Set right after 'Seeds'

Ward noticed the changes in Skye's normally peppy attitude for a few days after they had done that mission at the SHIELD academy and stopped Donnie Gill. At first he thought it was because she may be upset that she wasn't a real SHIELD agent and never went to an academy like everyone else did, but he figured that she wouldn't mull over something like that for more than a few hours, let alone two days. Either way, Skye's new deflated attitude was noticed, but he knew she'd keep it to herself without prompting.

So on the second day of sad faces and mindless stares into the distance, Ward's curiosity and concern got the best of him and he cornered her. She was sitting on the couch, typing furiously on her laptop. She looked up over the screen when he came and sat on the edge of the little coffee table in front of her. She gave a small, polite smile but nothing like the large friendly grin she used to give him.

"Skye," he said.

"Mhmm?" She didn't look away from the screen.

"What's going on with you? You've been...quiet these last few days."

She kind of smiled but still stared at the screen. "Ironic, coming from you."

He ignored that. "Seriously. As your SO, I should know if something's bothering you, and as your coworker and friend, I want to know so I can help."

Maybe it was because he called her a friend, but she sighed, closed her laptop and set it aside.

"Okay, if I tell you, you can't tell anyone. I mean, Coulson knows and I think May does too, but Fitzsimmons can't know. They'd probably react the worst with all their science and stuff..."

Ward gave her a moment to collect herself and because he was kind of lost as to what she was talking about.

"Right, so, you know how I was in Rising Tide with Miles?"

"Yeah..." Ward said, unsure if he really wanted to hear the rest of this. Miles, and Skye's reunion with him that's known as The Miles Incident, isn't often brought up by anyone.

"Well, he was the only one who knew why I was so dedicated to the release of information to the people. It wasn't about Rising Tide. It was to find my parents. My birth parents, I mean. That's been what I've been looking for for years. That's why I do what I do." She motioned to her laptop. "All my searches have led to SHIELD and a few redacted files. When I told Coulson that, he agreed to help me out and he's been trying to find some more files and whatnot." She paused as if she wasn't ready to divulge the next bit. Ward waited patiently.

"Two days ago, there was a breakthrough, and a large one at that. When we were doing stuff at the academy, Coulson and May went to Mexico to find a guy who knew a bit more about me before the orphanage. And Coulson told me..."

Skye had started crying lightly. She wiped her eyes with the end of her sleeve, glad she wore a sweater today. Skye pulled her knees up to her chin and rested her arms and head on them. Take a breath, she continued in a small voice.

"Coulson told me what he and May found out. Twenty four years ago, a baby was in a small Chinese village, but the entire village was wiped, along with a whole SHIELD team, because they were trying to protect the baby. One agent, I don't know who, was holding the baby and he was shot in the neck. Another two agents took the baby and sent it to an orphanage. One of the two was killed, and the other, the guy that Coulson and May talked to, is in hiding. That baby is said to be bad news. It may even be an 084." Skye sniffed and wiped her eyes, avoiding eye contact with Ward, who looked quite shocked by the story. He didn't expect to hear anything like that.

"Are...are you the baby?" he asked, just to be sure.

Skye nodded. "I mean, I'm glad I know and the fact that SHIELD has had my back the whole time is great but...I'm a danger and I don't know how to deal with that."

"You're not a danger," Ward told her. He reached forward and put his hand on hers. "This isn't the end of the world."

Skye blinked. "I still don't know who my parents are. I...don't even know if I want to now."

Ward didn't know how to reply. He just squeezed her hand and let her softly cry.

After a minute, Skye had calmed down enough to wipe her eyes for the final time and stretch out her legs again. Now that her secret was out, she didn't have to hide.

"It's just been hard to process," she informed him.

Ward nodded. "Well, just so you know, this doesn't change anything. We all have histories, even me, as you know. Besides, it could be fake or maybe you actually aren't the baby"

Skye was sure she was, but didn't reply to that."Yeah. And...thanks. But seriously, I don't want Fitzsimmons finding out. They'd be all over me with tests and blood samples and I can't deal with that. At least not yet."

"I won't tell them," he promised.


And he didn't. Even when she was shot and he watched Simmons try to tend to her pale, limp body. Maybe if Simmons knew, she'd be able to help more, but he said he wouldn't tell.

And he didn't tell when the first whispers of the Hydra threat came in, and Coulson had Skye put all of the Bus' data on that one important hard drive, he watched over her shoulder and saw her quickly save all her personal files on herself on there too.

Whereas Ward had hated his family growing up, at least he knew about it. Skye couldn't say the same, so no wonder those blacked out files were so important to her. All she wanted was to know.


A/N

So after my last story 'Test The Limits', a reader named Oricke gave me the idea for a story where Garrett was Skye's father. It was a really intriguing idea so I was so happy to write it! So thanks Oricke!

This chapter is a bit of a prologue because I don't really recall any/many fics were Skye tells Ward about herself and her new 084 status after she finds out in 'Seeds', so I wanted to add this. The story is prolly going to be 5 chapters and I'll update on Saturdays and Tuesdays. I want to get it all done before I head to University! Anyways, I can't say all the chapters will be too lengthy, but I hope you enjoy the story either way! :)