Aftermath
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Spoilers: Season 1 and 2
Its two years after the fall of HYDRA, after a battle that scared her in ways a bullet or knife ever could. She's a professor at a private academy, teaching computer skills and physical education to children that are so over-privileged it made her sick at times. However the cover is good and everyone in the wealthy world never asked for your information, it's all private for fear of damage to reputation. She's no longer Skye, Agent of SHIELD but Daisy Johnson, daughter of a veterinarian and deceased therapist. Her life as an agent a thing of the past, left behind when her heart broke completely on a bloody battlefield.
Sitting at table outside a café she looked around as if sensing something she couldn't explain. She would never know the two people watching from a distance, she'd never remember them because she'd long forgotten who Agent Skye was. She lights up when someone puts their hands over her eyes and she turns to see her fiancé, a man who loved her as if she was his entire world. A prolonged kiss was followed by a rub to her belly, a kiss to home that housed their unborn child before she was making him get off the ground because he was acting like an idiot.
The two people watching turned and started walking down the street, allowing Daisy Johnson to live her life in peace.
"It's better this way." It was the comment always given by the woman to her male companion who had only one arm. No matter how often they checked on the girl that was Daisy Johnson, the same two phrases were stated.
"You always say that Melinda." He looked at her as she put on her shades. "Like always we agree that Tahiti was necessary, for both of them."
She huffed, "of all the women in New York, I don't understand how he found her. Especially without having memories of her."
They returned to their vehicle where a blond and a Brit were arguing over dinner choices. While some things changed, others stayed the same and it was a good thing.
"You see her sir?" The blond asked and both gave a nod in conformation. "How's she doing?"
"Pregnant." It was bluntly stated, indifferent despite the softness of the tone. "Likely five months along."
The Brit smirked, "well when New York has an earthquake we'll know she's given birth. Speaking of powers, Dublin has a man giving off electricity three hours ago or so the live news feeds show."
"That's our cue." The one arm man stated as he started the vehicle. "Morse, delete the files. This was the last time, we're going to leave her in peace from now on. She deserves her life free of SHIELD and the pain associated with it."
The blond pulled up files on her in-field computer and looked at the still image that if clicked would start a video of the past, the minutes after a bloody battle.
With a single click the video and the related files vanished, destroying any trace that Skye, Agent of SHIELD ever existed.
[TWO YEARS PREVIOUSLY]
Phil Coulson looked up when his office door opened and he found Melinda May stepping in silently. The look on her face read exhaustion, given the previous days it was probably true. She sat down in front of his desk and put a thumb drive on the wood.
"That's all that's left of Agent Grant Ward."
"I assume the new identity was close to the previous one."
She nodded, "same name but different memories of the past, he'll never remember who he was or what he did. Remind me why he did this Phil, after everything he's done."
Coulson leaned back in his chair, "because like Skye said after her father, not all his actions were his fault. If his parents hadn't been abusive, if his brother hadn't done what he did then Garrett would have never gotten ahold of him and made him who he is. Natasha Romanoff did similar things and she was given a second chance, this is his."
"Skye's was easier to craft and I left her knowledge of her powers. She needs to know control so I manipulated her memories to be of her parents teaching her the control."
He smiled as he looked down at the desk, "what name did you give her?"
"Daisy Skye Johnson, her birth name as well as the one chosen by her." May stood and turned to leave but paused. "How long are you going to stare at that order?"
Shutting off the tablet, Coulson sighed. "Why did he do it? She became his enemy when she shot him…"
"Because the ones you love the most are the ones you would die to protect, even if they turn around and shoot you." May stated as she opened the door. "He could tell us and himself that he hated her but Grant Ward would always love Skye, to his dying breath and he did."
After she left he turned the tablet back on and looked at the order that sat on the screen.
HYDRA EXECUTIVE ORDER 02251
MISSION: CAPTURE ALL INHUMANS
ORDERS: CAPTURE ALIVE, KILL IF RESISTANT
SIGNED: WOLFGANG VON STUCKER, HYDRA
HYDRA EXECUTIVE ORDER 02251 AMENDED
MISSION: CAPTURE ALL INHUMANS
ORDERS: CAPTURE ALIVE, DISABLE IF RESISTANT
SIGNED: GRANT WARD, DIRECTOR OF HYDRA
HYDRA EXECUTIVE ORDER 02255
PARDON TO INHUMAN MEMBER 005
NAME: DAISY JOHNSON
ALIAS: SKYE, MARY SUE POOTS
ALLIGENCES: SHIELD, RISING TIDE
ORDERS: DO NOT CAPTURE, LEAVE ALIVE
NOTICE: EXECUTION OF AGENTS IF HARMED OR CAPTURED
SIGNED: GRANT WARD, DIRECTOR OF HYDRA
Closing out of the order, Coulson brought up the video that had captured the last moments of Grant Ward and Agent Skye.
The battlefield was bloody and the sky continued to darken as the night wore on. Stone and concrete laid around after being moved and manipulated by the girl that sat on her knees beside the body of the dying enemy.
Skye held Ward's head in her lap, brushing her fingers through his dust and sweat layered hair. He looked up at her, gasping to breath and she let herself cry for him after so long.
"I'm sorry." It tumbled out of her mouth as her fellow agents started to surround her. "I should have listened, I let my anger override everything when I should have listened to you."
He attempted to reach up to her and the tips of his fingers brushed her cheek. Gasps escaped his mouth and she leaned over so his gasped whispers could be heard. "You...are…the…only," he coughed and groaned in pain, the damage done to his body too great to come back from. He met her eyes again as he finished his words, "one…I…have…ever…loved…Skye. My…Sk…"
Her voice fell short on his lips as she looked down to see him breathe his last breath. Skye shook her head and started sobbing, her hands going to his chest in attempts to bring him back to life. Sobs growing louder as shockwaves radiated off of her, not stopping as anguish consumed her. A hand on her shoulder made her turn and she found her mentor on her knees.
"Skye you need to stop, you're going to hurt everyone."
"I can't…" she sobbed. "I can't bring him back. He saved me, he still loved me…"
"I know." May grabbed Skye and held her, trying to calm the sobbing girl before she harmed everyone around her. "He wouldn't want you to hurt everyone you care about Skye, you need to stop." She pulled back to look into broken brown eyes. "If not for us, for his memory. He saved you so you could live and you need to stop in order to do that."
Skye shook her head, "I want to die, it should have been me not him."
May cupped her face, "no Skye, he ordered the capture of all Inhumans except you. Any harm to you or capture of you meant death to the agents doing so. Even after everything, Ward wanted to protect you, he wanted you safe. He got that, he was killed knowing you were safe."
A shot was fired and the girl went limp against her mentor, her arm over the heart of the man who died protecting her.
Coulson closed the video and sat up, pulling open a drawer that held a safe. Opening the safe he placed the tablet inside along with the thumb drive.
[18 MONTHS PREVIOUSLY]
Daisy Johnson smiled as the barista handed her the cup of coffee she had ordered. Turning suddenly she found herself being gripped on the arms as her coffee splashed to the floor. Looking up she found the epitome of tall, dark and handsome standing before her. He let go of her arms and looked at her before looking down.
"I'm sorry. That was my fault since I was standing so close behind you."
She shook her head and chuckled, "no it's my fault really. Don't worry about it, the terrors I teach will wake me up sooner or later."
"Let me buy you another one, it's the least I can do." The man looked at the barista, "a tall black and an identical to what the lady had."
As they waited Daisy chuckled, "thanks, I'm Daisy by the way." She held out her hand and he took it, the feeling of familiarity flashed through her but she dismissed it since she didn't know the guy.
"Zachary but you can call me Zac." He shook her hand and smiled. "So you're a teacher?"
"Computers and physical education, Barley Prep for Girls. Trust me when I say that teenage hormones and technology do not go together."
He laughed and shook his head, paying for the drinks as they arrived. "I can imagine. I believe this is yours." He handed her the coffee, "don't spill this one."
Daisy pulled a pen from her purse and took his hand, writing on his palm. "Maybe we can do this again sometime."
With a smile she headed to the door as he looked down to see her number and a name. "Why Skye?" His question caught her and she shrugged at him.
"Much better name than Daisy, don't you think?"
He caught up and held the door open for her, "matches your beauty."
She turned to see Zac smiling at her, "oh a compliment and a smile, my lucky day it seems." She checked her watch before looking up at him. "Don't tell me you've never thought of giving yourself a name? I mean, my parents at least gave me the name I prefer to go by when I can."
"I prefer my middle name but I don't usually let people call me that." He smiled at her, "I may let you."
"Tell me what it is and let me be the judge of it."
"Grant, my middle name is Grant."
"Zachary Grant…is there a last name that goes with that?" She took a sip of her coffee, "I got Johnson as my last name, boring if you ask me."
He chuckled, "nothing about you is boring. I got the unlucky last name of Ward."
"Hmm, Grant Ward…sounds like you're a robot or something." Laughter filled her and he smiled, taking the pen still grasped in her hand and took her free hand gently.
Writing down his number he looked at her, "next time I won't spill your coffee."
"So you say but it might be fate that you do." She smiled and pointed over her shoulder. "I should go, nice meeting you Grant." She shrugged at him, "although I feel like we've already met."
"I was going to say the same but I think I'd remember someone like you." He held out her pen and Daisy took it. "Until next time Skye."
He watched her walk away and it felt painful yet relief filled him also, as if her walking away with a smile was everything he desired in the world. The problem was that he'd just met the girl of his dreams and he felt as if he'd known her forever. He felt like he had loved her for years instead of just having met her. An instinct in him rose like a tiger on the hunt and that was that he would protect her with everything he was until his last breath.
A/N: Okay so I couldn't not write this...
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