"Where are they?" Ward asks, his tone panicked and his gait agitated.

"They're in here. They're fine, Ward, I promise. You saved them, ok?" Skye reassures.

He doesn't give any sign that he heard her as he yanks open the door and strides into the room. He needs to see for himself.

FitzSimmons look up, startled. Smiles break across their faces. "Ward! You're back!"

He rushes forward, his movements unusually uncoordinated, and pulls them both roughly into an embrace.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he breathes into their hair. "If there was another way-"

"Ward. It's fine. Really," Fitz says, his words coming out muffled against Ward's shoulder.

"You made sure we had everything we needed to survive: food, water, a tracking device for the rest of the team to find us, an airtight container with oxygen tanks. You gave us very clear directions on how to survive," Jemma says, "And we were dead anyway if we stayed on the Bus."

Ward swallows hard and pulls them closer.

"Ward, I can't breathe." Fitz squirms.

"Sorry," Ward instantly releases both of them.

Fitz wiggles away from him, but he stops to pat Ward hard on the back with a grin. Simmons stays where she is, snuggling into Ward's side. Ward wraps both arms carefully around her.

"I'm sorry," he says again, "I know how scary that must have been for you, given your previous experience. And I'm"—his voice cracks—"Really sorry I had to do it. I hope you can forg-"

Simmons interrupts, "Ward, stop." She kisses his cheek. "Throwing me—throwing us—into the ocean is what saved us. You saved us from Garrett."

He's not sure what to say to that. He thought they would hate him. He doesn't know how they don't hate him for it. He hates him for it.

"We're going to make you pancakes," Fitz says suddenly. "Simmons' idea."

Simmons steps away from Ward and smiles cheerfully. "I hope you like blueberry."

He nods and then she and Fitz head for the door. He watches them go, his stomach tightening in knots as his mind replays them falling away from him.

They turn back towards him.

"Are you coming?" Fitz asks.

He grins and follows them.

Ward finishes his last bite of the very delicious pancakes and sets his fork carefully down on his plate. Taking care not to disturb Simmons—who has fallen asleep against his left side—he takes in the six people surrounding him.

Coulson and May keep shooting all of them—himself included—affectionate glances when they think no one's looking.

Fitz, sitting on his right side, is waving his fork with a forgotten bite of pancake still on it at Trip and Skye, who are currently both—well, to be fair, mostly Skye—riling him up by debating things like the perfect blueberry to pancake ratio, and trying to coax Jemma's secret maple syrup recipe out of him.

Grant carefully repositions Simmons, shifting slightly so that his arm is tighter around her and her head is resting against the inner curve of his shoulder.

He can't remember the last time he felt this happy.

For the first time in his life, Grant Ward is home.

-end-

A/N: I just really needed this scene after the trauma that was last episode, ok?