Dedicated to Em (quakefire on tumblr!)
"Coulson." Skye said, nearly speechless.
Rather than embracing the welcoming party, she stared at the two men, incapable of moving, in fear of the worst. They both stood in place, watching as she gaped in surprise, trying to catch what little breath she had left.
Ward looked at her as though he had seen both a ghost and the sun at once. The awful reminder of their last meeting haunted his life, and his still-standing body. Skye had shot him not three, but four times. Only two of the bullets managed to leave a nasty scar on the side of his body, reminding him daily of the disgusting incident that he so badly wanted to forget.
"Why.. why is he.." Skye stuttered. She bit her lip in frustration and waved a shaking hand Ward's way. "Why is he here?!" She managed to say, wanting an answer from the man in fault for Ward being here in the first place.
"Are you okay?" Coulson ignored Skye's burning question by asking one of his own.
The man quickly made his way to Skye's side, examining what little skin she had revealed. Coulson spotted a gash on Skye's hand and quickly lifted her arm to examine the hand further. Skye was quick to respond, and out annoyance, she swatted the man away.
"Tell me why he's here." Skye demanded, staring at Ward in what he could decipher as rage and disgust.
"It's a long story that we don't have the time for." Coulson answered. "We have to leave, now."
"No, there's someone else here." Skye added, ignoring his attempts at leaving.
"Your father?" Coulson asked, grabbing Skye's arm before she could run off.
"No, Lincoln. He.." Skye didn't know how to explain who Lincoln was. To Coulson, the man would seem untrustworthy.
"Who the hell is Lincoln?" Ward suddenly asked. Skye's eyes widened upon hearing the sound of the man's voice.
"None of your damn business." Skye spat, desperately trying not to look at the man.
Bullets began firing from the room across from where the three stood. Skye sensed the threat getting closer, leaving her no choice but to follow Coulson's orders and leave the scene. She would have to return to her mother once she got Coulson safely back to base. She would refuse to stay long unless she knew the whereabouts of her friend.
"Tell me why the hell he's still here, Coulson." Skye demanded, staring in disgust at the man in the cage of Vault D.
Skye had been away from base for three long days since making sure Coulson was brought back safely. Returning to her mother hadn't gone as well as she hoped. She learned Lincoln was okay, but in critical condition upon being captured by Hydra. Gordon was lucky enough to grab him before too much harm was done.
Returning to base had been much worse than returning to her mother. Not only did she find out Mike had been hurt from the mission as well as Lincoln, but she also learned Ward was still in base, leaving her fuming from anger. She wanted the man gone, and far away from anything having to do with Shield. To her it seemed as though she could never rid of herself from him, no matter hard she tried to.
She watched impatiently as Coulson sighed and stole a glance at Ward. She wasn't oblivious to the tension now suffocating the room. It was heavy, perhaps heavier than the time she was kidnapped and interrogated by ironically, the two people she now faced.
"The Tahiti protocol..." Ward suddenly said before Coulson could. "I'm going through with it." He finished, carefully watching Skye's reaction.
He imagined her being one of the most happiest of humans alive upon hearing the news. Perhaps it was the greatest news she had heard in a long time. He at least had that to smile over while he still could.
The thought of having all of his memories wiped from his brain scared him more than he would ever admit. He wondered what memories would replace his current ones and how they would impact him. Would he remember small details? Would he remember Garrett? His father? Would he remember Skye?
"You're.." Skye began, only to pause mid sentence, mouth gaping as her eyes looked anywhere but at Ward. "Is this true?" She asked, looking worriedly at Coulson.
"I offered and he agreed to it." The man answered as calmly as he could upon noticing Skye's knuckles turning white from clenching her fists so hard.
The air was stiff. All that could be heard were the occasional sighs from one of the three. Skye stood with fists still clenched, trying her hardest to comprehend the news. She never imagined the day she would have to say goodbye to Ward and everything he had brought to her once meaningless life.
She remembered the many restless nights she spent in her bunk thinking of ways as to why Ward lied to everyone, why he lied to her. She remembered him reassuring her that his feelings for her were real, but she didn't believe him, not once. That was until she was ordered from Coulson to speak to him after months of not seeing nor hearing from him. It was seeing him that day that reminded her of the little things. For instance, the way Ward was always protecting her in ways she didn't think he was even aware of. Or, perhaps the way Ward always believed in her, even after the many times she messed up or didn't have the best of confidence in herself. Ward never gave up on her, even after being locked in a cage right below her for months. Skye couldn't say the same for most of the people she had grown to know.
"I want a moment alone with Ward, please." Skye announced.
"Not happening." Coulson argued.
"I just want to talk." Skye assured, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Then talk." He dared, beckoning a hand towards Ward.
"I said alone." Skye proclaimed, becoming more annoyed by the minute.
"I'm not leaving you alone wit-" Coulson began.
"He's in a cage for god's sake. He can't do any harm from in there." Skye debated angrily before Coulson could deny her request.
Coulson stared at Skye, hoping the woman would change her mind. To his disappointment, she wouldn't. She seemed committed to what she had planned, in which Coulson couldn't fault over.
Both Skye and Ward watched as the man left the vault, leaving the two alone. Ward watched as Skye tugged at the hem of her shirt out of nervousness, reminding him of the days he was her S.O. and how she would get nervous over the smallest of things.
"Why are you.." Skye began to ask, forgetting her words as Ward tossed his shirt to the side.
Skye's eyes widened and out of instinct, she played with the hem of her black tank top, trying her hardest to avoid looking at Ward's now bare chest.
"You okay?" Ward asked upon noticing Skye's sudden nervousness.
"What? Yeah!" Skye spluttered.
Ward ducked his head and grinned to himself out of amusement.
"Is this where you tell me that you'd rather I be dead?" Ward teased, attempting to break the thick tension that filled the room.
"No." Skye answered, finally finding the courage to look Ward in the eyes. "This is where I try and talk you out of your plan." She finished, referring to the Tahiti protocol itself.
Skye was surprised by her own words. More importantly, she was surprised by the way she felt upon hearing the news. For months, she reminded herself that Ward was nothing to her. Every time she thought back to her days being his trainee, she punished herself by stomping to the gym and training more than she ever trained before. The gym's punching bag became her salvation in life. She punched it harder and harder the more she thought of everything she wanted to forget more than anything.
"Is that so?" Ward questioned with a smirk, trying his hardest to hide how he really felt. He feared if he showed the slightest amount of adoration, Skye would forget trying to talk sense into him and leave the scene. He couldn't bare ending his last moments as himself on a bad note with the one woman he'd do anything for.
"Yeah." Skye shrugged with a low chuckle, clearly amused over the situation. "I'd hate to see you lose all of what you gave everyone hell for." She continued. "I mean, is that what you wanted the entire time? To give your all and then quit when things got tough?" She curiously asked, inching closer to the barrier.
"Of course not." Ward snorted and shook his head, deciding to sit upon the bed rather than stand. "You shooting me changed my perspective on things." He shrugged, masking his pain. "What little hope I had for my life is gone." He smiled.
Skye frowned and stared at the ground. She silently questioned why shooting him had done so much to him and his mind. Ward had treated her as though she was the only woman he had eyes for. Something she failed to recognize until it was too late.
"It's funny how if I had just chosen the other side of the coin.. everything would be better." Ward suddenly continued, as though he were talking more to himself than to Skye. "I'd be better." He added, a tightened smile adorned his face as he stared at his folded hands.
"You still can be." Skye suddenly said, surprising both her and Ward.
Ward stared at her for what felt like an eternity, swallowing her words. The thought of never remembering the beauty that stood no more than six feet away from him was something he never wanted in life. What he wanted, more than anything, was to care for her as though she was actually his. It was a dark dream that softly played in the back of his mind on repeat.
"I'd like to believe that." He replied, chuckling to hold back what tears he was afraid would fall. "But I'm just too far gone." Ward confessed, refusing to look much longer at Skye.
Skye gaped and clenched her fists, aware of a single tear falling from her eye. She refused to believe this was the end of the Grant Ward she knew and grew to love. She refused to believe this was their goodbye. She refused to let such a man go to waste.
"I don't believe that." Skye suddenly spat, straightening her posture. "Yeah, you've done a few rotten things here and there but they were done out of the good of your heart." She fumed, allowing more tears to fall. "Jemma and Fitz... you were trying to save them, yes?" She mentioned, getting the attention of Ward who'm only nodded. "And you did." Skye nodded, more to herself. "You saved them, Ward. You saved them because you cared for them and wanted them safe."
Ward dared to look at Skye as she spoke words of wisdom. His face, now glowing with few tears crawling down his cheeks as he tried so hard not to believe the words Skye spoke of. He didn't want to hold on any more hope. He feared it hope.
"No, I was ordered to kill them which is what I originally plan-" Ward began, only to be stopped by Skye.
"Cut the bullcrap." She demanded, tightening her jaw. "What happened to never lying to me?" Skye questioned, smiling sadly over the memory.
"I told you I'd never lie to you, and I haven't."
Ward sealed his eyes shut, wanting nothing more than to release what tears he had been holding in for as long as he could remember.
"Why are you doing this.." Ward softly asked from under his breath.
"Because I still believe in you, Grant." Skye sobbed.
Ward's breath caught in his throat. Her words hit him like a speeding truck with no intention of stopping. The way she was looking at him made him want to wrap his arms around her and hold her until all of his demons disappeared from sight and sound.
"Tell me you won't go through with this." Skye begged, nearly pressed against the barrier.
Ward finally stood and walked until he stood in front of a still sobbing Skye. He watched as her lips chattered as though she was freezing.
"Please." Skye wept, daring to touch the barrier. How badly she had wished she had the controls to open it so she could embrace Ward the way she was so tempted to.
Ward continued to stare, unbelieving of the actions and words displayed for him.
He began imagining everything he wanted to so badly ignore. The future he so badly wanted with Skye, for example. He spent his days and nights imagining what could have been. From waking up to dark, long hair cascading over a shared bed to movie watching late at night with the one woman he desired more than anyone.
He wondered if the bond he once shared with Fitz would ever come to life again. Or, if Jemma would ever look at him the same way she did after being rescued seconds after jumping out of the bus. His mind raced back to the times Coulson looked at him as though he were the son he always wanted. His heart ached over the reminders of the life he threw to waste. He had so much and still, paid no mind to it and followed what he thought would bring him better than what already was.
"Ward?" Skye called upon noticing him zone out.
His eyes stared back into her brown ones and he smiled through the tears falling quickly over his cheeks.
"I won't go through with this." Ward replied with hope, grinning as much as Skye now was.