Author Note: Alright, this is my first time using this site so I have literally no idea what I'm doing. Going to try editing the layout of this chapter…knowing my luck it'll wipe out any reviews I have or something equally ridiculous. Hopefully though this will help it make more sense. I had lines breaking up the POV's but that didn't format so here's attempt #2. I'd like to thank those who have already reviewed in the event I really mess this up. Glad to have a positive reception so far.

It had been 36 hours. Director Coulson checked his watch once again to make sure. Yes, 36 hours, 19 minutes, 15 seconds and counting since Skye had been taken. The fingers that rested on his tightly crossed arms beat out a staccato rhythm. He shouldn't have listened to May. Jazz playing over the comms system was not a terrible idea. It was a great idea. It was a nice soothing, keep you from freaking the fuck out idea. Did the "Director" thing get him nothing? He shook his head wryly from this ridiculous reasoning. Like a promotion would matter to The Cavalry. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch before his eyes rested on the subject of his thoughts. Unconscious on one of the Medbay beds, she laid there looking very small and pale.

Stepping back out of Simmons's way Coulson had a moment to appreciate the idea of how irritated May would be if she were awake. As Simmons again ran deft fingers over pulse points and for the millionth time checked the readouts of the many machines ranged around her. This moment ended when The Playground's intruder alarms sounded. Issuing a quick command to Simmons to stay and watch over May he ran to the surveillance room, cursing vehemently when he found it empty of personnel. Hunter gone, Mack gone, Bobbi… Simmons with May in the medical wing. This left Coulson with Fitz, who was going over data in his lab.

How the hell had he let the base run this low on able bodies? Even the damn Koenig's were off base on assignment. Scanning the monitors quickly, he punched commands into the keyboard in such a way that would have made Skye lecture him endlessly. The camera covering the area that had been breached pulled up and Coulson swore even louder than he had a moment ago. Not attempting to gear up any more than he was already, equipped only with his ICER loaded firearm, he quickly but cautiously made his way towards the breach and the man who had caused it.

Coming around the last corner he stopped, sights unwaveringly placed on the intruder who was standing nonchalantly with his back pressed against the now closed door. Arms folded, head down, patiently waiting. Coulson quickly stifled the impressed feeling that threatened to bubble up, seeing as that door wasn't supposed to be operational by anyone other than the few that called The Playground home. The alarms finally cut off, signaling Fitz was aware of the situation and in play. Hopefully he'd stay where he was, Coulson didn't need him having a set back now, not with May down and Skye missing.

Not missing, taken.

"Was it you?" He questioned, sounding his usual genial restrained self, even as he reigned in the reaction to shoot. The man looked up as he spoke. A dark set of eyes flashing in the lights casted from the base's hanging lamps.

"Come on Director," Grant Ward replied, face carefully blank, posture relaxed and nonthreatening, "if I had her, would I be anywhere near you, willingly?" Coulson's head tilted in acknowledgement, weapon lowering only slightly.

"Point taken, though if you were the perpetrator you wouldn't want to be anywhere near Skye either. Do you know who does? Who has her?"

"I have a few theories"

"All of which you will present quickly with full disclosure while always keeping your hands where I can see them," and then because Ward nodded without any kind of rebuttal he added, "and shoot them off if necessary." The careful mask slipped for a moment as the corner of Ward's mouth ticked up humorously. Nodding again, Ward straightened, arms held out to the sides slightly.

"Why wait till it's necessary?" Without dropping his guard Coulson glanced behind him to where the Scottish accent had spoken from. Eyes bulging slightly he took a hurried step out of the way till he could feel wall pressed along his side. Ward had frozen, a look of calculation mixed with what Coulson shockingly decided was fear and hurt. It was gone in the next blink of the dark eyes as the ex-teammate slowly raised his hands in surrender. Fitz held the Destroyer Gun with only slightly shaking hands, the weapon's internal workings lighting up the little scientist's face eerily.

"Fitz…" Coulson said warningly, about to launch into all the reasons why they, unfortunately, needed Ward alive…For now. He stopped though as Ward made a quick slashing gesture for him to be quiet. Fine. Let Fitz shoot him. They'd find Skye without him. Probably. Damn it.

"Hey Fitz, look there's no way I can stop you or," a muscle jumped in his jaw as he clenched his teeth, "blame you, if you want to pull the trigger. Just, look, let Coulson take my things ok?" It wasn't until he'd mentioned them that the Director looked to see a duffel bag beside what appeared to be some kind of carrier with a black cloth covering it. Nothing suspicious there…

"Why? So he can get close enough for you to use as…a uh…" Coulson glared at Ward as Fitz tried to dredge up whatever word slipped through his damaged recollection, "Leverage. Right leverage, no, you've hurt enough of us."

"Fitz, finger off the trigger that's an order, let's see what he's got. Alright? Try to think of Skye." He hoped Fitz picked up on his double meaning, they couldn't allow anyone to experiment on, or use Skye. He couldn't say this however not in front of a man like Ward. Odds were he already knew about a little of what happened. No need to confirm exactly what. So when Fitz gave a jerky nod of agreement Coulson let out a breath and made his way over to the items in question. He kept half an eye on Ward, who to his credit stayed absolutely still, arms raised above his head. Holstering his gun, Coulson picked up both parcels and taking several steps back sat them next to Fitz. When they were finally settled he carefully reached over and took The Destroyer, having a silent conversation with Fitz as he did so.

Taking a resting position with the mammoth weapon he watched as Fitz leaned over to the covered cage before looking back up to their intruder.

"Go ahead, open it." Ward encouraged his voice strangely soft with the little engineer. For some reason this made Coulson even angrier than he had been when he first spied Ward on the monitors. How delusional was he that he thought anything he could do would make up for what had happened? There was nothing, not helping them find Skye, not giving them intelligence, not a single action that could possibly make up for what he-

"You. Bastard." Fitz's quiet declaration made Coulson grip the gun tighter and look down to see what was waiting in the cage.

"Or maybe not." The Director deadpanned, finishing his internal tirade into the silent corridor.

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Ward had no idea what the hell Coulson was talking about, flicking his eyes up to the man for a moment before returning his gaze to Fitz. He berated himself for the excitement that crackled along his nervous system at the wide eyed wonder that was showing from his friend's eyes.

Not your friend anymore…

He ignored that greasy sounding voice that reminded him of Garrett and Christian, mixed and mutated into the voice that always had him doubting himself. He had known his redemption wasn't going to come easily, if at all. Didn't know if he wanted it even. He had realized however with those many months in solitary that he had to try. For them. For himself.

"I know it's not a capuchin or a yellow wooly but-"

"Yellow-tailed woolly monkey." Fitz corrected words rapid and not at all hesitant or clumsy. In the carrier was a pygmy marmoset, its tiny black and brown body not even as large as Fitz's hand. It was looking up through the bars stoically, cuddled into the fuzzy toy chimp Ward had picked up on his way out of the country. Suddenly, Fitz stood crossing his arms, he glared halfheartedly down at the little face. "I don't want it." Ward's eyes shut in a brief call for patience, as he finally lowered his arms, hands clenching. "I've decided I'd rather have a dog, they're more…more…reasonable."

"Fitz-"

"No! Take it back. I don't want your pity monkey Ward!"

"I can't take him back! I was on mission and found him in my target's hotel room. I couldn't leave him. I knew your birthday was coming up and-" He quickly stilled at the look Fitz shot at him. Coulson stood where he had been, quietly observing.

"Couldn't leave him? Because he'd what? Die? Yeah? What happened to his previous owner Ward?" The former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent could only maintain eye contact, his vocal cords felt too tight for speech. "You couldn't leave a monkey, which by the way you never showed any interest in before, I tried, but you could drop me and Simmons out of a damn plane!? Why? Because it wasn't so close to my birthday?"

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO FLOAT!"

Silence reigned as the two men glared at each other. Fitz furiously still as Ward tried to get a grasp on his breathing, giving a jerking swallow or two as covertly as possible. A chirping sound drew everyone's attention down to the small shivering body trying to disappear into the fake fur of its inanimate companion.

"What. The. Hell. Ward." Fitz grumbled, quickly kneeling down to the carrier and popping the latch. "You scared him half to death. Come here then, he won't hurt you, come on." Ward didn't think that was Fitz's vote of confidence about Ward's rehabilitation, finding it more likely that it was trust in Coulson's aim. Scooping up the marmoset, toy and all, Fitz cuddled the little bundle of fur against his chest. "Awe he's shaking himself to pieces."

"I'm sorry Fitz." A certain stillness made its way between the three as Fitz considered. No one thought the apology was only for the monkey. With a shrug the scientist broke their gaze and looked down as little paws hesitantly wrapped around his index finger.

"Don't apologize to me, he's the one that was scared…Not me, I wasn't." Nodding, and trying to sound as earnest as he had before, Ward directed his next statement to the little eyes that peered at him over Fitz's knuckles.

"I'm sorry…" He looked at Fitz expectantly.

"Judas." Fitz said without hesitation, and a snort was heard from Coulson's general vicinity. Ward pursed his lips, eyes narrowing slightly, but when Fitz showed no sign of changing his mind continued.

"I'm sorry…Judas." Almost in answer small chirping sounds came from the little monkey. "He's hungry." Ward supplied, being familiar at this point with some of the noises his care package made. He didn't bother trying to fill in Fitz on what his new friend liked to eat. He knew better than to assume that Fitz didn't already know everything that every monkey walking the earth liked to eat.

"Sorry it's not exactly what you wanted." At Fitz's confused look he continued, feeling ridiculous about spending so much time on this when Skye was out there somewhere maybe in danger. For some reason he just couldn't shake the feeling that this might be another step in the right direction of rectifying things with his team…Not his. And he didn't even necessarily want to fix things, he wasn't the guy they'd all been close to. Most of the time he didn't know exactly who he was.

"You were always saying about how you could train one to help out with missions and things and this little guy won't be able to do that with how small he is…I just, I don't know, I saw him and it just made sense to bring him with me. I was going to try to figure out how to get him here without you knowing he was from me but then I heard about Skye…So…" Clearing his throat he rolled his shoulders back, abruptly cutting off his uncharacteristic ramble.

"Well," Fitz muttered looking down to Judas and back to Ward's carefully guarded expression, "if you're waiting for a hug or something you're out of your mind. Not surprisingly." He added under his breath. Grant swallowed back his smile and settled for a brief tugging lift to the corners of his mouth as he nodded.

"I would take you not shooting me as soon as you get Judas safely tucked away."

"Well I would," Fitz answered, quickly scooping up the little carrier, and turning around began making his way down the hall, "but Skye called dibs and I don't like copy cats, so I'll have to come up with something else."

Following Coulson's orders, Ward picked up the duffel, being careful not to make any sudden movements he followed Fitz deeper into the base.

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Skye laid in the underground bunker sedated and oblivious to the events happening with her team, or anyone else. Vitals monitored closely, her captors couldn't afford her becoming conscious and destructive. Anytime her heartrate increased over a certain amount, one of the plethora of machines hooked into her would disperse more sedative. Until those in possession could determine how to get her to comply, this is how she'd stay. They had no qualms of keeping her this way indefinitely. Only the mission mattered.

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"So we'll skip the why of your decision to show up, we're all aware of that." Coulson gave Ward a hard look.

"Actually Director, I think that's a great place to start." Ward answered, drawing an ankle up to rest on the corresponding knee. At Coulson's dubious expression he gave a tight smile and continued. "Skye and I's last encounter left no questions about our situation-"

"You mean your almost psychotic love for her that she in no way reciprocated after discovering you were a murdering traitor?"

"Fitz." Coulson lightly admonished while not hiding a small smirk. The three sat in a small conference room in the base. Judas on the table in front of Fitz, gnawing enthusiastically on the fruit compiled in a small heap before him.

"Just looking for clarity." Fitz answered, gaze unwavering from Ward's.

"Well that's the consistent thing with this team, you've all made your feelings clear towards me. That being said, I am not here for any romantic intentions regarding Skye." Ignoring Fitz's snort and Coulson's incredulous look he continued. "Skye is different now because of the promise I tried to keep to her. She is far too big of a risk to be allowed to stay in the hands of an unknown entity."

"And what do you know about her being different?" Coulson questioned eyes and voice steely.

"Not much besides she is, the intel was spotty, and I was occupied elsewhere."

"You mean healing from your multiple gunshot wounds?" Fitz interjected quickly.

"Right, yes for 'clarity' I was recovering from multiple GSW's to my side… and helping out a friend." Irritation built within Ward's chest again as Fitz's expression turned snide at the idea of Ward having anything close to a friend. Though considering how he'd skipped out on Kara, or Agent 33 as they knew her, after everything that had happened between them, that might be an accurate reaction.

"So you want us to believe you are doing this for altruistic reasons? Basically? Not because of any torches being held or hope of reconciliation, and not because of some hidden agenda of using her the way those that took her no doubt are at this moment. This is all honor based huh?" Coulson watched as Ward exhaled a large breath through his nose, lips thinning to a harsh line before he answered.

"You can believe whatever you want, you can send with me whoever you want, even May. What I am saying is that whether you like it or not you need me and even though it is actively painful, the same is true for me. Neither of us are willing to leave her unfound and if what I hear is true you could use the extra set of hands." Silence like a dead body hung between the three, each considering where to take the next step of the conversation.

"Did you ever even care about us?" Fitz's voice was laced with anger, a sudden heavy fatigue, and the barest note of true curiosity. Coulson opened his mouth to speak, and Ward felt his shoulders slump of their own volition. Planting both feet on the ground he cradled his head in his hands, waiting for Coulson's verdict, this whole experience was proving to be much harder than he'd imagined.

When he was away it was easy to be the man that had emerged from the cataclysmic events surrounding Hydra's unveiling and Garrett's death. But being here with them, all of the mantra's he told himself daily to keep his identity intact were wavering, were becoming harder to repeat. He found himself tensing in response to the silence, knowing that Coulson's opinions just like everyone else's on this damn team would mean more to him than they should.

"Oh Fitz." Ward's head jerked up and he quickly found himself shutting down any outward signs of distress as Simmons walked the rest of the way into the conference room. Eyes quickly flicking to the other two men he was surprised to see the added tension in their postures. He couldn't tell if it was because Simmons' safety was in question or if there was something going on internally with the team.

Filing this away he made steady eye contact with the woman who had promised to kill him the next time they saw each other. He was in no way taking that threat lightly. Everyone who had ever been with this team long enough knew how intelligent and therefore dangerous Jemma Simmons was.

"Are you really going to keep asking him the same questions you were before he ejected us from the Bus?" Her question was quiet and admonishing in a way that was very different than the way Coulson's had been. Ward was disconcerted with this new dynamic that found Simmons in the role of headmaster, her tone slightly scolding and patronizing.

While they didn't always agree, Ward could never remember a time where Simmons would act this way in front of everyone. Especially not in front of Ward. Not now. He watched as Fitz carefully gathered up monkey and fruit. Avoiding eye contact with the person that Ward had thought up until this point was Fitz's other half. Before finally fixing her with a look that Ward thought was reserved only for himself.

"Sorry, guess I'm still a bit of a slow learner," he answered, Simmons crossed her arms defensively and clenched her jaw, "guess I'm still, different."

"What's that?" Simmons asks, ignoring Fitz's last statement in a painfully obvious way. Her gaze fixed on Judas.

"You're only now noticing? Excellent awareness Agent Simmons." If Ward wasn't such a seasoned operative he'd describe himself as flabbergasted. Fitz's reply was barely civil, the tension was almost as high now as when Fitz had The Destroyer pointed at Ward's face.

"Where in the world did you get a monkey?"

"Ward gave it to me." Fitz muttered, "Birthday present slash misguided attempt to earn forgiveness."

"Well you can't accept it Fitz!"

"Why?"

"He tried to kill us! You almost died!"

"Let's just-" Coulson started, peacekeeping evident in his tone.

"You don't need to tell me Jemma, I remember exactly what happened that day, and what happened after. My memory wasn't affected, it doesn't need fixed either." The two scientists stared at each other for a moment before Simmons turned abruptly towards Coulson.

"She's awake, she's asking for you, that's why I came in here." Shooting one more murderous look towards Ward she turned and stalked out, again leaving the room in silence.

"As a sign of good faith I'm going to leave you in here unrestrained and free to move about the room." Coulson informed Ward as he stood, buttoning his suit jacket as he did so. "As I'm sure you're aware the room is being monitored, any attempt to leave or tamper with it will result in your sudden yet gratifying demise by either the security system or myself." The Director waited by the door as Fitz carefully balanced Judas and what was left of the monkey's meal, he rose and made his way from the room. Before Fitz passed out of site his gaze met Ward's and the two shared a brief nod. Ward knew there wasn't friendship or even neutrality there. But perhaps the homicidal thoughts had somewhat abated. He didn't know if he had Judas or Simmons to thank for that.

Okay, so yeah there's chapter one. If I don't end up wiping this story out in an attempt to post the second chapter I'd love any tips I can get about working this this thrice cursed site lol. Also all feedback is welcome and appreciated.