Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, and I am not being paid for the endeavor.

Author's Note: It seemed clear to me that there were several conversations between Coulson and Skye that must have happened off-screen during A Fractured House. This is a key one that takes place after Coulson's visit to Senator Ward but before Skye goes to speak to Grant Ward one last time.

Phase I

Skye waited anxiously for Director Coulson to come back from his Senate visit. She tried to hide her impatience by keeping herself occupied reading through some files, reviewing Hydra communications, and catching up with Simmons. When Coulson arrived, though, she was ready. He caught her eye and gestured for her to join him in his office. Skye followed him in, closed the door, and sat down across from him. She was a little nervous to hear what he would say, but she also couldn't wait any longer to find out.

"So? How did it go?" she prompted.

"Senator Ward did exactly what his brother predicted he would," Coulson replied, a slight note of triumph in his voice. "He bared his soul and tried to manipulate me. I almost could have written the entire script myself."

Skye drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. She felt obscurely better. Not everything that Grant Ward had told her while maintaining his cover story had been a lie.

"So Ward was telling the truth," she said. "Christian is the sadist."

"Definitely a sociopath, at least. Like Ward said, he hasn't lied to you since we captured him."

"Are you sure?" Skye pressed. She didn't want to be fooled again.

"Absolutely," Coulson nodded decisively. "I watched him very carefully when I mentioned the well. For just a moment, he looked trapped, liked a caged animal. He recovered quickly, of course, feeding me his own version of the story, but that moment was all I needed. Through the whole conversation, he didn't act like an older brother who was regretful, or saddened, or even ashamed. He was a smooth politician cleaning up a mess. I've seen enough of those."

"Okay," said Skye, trusting his judgment. "Did he take the bait?"

"Swallowed it whole." Coulson smiled tightly. "He was quite anxious to get his brother into custody and take charge of his prosecution." Skye sat back in her chair, stunned despite the fact that this outcome had been anticipated.

"My God," she murmured. "Putting his own brother in a show trial, with the death penalty on the table, to score political points. That's just…sick."

"I agree. Some family, huh?"

"Did he really think we wouldn't find that suspicious?" asked Skye in disbelief.

"Funny thing about sociopaths. They find it easy to believe that the people around them are as lacking inn empathy as they are," he shrugged. "I kept his focus on what I wanted. I let him think I didn't much care what happened to Ward as long as the Senator backed off of S.H.I.E.L.D. It may occur to him later that it was all a little too easy, but by then, it should be too late."

Silence fell as they both lost themselves in their own thoughts for a time.

"I can't help thinking, what if my father had managed to hold onto me?" Skye wondered aloud. "If he'd raised me, what would I have turned into?"

"I honestly don't know," replied Coulson. "I wish I had a better answer for you."

"It's okay." She took a deep breath. "So Ward was basically a victim, too." Ward had done terrible things, and she still wasn't sure she'd ever be able to forgive him, but she was starting to understand him better.

"Indifferent parents, abusive brother," Coulson mused. "He escaped from all that only to cross Garrett's path, who spent years conditioning him to serve Hydra. God only knows what that involved." As Skye watched, the pain and betrayal of the last six months or so seemed to catch up with Coulson all at once. He suddenly looked 10 years older and very tired. Skye wished she could do more for him, but she also appreciated that he trusted her enough to show these moments of weakness with her.

"You know, when Ward first told me that story, about his brothers at the well, that was what made me really want to become a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent," she confessed. "I mean, at the time, I was just a rebel hacker that wanted access to all your secrets. I'm really sorry about that, by the way." Coulson waved off her apology, so she went on. "Anyway, his story got me thinking that an organization with a mission to protect people who couldn't protect themselves wasn't such a bad thing."

"And all this time I thought it was my sparkling personality," Coulson said dryly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Skye was glad to see him cheered up a little but did not smile.

"Sir, you're the one that's kept me loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. through…everything," she asserted seriously. "You took me in, made me part of your team when I didn't deserve it, and gave me the first real family I've ever had. I'll probably spend the rest of my life trying to repay you for that."

"Thank you, Skye. That's gratifying." He cleared his throat and returned to business. "So, we'll be implementing Plan A. I'm going to need your help to pull it off, but we can't let anyone else in on it. This has to look good, which means everyone else has to buy in."

"I understand."

"You and I will really have to sell this. Ward has to absolutely believe that we are willingly sending him to his death, or it won't work."

"You really think he'll make a break for it?"

"I'm as sure as I can be," said Coulson. "I'll give him an edge by making sure he's cuffed in front instead of behind his back, but that's all I can do. The rest will be up to him."

"Okay, I'd better get down there and get this thing started," Skye rose, and Coulson stood also.

"All right. I'll get things arranged and follow up later. Good luck."

Skye nodded and took her leave. It was show time.

Author's Note: I could be wrong, but it seemed to me that Coulson orchestrated the whole thing – pretending to transfer Ward while setting up conditions for him to escape. After all, Coulson wants Ward to lead them to Skye's father and the obelisk. Both Coulson's and Skye's conversations with Ward seemed a bit overdone, like they were planned. Then there was the fact that Ward had his hands in front of him instead of behind, which would be standard procedure. This also allows for Coulson to have made use of the information Ward gave them about Senator Ward.