Title: Shot through the Heart
Author: snarkysweetness
Rating: PG-13
Characters: The Ot6 with Mike, Kara, & Gordon; Skyeward, Fitzsimmons, team family, & very mild Ward/Kara
Summary: An all-too familiar scene was playing out before her; Ward on the ground, clutching his chest, struggling to breath; only this time she was on her knees, face stained with tears, screaming for Jemma to stop.
Warnings: Mild violence.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Notes: I was hoping to get this done before today but oh well, here it is.

Skye wasn't sure how it all started, one moment she was strapping Mike into a gurney, watching them haul him off to the base's medical center, praying he'd live long enough for them to save him and the next all she could hear were screams.

Of course it took her a moment to register they were coming from her because an all-too familiar scene was playing out before her; Ward on the ground, clutching his chest, struggling to breath; only this time she was on her knees, face stained with tears, screaming for Jemma to stop.

"No, Skye, he deserves this-"

"Jemma, don't!" Fitz begged, his own face covered with tears along with absolute shock.

"Skye-" Ward gasped and she sobbed again, remembering how the last time he'd called her name too.

His dying breath.

She couldn't go through that again.

"Jemma, please!" Skye begged. Hadn't he been through enough? Fitz had already tried to kill him, she'd shot him; this was not the way to get him back.

This wasn't right.

"No! If you'd just let him die the first time none of this would have happened! It's your fault he was alive to nearly kill Fitz!"

"Then kill me, okay!" She yelled, pleading. "You want to hurt him? Really hurt him? Kill me! Killing him solves nothing!"

Skye flung herself at Jemma to get the switch from her but Fitz beat her to the punch, tackling Jemma from behind and knocking it from her hands. Skye lunged for it and fumbled with it in her shaking hands, not sure how to make it stop.

"Skye, there! The red one!" Fitz called. Skye found the off-switch and pushed it quickly before tossing it aside so she could quickly crawl back to Ward's side.

"Come on, Grant," she whispering, touching his face while fighting back tears. He wasn't moving, oh God, why wasn't he moving?

She held her hands over his chest and sobbed when she couldn't feel the vibrations of his heartbeat. "No, no, no," she cried as Fitz rushed over and ripped the device from Grant's chest. She still felt nothing and Fitz's fingers on his pulse combined with the look on his face told her he was gone.

"No!" She cried angrily, hitting his chest hard, as if it would help.

When he didn't miraculously wake she buried her face in his neck, sobbing hard. She clutched his shirt in her hands, letting her tears fall freely, while she painfully moaned his name between cries.

This isn't what she'd wanted. She'd been angry, yes, and rightfully so but she'd never wanted him to die. To hurt, maybe, the way he'd hurt her, but not like this. She hadn't shot him because she'd been angry she'd done it to keep him from following her down to the city. This was not the way make things even.

She would never forgive Jemma for this.

"Grant, please come back, please," Skye whispered, moving her hands to cradle his face while she continued to cry. She could feel her powers in overdrive, each shake of her chest moving through her fingers and into his still body and it didn't occur to her to use them to restart his heart until she felt a fresh jolt course through her arm, coming from him.

Her own heart stopped for a moment followed by a relieved sob when she heard her name fall from his lips.

"Skye?" Grant whispered weakly and she sobbed in relief, hugging him tightly. She could hear him struggling to breathe and she released her hold on him but not before sending a fresh wave of energy right for his heart, just to make sure it kept pumping.

Pressing a kiss to his forehead she moved his head into her lap and ran her fingers through his hair, one hand caressing his cheek. "Shh, Grant, I'm here. You're okay, she didn't kill you, you're still here," she whispered, voice shaking. She was close to tears again.

The anger radiating from Jemma was palpable, even to those without the power to sense such things, but Skye didn't care; Jemma could be as angry as she wanted, she wasn't the only one. If it would solve anything, Skye would show her how angry she was with a punch to the face, but that would require leaving Grant's side and Skye didn't trust anyone near him.

No one was hurting him again on her watch.

"Jemma…how could you?" Fitz whispered in horror. Skye glanced up to find him staring at the woman he loved, face covered in fresh tears.

He wasn't the only one crying.

"He tried to kill you," Jemma screamed, sobbing. "You don't understand, Fitz…you…I thought I'd lost you for good and then…He ruined everything!"

Skye should have known this was coming. Jemma had all but coiled herself around Fitz the moment she'd seen Grant before threatening to kill him if he even looked at Fitz the wrong way. She understood Jemma's anger, she did, but this was too much.

Jemma had crossed a line she couldn't talk herself back from.

"Ruined me you mean?" Fitz spat.

Jemma shook her head, full-on sobbing. "No, Fitz. That's not what I meant-"

"I never thought I'd see this part of you, Jemma; you're just as bad as he is." Fitz turned and walked away, shaking with anger.

"Fitz, no, wait!" She called, chasing after him.

Fitz turned and Skye clutched Grant closer in fear; she'd never seen Fitz look so angry in all the time that she'd known him. "I get it Jemma! You hate him because he broke me, because he took away the only parts of me that you ever cared about, but that doesn't mean you get to be like him! To be a killer! You hate him so much for what he did to me but you're just like him now!"

Jemma shook her head and reached for him but Fitz shoved her away, not having it.

"Fitz, that's not…He took you from me. I…you were gone, I thought…Fitz you were gone for nine days. For nine days I thought you were gone and then you were back and I knew…you were suffering because of me, because I couldn't let you die and I just…" Jemma's chest shook as she tried to fight off the tears but she was losing the battle. "I lost you, you were gone; you were-"

Fitz's face softened as Jemma's entire body shook and he reached for her, embracing her tightly to keep her under control. Jemma sobbed against his chest loudly and Fitz struggled to keep her upright.

"You're…everything…he was going to take you from me…"

Fitz cradled her head and kissed her temple. "Jemma…I'm here, I'm right here. He didn't take me anywhere."

"I thought I'd lost you, you were dead, I thought you were dead."

"I'm right here, Jemma; I'm not leaving you."

"Skye…"

She glanced down to find Grant blinking, struggling to keep his eyes open and she leaned down, pressing her forehead to his. "Shh, I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Loud voices joined them as doctors followed Coulson.

"What the hell happened?" Coulson yelled, holding a tablet in his hand and staring at Jemma in disbelief. "This is not how we handle conflicts, Jemma! Hurry, get him to the doctor, now! He's a member of this team, Jemma!"

Skye left Coulson to deal with Jemma; when the doctors took Grant from her she noticed her clothes covered in blood and she followed numbly while they began working on Grant en route; the idiot had gotten shot again and not bothered to tell anyone; again.

He was such an idiot.

She was in love with an idiot.

"Skye, I'm so sor-"

Skye watched Grant disappear into the Infirmary and turned to Jemma coldly, still angry.

"I know this never occurred to you, Jemma, but no matter what he's done I still feel the same way about him that you do about Fitz. Keep that in mind the next time you decide that killing someone is okay and when you're begging me to forgive you, just remember you tried to do to me what Ward did to Fitz that makes you hate him so much and don't even bother."

Maybe she was being hard on her and maybe Skye couldn't hold a grudge that big, not with Jemma, but she wasn't going to forgive her, not now, not until she knew he was going to be okay.

Fitz's coma had been the nine longest days of Jemma's life but Grant in surgery was the nine longest hours of Skye's. The idiot hadn't been shot once, he'd been shot twice, and one of the bullets was lodged. Coupled with his now weak heart things weren't going well and while Jemma stayed with Skye the whole time, Skye refused to let her friend comfort her; she was still furious and taking it out on Jemma made her feel better.

The only person she wanted comforting her was May, who did so by keeping one arm firmly around Skye each time she stopped pacing long enough to sit down.

"Sir?"

Coulson jumped out of his chair when the doctor emerged and Skye was close at his heel.

"Ward?"

"Stable, sleeping it off. He'll need to take it easy for a few weeks, to give his heart a break and to give his injuries time to heal properly, but he'll be fine."

Skye was so relieved she turned and pulled Jemma into a hug, sobbing into her neck. Jemma sighed in relief and hugged her back, crying. "I'm sorry; I'm so sorry, Skye."

"I know, Jemma."

"And Agent Peterson?"

They both turned, clutching hands while Fitz stopped pacing and May stood from her chair, that serious look on her face.

"He'll be in for a longer recovery, but he's awake. You can see him if you'd like."

May sighed in relief, squeezing Skye's shoulder. Skye reached back to take her hand, feeling like she could cry for a week.

"Thank you," Coulson whispered, giving Skye a nod before leading May towards the Infirmary.

Skye wiped her eyes and followed. When they gave her a 'look' she stood her ground firmly. "I'm not leaving his side and you can't make me, Sir," she added as an afterthought.

"Fine, you can stay for a few hours."

Skye scoffed. As if he could make her leave.

Before she disappeared through the doors she glanced back at Fitzsimmons, trying not to smirk.

"You want me to forgive you, Jemma? Just finally be honest with him about how you feel; there are enough secrets around here."

Skye turned without bothering to see their reactions.

Grant woke groggily, not sure how much time had passed or where he was but he was greeted with a welcome sight. A sleeping Skye lay with her head on his stomach, one hand over his heart, the other clutching his hand tightly. He could lay like this for the rest of his life but she still sat in a chair that was pressed as close to his bed as possible, and she couldn't be very comfortable.

Then the pain in his body set in and he realized he felt like shit.

He reached for the call button, needing drugs but the moment he moved Skye was on alert, shooting up and reaching for her Icer.

"It's just me," he assured.

She stared at him wildly in surprise, still waking up, and then threw her arms around him, kissing every inch of his face.

"I missed you too; how about next time I don't die and you wind up in my bed anyway?"

Skye sobbed once and pinched him in annoyance. "You aren't funny."

He smiled, too happy to have her here to care about the physical pain he was in. She'd saved his life, she was here; she loved him. He wasn't an idiot for never giving up on her.

"I think I'm hilarious, a real riot."

Skye shook her head and buried her face in his neck. "Don't do that again."

Grant slid a hand down her back, resting it at the bottom of her spine, and resisted the urge to whine in pain. "I've pissed a lot of people off, they may try to keep killing me; I can't control that."

She pulled away, anger all over her face. "No, I mean don't fucking get shot again and not tell anyone, asshole. If you'd been off getting patched up instead of trying to awkwardly bond with Fitz you wouldn't have set Jemma off. The next time you do that to me I'll be the one killing you myself, understood?"

"You love me," was his only response as he reached up to toy with the hair in her face.

Skye groaned in annoyance, rolling her eyes. "Why me?"

"Why is she here?"

Skye turned and he glanced over her shoulder to find an angry Kara watching them from the doorway. He groaned and remembered he'd been stupid enough to string her along in his attempted to have a normal life. She deserved better than this, better than him; hell, they both did.

"Can we have a minute?" He asked Skye, knowing there would soon be one more person who wanted him dead.

Skye nodded and leaned in. She went for his lips, thought better of it, and settled on kissing his cheek.

"If that girl leaves here crying I will never forgive you for hurting her."

Grant squeezed her hand sadly. "I won't either."

It was always going to be Skye for him; he should have known better.

She nodded and left the room and he did try to make an effort to hide how she was the only thing in the room for him but he failed miserably. Grant saw the anger flash through Kara's eyes and he leaned back, closing his eyes with a sigh.

He had no idea how to break things off with someone without hurting them; dying would have been easier.

"You have to go," Grant whispered, running his fingers through her hair while she rained kisses all over his face.

"I," kiss, "don't," kiss, "want to."

Skye cut off whatever his protest would be by pressing her lips to his and giving him the kind of kiss that left them both breathless. She pulled away with a smug smile, enjoying the fuckstruck look on his face; it would never get old.

She still couldn't believe she and Grant were actually, finally a real couple and of course it meant she had to go again. She had to return to Afterlife, to make sure Lincoln was okay, to finish what she'd started there, and most of all to make sure her family here was safe from Cal.

Grant reached up to cradle her cheek with one hand, a goofy smile still on his face. "'I don't want you to go either but the sooner you go the sooner you can come back. Besides, I'm not much fun stuck in this hospital bed."

Skye gave him a 'look'. "And what exactly do you think we'd be doing if you weren't here?"

He gave her a lazy grin and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm in love with an idiot."

"I'm in love with a queen."

Skye swatted him playfully. "Stop."

"No."

Grant pulled her in for another kiss and she returned it happily, feeling May's presence in the room before hearing her.

"Go away," she muttered, still kissing her man.

"As much fun as I'm having watching you two make-out, Gordon is here. But if you want to keep at it and have me send him away-"

Skye groaned and pulled away. "No, I'm going."

She tried not to let the disappointment on May's face cause her too much joy; Skye needed to deal with her other mother issues before she dealt with the fact that she already had a perfectly fine mother right here at home.

She leaned down and kissed Grant a final time, resting her forehead against his. "I'll be back soon."

Grant touched her cheek gently and kissed her nose. "Good, I don't think Mama Bear is going to enjoy babysitting me for you while you're gone."

They both glanced at May whose expression confirmed she would not enjoy it one bit.

Skye turned back to him with a smile, cupping his cheek. "Be good for the doctors. I left you books on your tablet to read and Fitz promised he'd be by with board games and-"

"Go, I'll be fine. May loves you too much to hurt me."

"Only reason you're alive."

Grant ignored May and continued. "And I've got Fitz back and I know you love me; I have everything I need."

Skye's heart flipped at the look on his face and she smiled. She leaned down to kiss him quickly one final time and hopped from the bed before she could change her mind.

"I love you," she said at the door, wanting one final look at him.

"I know," he teased with a smirk and a wink.

She rolled her eyes.

Fitz was not allowed to compare them to fictional couples during movie nights anymore.

May stopped Skye short of greeting Gordon and took her by the shoulders, meeting her eyes. "Hurry back."

It wasn't an 'I love you' but it was the same thing coming from May.

Skye threw her arms around her real mother and hugged her tightly. "Keep him safe?"

May cradled Skye's head and buried her face in her hair, kissing her scalp. "Only for you."

Skye stepped back with a smile to join Gordon. The Inhumans were a part of her but the way these people were; this was her real home, this was her real family, and no matter what happened she'd finally completed the puzzle.