This is my first Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. story. It is definitely SkyeWard-centric. This story will be updated every week on Wednesday. The story follows canon up to the Hub episode. I'd love to hear what everyone thinks about the formatting and the overall content of the story. Reviews and suggestions are always welcome. I do not have a beta so there are bound to be a few mistakes here and there. If anyone spots anything major please send me a message so that I can fix it. This story will tackle Skye's origin story. Thanks!
1. The Kiss
After Agent Coulson left Skye's bunk, she closed the door and changed into her pajamas. After turning off the light, she sat there in absolute shock. It was such a small piece of information but it was more than she ever knew before. There were still a million and one questions to answer but for the first time in her life, she was closer to the truth.
The truth was a thrilling prospect but it also scared her. For every wonderful possibility, there were one hundred terrible ones. However, she understood that the pursuit of the truth didn't always end in butterflies and rainbows. Sometimes the search for the truth just led you to a bottomless pit.
Skye hugged her knees to her chest and thought about the possible identity of her parents. Could her mother be the female S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that dropped her off at the orphanage? Or was she the orphan of some criminal locked away in the fridge. She didn't care if her parents were villains or heroes. She just wanted to know who they were and what happened to them.
Skye spent her entire childhood making up stories about the identity of her parents. Sometimes she imagined they were King and Queen of some far away land. Other times she imagined they were music stars or international spies. However, the one constant in her dreams was they always loved her and missed her. That narrative allowed her to survive the loneliness.
Ward knocked on the door to Skye's bunk and asked, "Can I come in?"
She turned on the light and saw the awkward look on Ward's face. She nodded. "Yeah, come in. I'm not doing anything."
Skye crossed her legs Indian style and placed a pillow on her lap.
"Mind if I have a seat?"
She nodded and moved to make room for Ward's large frame in her tiny bunk. Skye studied his face trying to understand the mask of emotions in front of her. Ward was good at hiding his true feelings but she was learning which masks hid which emotions. Computers were not the only thing she was good at hacking.
He had a seat on Skye's bunk. He asked, "How are you doing?"
Skye tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ears and said, "I should be asking you that question. You and Fitz could have died today. Are you okay?"
Ward looked into her dark brown eyes and said, "That is sort of my job description. It was just another day at the office for me."
"Your job description is to be some sort of sacrifice to S.H.I.E.L.D.? That has got to be the worst job description ever."
He sighed and said, "It is hard to understand but they put the needs of the many over the needs of the few. The mission saved millions of lives and if I died in service of S.H.I.E.L.D. then it would be worth it. I understand I owe you and Simmons for the save."
She suddenly felt shy and uneasy under his intense stare. She shook her head, "It was nothing. May did all of the heavy lifting when she literally blew away the bad guys. Remind me to never get in her way."
He reached out and covered her hand with his own, "Agents May and Coulson would have not taken the innovative to hack The Hub and investigate the exfiltration plan. Fitz and I were going to die. Thank you, Skye."
"I just had a bad feeling about sending the two of you out there with no backup. I like when we all work together as a team. It is nice being able to watch your back. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you because," Skye trailed off.
She didn't know if she wanted to complete that sentence. Once she put her feelings into words, she couldn't take them back.
Ward's voice grew deeper and he asked, "Because?"
Skye shrugged and said, "I don't know."
"I think you do."
Ward held her gaze like a steel trap. He felt his heart start to race. For weeks, he had worked hard to deny his true feelings but it was becoming more difficult the closer they became.
She said, "I would miss you if you were killed. You make me feel normal. I mean Simmons and Fitz are like these super geniuses and they don't try to make me feel out of my element but I am. Coulson and May are older and they look at me like the errant kid always looking for trouble. Sometimes you look at me that way, too, but there are other times when…"
Ward was acutely aware that he should make an excuse to end this conversation and retreat to the safety of his bunk. The situation was rapidly slipping from his control. He didn't see a way back if they crossed this line. Ward stared at Skye's perfectly shaped pink lips and thought about what it would feel like to feel them against his own.
Skye held her breath as Ward leaned closer to her and she could smell the heady scent of his Tom Ford cologne. Underneath that was the smallest hint of soap and his natural masculine scent. She nearly jumped out of her skin when he firmly gripped her chin and tilted her head upward so that their eyes met.
He whispered, "Are you going to finish that thought?"
She swallowed thickly and said, "Sometimes it feels like you might actually like me and that feels really nice because I like you, too. I like you a lot and I'm not sure what to do with that. I'm a hacker on probation and you're the amazing Agent Ward. I must sound like an idiot. Please tell me S.H.I.E.L.D. has one of those memory wiping gadgets to make you forget I said any of this."
Ward lost his last remaining shred of self-control seeing how vulnerable she looked. He moved his hands to Skye's face and pulled her close to him. Grant stared into her dark eyes before he moved his mouth onto hers. He kissed her hard and passionately.
Skye began to feel lightheaded from the sheer weight of what they were doing. Kissing Grant made her want to let things go further than they should on a plane full of their colleagues. She was certain they were breaking some type of rule but she couldn't find the willpower to stop or care.
Skye's mind raced wondering what this meant. Did Ward return her feelings or was this a reaction from nearly dying? However, all of those thoughts fell away when she felt Grant's hand caress her arm.
When they broke apart, Grant took a moment to appreciate the amazing sight in front of him. Skye was incredible. He knew that she was beautiful but so often they were busy and he didn't take the time to admire her beauty.
Skye's body tensed as her back made contact with the mattress. Suddenly this moment was all too real and happening too quickly for her brain to catch up.
He could feel Skye's body tense underneath his touch and stopped immediately. He took in a deep breath trying to steady himself. There was nothing he wanted more than to be with her but he would never push her into something she didn't want or wasn't ready for.
"Do you want me to stop?" he whispered, hesitantly.
She shook her head and said, "No, I just I want to make a good first impression. I don't want to do anything wrong and make a fool out of myself. Miles is the only man I've ever been with…"
He smiled when she blushed and said, "Skye, you don't need to impress me. I already think you are amazing. Believe me..."
2. Operation: Emerald
Melinda May walked to into Agent Coulson's office and frowned seeing the look on his face. She could read the distress on in his expression. He hadn't been himself for awhile and that was worrisome. The seasoned agent needed to be in top form to continue leading their team. Circumstances or Director Fury were constantly testing the team.
Coulson was engrossed in the file lying on his desktop. This was not exactly what he expected to find and it was just another example of S.H.I.E.L.D. not being completely honest with him. The secrecy and layers of clearance were really starting to chafe his bottom. He didn't appreciate flying blind at the whims of his superiors. Agent Coulson was frustrated but he wasn't sure why. He had years of experience with the ridiculous S.H.I.E.L.D. bureaucracy and it never bothered him before. Before New York. Before he died. Before Tahiti. Before. Before. Before. He was different now and he couln't exactly put his finger on how.
May cleared her throat, "You wanted to see me, Phil?"
Coulson snapped out of his thoughts and flashed a weak smile. He said, "I did. Close the door. I need to talk to you in private and I can't take the risk of anyone overhearing this conversation."
She closed the door and had a seat in front of his desk. "What's going on?"
Phil loosened his tie and took it off as if the offending material was responsible for the tightness in his chest. "I found out why Skye joined our team. She's been looking for a document that was redacted by S.H.I.E.L.D. years ago. She wants to see the original document. I found out tonight that there is an entire file on Skye and the redacted document is only the beginning."
"What is in the file?"
"There is a report filed by Agent Linda Avery. She is the agent that left Skye at an orphanage. Agent Avery was subsequently killed and it is believed that her death was a direct result to the last major operation she ran. Skye was found during that failed operation."
May settled into the chair more and looked at the pictures Agent Coulson passed across his desk. She shook her head seeing photographs the dead agent and the autopsy report detailing her perimortem injuries. Agent Avery's body showed numerous signs of torture. She asked, "What was the operation?"
"I don't know. I have only conducted a cursory search of the records but I haven't found a file on the operation. It is as if the operation never happened. It was mentioned in Avery's report as Operation Emerald."
May's suspicions were quickly raised hearing that there was no record of the mission. That was unusual. S.H.I.E.L.D. thrived on paperwork and even the most off-book operations had some sort of paper trail even if it was just an authorization by the director. If there was no paper trail that meant it was erased or it was so top-secret that the agency wanted to completely insulate itself from acknowledging the existence.
Coulson continued, "I told Skye that a field agent dropped her off at the orphanage but I didn't tell her anything else. I can't until we know what we are dealing with. She believes that the agent may be her mother."
She stared at him intently. "What aren't you telling me?"
There were many things Agent Coulson wasn't telling her but he decided to lead with the most pertinent piece of information. "There are additional documents in Skye's file and I know for certain Agent Avery was not her mother."
May frowned as Phil passed her the file. She quietly skimmed the lab report and then stared at him with a look of disbelief. "I don't understand."
"Neither do I but we won't say anything to Skye until we have more information. I will need your help digging into this, May. Agent Avery had a purpose for leaving Skye at that orphanage without an identity. She may be in danger because of who she is or who her mother is."
"I'll start looking but maybe it would be a good idea to tell her about her mother. She's still alive and for better or worse she is Skye's mother."
Coulson shook his head, "I won't put Skye at risk until we know more."
"I'll start looking tonight. Did you need anything else?"
"No. Goodnight, May."
3. The Morning After
Skye awoke the next morning well before the sun began to rise. At first, she wondered if the previous night had all been just a dream, but that notion was quickly dispelled when she felt Ward's warm body pressed up against hers. She opened her eyes and looked at his sleeping face. He looked peaceful in a way that he never did when he was awake. She assumed it was because he was always in tactical mode. It had to be a heavy weight to be responsible for so many people.
Last night was the first time she had the opportunity to see him with his guard down. Unguarded Ward was amazing and he made her feel desired. The night they shared was beautiful and intense. It was a night that she would never forget. Grant was such a tough man but he showed her another side. He was the most gentle and attentive lover. She lost count of the times he kissed her, caressed her, and murmured words of encouragement into her ear. A blush colored her cheeks as she remembered what she was doing amidst some of those words of encouragement.
She took a moment to look at Grant's body in the ambient light provided by overhead lighting on the bus. Skye wasn't looking at his muscles but at his scars. She saw a particularly nasty one on his side and couldn't resist the urge to trace the rough edges. She wondered if he received it as an agent or in his dark and troubled childhood. Skye had more than a few scars, physical and emotional, to show for her days at St. Agnes.
She spotted another scar on his chest that looked to be from a knife. Skye felt her chest tighten seeing how close it was to his lungs. She wasn't a biochemist like Jemma but she had an excellent grasp on human anatomy.
Each of the scars had a tale to tell and part of her wanted to know every detail. However, she recognized that Ward didn't like talking about his past and was unlikely to open up to her.
Skye moved her head so that it was closer to his chest and she listened to his heartbeat. It was a sweet sound. When the air conditioner kicked on Skye shivered and burrowed closer to Ward. However, she accidentally head butted his chin in the process.
Skye disturbed Ward's light sleep. He opened his eyes and pulled the blanket up around her body more. "Cold?"
She smiled, "A little. I'm sorry. I guess I am sort of underdressed."
Ward started to move, "Do you want me to find your nightgown?"
"No, I'd rather you stay right here with me for a little while longer. Good morning," said Skye.
He kissed her cheek and said, "Morning."
Ward rubbed her back hoping to generate a little extra heat for her body. He smiled feeling Skye bury her face against his chest. Ward could smell the pomegranate scented shampoo she used on her hair. He wished that he could freeze frame this moment.
He rested his chin against her soft hair and closed his eyes. It was a rarity for Ward to give in to his impulses but last night he couldn't resist Skye. He was unsure if it was the realization that the agency he devoted his life to sent him into the field to die or that Skye risked everything to get the information that ultimately saved his life. She did truly care for him.
Skye placed a soft kiss against the knife wound on his chest and slid her hand down his chest.
He whispered into her hair, "What are you doing?"
She said, "It's still early. Everyone else will be asleep for a while."
Ward's eyes fluttered closed as he got lost in the moment. His lips upturned into a smile as he thought about her insatiable nature. Ward had enjoyed their night together more than he could describe. Skye vacillated between brash and timid, each version equally turned him on. He knew how much courage it took her to be vulnerable with him. Skye was used to pretending that she didn't need anyone or anything.
He knew this was a bad idea. All of this was a bad idea but Skye was a weakness for him. She had been from the moment she stepped onto that plane. There was part of him that wanted to allow them to fall down the rabbit hole and see where this went.
However, Skye was still an unknown quantity. A few weeks ago, he thought everything between them was great and then they found her half dressed at her ex-boyfriend's apartment. She chose a member of the Rising Tide over her team. He had forgiven her and chalked the behavior up to a youthful transgression. However, her youth was the problem. Having a relationship with a young agent was ill advised.
"It isn't a good idea. May and Coulson could get up at any moment."
Ward grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away from him. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 4:00 in the morning. May and Coulson would be getting up in an hour to start their day. The agents were nothing if not creatures of habit. Ward got out of the bed and turned on the light to aid the search for his clothes.
Skye sat up in the bed and pulled the sheet up to cover her chest. She watched as he located his clothes and got dressed.
"I can't believe we did that," said Ward.
She smiled, "That was pretty crazy. I did not expect last night to ever happen."
Ward said, "Good. Then we can agree that it was a one-off and we should go back to business as usual?"
The smile quickly fell away from her face. She asked, "Business as usual?"
Ward had hoped that she would accept it but truthfully, he knew this was going to be painful. However, it was like taking off a band-aid the quicker the better. If he let this continue, it could only end badly.
He sighed, "Skye, last night was impulsive and we shouldn't have done it. We were working off emotion. I am your supervising officer. Do you know how many rules I broke last night?"
"Grant you didn't do anything wrong. I wanted that…I want this. You didn't take advantage of me."
"Even so I broke the rules, Skye. A supervising officer isn't to have an intimate relationship with a trainee. No matter how much he might want one," said Ward, he looked miserable.
"I don't care about the rules. If we both like each other then we should see where this goes."
He snapped, "Well, you're not exactly the best example for making good decisions. You don't even know the rules because you've never been to the academy. This was a major breach. I don't know what I was thinking."
Grant's dig about her decision-making skills hurt more than she cared to admit.
Ward hated to see the wounded expression on her face but he knew this was better than the alternative. S.H.I.E.L.D. protocol was for one or both of them to be reassigned. He would rather be close to her and not with her than the alternative.
She said, "You didn't mind my rule breaking when it saved your life."
"I appreciate that but the rules are here to protect us, Skye. I know that you don't get that but a physical connection between agents could compromise a mission. It could be seen that I am taking advantage of you. I'm your supervising officer and I'm six years your senior. Nothing about what happened last night is okay. It is better that we don't speak of it again, but if you feel as though I've violated our relationship you can report the inappropriate contact to Agent Coulson."
Skye had not felt so hurt in a long time. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. She said, "Get out!"
He whispered, "Keep your voice down. I'm not saying this to hurt you or upset you. You know what I said last night about how I felt. I meant it…"
She threw a pillow at him and said, "Get out!"
Ward caught the pillow easily and placed it on her bed. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, "I'm so sorry."
He turned off the lights and walked out of her bunk.
Skye curled up into a ball and sobbed quietly. She had just made the biggest mistake of her S.H.I.E.L.D. career. How was she supposed to work with Grant now?
4. A Friend in Need
Skye walked into the training room on the bus and started to warm up. She was glad that Agent Ward had not yet arrived because it gave her time to settle in. It had been five days since she shared a night with Grant and neither had breathed a word about the situation. She was grateful that Grant seemed eager to put distance between them as well. He made himself scarce when she ventured out of the solitude of her bunk. It couldn't last forever but there were no cases at the moment so everyone could sort of do their own thing.
She worked at her computer, studied the S.H.I.E.L.D. handbook, or spent far too much time in Fitz and Simmons' lab to limit the opportunities to run into Ward. She feigned illness for a few days to avoid having to train with him but Agent Coulson suggested a physical to detect the source of her mysterious and sudden illness. Instead of allowing Jemma to run tests that would ultimately prove she was the picture of health she decided to bite the bullet and just get the training session over with.
Agent Coulson walked into the training room and smiled, "I am glad to see that you are feeling better, Skye. I was beginning to worry about you."
She forced a smile in his direction and said, "I'm fine. I must have picked up a 72-hour bug or something. I am back to normal now."
However, the seasoned agent could tell that she was anything but normal. Something happened that he just couldn't put his finger on and it would seem that Skye's lips were firmly sealed. He wondered if this was about her birth parents but quickly dismissed that idea. For now, she was satisfied with the scant information he shared after they left the Hub.
"Is there anything you want to talk about, Skye? I get the feeling that something is bothering you. I would like to think that you know I will always listen."
Skye's expression softened considerably and she said, "I wouldn't even know where to begin. It is stupid and childish of me."
Agent Coulson said, "You are one of the smartest people I know. I highly doubt that you are being stupid or childish. It is okay to have emotions, Skye. Everyone has emotions."
"Even Agent May?"
"May has more emotions than you'd realize on first glance but anger counts too."
She laughed, "I guess you have a point there."
As soon as Agent Ward walked into the room, the brief levity Skye showed was replaced by a determined grimace.
He smiled at Skye, "Ready to get started?"
Skye nodded in the affirmative but otherwise remained silent.
Agent Couslon studied the two of them and said, "We will finish this conversation later, Skye."
"There is no need for that, AC," Skye replied, she finished wrapping her hands in preparation of her lesson.
Agent Coulson went back to his office with a lot of his mind.
Ward smiled, "I thought that we might try a little hand-to-hand combat. I will take it easy on you. I know that you have been sick. We'll build back up to where you were before you were sick."
Grant knew that her illness was fake but it was his way of acknowledging he understood that she was hurt. It was never his intention and in some ways, he wished he could take it back. Skye just didn't understand the trouble this situation could cause.
Skye got into position and listened to Ward ramble away about proper technique. It was all a little over her head at times. It was a routine training session until she sucker punched him.
He took a step back and pressed a hand to his face feeling blood seep from his lip.
Skye's eye widened and she mumbled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. Are you okay?"
Ward shook his head and said, "It is fine. I didn't see it coming. That was good. Let's go again."
Their training session went on like that for nearly two hours. They would practice normally but every so often Skye would punch or kick him harder than normal and it would catch him off guard. Soon enough Ward realized these motions came when she disconnected her brain from the activity and let her body take over. These weren't tactical maneuvers but emotional outbursts.
In the last round of practice, Ward pinned Skye to the floor and said, "Now you have to figure out how to get out of the hold and we will be done with practice for today."
Skye struggled but couldn't figure out how to get out of the hold.
He prodded, "Come on, Skye. We've been over this a million times. Get your head in the game! If you are ever in this position you need to know how to free yourself."
Memories of that night flooded into Skye's brain and she felt her cheeks flush. She felt stupid for still having a silly crush on Ward even after he told her it was a mistake. Skye elbowed him viciously in the stomach and then brought her knee up to do the same thing. As soon as he winced, she rolled out from under him and took off like flash.
Ward sat on the floor watching her retreating figure and sighed. He was making this situation worse without even trying. Training with Skye today was a horrible idea and if Agent Coulson stuck around, he would definitely know something was wrong.
Ward considered reporting the inappropriate contact from a few days ago. It was the only way to get Skye a new supervising officer. Coulson wouldn't allow the change without good reason. Grant liked working with Skye but she deserved a S.O. she trusted. Coulson or May would be better suited to her needs.
Jemma had been watching with some interest for a while and immediately followed Skye. The biochemist found the young woman curled up in her bunk. Jemma had a seat and said, "Men are oblivious to everything. I don't know why Agent Coulson insisted you train today."
Skye looked up with tears in her eyes and asked, "Am I that obvious?"
Jemma smiled cheerfully, "It is obvious to anyone with a healthy supply of estrogen. You like Agent Ward but something has changed between the two of you."
Skye sat up in the bed more and wrapped her arms around her knees she sighed, "I'm like a lovesick teenager. How pathetic, huh?"
"I was just wondering when you were going to figure out you had a crush on him. I've known for weeks."
Skye sighed, "I've known for awhile but I was trying to play it cool. That went out of the window pretty fast."
Jemma pulled her legs up onto the bed and wrapped her arms around them matching Skye's position. "Why are you so angry with him? Did he not return your feelings?"
"I wish. I think I would feel better if he didn't like me. He said that he felt the same way but that we couldn't be together because of the rules. I hate the rules. The rules almost left Ward and Fitz to die. Worse he told me that we couldn't be together after we'd…"
Jemma asked, "After what?"
Skye shook her head and she pressed her face against her knees for fear of crying again.
"You and Agent Ward had sexual intercourse?" asked Jemma a little too loudly.
Skye frowned, "Louder! I don't think May heard you in the cockpit."
Jemma covered her mouth and lowered her voice, "Sorry! You and Ward had sexual intercourse? Here on the plane?"
Skye nodded solemnly, "It just sort of happened. He came in here to thank me for helping rescue him and Fitz. I started talking about why I would take such a big risk when I'm already in Coulson's doghouse and one thing lead to another. You know how the old story goes. The next morning he said it was a mistake."
The scientist pulled Skye into a heartfelt hug. She could not imagine the pain of being rejected by the person you cared for so deeply. Skye and Ward weren't the only agents that shared a more than platonic relationship. She and Fitz shared a kiss the night Ward jumped out of the plan to rescue her. It had been spontaneous and the start of a very quiet relationship.
"What are you going to do?"
Skye said, "I was going to mope in my bunk until I felt better but then Agent Coulson said I would need to get checked out by you if I was sick any longer."
Jemma smiled, "Well, you are in luck. I just realized that you have an undetermined illness that will require a battery of tests. Tests which may take several days to complete with the other work I already have piling up in the lab."
"You would do that for me?"
"Of course. I'll tell Agent Coulson."
Skye smiled, "Thank you."
5. Doctor's Excuse
Melinda May walked into Agent Coulson's office after Jemma flitted by her nervously. She asked, "What was that about? She seems on edge. Well, even more on edge than normal."
Phil handed Melinda a piece of paper and tented his fingers together in thought. Simmons was a stickler for the rules and it wasn't likely that she would participate in this ruse unless it was necessary. He could have called her on the obvious lie but thought it better to stay quiet for now.
May sat down in front of the desk and read over the slip of paper with some amusement. She asked, "A doctor's note?"
"Yes, it seems Skye is sick with an unknown illness. Simmons is recommending bed rest and fluids until tests can determine the source. Skye shouldn't participate in anymore training activities until further notice."
"I'm sensing you don't believe Simmons…"
Coulson said, "Simmons was incredibly nervous. Lying is not really her strong suit and she informed me the tests could take several days. I knew Skye was faking her illness. I was hoping that by forcing her to see Jemma or train that she would come to me with whatever is troubling her. She has been odd since the incident at the Hub."
May said, "Well, you did tell her about the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that left her at the orphanage. Perhaps you should speak with Ward. He might have a pulse on what is wrong with Skye."
The older man shook his head and wore a pensive expression on his face, "No, I think the two matters are related."
"How so?"
"I don't know. I am still trying to figure that out. She was beginning to open up to me before Ward walked into the room."
"Maybe she didn't feel comfortable talking in front of Ward. You should try again," Melinda suggested.
Phil said, "No, it was more than that. She didn't just stop talking when Ward walked in. It was as if she shifted personalities. It was a curious chain of events. I watched their training session from here to observe their interaction."
He cued up the footage and pressed play.
Melinda turned around and watched the training session. She smiled when Skye sucker punched Ward. She turned around and said, "I would say that there is some tension between supervising officer and trainee. Perhaps it would be better to talk to Ward about his part in this."
Phil said, "You might be right. I'm sorry. You came in here for a reason. What is on your mind, May?"
"I've started digging into Skye's background. I am not making as much progress as I would like. I have been through the records and it appears that all of the agents from that case are dead with the exception of one man."
Coulson asked, "Who?"
"Agent Richard Lumley. He is completely off our radar and has been for years. I can't find a trace of the agent in question. I know that you wanted to make progress in the investigation but I just wonder if telling her the truth might be the better option. You can at least tell her about her mother."
He shook his head, "Not until we know how much danger she may be in. All of the agents associated with the case being dead indicates there is a lot going on here that we don't know about. Her mother is dangerous. Skye would want to seek her out and that can't happen until we are certain that she isn't the threat."