His Happy Ending
Spoilers: ALL episodes of SHIELD
Disclaimer: I only own Colin...
It's five years and many events later when she gets news of his release. She's a Level 5 Agent of the new SHIELD and she oversees a whole tech-ops unit at the new HUB, formally known as The Playground. The original team has disbanded and is doing different things that suit them. Coulson is now Director, May and Trip oversees the rookie agents because no one else has the patience, and Fitz is still recovering from his trip into the ocean but manages to work efficiently with Simmons by his side. It's merely a word in passing from Coulson about the release of their old team member, the term 'rehabilitated' is mentioned multiple times but Skye finds herself wondering if it's possible.
It's two months later that she finds him, she reminds herself that he's a former SHIELD agent and knows all the tricks of hiding. What she finds is both familiar and disconcerting because he's both like himself and not. Grant Ward was someone who could harm as well as protect but this Grant Ward isn't like the one she knew. He's a fraction of his old self and she wonders if it's caused mostly by physical injury or emotional as well.
He's a bodyguard for Tony Stark's son but he doesn't talk and not because it's a choice. Coulson had mentioned the loss of his ability to speak due to May. They truly hadn't believed the injury to be as severe as it was and apparently May couldn't forgive herself for robbing Ward of his voice after everything Garrett had done. He stays in the shadows out of the way and it's one evening when press is filling around the Stark Family that she watches as Ward protects the two year old boy, wrapping him in his arms and moving through the crowd as if on a mission.
She knows he'd never hurt the boy because she knows he suffered too much abuse to ever harm a child. After watching the whole ordeal she knows he's changed, that he is truly rehabilitated and that locking him away is the last thing he needs. He was given a choice by Coulson, to return to SHIELD a black sheep, forever marked as a traitor or become a civilian. Skye watches as the car pulls away and smiles at the fact he chose civilian life, freedom to live away from his past and start anew.
It's six months after that during a visit to talk with Stark in Coulson's place, he's working a military summit to get support, that she meets his eyes for the first time in years. He looks at her and she watches as his eyes brighten for a moment before he looks away, bending down to collect his small charge from Pepper. He's gone before she could even say hello and it leaves her wondering why the light in his eyes disappeared.
The meeting with Stark goes well and although she wants to punch the guy at the end, she refrains and acts like the high level agent she is. Before departing she asks if she can speak with Ward but a message is sent from the agent as soon as the request goes through, he refuses to meet with her. Pepper gives her nod and motions to follow, which Skye does because Coulson mentioned that Pepper Stark was intelligent in ways many couldn't understand.
She follows the woman to a small office, it's clearly where the security makes home. A desk in the back has the label 'Ward' on the desk and she moves over. Running her hand along the desk she sees the two pictures under the glass. It breaks her heart to see those two pictures because she realizes the significance of them. One was of her laughing, clearly recent by a few months so it makes her wonder who gave it to him. The other is of his younger siblings, the youngest she knows is no longer living and the sister is somewhere in Boston working as a social worker. Scribbling her phone number and the message –text me – under it, she leaves the office with Stark's wife.
Its two weeks before she receives a text and she's in the middle of a mission but he doesn't know that. She takes time after the mission, when she lying in bed, to look at the message. It's so simple but means so much.
I heard you are now Level 5, you deserve it. Congrats.
She replies back with one of her own and smiles as she sends it.
I still use everything you taught me, always have and its serves me well. You were a great SO.
She doesn't tell him that she learned everything herself after that; that she'd had one SO and while he betrayed her, she couldn't quite move on to another.
The reply is quick and she chuckles at the apparent worry he had.
Is everything alright? You didn't respond quickly like I expected.
Knowing he'd continue to worry until she replied, she sent a quick response about the situation.
Remember Malta? A couple of rookie agents got stuck behind enemy lines, I now understand why you got so pissed off at me for being stupid on missions.
At least I didn't get shot.
One did and he'll be grounded for a while.
She shots three off before turning off her phone and allowed herself to settle for the night. The next morning a simple reply was left on her phone.
I'd trade it all to still be your SO and have to rescue you.
No more texts follow, even after she fails to respond but Skye knew it was up to him to initiate contact not her. He was the one damaged and burned, things had to be on his terms in regards to when and where contact occurred. She could live with that knowing he was safe and no longer controlled by someone.
Its another two weeks before a text arrives and she's at dinner with an agent. He'd asked her out and she agreed to one date. While he was sweet and kind, she just wasn't feeling anything. When the text arrived and she checked it, not knowing if it was Coulson, she smiled at it.
Is ice cream a good idea to give a 2 year old?
She excuses herself to go to the bathroom and sits on the toilet fully dressed, determined to find out why Grant Ward wanted to give a two year old ice cream. Especially why he was asking her.
Why do you ask? Where are the Starks?
It takes a few moments before the reply comes and she nearly laughs.
Conference with military, both of them and he wants it. I just need to know if it's a good idea or not.
It takes all she has not to call and tell him over the phone what she really thinks of it all, knowing he can't stop her. However she knows he wants advice not a berating on why she's furious with the Starks about leaving their son with Ward alone. Not because he'd hurt the boy but because she knew he was clueless.
Forget ice cream, try to find fruit or yogurt instead. Sugar and 2 year olds don't mix AT ALL!
She thanked her history at St. Agnes and knowledge about kids of various ages. If it wasn't for that she'd be clueless as well.
His response came after she'd returned to dinner and when she looked at in the car, she smiled sweetly. For a man with little knowledge of kids and who couldn't speak, he had a way with words. The text had a photo attached of Ward and the youngest Stark making art with various vegetables.
Thank you, he prefers vegetables even if it's to play with.
She responds with a smile on her face and the knowledge that her heart beats a bit more for her old SO a bit more than before.
If they abandon you again, don't be afraid to ask for information. I'm here for you Grant.
Biting her lip as she sends the message, Skye wonders if she shouldn't have used his first name. She gets a smiley face emoticon as a response and knows it wasn't a bad thing.
She doesn't go out with the agent again and realizes that even years later she's still in love with Ward. However, his stained past and her reputation as a high level agent would never mix well. The reaction of her former team members would not be positive she knew so she'd settled with being his friend.
Its twelve months of random texts and video chats where he attempts to teach her sign language. She ends up laughing most times at herself but seeing him grin makes the butterflies in her stomach start a frenzy. She eventually gets the hang of sign language and can communicate with him effectively over video chat. Sometimes the youngest Stark, who she learns is named Colin after Stark's mother, joins them in a conversation and she learns that despite not being able to verbally talk to the boy, Ward has a bond with him.
He tickles the young child and uses signals to which Colin responds to. The two year old loves to babble about random stuff and Skye entertains just to see the carefree look in Ward's eyes. He loves his new job as the boy's protector and part of her knows when he meets someone someday he will make an awesome father. Some tiny part of her mourns the fact the child won't be hers but she knows he deserves everything after the life he endured.
Its two weeks later that Coulson sends her back to see Stark about his weapon upgrades. She knows nothing in-depth about weapons so she asks Ward before she arrives to help her. It's the first time they've been in close contact in years and yet they work effectively together. She looks to Ward when he inspects and she translates to Stark, apparently the man gave orders and Pepper most time handled the sign language aspect.
The weapons are up to grade and as she prepares to leave to check into a hotel for the night he grabs her arm. He's speaking to her before she knows what's happening and she has to concentrate on what he's saying.
I have an extra room at my apartment upstairs if you want it. I'd understand if you don't.
"Sounds good, can I hang out with you until you're off duty?"
He gave a nod and started towards the elevator causing her to follow. She followed till they reached the floor Colin was on and as soon as the little guy saw her, she was encased in a hug. Skye picked him up and held him, asking him questions about Ward. The boy gave her answers despite the look on the man's face. She couldn't help but grin at him and turn back to the boy. The light in Ward's eyes had returned and she was more than willing to do whatever it took to keep it there.
She wakes the next morning to coffee by her bed as well as pancakes and a note. Picking up the note she smiles and realizes that Ward got up and made her breakfast before he left to go watch Colin three floors down. His job quickly morphed from bodyguard to playmate when the boy took a liking to him, Pepper thought it good interactions for them both and so his work became 24/7 when Colin was awake and the Starks were gone.
The note had her heart beating fast as it was sweet and a part of her wondered why she wanted that every morning from now on.
You were too beautiful to wake up. Told Stark you would come around 1400 to collect the weapons. Eat what you want and help yourself to coffee. Colin would never forgive me if I let you leave without saying goodbye so don't forget to stop by. –Grant
Its nine months later that she receives a call from Pepper telling her that Ward had been shot protecting Colin. Her first question is if he's alive and she gets silence before a stiff 'no'. Skye feels like she'll crumble at that moment because she'd just video chatted with him the night before. They'd been playfully arguing about the shirt she'd stolen nine months before. She says she'll be there the next day.
She breaks the news to the team and Coulson, they hadn't known the two had been in contact. Skye finds herself falling apart in May's arms of all people and the agent just holds her, rubs her back and tells her the sting will dull one day but never go away. It doesn't help take the pain away but it helps mellow it enough that she knows she'll be okay.
The funeral is beautiful, Pepper pays for the entire thing because he'd died protecting her son. Skye is surprised that Coulson sent a SHIELD flag over because he'd betrayed SHIELD but the flag is folded from his coffin. She expects it to be handed off to Coulson but the agent hands it to her and tells her they grieve with her on the loss of her SO. She wants to scream that he was so much more than her SO. She holds the flag tight in her arms, his medical bracelet that labeled him as mute is tight in her hand.
He's gone but she knows he was peaceful and happy in the end. That he'd recovered and had some semblance of a good life after so much bad. He'd died protecting a young boy, unlike years before when he failed another young boy. Laying a buddle of lilac and a white tulip, she touches the wood before leaving. She could come back and say her goodbyes later so instead she left a symbol of forgiveness and also first love because she knew she was his 'first love' and perhaps his only but she didn't presume.
Years pass and every year she visits the same grave and lays the same flowers against the headstone, tracing the letters. She tells him of the rookies she trains and the missions she goes on and everything she never got to say. Even after everything he was her best friend and she wished she'd gotten more time. She wished they'd gotten more time together.
When she's named Director of SHIELD at the age of 42, an accomplishment and a testament to having always been Coulson's protégé, she doesn't hesitate to visit Ward and tell him. She tells him that the rookie agent he'd trained had grown to become the director. She knew he was smirking wherever he was. It was her security detail that pulled her away when the rain started to fall and she laid the flowers down as she always did. She'd come to admit he wasn't her first love but he'd always be her last, she'd never been able to move on.
Its ten years later that she was handed an idea by a pair of agents so similar to Fitzsimmons that she could only smile, after all they were technically Fitzsimmons because their parents were too. It was a genius-yet-insane idea involving time travel and the idea to go back before SHIELD fell and tell Fury everything. They explained the risks and the bright sides, noting ever detail no matter how big or small.
The tattered picture on her desk catches her eyes, it's a screen capture of Colin and Ward from years before. She thinks of the future and of past, of everything that was and could have been. She knows she was technically going to give the order to rewrite everything if she agreed. Part of her is selfish and wants her future with Ward, wants SHIELD to be what it was but in the end she hands back the idea and tells them to bury it. She wouldn't make that decision no matter how much she wanted to.
She'd been robbed of her future perhaps but she owed it to Ward to move on. To continue life and let his happy ending, no matter how tragic, be kept sacred. In the end she refuses out of respect for him and also out of love. She doesn't know if it would ever have worked between them had events not happened the way they did. If HYDRA was discovered before it had been, she'd have never been shot and Ward would have never realized his love for her. Despite the damage to that love, it was sacred and not something to be messed with.
So like always, she visits his grave and lays flowers down.
She tells him of the changing world and SHIELD and continues with life.
She keeps his morning note in a plastic envelope in her pocket and sleeps in his shirt every night.
She continues to love him but she continued to live.
A/N: Okay I admit even I'm crying after this...but i just had to write something tragic and kind of shippy but also not a 'they get together' fic.
Please read and review...