Hey,... I'm new to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But I saw SkyeWard and immediately knew I'm afflicted with a new addiction. I've read most if a not all your ffs on them. Just like many other times whenever I ship a couple, I'm hooked. I'm not new to writing ffs (not perfect either) but I couldn't resist writing one on the polar opposites duo. I've not written for a long time, so forgive me if it is not to up standard, grammar or otherwise.
Hope you like what I've put together. Happy reading.
Disclaimer : I do not own Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D or it's characters. (AN : could you all sing that disclaimer thing because just saying it sounds boring.)
Summary : Skye needs to meet an old friend. Guess who gets to shadow her?
xox
"It's open," Agent Coulson answered to the knock on his office door.
Skye opened the door to the lead Agent's office, poked her head in and gave a nervous smile. "Hey AC..erm" she hesitated on calling his nickname that she had given him. "Agent Coulson, could you spare me a minute?"
"Come in Skye." He closed the file that he was working on and bade her to sit down. It has been eight days since he put the bracelet on her. She has been quiet about it so far but he knew how restless she was with not being able to have access to any computer. He saw how the team treated her since the betrayal which she had profusely apologized to them for. It was as if a line had been drawn between her and the team. After two days, Fitz and Simmons seemed to have no trouble talking to her again. He had seen them talking but when either May or Ward enter the area, Skye would make some excuse and retreat to her room or escape to the SUV.
At first, Skye was still being her nonchalant and talkative self when talking to the two senior agents as if nothing happened. But the cold shoulder treatment that she received caused her to escape in their presence. May would answer Skye in monosyllabic and gave her stern looks. If looks could kill, the young hacker would be dead.
Ward had been giving her a hard time during their workouts and trainings which she was not exempted from. Coulson winced inwardly whenever he saw how the seasoned black ops agent pushed Skye beyond her limits. It was as if Ward was trying to break her. The poor girl didn't complain and complied to everything that her SO told her to do. Coulson figured either Skye was either stubbornly determined or determinedly desperate to find her parentage. S.H.I.E.L.D was her only hope to find the truth and Coulson had promised to help her.
Twice Coulson caught her crying in her room. The third time he found her hiding in the SUV. Her knees were drawn up against her body and her head bowed to rest on her arms. She looked up when she felt a presence and quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. He knew she had been crying again. When he questioned her, she just brushed his queries aside and told him that everything was ok and excuse herself to her room.
He have not tell the others about her quest to find the truth about her parents. She asked him not to as she didn't want the team to pity her.
Now seeing her standing in the middle of his office instead of sitting down, he asked "Is everything ok?"
"Yeah." She nodded and played with the bracelet. She was still unused to the feel of the bracelet around her wrist. She had taken to wearing a wrist band underneath the bracelet or wore it over her sleeve. "I was just wondering." She took a breath, "You are not taking this off anytime soon are you?" She asked and lifted her wrist to indicate the bracelet.
"No."
"Ok..." She nodded to acknowledge his answer and sighed.
"There's more than just an ok, isn't there?"
"Look we are landing at the base soon. And the team members are given some time off. Will I be confined to the base or Bus? Or am I allowed to leave?"
Coulson leaned back against his chair and studied her. "You leaving us? I thought you wanted to know the truth about your parents?"
"Leaving? No." Skye stepped nearer to his table. "You know I want this. Bad. I do want to know about my parents. And I don't really give a hoot about how the team... " She stop herself and continued in a calmer manner. "But I was wondering if I can at least be allowed some time off to visit someone. It's only a few miles from base and I know me driving my van will be out of ..."
"Skye..."
"Please AC... Sir, it's really important to me and ..and...and you can even fit me with any tracking device to my wrist or ankle or .. I know. How about a cool pendant? But could you make it out of leather or some tear proof material coz I'm allergic to anything metallic accept pure gold. Maybe you could have it in purple? Green is good but not teal because it kind of clash with my skin tone. Black...? Only if it goes with my black high boots but ok... Do you know that this thing gave me a mean rash and it's a good thing that Simmons was kind enough to pass me some cream or I would have been scratching like some freaking..."
She stopped rambling at Coulson's expression and moved even nearer to his table and pressed her fingers on it. "Please Sir. I need to see this person. You can drive me. You know how you love to take Lola for a spin. You won't even have to worry about anyone touching her because there's a private slot under the big elm tree...unless that cheeky squirrel is still living up..."
"Skye..."
"I promise not to touch anything. If you fly her, we can even be back in 1 hour. Forty-five minutes, if I don't stop to buy ... You can even meet..."
She stopped rambling when the lead agent held his hand up.
"Meet?"
"Yeah. Meet." Skye took a step back and frown, "It's not like it's anything classified."
xox
Skye was excited and was humming when she skipped down the spiral steps to the lower deck. Coulson had finally given her the clearance to visit her friend, Sister Marianne at St Agnes Orphanage. Skye had found love, comfort and respect for the elderly nun at an early age. Under the Sister's patient, gentle and kind tutelage, Skye had learned to control her rage and how to forgive. The Sister refuse to let her feel rejected or unwanted each time Skye was sent back from the foster homes. Through Sister Marianne, Skye learned to let certain matters just roll off her back, see the bright side of things as there are always answers and explanation to everything.
Just after her 17th birthday, Skye had ran away from the orphanage but managed to keep in contact with the Sister whenever she could. She would meet the 87 year old nun on a day like today to share their special day together. She was really looking forward to the meeting because it has been a year since they last met. Skye couldn't wait to see the surprise on the Sister's face. Her visualization of their meeting had her grinning.
Her grin vanished when a helmet was suddenly thrusted into her hands by Ward as soon as she stepped off the ramp. His terse "Let's go" caused Skye to take a step back up the incline.
"What...?" Skye looked around for Coulson. "I thought Coulson was going to drive me."
Ward did not reply but got onto his motorbike and put on his helmet. He pushed the visor back and narrowed his eyes at Skye. When the hacker remained unmoved from her spot, he hissed, "I said, let's go."
Coulson choose that moment to step behind Skye which had her tossing the helmet back to Ward. Skye grabbed the older man's shoulders while shaking her head in denial. "You cannot be serious! He hates me! I have never been on a bike before and what if ..."
"Skye..."
"Wait! Is this an order for me to be...? Has Agent Ward been ordered to... You do know that he has killed before, right? High risk targets no doubt and he didn't feel good afterward but... but.. Have you seen that T-1000 fight? He could snap a person's neck with a flick of his wrist! He threw me on the floor and sat on me! And that's only in training! He's a sniper isn't he? Able to shoot a moving target a mile away right? Have you seen how longs his legs are? No way I can outrun the robot..."
"Skye." Coulson hissed her name as if his control was beyond endurance.
"He is so much bigger than I am!"
"Skye..."
"Firm! Have I mentioned that? That robot is all metal inside. I swear!"
"SKYE...!"
"You wish I have a family name that you can yell out, don't you Sir? I get that a lot."
Coulson dropped his head on his chest in defeat and whispered, "Just go with Agent Ward."
"But..."
"One more word and I am going to personally strap you with a tracking device fashioned out of some rusty metal and wrap you head to toe in tin foil!"
"Could it at least have some purple stones?"
"Go." he growled.
Skye silently began walking towards her Supervising Officer. His narrowed glare made her wonder if it's too late to ask Coulson if she could walk instead. What's twenty miles to visit a dear old friend, right?
xox
Grant Ward felt his heart sank much like the dull thud of the bouquet of flowers as it hit the floor when it fell from Skye's small grasp.
Flowers that she had insisted on stopping at the florist for. She had patted his firm abs, which he had instructed her to put her arms around when she almost flew off the bike the minute they rode off, and pointed to the florist up the road. He thought to ignore her request but she had used the "Think how unhappy your Grampsy will be if she knows you refuse to allow me to get some flowers for a sweet old lady" card.
He had stared at her as they came out of the florist with her smiling brightly as the the flowers she had in her arms. She pushed a finger into his chest and told him that nothing and no one was going to stop and yank the happiness that she was feeling that day. She had practically jumped off the bike when they reached the orphanage and pulled him to the door. But everything went south when Skye mention Sister Marianne's name to the nun who opened the door.
"Skye...?" He whispered and moved closer to stand behind her shoulders.
"When?" He heard her soft husky question as she stared at the nun standing in front of her.
"I am sorry Skye. She left peacefully in her sleep two weeks ago." Sister Beatrice took Skye's small hands in hers and pulled her in for a hug. "She had just recovered from a flu bug and was doing well. She was looking forward to today because she knew you will be coming. But it just happened so unexpectedly."
The Sister hugged Skye tighter when the girl began shaking her head in denial. "I'm so sorry Sweetie that we couldn't get hold of you sooner and you have to find out today like this. You have always had a special place in her heart and prayers." She pulled Skye slightly away to hold the young girl's face lovingly between her cupped hands and smiled albeit sadly. "And I am sure she wishes you a Happy Birthday and wants you to find what you have been searching for. She said to never give up, remember?"
xox
"Hey, you ok?" Ward whispered huskily as he helped her with her helmet clasp. She nodded after he took it off her and stepped away from him.
They had ridden back in silence. Unlike the unfriendly and tense silence of their journey earlier that day, the ride back was solemn and sombre kind of quiet. He could feel her body slumped against his back and her slacken hold she had around his waist got Ward worried. When traffic allowed, he handled the bike with one hand as his other hand held Skye's hand to comfort her.
They were in the base hangar where he usually kept his bike. Skye would have made her way towards the Bus if Ward hadn't gently captured her arm and pulled her to him. He could see how hard she was trying not to let the silent tears that were brimming her sad eyes fall when he lifted her chin and pushed her hair off her face. Her betrayal had taken a backseat in his mind the minute he saw how Sister Marianne's demise had taken Skye's ray of sunshine from her eyes and enveloped her in cloud of misery. He had seen her sadness and despair at his treatment of her betrayal. But still there was fire and at times mischief as if she was fighting to win his trust back.
When Coulson had called May, FitzSimmons and Ward earlier that day to inform them the reason as to why Skye was still on the team, Ward had never expected the reason to be something so personal. She had told him of the various foster homes and yearning to be wanted. Ward had assumed that Skye had known her birth parents but had lost them through death or court intervention. Coulson had also mentioned to them of Skye's request to leave the base and that he himself will be driving her. Ward had stayed after the meeting and insisted that he would accompany her to St Agnes. His reason was that he was still her SO.
Coulson had smirked and gave his clearance.
Ward took a few steps back and sat on some storage containers. He pulled Skye to stand between his outstretched legs and laced her fingers with his. He squeezed her fingers gently to gain her attention.
"Skye, tell me what can I do to help you?" he coaxed gently as he stooped lower to peer into her downcast face.
She shook her head.
"It's ok. You can talk to me."
Silence.
"I know how you are feeling right now. And I know you need to talk it out."
She only lowered her head further, letting her hair falls around her face like a shield.
He released her hands, fingered her hair back with utmost care over her face and shoulders. He cupped her jaw to coax her to look at him. "Come on Rookie, I'm not always a robot." He gave her a sincerely smile as his thumbs gently soothed her cheeks. "Talk to me. I'm here for you."
"You are always telling me to shut up." Skye mumbled.
"I have never asked you to shut up."
"You thought it."
"I never ... ok. That was one time.."
"Why are you being nice suddenly?" She made a move to step away from him. "I thought you couldn't wait to get rid of me?"
"Skye.." Ward pulled her closer to him and boxed her between his legs. His fingers laced behind her neck. She tensed and started to struggle. "Skye, Skye, hey, hey, hey...relax. I'm not going to hurt you."
"After a week of you throwing me around. Sitting on me and pinning me immovable to the mat. Swiping my legs till I land on my butt for God knows how many thousands of times. Yelling at me to fight back. Now you have me boxed and you are telling me to relax?"
He stood and held her close. "Skye, Skye stop struggling." He soothed as he gently massage the back of her neck.
Skye pushed at this chest and with eyes flashing, she hissed, "Why?"
"Because we need to talk."
"About how I betrayed the team? About why I am given a second chance when Coulson should have kick me out and throw me in jail? About how stupid I was for trusting? About why I won't give up and leave even when the team hates me? About why I should have your trust again? About why Coulson made you escort me to the orphanage? For the record, I asked him to accompany me. Not you. Not May. Not FitzSimmons. Not the whole damn Avengers! I even offered him to tag me like some ..."
"Skye..."
She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down until they were eye to eye. "I know I betrayed you all but I didn't mean for it to be so damn big like it did! All I wanted was to get in and find the truth. Truth about myself! Why is that so wrong? Why is it so wrong to be wanted? Why is it so wrong to want a home? Why must everyone leave me?" Her hold suddenly ceased and the tears that she was valiantly trying to hold back streamed down her cheeks.
She lowered her head to rest against his chest as she whispered brokenly, "I don't even get to say goodbye. She was the one Mom that I never had and I never get to say goodbye."
Ward sat back and pulled her onto his lap. He gathered her to him and cradled her tight. He stroked her hair as she at last broke down in inconsolable tears in the crook of his neck. He could feel her devastation and despair. He could feel her being all alone and lost with no one that she could turn to or call family. He held her closer to him and rocked her till her tears and sobbing finally stopped.
"Sorry." Skye mumbled when she finally lifted her head off his neck and saw the wet spot on his shirt.
"I'll live." He smiled. "You alright?"
"I'll live." She smiled shakily before adding, "I am really sorry for everything. I can understand if you and everyone hate me." She whispered.
Ward fingered her hair to again brush them over her shoulders. But this time he let his fingers lingered to play with the soft wavy strands as he began talking.
"I don't hate you. Neither does the team. We are all hurt by what you did. But to hate you?" he shook his head. "No."
"But.."
"Shhh." He placed his finger on her lips. "Listen to me. I admit that it might take a while for me to trust you fully again. Maybe the same goes for the team. But you are a part of our team. An asset. A freaking pain in the ass at times but still a very valuable asset." He smirked at seeing her rolled her eyes. "But after knowing the reason why you did it..."
"Wait." She straightened. "What do you mean you know the reason?"
"Coulson told us about your wanting to find your parents."
"Hah!" She sniffed and rolled her eyes again. "So much for things being classified!" She earned a squeeze and a glare from her SO.
"I didn't want you all to see how pathetic I am to betray the people who took me in order to just find something that's personal to me."
"You were looking for the truth about yourself. There's nothing wrong with that. Only maybe... you got the tactical plan a little messed up."
"Spoken like a true Black Ops Specialist."
"One more interruption and I'm going to turn you over my knee."
"Ooh kinky! Didn't know you had it in you Agent Ward. OUCH! What?! Pinching is an acceptable specialist move?" She rubbed her hip as she pouted. "Right. If you don't hate me how come you were really hard on me during training. I had a feeling that you wanted to break me so I'll give up and leave."
"I was mad and angry but not at you."
"Could have fooled me. Owww! Stop that! Get your fingers out of my hair." She slapped his hand away.
"Yeah, at first I was furious with you. Then, I was angry at myself. I couldn't get over the fact of how I trusted you so easily and you let me down. You let the team down. Yeah, I wanted you off the team. I don't give a damn if I never see you again. I saw how you were running away every time I step into a room and finally keeping your mouth shut during training. But that was not enough. I wanted the smart-mouth, irritating, infuriating, talkative and defiant little ..."
"Ok. Ok. I get the picture. You wanted to kick my ass off the Bus at 45 000ft." She sighed.
"Yeah but then I got angrier when I realized that I..." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Realized what?"
"When I realized that I was making excuses to explain your reasons for betraying us. I thought there must be another reason why you wanted to be in so bad. Needed it so bad that you would let yourself be treated badly. That's not the girl that I kidnapped from her van in that alley. She had guts, spirit and fire that won't quit. And I was angry that I was missing that fierce spirit even after you betrayed us like you did."
"So you pushed me beyond my limits?"
"I wanted my Rookie back."
"You scare me at times."
"I am sorry."
"I couldn't sit properly for two days. Thank you, SO Ward, Sir."
He chuckled before continuing, "I just wanted to show you that what we do is serious and not just a game. I know I may have pushed you beyond your limits but I just want you to be able to defend yourself when I'm not around and you are on your own."
"I am being kick off the team aren't I?"
"What? Where did you get that idea?"
"But you just said..."
"Since you get to do 15 push-ups for every minute you are late. How about 20 pull-ups for every time you jump to conclusions?" He turned her to face him. "We won't turn our backs on you Skye. We won't kick you out. We won't send you back from where we took you. We are keeping you. Just give us some time to fix what's broken, alright?"
"Ok." She nodded before adding, "In the meantime, I get to keep this as an accessory." She jiggled her wrist to show him the bracelet.
"If you prefer, I'm sure S.H.I.E.L.D will be happy to provide you with a manacle and ball for your tiny ankle. Gold may be a tall order but since you are our topnotch hacker I am certain that they will be happy to oblige."
"You are evil aren't you?"
"Only to a certain exasperatingly argumentative Rookie who can't tell the difference between a safety release and a magazine release."
"It's not easy when you insist on breathing down my neck and yelling at me all the time."
"I DO NOT YELL!"
"Whatever you say my Oh Mighty SO." She slapped his hand away when he snaked his arm around her hip. "Nuh-Uh! You don't get to pinch me again."
He laughed and squeezed her shoulder before asking, "Why didn't you tell me it's your birthday today?"
"Because you haven't been speaking to me for the past eight days?"
"I did."
"Oh Hello? I speak, you yell. Or I ask and you give me one of your menacing Black Ops stare which I swear you practice to perfection in the mirror every morning."
"Skye..." He sighed and lifter her higher on his lap. "Just answer the question will you?"
"Because I only share it with Sister Marianne."
"Why?"
"When I was sent to the orphanage, there weren't any papers on me. No one knew anything about me or could find any records of me anywhere. No birth certificate, no nothing. So I don't have an actual date of my birth. The children at the orphanage would make fun of me for not knowing my birthday.
"Anyway, when I was about five, Sister Marianne joined St Agnes. She saw how I was taunted on her first day there. So she suggested that we made that day my birthday because I was her gift and she was mine. That's what made my birthday extra special. Something shared between us only." She sighed. "But today that's all gone. It's only me now."
"Were you close to Sister Marianne?" Ward asked as his hand caressed her back with lazy circles.
"Yes. She was always there with a free shoulder whenever I'm sent back from the foster homes. She taught me to forgive and never give up. She taught me lots of things. Even how to type. Although I have to say she was a little skimpy on her details when I asked about boys." She smiled at the memory.
"I wanted to be adopted and be part of a family so bad. But every time I'm taken away I can't help missing Sister Marianne. I guess I got Someone up there confused with my indecision." She shrugged and gave a little laugh that didn't reach her eyes.
"If you love her so much, why did you run away when you turned 17?"
"How do you...never mind." Skye inhaled deeply and continued. "At 18, you cannot stay at the orphanage anymore. St Agnes was the only home I knew. So before they kick me out, I figured I had to do something to save myself. I couldn't fantom the thought of not being wanted and sent away again. So I ran."
"Where did you go?"
"I worked a few jobs that provided accommodation for about two years. Made enough money to buy my van and made it my home since. That is until you and Coulson kidnapped me and S.H.I.E.L.D. confiscated my home. And of course, your handling me with a lack of finesse, makes it a complete and successful mission."
"I wanted to gag you but Coulson didn't think that was necessary." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I know. I know. I'm evil, so you've told me." He rolled his eyes and they shared an easy laugh.
There was a quiet moment before he broke their companionable silence, "You alright? I'm really sorry about Sister Marianne."
"Yeah. And Ward?" She whispered softly. "Thank you. For everything."
"Skye.."
"No. I mean it." She grabbed his hand in both of hers. "Thank you for being here for me. And I am really really sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to hurt you because I didn't count on me making friends with anyone. Or have anyone placing their thrust in me. I'm sorry I broke that."
He stared at her for a long time. Finally he twirled a stray lock of hair off her face and gave her a small smile as a silent acknowledgment.
"Just don't betray or hurt me and the team again."
"I promise I won't."
"You also promise to follow what I tell you to do?"
"Like a shadow."
"Will you also..."
"Do you have a long list of rules that I have to agree to? If that's a yes, I need my laptop to type it all down."
He sighed resignedly and put her down before jumping off the container. He turned her, placed his hands on her shoulders and frog marched her out of the hangar.
"Come on. Let's get you home, Rookie."
"They have taken my van."
"Your van is back there."
"Really?!" She shook his hands off from her shoulders to turn to look for her beloved van in the hangar. "Where? What did they do to my home? They gonna pimp it you think? I need to see it. "
"Nuh-uh. Now you have the bus." Blocking her view.
"And I should just forget about my van? That's my home!" She whined.
"Fine. Your van can be your holiday retreat or vacation home, if you like." He turned her around again towards the exit.
"Yeah I like the sound of that." She raised her arms high and followed it with a hissing yes. "And the bus is like a big house with wings. I have my own room with an awesome view. Plus, state of the art but still hackable billions of dollars worth of equipments at my disposal. Oww!"
"And a family."
"Yup!" She grinned. "A cool Dad. A kick-ass Mom. A pair of brainy and adorable twin for a brother and sister. And you our..."
"And me, what? You say family robot and I'm in the right position to make sure you won't get to sit for a week."
"Naah. I was thinking of more like an over-protective, over-bearing, bossy and" she received a poke in her ribs before adding, "firm stepbrother. Or ..."
"Or what?"
"Or maybe a long time friend of the family who is old, grumpy, big headed, bad tempered, obnoxious, objectionable and argumentative."
"OLD!?"
"Oh! Have I also mentioned about you getting extremely cranky and crabby when you lose Battleship to the family hacker?"
"Skye?"
"Yes Agent Ward?"
"Shut up."
"Catch and make me." She challenged before running towards the Bus as fast as she could.
THE END.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed that. Share your thoughts?
