions can wait. You don't deserve to know who your mother is yet, darling." And he began to push. Skye whimpered when she felt him searching through her mind – she wasn't sure how – for something he needed.
"I'm going to fucking kill you where you stand," Ward snarled angrily as he too started struggling against the invisible ropes that held him in place.
The Doctor stopped what he was doing and turned to stare at him. "You have outlived your usefulness and will pay, boy. I just wanted my daughter and you should not have come with her. You'll realize your mistake soon enough."
Skye bit her lip in an attempt to prevent sobs from escaping. "You're a sick bastard. I've been curious about you my whole life but you're not my father. My father is a man named Phil Coulson who loves me and wouldn't try to purposely hurt me." She should have told him that once but she had a feeling he already knew. She'd make sure to tell him as soon as they got out of here, though.
"That man is not your father, you ungrateful little bitch. I am and you will heed me."
"Fuck you," Skye shot back defiantly.
He stomped up to her and slapped her. "I will not tolerate this behavior but you'll learn. Oh, you will learn. You've been among the humans too long, Skye." And then he put his hands on her head to try and unlock her potential again.
Her screams bounced off the walls and Ward started screaming at him to let them go. He shut up – not by choice – when the Kree turned to face him. "Please stop," Skye begged. She couldn't think straight anymore and wished the psychotic bastard would die.
"Oh, you want me to stop? That's not going to happen." The Doctor held his hand up and Ward was freed from his bonds as he fell to the floor, gasping. He curled up in a ball when the Kree kicked him in the stomach.
"You think hurting him is going to convince me that you're on the right side? It's not going to work. Ward betrayed me," Skye informed him.
"He's the man you love, darling. I have every reason in the world to drain the life from his body. You can't afford any attachments." He held his hand up again and Ward began choking.
Skye tried her hardest to remain unaffected but it didn't last very long. "Stop hurting him!" she screamed.
That only spurred him on and Ward started gasping for air. "You are going to die knowing that you couldn't do anything to protect her, boy." The Doctor's hand curled up and the choking intensified.
"Skye, I … love … you," Ward wheezed before his eyes closed.
Skye started screaming, unsure if he was dead or not. "Grant! Wake up now, damn it! You don't get to leave me."
The Doctor started laughing. "You're too late. He's dead."
And something inside of Skye snapped. She broke the bonds holding her against the wall and dropped down to Ward's side. Tears poured down her face as her hands hovered above him. "Grant, wake up," she pleaded.
"That's not going to work," her father sing-songed happily.
Skye choked on a sob as her hands started shaking. "I love you, Grant, and I'm so sorry you died because of me." She ignored everything around her, including the moment the power started flowing through her body. And suddenly, purple light started pouring from her. She stared in shock for a few seconds as the light swept over Ward's body.
The smiling Doctor groaned. "I have fully unleashed you on this world but you're using your abilities to save the boy? I'm going to have to work hard to kill him, aren't I? I have my work cut out for me now. But we can rule this planet together."
Ward's eyes blinked open slowly. "Skye?" he asked in confusion.
She started laughing. "Hey. You feeling okay?"
"In a lot of pain," he admitted.
Seems Skye's healing powers – or whatever they were – had a limit. She'd figure them out later, once they were out of here and safe. "You're going to be okay, Grant." And now that the connection was open – courtesy of her father – she could hear him (his thoughts, memories – everything). "Wow, your mind is a mess. Remind me to find you a therapist when we get home, okay?"
"Okay?" Ward didn't understand anything that had just happened.
She patted his shoulder and winced when he cringed. "Sorry. But I'll fill you in once I'm done here." Skye stood up and turned to face her biological father.
"You are beautiful, darling, and there is so much we have to do," he informed her dreamily.
Skye didn't know what all her powers were or how to control them (nor did she know where the ICER had disappeared to) but she knew what had to be done. "You made a mistake."
"Oh, did I? And was that?"
"You fucked with the wrong person, Daddy." Skye took a deep breath and tried to concentrate. She pulled and searched before she found what she was looking for. And when she finally did, Skye opened her eyes and stared at him with anger and hate trickling through her.
He laughed, unconcerned. "I don't want to do this but I guess I have to teach you another lesson." And instead of trying to kill Ward again (that was coming soon), the Doctor held his own hand up and started choking her. Cuts appeared on Skye's body out of nowhere.
Skye didn't know as much as him but she held her own hand up and he just stopped. "You aren't going to win." She was terrified out of her mind right now and worried about Ward but she had to concentrate on this right now.
The Doctor tried valiantly fighting back but he was no match for his pissed off daughter. He started choking on his own blood and slid bonelessly to the floor. Skye kicked him in the stomach and when she noticed a scalpel in the corner of her eye, used her hand to transport it to her. She then narrowed her eyes in the direction of his heart (at least what she hoped was his heart) and watched in satisfaction as it flew into his body. He closed his eyes with a gasp and never woke again. Skye searched through his mind to make sure that he was dead and sighed in relief when she found nothing but a blankness enveloping it. And then she rushed over to Ward and helped him up. "We need to get out of here now, Grant. Are you up to flying the plane?"
"Not really," he admitted. Despite Ward's own exhaustion, he caught Skye when her knees gave out from underneath her. "Are you hurt?"
"Just really, really tired."
"Well, you can't pass out now. Fuck, one of us should probably get Raina, right?" She had disappeared at some point during the melee.
"Forget about her for now. I'll make her pay soon enough," Skye promised as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "And don't think this means anything. I just need you for support."
"I'm not reading into any of this." They slowly made their way out of the building, holding onto each other for dear life.
"You think too much," Skye whined as soon as they boarded the plane. And she wished Garrett was still alive so she could kill him painfully and slowly because that psychotic fuck deserved it. She felt sick just thinking about the horror Ward had lived through. And she should turn off the connection between them but honestly didn't know how. They'd figure it out later.
Skye's love – he could feel her through their newly formed connection too (couldn't read her mind, though) – rippled through him and he smiled despite the situation. Ward didn't understand how she could still feel that way after everything he had done and knew nothing would happen but he clung to it for now as the plane started taking off. "They're going to kill me when we get back to the base."
"I won't let them," Skye assured him as her eyes fluttered.
"Get some sleep, baby. I won't do anything."
"I know you won't." And then she fell into a deep dreamless sleep. When Skye awoke again, they were just pulling into the Playground.
Skye and Ward leaned on each other for support as they staggered back out of the plane. "We need help!" Ward screamed hoarsely at May.
"He didn't escape – I let him out!" Skye yelled when she saw the gun. They sluggishly hurried over to her. The adrenaline that had kept Ward upright for so long finally left his body once they realized they were safe and he passed out right there and then. She stared at him. "Well at least that didn't happen sooner."
"What the fuck happened to you?" May lowered her gun and just looked up and down Skye's body.
"I'll tell you about it later but can we go inside now? I'm pretty sure I'm going to die if I don't sit down soon." May nodded and grabbed a hand that Skye put over her shoulder. Trip picked Ward up and carried him inside.
"Don't put him back in his cell," Skye begged.
"We're taking you both to the infirmary since you're clearly injured. We've been worried sick about you, Skye," scolded May.
"Coulson wore a hole in the carpet," chimed in Trip.
Ward groaned. "Shut up, I'm trying to sleep," he informed them before he was pulled under again.
Skye giggled and ignored Trip and May sending her strange looks. "I'm going to kill him," Coulson vowed as soon as he laid eyes on his daughter.
"It's not Grant's fault – it's mine – and my biological father already tried so stop."
"What? Start from the beginning," Coulson ordered.
As the med techs started examining her and Ward, Skye explained to them what transpired during their trip (she left a few things out that she didn't want anyone else to know). "And Grant needs a lot of help. You don't know what he's been through, what I've seen in his head. No wonder he had a mental breakdown. I will find him a therapist," she concluded.
"You're giving him another chance," Trip correctly deduced. Based on her story (and they'd be sure to get Ward's side of it too), he wasn't surprise.
Skye shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Haven't figured that out yet." That was a lie and everyone knew it but at least they didn't call her out.
Ward's eyes popped up and he stared at the ceiling in fear but not for very long. "Skye?" He could feel her through the connection and calmed down immediately.
She ignored May and Coulson's protests and hopped up on the bed with him. She curled up in his arms and sighed. "I'm here and we're safe now. Nobody will ever hurt you again, Grant."
He tightened his hold on Skye, careful not to hurt her. "Nobody will ever hurt you again either."
"We missed a lot," May whispered to Coulson as the three of them watched Skye and Ward murmur comfort to each other.
Skye kissed the side of Ward's head and sent love in his direction. "Just so you know that somebody loves you. Still pissed but you died so we'll just let bygones be bygones."
He started crying and would have slapped his forehead if he had any room to move but didn't because he refused to let go of Skye. "You shouldn't love me."
"Tough, because I do. And I know you love me too – and not just because you told me before that bastard killed you." She wiggled around a bit before she found the right position and kissed him on the lips. "And Coulson? Find another tracking bracelet because you will give Grant another chance. Everyone deserves one."
"Uh, okay?" He still didn't understand what was going on but Skye was stubborn and he knew it was better to listen to her.
She knew the secrets Coulson and May were keeping from her now and was determined to fix that as soon as her energy returned. "Go to sleep, Grant. I'll keep the nightmares away."
"Promise?"
"I promise." And she reached into his mind and erected a wall to temporarily keep the nightmares at bay.
"One of us will stay with you two tonight," Coulson informed her.
"Would be surprised if you left us alone. And you know what?"
"What?" he questioned.
"I love you, Dad. Thank you for never giving up on me."
He teared up and had to leave the room to pull himself together. May followed him out just so they could have a private conversation.
Skye and Ward had a lot to figure out – there'd be many fights just as soon as both returned to normal – but at least they had each other and their family to figure it out. And it would take Skye a long time to be able to control her powers but Ward (and the others) supported her as she figured it out just as Skye supported Ward through his therapy and his attempt to recover and become a better person.