A/N: This is and old story I had written… before everything went to hell hahah an I wanted to share it. Skyeward One-shot. AU where there was a different outcome of the events.

I don't own any of this characters.

THE DEBT

It burned like hell. I wasn't her first time, but it still hurt like it was. Two bullets, one in her leg and the other close to her stomach, skin deep. Skye still managed to run, to fight him, to ignore the worst pain of all, the one she was feeling in her heart. She always had fait in Grant Ward, even when he stole the codes for the hard drive, even after he left her and the team, after they discovered he was working with Garret and had killed a lot of innocent men.

She never stopped believing. Until the moment he captured her, tortured her, shot her. Before that, Skye believed he could be saved, that he had a heart, that deep down, his feelings were real.

That's why she stayed behind… looking for him, trying to get him back. Now she was running without knowing exactly where to go. The compound was about to fall down over her head, and her wounds weren't helping to move faster through the dark hallways

"Where are you?" Coulson's voice sounded in her earpiece.

"I don't know" Skye murmured, a little out of breath.

"We're ready to go. Hurry. I have Tripp and Fitzsimons" May added letting skye know that Coulson wasn't in the plane; not the bus, they had lost that too, but at least the were still together.

Her boss appeared in a corner, running, yelling things she couldn't hear with all the falling debris and explosions. But she felt better just by seeing him; of course he came back for her. That man would do anything for her; Skye knew Phil would never lie to her, he would never leave her.

But that didn't last long. Before she could start running towards him she saw his expression changing, Coulson signaled something behind her, and the next thing Skye saw was his body falling to the ground, almost at the same time she heard the gunshot behind her.

It was fast, like a movie playing in front of her eyes. Coulson hit the floor in a second; all she could hear now was her own breath, her accelerated heartbeat. Something hurt in her chest, worst than before,

"No" Tears fell down her face. She turned and there he was: Grant Ward. "Noooooo!" She ran towards him not thinking straight, she could never take him down, but hell, she was going to try. He still had the gun in his hand. The only man she had ever loved had killed the closest thing she had ever had to a father. You could call that defining moment, but if she had to take hydra down with her own hands, she would do it.

Or at least she would try. The specialist easily dodged her attack. He took her wrist, twisted it and with a couple of moves her own face was on the ground. Grant had her between the floor and his own body. She felt the cold metal of his gun on her cheek and his hand grabbing her hair.

But Skye was not going down without a fight, a real one. She moved a hand to grab his neck and pulled with all her strength, her pain, and her rage. She managed to roll with him and break free. Grant hit the wall while Skye tried to stand up as fast as she could. She noticed that he was hurt too. He was bleeding. Why?

Her next punch landed on his left cheek and almost put him down. When he looked back at her he was smiling. She had learnt… a lot.

Her hand hurt, but it felt good to make him suffer, to make him taste all the pain she was feeling right now. She grabbed him and with a quick move her knee landed on his stomach, more than once, brutally, until the man coughed blood and finally fell to the floor, but that didn't stop her. She grabbed his shirt and tossed him against the wall, he was barely standing, but still smiling.

That was the only way, Grant thought. And he was so proud of her right now.

"Why are you smiling?" she growled "fucking bastard! You killed the man that gave you everything!... and you hurt the only person that ever…" Skye stopped "You son of a bitch, I'll kill you!" She hit him again, and again.

That was the only way. And she had learnt everything from him… just one more trick left.

"Yes I did" Grant moved his hand. He still had the gun. He pointed it at her and she did as expected. She took the weapon with one quick movement and now she had him, it was going to be over soon. He finally noticed how the building was about to fall… Skye didn't have much time to get out.

"I'm sorry" he said, but his eyes were empty… he had accepted his fate, he deserved it.

"Shut up!" she hit him again, this time with the gun.

"Do it" he closed his eyes.

"Go to hell, Grant Ward" She closed her eyes for a second trying to hold tears, then opened them again.

"Skye…" He opened his eyes too, and it almost took her by surprise to see a tear rolling down his cheek… there was something else in his eyes… no more emptiness, but regret, pain… maybe… something else. He moved his hand up, slowly… but Skye didn't move, she froze, she couldn't think… she couldn't know if he was going to attack her, or she couldn't defend herself. His hand touched hers, but all he did was pull the gun closer to his chest, firmly. "I love you" he barely muttered, and then pulled the trigger with his thumb.

That was the only way… to let her go.

She dropped the gun at the same time Grant hit the floor. His blood stained the wall in front of her as he slid down.

"Grant" She whispered… and started noticing everything around her again… even May's desperate voice, asking for her… asking for Coulson, begging Skye to talk and come back… then she heard something else.

"Skye!" The man coughed… it was a few minutes, but he was still a little dizzy. He saw her, standing in front of Grant Ward, the deadly Grant Ward who was motionless, sitting in front of her… blood coming out of his mouth. "Oh no…"

Skye saw him, in shock. Coulson was alive… the gun, she thought, it was cold when he put it against her face. She kneeled down and started searching.

She found it. Another gun, a little one…. Black and blue.

She remembered when Quinn told her that they had the same tech in the icers… they could do that… Grant… he had…

"Grant!" she punched his chest "Come back! Please, you idiot" she punched him again… "Come back" she cried.

She hated him, but she loved him too. Everything he had done. He shot her… in the leg… in front of Garrett… but she could move.

He gave her the chance to run from Garrett, he stayed behind… and he was hurt before he shot Coulson…. Where was Garrett?

Skye felt hands grabbing her by the shoulders.

"We have to go" Coulson said

"No, please no… he saved me… he…"

"He was a traitor, Skye…"

"He is… but it was real"

Coulson frowned "What was real?" he asked but the girl didn't answer, she just started crying. He had seen her cry before, but never like that... "Skye, we have to go!"

Light… pain. He felt weak and something was touching his cheek, something nice… he wanted to move, but he was tied to a bed.

It wasn't easy to start identifying all the sounds around him, less open his eyes. When he did he didn't know where he was.

It wasn't a SHIELD medical facility, but it didn't look a normal hospital.

"He's awake"

Grant heard the familiar British accent and he felt safe, at home. That before he started putting his memories together… everything he had done, the reason why he meet the team in first place… he didn't belong with them anymore.

"Ward. It's ok"

He heard Jemma again, then more light…

"Where am I?" He asked with a hoarse voice. His throat burnt like hell.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that"

His vision finally focused in the bio scientist when she turned her little lamp off. The whole thing felt oddly familiar, like every time he was hurt on a mission before and she was the one in charge of his wounds.

But this time there was no affection in her eyes.

And if this was Simmons… what about…

"Skye?" he coughed "Where's skye?"

Simmons raised and eyebrow. Then she looked at something in front of her, and on Grant's left side. It hurt to move, but he had to move.

There, right next to his bed there was another bed and Skye was sitting on it. She was wearing a medical robe, was she hurt? He tried to move, forgetting about the handcuffs… and it hurt.

"Argggg" he growled and settled back on the bed.

"I wouldn't try that again" Simmons added.

"You hurt?" He muttered and there was silence for a few seconds.

"I'm ok" Skye said. But her voice was different. It had lost that witty spark.

"Can… talk? Simmons…"

Jemma looked at Skye with a disapproving expression.

"It's fine" she didn't let her friend speak. "Just a couple of minutes"

"Ok" Jemma nodded and left the room without even looking at him, and it didn't feel good.

"How…?" he asked, finally looking at her. Images of Skye dying in front of him after Ian Quinn shot her came to his mind when he saw her wearing that robe. But she looked fine… beautiful.

"We had this idea…" she swallowed and avoided his eyes "You lost a lot of blood and you were… dying and… you know, we share the same blood typed, which is weird because AB is not that common, you knew that?" She noticed that Ward was really making an effort to pay attention, she continued "anyway… mine… we thought it could still had the drug… it was better than nothing. It worked"

"You all thought?" He asked.

"Ok, maybe it was just me. Simmons thought that it was a very stupid idea"

"Why?"

"I couldn't let you die" She said and he almost smiled, but then she continued "Even if you deserved it"

"I know" he swallowed. His throat still hurt. Grant saw her trying to stand up. She was a little clumsy. Grant frowned. He wanted to help her… why would she… the robe. He searched the place until he noticed that there was a blood bag next to him. Her blood… and only god knew how much blood she had given to save him. "Sorry"

Skye nodded, but she didn't respond. She just walked to a table and poured water in a glass. Then she went to him and offered the liquid.

Her hand on the back of his neck made him feel alive again. And the fresh water soothed his pain. Grant took a few sips before he rested his head back on the pillow.

"Thank you"

She sighed "Ok"

"For everything" he added, "You saved my life"

"You saved mine" she replied, still cold "I know what you did… back in the base, and I know you were trying to give me a chance, and I forgive you… for that. I hope you understand that… that's a debt that has been paid"

"Skye" his voice sounded broken. And that almost brought a tear to her eyes. When he needed to make a decision… he did. He chose her. Now he had nothing left, except for her.

"You killed him" She concluded "I assume he shot you before I did" Grant just nodded and Skye continued, "I don't even understand why you did what you did. All I know Grant is… for that… I can't forgive you. Even if I…" she swallowed. One of her hands was close to his, and he took his opportunity to grab it "If I feel something… or at least I did, I don't know"

"Skye… " He pleaded. He wanted a chance… even if he didn't deserve it. He didn't even realize he was crying, but he was… for the first time since… for the first time in years.

"Here's what I can offer you. They want to put you in a cell. You're a traitor… but I got you a new identity, a clean slate… it's your chance to do right. Get out of this and live a normal life"

"No" He squeezed her hand tighter, but Skye continued. She finally looked straight to his eyes.

"I have to stay. This is where I belong, but you don't… not anymore. I'll know were you are and maybe… if some things are meant to be… maybe then we can share a drink" she offered him a sad smile that only broke his heart.

Then someone opened the door. It was Coulson. Grant saw the anger in his face. He wouldn't even look at him.

"You shouldn't be here" He told Skye

"I was just leaving" she took a step back from Grant and he had to let her hand go.

Skye followed Phil and left the room. That was the last time he would see her before the day she stormed in his cell and put a bag over his head.

"I would say that I'm happy to see you but… " Grant teased. For weeks he was locked in a little cell, he still didn't know where he was, but he didn't ask. He knew she was there and it was enough.

"Shut up"

Grant heard an engine starting… it was very noisy, like and old engine….

"Are we in your van?"

"I have everything you need in here"

"You know I could just take this bag off my head… my hands are free"

"You won't. Or I'll have to kill you" Skye started driving… maybe a little too fast. "You'll have to wait until I say so"

He didn't respond, he wanted to ask something more important. "Why didn't you visit me?"

"Maybe I didn't want to" she said.

There was silence again.

"Is that true?"

"Maybe it could hurt… bad" Now her voice sounded sad. He had his hopes high for a second. When Skye walked in his cell with the bag… he saw the hint of a smile. She sounded happy again.

"Skye, why are you doing this?"

"I already told you. I want to give you a chance to do right"

"But away from you"

"It's that or jail. They'll torture you" she tried to avoid the subject

"I don't see the difference"

When she heard him he noticed that his voice sounded different. Skye looked at him through the rearview mirror… he didn't have the bag.

Skye hit the brakes of her van.

"What are you doing!"

"Woooaa" he said when he almost crashed into the front glass "Be careful!"

"I told you to keep the bag"

"I wanted to see you" He replied

"Idiot" she muttered, "This was a bad idea"

"It wasn't… if you're willing to give me a chance, I'm willing to wait"

"Ward"

"Hoping for something and losing it hurts more than never hoping for anything" he added while he grabbed her hand.

"Get out" she said, she wasn't mad… so Grant frowned.

"Are you leaving me here?"

"Yep… I have to come back before they notice"

"They will notice that I'm not there, you know that?"

She sighed, "I know"

"Come with me" He said, squeezing her hand "I know I screwed it… big time, but I tried to make it right, for you"

"You tried to make me kill you" Now she sounded mad.

"Uhm… that was not very smart"

"That was stupid" She pulled her hand back "And I can't leave them" Skye added.

There was silence for a few seconds until Skye spoke again "I'll find you" she said looking strait to his eyes.

He responded the only way he could, by kissing her. He cupped her face with his hands and pressed his lips against hers softly. The way she kissed him back almost threw him off his balance.

Skye grabbed his t-shirt and kissed him deep. Trying to put her feelings on that kiss.

"Finally" she whispered against his lips and then pushed him away. "You need to go" She said with a smile.

That's how Grant Ward ended up in the middle of nowhere, watching her drive away from him, hoping that wasn't the last time he could kiss her.

And it wasn't.