Essential Sacrifice

Author's Note: Hi all! This is the alternate (happier) ending/turn of my other story "Final Sacrifice" ( s/10569043/1/Final-Sacrifice), since some readers are looking for a happier ending to that story. Please read that to understand what's going on. This alternate path picks up in the middle of Chapter 5 ("Misfire") onwards, so there is a bit of repeated language leading up to the change ( s/10569043/5/Final-Sacrifice). There will be some other common wording throughout the chapters, but a happy ending, I promise.

Hope you enjoy this new story direction!

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Chapter 1: Misfire, v 2.0

…

Skye smiled at the brother reunion as Ward and Elliot embraced. Her own tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she shall how happy and free Grant Ward looked, nothing like the tormented facade he wore before. This was the man she knew, who loves his brother and would do anything to save him. Here was a man who seemed to have just found his hope in life again.

The brothers finally released each other, and Ward patted his brother on the shoulders before turning his attention to Skye. He walked over to her and took her hand, lightly rubbing it. "Thank you," he warmly said. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

She was so shocked at his sudden tenderness that all she could do was nod and beam back. A flutter of hope also erupted in her heart too. His eyes lingered its stare in hers, speaking all the unspoken words of appreciation, faithfulness, and hope to her in their brilliance.

Elliot watched his brother and Skye share their moment together, a smile also tugging at his lips. It was clear that there was a special bond between them, and though he can't say for sure what type, he had a pretty good idea.

It's complicated.

Meanwhile, from the close distance, Garrett was too preoccupied fuming and watching his plans crumble to realize that his gun was suddenly twisted out of his hand, knees were kicked to be buckled, and Trip had his arms in a bind. He leaned down to Garrett's ear and spoke, "How ironic that the first move you taught me is the last one to be used on you."

Garrett glared at him. "You little—"

"I wouldn't finish that," Trip said, resting the barrel of his gun to his former mentor's skull. "Because I've improved how this hold can go. One wrong move and you choose between a blown off head, or a snapped neck. You're going to pay for all the crimes you've committed and to ever have you walk through the doors of SHIELD that stained its reputation from day one. You caused so much pain in countless families through Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T. and killed off so many of your recruits that I don't want to know what Coulson would do when he deals with you. [Garrett narrows his eyes at him] And yes, he's alive still. Takes more than just your little HYDRA guards from dismantling us."

Garrett struggled in Trip's arms and tried to move, but Trip just pulled him up and shoved him forward.

But Garrett had more tricks up his sleeve. After a moment of stunned anger, he suddenly sent Trip flying to the direction of Ward, Elliot, and Skye, who all were knocked down at the sheer impact of Trip's body almost 10 feet away.

"Me letting you live after your second deflection from HYDRA was one of the worst decisions I've ever made," Garrett fumed. "I knew you couldn't get away from the girl and the team."

They all groaned. Skye and Ward sat up easily, but Trip and Elliot were unconscious. Skye glanced up and saw Garrett victoriously standing over them with a mini-aerial splicer in his palm, small enough to stay hidden in his hand, but powerful enough to send anything above waist level flying. "How—" she started.

"He made have improved that move, but I created it," Garrett replied, now picking up the gun that Trip restrained from him. "Never underestimate what your eyes can't see."

Ward turned his eyes in time to see Garrett aim the gun at Skye. Without second thought, he lounged and grabbed her just in time before Garrett fired the shot. Both landed on the ground with Ward's arms securely cocooned around Skye, and just as quickly, he drew out his gun and shot at Garrett's hand that held his gun, knocking his gun out of his hand eliciting a strained yell of pain. He pushed himself up and fired at Garrett again, this time in his chest. With pained and angry eyes, he stood watching his mentor crumple to the ground, motionless.

Ward fell to knees and just sat there, stunned. Here lies his former mentor, lifeless in front of him in a pool of his own blood. His mind flashed back to so many memories with this man who he thought was a father-figure, who thought had his best interests in mind, despite his cruelty. But no, he was just cruel.

Skye pushed herself up and recounted the past several seconds. Her life just flashed before her eyes as she stared down the barrel of Garrett's gun right before Ward pulled her to him for safety. She looked over to her side and saw Ward sitting there, stunned and not moving. She crawled over to him and shook him by his shoulder. "Ward?"

No response.

"Ward, are you—"

While still staring straight ahead at Garrett, he uttered, "15 years. I've followed this bastard for 15 years. Never doubted he was tough, but also never doubted he was my savior from a lifetime of doom in jail. Never thought he would lie to me, since my life started off as so much a lie…turns out he was lying all along. The worse one of all."

Skye scooted closer to kneel beside him, watching him carefully. She knew he was in a state of shock, still taking in the quick minutes that had just transpired: him finding out about the truth of his duties, his life, his brother.

After a few more seconds of stillness watching Garrett's lifeless body, he turned to her and finally spoke again. "How…why…"

Skye solemnly smiled. "Coulson found a flash drive during our escape from Cybertek last time. At first he thought it was more useful files from HYDRA, but it turned out to be all the documentation about you, Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T., and all other HYDRA soldiers roped into the effort. I heard your conversations with Garrett. I admit that I doubted you at first, but after watching those feeds and documents, and the setbacks you had to do in order to protect me…I finally understood. He used your mind against you. You didn't even know what HYDRA was when you joined. That's how Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T. started; manipulating people into ransoming their closest fears to a false promise of a better life."

Ward sighed. "How can I ever start over again? After all the things I've done…I never aligned myself with HYDRA. All this time, I was convinced that it was because I needed to save John by finding that serum. But now—that was just one of his disposable projects. (quick glance to Garrett's body) And I just killed him. How is this any different than all the horrible crimes I've committed…? How can you be so convinced to believe in me?"

"I believe in starting over," she reasoned. "I know you can. You hurt me, Ward, but it doesn't mean…"

He reached up and held her face, tracing his thumb over her cheek, as Skye trailed off from her words into silence with silent joy. Tears of happiness shimmered in her eyes as she leaned into his touch. He never thought that he would be able to be in this position ever again, so close to the girl he loves. Skye returned a smile of her own, hope slowly being restored in her eyes as she savored his hand on her face. THIS was the man that she fell in love with: someone who had a genuine care for her and abiding to find the truth he was meant to find.

His eyes glimmered with relief, and a small crack of smile—a rare but extremely charming smile—appeared on his lips. It was the same smile he shown her when they were hiding in the utility closet a while ago in the Hub before the revealing of HYDRA—before their first kiss. Ward found himself again. He was finally free, finally back to feeling his true self, the self he found when he was sent to "spy" on Coulson's team. Grant Ward, agent of SHIELD—not Grant Ward, HYDRA sleeper agent.

"We can start over," she emphasized, calmly smiling. "It won't be an easy road, but you can do it. I'll be here to support you. Coulson and everyone will." She knows Coulson was listening on the other side, though no comment was heard from him. She readjusted her sitting position on her side to lean closer to him as she spoke, her eyes with genuine glimmer. She reached her arm to hold his upper left arm. "I believe in you."

He faintly nodded, his smile growing wider. He knows his road would be a long one, but with Skye's support on his side, nothing will be too hard for him to handle. His heart soared at Skye's emphasis of "we" in her statement. She hasn't given up on us yet, he thought. "I know. I finally feel free. I finally have a new purpose in my life. I—"

He was cut off by Skye's sudden wide-eyes jerking from him to her left. Before Ward could register what was happening, Skye threw herself around him and tackled him to the ground. It was then—or right before—he remembered he heard a gunshot. On instinct, he wrapped his arms around her, the back of his head thudding against the gravel from Skye's impact to his body. He groaned in the sudden, dazed pain and tried to push Skye off to sit up, only to register in his mind—Skye wasn't moving.

Her small frame remained wrapped around him while he frantically shoved himself up with one hand while the other remained around her. Ward shook her. "Skye…?"

He glanced down and his breath caught in his lungs, making him wanting to hurl. His eyes trailed to the bullet wound to her left of her back, a fleshy hole gaping wide and blood so neatly and profusely draining out of her, soaking her shirt and now onto Ward's arm. He wanted to scream, but all he could was croak. "Skye…! Oh my god…no!"

He glanced up and saw Garrett, barely conscious from the ground here he lay, with the gun now directly at Ward's head. He was coughing out blood from his mouth as he struggled to aim his gun more steadily. "You won't ruin my plans, Grant. I've come too far—to let you and your girl take that away from me. I'm so close—I can only eliminate you both." He set his finger on the trigger to pull it—

-but he never did.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG BANG!

Ward watched as his former mentor collapsed to the ground, dead for real this time. Only, he wasn't the one who fired the last shots. He looked behind him and saw Trip sitting with his second hand gun aimed in the direction where Garrett once stood, pushing himself up.

Both men made some brief eye contact before Ward hurried his attention back to Skye. "Skye? Please…?" He turned her over. Her eyes were closed, but she was regaining consciousness. "Skye…"

She fluttered her eyelids open. "Ward…" she softly said. "You okay?"

He grimaced. "I'm fine," he said, voice shaking and tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "Why? Why did you have to save me? Why—"

Skye gently shook her head, eyes partially open. "You can…start over. You and Elliot together. It wasn't meant to be this way…"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

She coughed, and he propped her up even higher on his lap, his left arm and increasingly bloody hand applying pressure to the wound. Oh god, oh god, oh god, he thought, panicking. Each cough meant more blood escaping the hole that has been growing on her body. He felt so powerless. "Grant…"

"I'm here Skye," he begged. He knew that in the few times she called him Grant, it was serious. "Skye…[turns his head] TRIP—"

Trip was already at his side before he could continue. He felt for her pulse on her wrist and looked down where Ward's hand was trying so hard to alleviate the bleeding. A pained expression crawled on his face as he glanced up at Ward. Trip was not a man to remain silent normally, and though he didn't know him very well, Ward was trained to read expressions. An expression like this only meant…

"NO! WE HAVE TO SAVE HER!" Ward yelled, breathing heavier. "Please! Get Coulson on the comms [grabbed Trip's shoulder to him] Coulson! Skye's hurt! Please, she needs help! Please! [pushes Trip back] Where's the van? Where's the medical vehicle?"

"Grant…"

His attention snapped back down at her again. "Skye?"

"…You…me…us," she coughed. A small trail of blood left her lips. With each shallow breath she took, she felt colder and colder. "Too short. Too late…"

"No. It's not too late. Don't you dare. Don't you dare give up, Skye," Ward warned, while Trip was ripping his own shirt to create a bandage to stop the bleeding. "We're getting you help soon, okay? Stay with us!"

"We're parked outside the complex not too far from here," Trip answered, quickly handing the ripped hem of his shirt to where Ward's hand was. "I'll get Elliot—"

"No need," Elliot's voice came beside them, strained, but strong. Worry and guilt was etched all over his face. "I'm fine. Help her, help Skye!" Trip grabbed him and he stood up fully, while Ward carefully propped Skye up in his arms to carry her bridal style.

"This way!" Trip led the way while he looped an arm around Elliot to run—rather, jog—to the direction of their vehicle.

Ward looked down again at Skye, whose eyes were fluttering open and close. He could tell she was struggling. "Come on Skye, stay awake," he ordered, feeling the tears growing larger in the corners of his eyes. He didn't want to focus on it, but in the corner of his eyes, he could see a lengthy bloody trail being left behind by Skye as he carried her out. She was losing blood way too fast.

"You—start over," she whispers. "Me…too late…"

"NO! You can NOT sleep Skye! Stay awake!"

He felt a sudden movement in his arms and looked down. Skye's head collapsed to his chest, and her whole form fell limp. Ward felt the pit of his stomach free-fall and almost dropped her, but thankfully gripped on tighter to her. "No…SKYE!"

Trip and Elliot darted their heads around, seeing Ward's panicked expression drain the colors on his face. He dipped his head to her neck to feel for a pulse—there was none. "No…please…"

"Grant, keep going! Don't stop!" Elliot yelled.

Ward nodded and started running again. He refuses to think it. Their vehicle couldn't be far now. Simmons will be there, and she'll know what to do, he thought, clinging to that very hope to keep him sane. She's done it before. She'll save her. Please Skye, please hang on a bit longer. We can start over—please...

"Agent Triplett!"

His prayers were answered. The familiar voice rang through the complex as Simmons was seen running with Coulson and towards them. All of Ward's fears of seeing his former team were nonexistent now with Skye in his arms. He didn't care; Skye needed help, Elliot needed help. His fate be damned.

"Skye's been shot!" Trip yelled. "She needs medical, NOW!"

…