This story is nearly 4,000 words. This is the longest one-shot I have written in months. So guys, enjoy. I hold this little piece very special to my heart. Because my heart was shattered into a thousand pieces when Grant Ward was revealed to be a traitor. Honestly, I thought: is this how normal people feel?
Because my emotions are poured into my stories. I feel through books, through stories. This fandom is incredible and honestly I don't know what I would to with out it.
So thank you, everyone, for your response to my work. I love all of you guys.
"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." -Lao Tzu
Her heart is beating wildly, her fingers are digging into the bathroom counter behind her and her nails are digging into the soft skin of her palm, causing the faintest of blood drops to appear into her vision. Her eyes are flickering back and forth between the shaking door and the mirror to her right; her expression is one of pure terror and there's tears leaking into her vision, spiraling down her cheeks and landing on the floor with a sound similar to the falling of rain. There's shouting all around her and her eyes are blinking, once, twice, three times, before the thought brushes through her mind, brining in a hurricane of emotions: there's no escape.
And there isn't. She's trapped in the bathroom on the far side of the plane, with a piece of wayward plywood pressed against the door to keep the enemy out along and the metal lock already jabbed int other. But it won't keep them out for long, and she knows it; so she takes a deep, shuddering breath, before melting to the ground on the opposite side of the small tiled room, getting as far away as possible from the door threatening to be broken open.
Her fingers pull her knees to her chest, trailing along her legs in an effort to at least know that she can still feel pain. The metal wall is hard against her back, but that's nothing compared to the pain she's feeling in the middle of her chest, a hard ache that had formed the moment he had betrayed them - the moment she has discovered that everything she knew about him was a lie.
But then her hands find their way to her slightly protruding belly, running a thumb over it softly. The screams and shouts have faded now, her ears only hearing the sound of her blood pumping. She wasn't safe now; she hadn't been ever since Coulson had pushed her into the bathroom and told her to hide the moment HYDRA had swarmed the plane. Safe was a word that was long lost to the wind. It was a word spoken before everything had gone to hell; a word whispered in the depths before she had discovered she was pregnant.
She remembers screaming, sobbing, in the first few weeks after his betrayal, which was now a distant memory of three months. It had been a living hell for her; she wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep. She would only stare blankly at the wall, wondering how everything had gone wrong. Her heart had fallen, deeply, for a man who was a monster. A man who had left her the moment she had fallen the hardest - that was the kind of hurt that you never recover from.
The thumping, the pounding, was getting louder. She squeezed her eyes shut, her fingers planted firmly on her belly. Whoever was trying to break down the door, trying to kill her, wouldn't get this child. They couldn't. She would protect him or her until her very last breath, something that she was willing to give for the good of everything.
It's then that the plywood shatters and the door splinters open, throwing shards of wood towards her face. She instinctively moves to protect her face; it's then that there's rough hands grabbing her, pulling her towards the artificial lights that decorate that hallways. She fights, weakly, but the energy has long since been gone.
As she gains her bearings, she catches a glimpse of the person squeezing her wrists together. Garett. The name spreads a hot flash of anger through her and she hisses, her throat catching up. But she doesn't say anything more, only stays quiet as he leads her to her doom.
He hasn't noticed her baby bump yet though, but it's only a matter of time. Her heart is heavy as they enter the hallway that leads to the common room, where she catches a glimpse of the team on their knees, their hands behind their heads while six men point guns at them. A sob escapes her throat; but it's then he shoves her towards the middle of the room, her hands stumbling for balance. She's caught by someone who latches onto her already sore wrists, her nails digging into a pair of arms that caught her rather gently.
When she looks up, it's him standing there, his eyes cold and dark. She jerks away from him, but his grip is strong; he doesn't let go, only stands there and stares at her, squeezing her wrists like Garett did, except his grip is noticeably tighter. He bumps up against her, inches apart; she sees in his eyes the moment they flicker down, then back up again, his grip loosening in shock.
"Skye?" he whispers, but she looks away, unwilling to give him the satisfaction.
Her ears are deaf to the world when he speaks again, with her keeping her gaze firmly trained on a bloodied Coulson. The only father figure she's ever known is staring at her, his eyes pleading. She stares back, a sob catching in her throat. There's no way out of this.
But then she feels herself being pulled away from the rest of the team, with Garett's eyes trained on her as Ward pushes her, though not roughly, towards a hoard of solders blocking the exit from the room. They part though as he shoves her through, forcing her feet to walk. Her hands are free now, but she saw the gun at his hip - the moment she even tried to escape he would shoot her where she stood.
The moment they're alone though, in a hallway far away from prying eyes, she shrinks away from him, her hands flying to press themselves against the cold metal of the wall. His mouth parts to speak, but she beats him to it.
"Traitor," she hisses, her words carried with anger and sharp steel.
He doesn't listen, only keeps flickering his eyes from her stomach to her face. "Skye -" he starts, but then stops himself, taking deep breaths. His whole body is shaking, she can see; but her eyes are also looking for an escape route, somewhere that she can bolt and hide. The team would get out, they would be fine - but the baby needed to be brought somewhere safe, away from his or her father.
But then he speaks finally, his voice littered with something dangerously close to disbelief. "You're - you're pregnant."
She meets his gaze, challenging. "Aren't you going to kill me?" she spits, her voice slightly wavering. The sight of him angers her. "Well, aren't you, traitor?"
He steps closer and she presses herself tighter against the wall. She wasn't sure what he would do now, but she's done. Done with him, done with everything.
When he responds, his voice is full of carefully controlled anger. "No," he states. "I'm not going to kill you."
She breaths and begins to speak, but he cuts her off. "Is it mine?" His voice is low now, holding an emotion she's never heard before. When she doesn't respond, a rough growl escapes his throat and he steps closer, placing a hand to the right of her head. "Is. It. Mine."
She takes this chance to knee him in the chest and bolt, running down the hallway as fast as she could. She has to escape, she has to get out; her feet move faster and faster, the baby bump slowing her down.
When she turns the corner though, there's a group of HYDRA men standing there, facing away from her. But then one catches sight of her and all their guns are up in an instant; it's then she knows she's done. Their gazes are cruel and unforgiving as they train their weapons on her, ready to shoot.
But then there's a shout and all the men freeze - it's too late though, because one of the guns goes off, hitting her square in the shoulder. She hits the back wall, hissing in pain, her hands moving to her stomach almost on instant.
The baby, she thinks.
The look of pure, unhidden terror on Grant Ward's face is the last thing she sees before she slips into unconsciousness.
When she wakes, it's to the heavy beat of feet pounding against the pavement. Her head is fuzzy and lulled against something rather hard, heat rushing to meet her the moment she wakes. There's an arm around the backs of her knees and one around her lower back, holding her up - she tries to open her eyes but there is only bright sparks of pain, filling her vision.
A low groan escapes her and the bumpy motion nearly stops, but then it continues and she hears a voice, whispering, "C'mon Skye, stay with me, we're almost there."
She blacks out again, but this time to the all too familiar sound of his voice.
This time when she wakes, there's cool metal handcuffs tieing her wrists together above her head; she's sitting on a hard chair that's up against a concrete wall. Her head is still blurry, but she manages to open her eyes.
She takes in the scene ahead of her. It's dark there, with only one sharp artificial light coming in from the corner and a security camera positioned in the upper left corner, it's lens positioned right on her. She draws her lip between her teeth, trying to figure out how to escape. Her bonds are firmly tightened, she finds out as she tries to yank them off. Her feet are also tied to the chair, digging into her ankles; she's in the same outfit she was when she was taken, a loose fitting white v-neck and shorts that fall a bit above mid-thigh. Her baby bump is visible now that she's sitting, a fact that causes a swear to tumble from her lips.
The door opens now, with a creak that echoes among the room. She doesn't know who to expect, but her lips tighten when she sees two figures enter. Her teeth clench when they get closer, revealing more than their profiles. It's Garett and Ward; one is supporting a rather maniacal grin and the other holds one of blank.
She closes her eyes when Garett's hand reaches out; she expects to be slapped, but instead shivers when he runs a single finger down her cheek. "Oh sweetheart," he muses, a sinking feeling appearing in her chest. "It's been a long time."
Her eyes fly open when his finger dips to her lips, snapping at him. But he only chuckles, pulling away. "Still as feisty as ever."
"What do you want?" she whispers, her voice full of hidden anger. "If it's information you want, I won't talk."
He almost looks as if he pities her. "No, my dear. Information is freely available to us now - in fact, the only reason you're alive right now is because of Ward here." He jabs a finger at Grant, whose face is placid. "He wanted to spare your life. I'll give you two a few minutes to talk," he finishes abruptly, pulling away from her and stepping out the door.
The door closes with a crack and suddenly he's on her, clicking open the bonds holding her sore hands in the air. Her fingers drop into her lap and she rubs them, muttering a quiet, "Thank you."
But then she glares up at him, her fingers stilling. "Why?" she asks, her voice partly mixed with anger and sadness. "Why would you betray the team?"
He looks pissed now. "You're pregnant," he shouts, his voice echoing. "Why the hell are you pregnant?"
She raises her eyebrows. Her ankles are still chained to the chair, forcing her to stay put. "I really don't have to explain it to you, do I?"
His hands are on her shoulders then, squeezing her. She yelps then, his hand pressing into her bullet wound. "What the hell, Skye? This wasn't supposed to happen - you aren't supposed to be here, you're supposed to be safe!"
"Well I'm not, am I, traitor?" The words spill from her lips. "You are a goddamn traitor, Ward. You're HYDRA."
The organization's name brings darkness to his eyes. "So what?" he screams back. "Hell Skye, you're pregnant with my child, and don't you dare deny it's mine! None of this was supposed to happen!"
He calms down if only for a moment, stepping away from her. She can feel the bruises forming on her shoulders, but she doesn't move, only glares at him. "Go to hell!" she shouts at him, tears forming and sweeping down her cheeks.
He whirls around and points a finger at her. "That baby is mine," he growls. "And don't damn forget it."
When he leaves she's weeping big heavy sobs that shake her entire being, her head buried in her hands.
There's shouting when she finally stops crying following by the shaky sound of explosions. She blinks back into the world just as her door swings open, following by the profile of a man she had never thought she would see again.
"Coulson?" she whispers, but he's already beside her, unlocking the cuffs on her feet and pulling her towards the door. They make it out the hallway, dust and screaming appearing everywhere she looked. Her feet are aching and her heart is heavy, the bullet wound in her shoulder aching, but she continues running.
"Where is everyone?" she yells, coughing as she runs through the building. It seems to be falling apart while under attack. They pass a few soldiers (from which side, she does not know) while running, but they don't seem to notice them.
They're a few feet from the nearest exit, the bright glimmer of sunlight greeting them through the glass doors, when an explosion hits, throwing them both up against the wall. She's dizzy as she coughs up blood, her hands pressed against the floor. Her thoughts fly to the baby - she landed on her back, not her stomach, thank god for small miracles.
But then she sees a dark figure ahead of her, pulling her to her feet. The figure is carrying an unconsciousness Coulson over their shoulder and she stumbles as the man forces her to run towards the exit.
They make it out as a helicopter lands on a quickly collapsing roof, with May spiriting out and running towards her. The older woman's voice screamed her name as Skye was pushed towards her, the stranger's hand on her lower back.
She's pulled into the plane with Coulson tossed beside her, and just before the door closes she looks into the dark eyes of Grant Ward, fading into the darkness.
She's blank when they get back to the Bus, unmoving, unyielding. Her thoughts are spinning as Simmons gives her a brief check-up; why did he save them? Is he truly a traitor?
But then her fingers move to her stomach, her thumbs brushing it gently. And she knows.
He saved them because of the baby.
She gives birth five months after that terrifying event, a month earlier than her estimated due date. There's panic all around as they rush her to the maternity ward - she's screaming as the contractions hit, and all she can think about is that she wishes Grant was beside her.
It's a beautiful baby girl, with flushed cheeks, a tiny smile and tuffs of black hair. When the infant opens her eyes a deep hazel colored is revealed. Skye laughs in disbelief when she sees her daughter for the first time, a bundle of nervous filling her. But then the little darling is placed in her arms, swaddled in a soft white blanket, and she thinks, how is she mine?
She's barely twenty-two years old on the day of her daughter's birth, with tired eyes and a wide smile as she exits the hospital as soon as she was cleared. Coulson's by her side as he drives them back to the Bus in a rented car and May's there to greet her as she rushes inside, desperate to get into the air.
Simmons is envelops her in a hug the moment they take off, probably the most excited about the idea of having an infant along board. The bio-chem student squeals when she sees the infant and Fitz winces at the sound, though he's nearly as excited as his partner. They're far up into the clouds when Simmons asks the question everyone wanted to know yet no one dared ask: what is her name?
Skye looks tired as she speaks, cradling the dark-haired girl in her arms. "Her name is Serena," she tells them.
Simmons coos over the infant, but Fitz looks confused. "Isn't that -" he starts, but is silenced by a harsh glare from Skye.
Because Serena is the name of Grant's mother, a piece of information she'd learned not long after the night they spent together.
The weeks and days fly by, blending together in a rush of memories and sleeplessness. Her first few days as a mother are tough; she's never known a person even remotely close to being a mother figure, having bounced around from foster home to foster home faster than she can blink. But her daughter grows fast, surrounded by a team who couldn't be more caring. Even May, who seems like the furthest from being maternal, takes a special liking to Serena, taking to calling the little darling, "Rena," in an effort for a nickname.
But Rena sticks and soon everyone is calling the name Rena instead of Serena. Time passes and Skye's terrified Ward is going to show up and take her daughter away from her - both nothing happens for a while and soon it's Rena's first birthday, an affair that allows Skye to take her daughter off the plane for the first time in a while.
She's walking through the streets, holding her daughter in her arms. Rena is squealing in happiness as balloons and kites pass over them, products of children playing at the nearby park. But then Rena starts pulling at her top so she finds an empty bench and pulls out a bottle of formula before situating her daughter, placing the bottle into the eager girl's mouth.
Then someone sits beside her, a man in a hat. She pays not attention to him for a moment, but then she feels a hand on her upper arm. "What the hell," she asks, stepping off the bench and away from him.
But then he looks into her eyes and she nearly chokes. Because Grant Ward is standing beside her, his eyes moving down and training on their daughter.
She takes a few steps back. "Stay away from us," she growls, her voice low.
He stands up. She's poised to run, to flee, to yell - whatever would get him away from her.
But then he strides forward, captures her head in his hands, and slants his lips over hers.
An ache of heat explodes in her chest, and she freezes for a second, unsure of what to do. But then their daughter is pressed between them as she kisses back, her hand sliding up to his neck, the formula bottle dropping to the ground. Rena lets out a cry of anger as it does so and this breaks them apart, with his hands moving down to her hips.
"Skye," he breathes, "I'm sorry." Then his eyes travel down to Rena and his gaze softens, one hand moving up to touch the infant's flushed cheeks. "She's beautiful."
Skye's unsure of what to do - but then his hands are cradling her head again and he's whispering, "Let's run away together."
She jerks away in shock, Rena's cries becoming nonexistent at her mother's movement. "Ward," she warns. "No more games."
"It's not a game," he insists, his hand moving in gestures as he did so. "I'm done with HYDRA; SHIELD is as good as dead. Please, Skye, I'm begging you. We can start over."
Her eyes harden. "You're forgetting about Coulson," she hisses, "and May, and FitzSimmons. They helped raised Serena; they were there for me when you were running off as a traitor."
"I'm done with everything Skye," he warns. "Please. I'm leaving and I want you to come with me."
She wants to; she wants to so badly it kills her inside. But she can't. Rena's got a family with the team and she - she can't afford to leave the only people who took her in when she had no one.
"No," she says, sealing her fate. "I'm sorry, but no."
She can nearly see him shatter. "Me too," he whispers, before turning.
She doesn't watch him leave.
She receives presents for their daughter; a locket, a teddy bear. Notes and cards come, telling her to give their daughter love. She locks those away, keeping the rest of the team in the dark. They don't know about those gifts.
But on Rena's sixth birthday she sees him one last time, a glimpse of a shadow in the night. They're staying at a hotel, just the two of them, in order for Skye to take her daughter to the zoo.
Rena's watching television, mesmerized, when Skye catches glimpse of a dark being in the window. Before she can react, however, the window's being slipped open and he steps in quietly, as though not to make any noise.
Their daughter is still watching the screen as she pulls him into the bedroom, closing the door with a quiet slip of a lock.
He kisses her then, hard and unwavering. "I love you, Skye," he breathes into her neck. "I always will."
She swallows then, her head spinning, but speaks what her heart feels.
"I love you too, Grant."
*inner fangirl screams so loud her dog jumps and falls off the bed*