Eyes On You
Author's Note: My thoughts/take on episode 2.18, and the twisted thoughts between the characters. Sorry if it doesn't make sense…
…
Grant Ward likes the way he is now. He was finally free of the burdens of a horrible childhood, the disguised autonomy of Garrett, and the throws of Coulson and SHIELD. He was free from the heartache of losing Skye (message received, thank you, in the form of four bullets), and now he is taking charge as a changed man. He is leading new life with Kara (Agent 33), and her innocence and recovery has prompted him to give himself a fresh start. Kara's reliance on him, the way she admires and cares for him, makes it possible that he wants and needs to love again, even as in shambles as it is starting in the moment. Life was never easy for Grant Ward, and this is nothing less of that being true.
He is finally content, and he doesn't want to change anything. The past should remain in the past, and he is finally living that.
So when Coulson calls him via the phone he uses only with Kara, he is startled. He feared for her safety, and an unsettlingly familiar nervousness returned to him. He kept SHIELD off their tails as much as possible, and thought he was doing a flawless job so far. How the hell did they find them?
First thing's first: make sure Kara is okay. Enough blood shed has been shed in his own war with his inner demons, HYDRA, and SHIELD. Grant will not let her be another casualty in his already messed up life.
He was annoyed that Coulson brought Mike Petersen (where was he all this time?) to watch Kara while awaiting his arrival, but he was relieved that she was okay.
Coulson watched him with a smirk on his face as he sat down. "There's no need for false modesty," he says, and Grant couldn't agree more. This is a waste of time. He had things to do, and Kara needs him.
He watches Coulson's eye movements as he speak. "This isn't about you," he says. "I'm after bigger fish. Strucker. List."
Figures.
Of course he'd be contacted for HYDRA intel. But something about this is fishy. "You know last time I suggested to work together, you called me a 'deluded son of a bitch'," he spat, smirking back. Coulson's hiding something, and he's going to make him beg for his help.
"Things change," he replies, a quick look of worry flashing through his eyes.
Ward raises his brow in confusion. If it wasn't because Ward was so good at reading expressions, he would've almost missed it. Oh, they've changed alright. He is no longer the obedient soldier looking for orders to follow. He is his own man, making his own calls in life. No matter what the terms are, they can't change the direction of new life he has found.
Yet, he couldn't deny the sound of letting him "…be the man you want to be. Start over" to sound very good. He knew he is a valuable asset, and it's too bad that Coulson couldn't see it at the time earlier in the Vault. Looks like Coulson's finally come to his senses, even if it does feel suspicious.
"I might know a guy." Grant finishes, leaning in. Whatever Coulson's endgame is, Grant's going to make sure to use Coulson as much as he's using him.
…
"Something's not right. There's something Coulson's not saying." Ward is on edge, suspicious. He and Kara were in the car waiting to deliver the "package" for Coulson, the first of his mission to "help" him. All day he was trying to figure out what Coulson wanted…it's gotta be more than HYDRA. But what was it? It's been nagging him all day, and it's not getting any better.
But he can't show his uneasiness to Kara, because she didn't like the idea of helping Coulson one bit. The fact that his memories would be wiped…? "No one's wiping anything," he assures her, gently. "We have the upper hand. Whatever Coulson's endgame is, it doesn't matter, because he is going to help get to ours." Coulson is resourceful, just as Ward is resourceful. He'll be able to connect Kara back to her former self.
They both lean in to kiss each other, to feel assured in the presence of the impending doom that was going to lead them sooner or later. This won't be an easy process.
Later on as the rest of the team listens in to Bakshii's conversations in the quinjet, the various scenarios of him helping Coulson and his team get into HYDRA continued to run through his head. Once they get an "in" with what is HYDRA after, Coulson will pull him in to help stop…Grant sighs. Secrecy was never foreign to him, but Grant is tired of being blindly promised freedom for help he's not clear what he is helping with.
But not for long.
The momentary slip of Fitz and Coulson in their conversation cleared up any confusion of why they needed him at all.
Why didn't he think of it sooner?
"The teleporter…they're tracking the teleporter. The one that took Cal in Wisconsin, and Raina," Fitz said.
"And Skye," Coulson softly added.
Everything suddenly clicks in his head as he froze. THAT was what Coulson was hiding. "This is about Skye…" Ward whispered to himself, his attention fully focused on what to come next.
"Why would HYDRA want her?" Kara asked.
Kara's innocent question went unanswered for a few long moments, provoking a wave of sickening uneasiness in Ward's head. He was wondering the same thing. His heart started pounding and his mind spun. Skye's situation must be pretty dire if Coulson, of all people, would approach him for help. He didn't mention in their meeting that this was for Skye, probably for fear of him focusing on getting Skye more than bringing down HYDRA.
Coulson couldn't have been more wrong…right? He's over her…he's with Kara now, he's going to use Coulson to bring Kara back to wholeness again; he's doing this for the promise of starting over, he's not looking back…
Oh HELL.
Who was he kidding?
All these months, the walls he's built around the past, the memories…they came tumbling down and all came rushing back. His past, his cover, his time with Skye…they flooded his mind, and it became harder and harder to concentrate. He fought so hard to keep the past in the past, and in an instant, he is reminded how foolish he was: it was impossible to forget.
For now, his focus is clear. He will not let Kara down, but first he will—has to—focus on breaking into the HYDRA, and finding Skye.
…
They were all about to unboard the jet to get to a new lead where HYDRA was heading, courtesy of Deathlok, when Fitz started screeching, "Sir, Skye! Skye's here!"
Ward instinctively turned his head in that direction, catching the pixelated image of Skye flashing on the screen in front of him.
He could feel Kara rolling her eyes at him. "The Skye who shot you three times?"
"Four," he shrugged, his eyes not leaving the screen with Skye. The memories of Puerto Rico and Skye shooting him flashed back to him, but he shook his mind off the thoughts.
Coulson brushed past him. "Don't even think about it. You keep HYDRA off us, I'll find Skye."
He threw his arms up in frustration. Don't think about 'what'? You think I'm going to shoot her? Ward thought, in disbelief. Fine. I won't; I don't exactly need to get shot again anyways.
Nevertheless, he quickly ran after the team of Coulson, Lance, and Kara, ready to attack HYDRA forces as necessary.
The shooting spree started as soon as they entered the building. Ward was glad (but cautious) that his aim has never faltered, taking down HYDRA agents as they went. In a pause, Coulson yelled, "We need to split up!"
"We'll cover for you; go find Skye!" Lance yells back.
Coulson nods and hurries off.
Find Skye…
Ward watches as Coulson's back was disappearing farther and farther from him.
Find Skye…
I'll find Skye…
Screw it.
Ward watches for a split second, and hurries after Coulson. What if he needed back up? What if HYDRA was on Coulson's tail before he could get to Skye? Surely, he wouldn't want to let HYDRA get the upper hand. Surely he couldn't let Coulson without backup. Surely, he needs to gain Coulson's trust to help him later, him and Kara…
Surely, he doesn't want to lose this chance of finding her and saving her, even if it meant she may shoot him again. He has to make sure she's okay…he has to. Every fiber of him is screaming at him that he's insane for going after her after shooting him, but he doesn't care—he needs to make sure she's out of HYDRA's radar.
The hallways were dark and the HYDRA agents were many. He and Coulson were fighting side by side, and Ward can't help but think back to the days on the Bus. The simpler days, where there was a single motive, a single mission according to Coulson, and Coulson would have his back. In the midst of the punches, he felt whole again, that he belonged again. It was temporary, a temporary settlement he's living for the greater end.
As the last HYDRA agent fell, he handed Coulson an extra gun, eager to move on to the next floor in their search for Skye. He was about to turn, when his vision was filled with…a vision.
Of her.
Skye was standing there, speechless—her mouth dropped open and her eyes wide, locked to his. He couldn't breathe for a few moments as his gaze lingered with hers. She was just as stunningly beautiful as he saw her last, with a dash of innocence in her eyes he thought he would never see again in her after his betrayal months earlier. He wonders if she was just as surprised, shocked, confused, happy, hopeful (okay, maybe not happy or hopeful) as he was at the moment. She didn't look angry, he thinks. (Maybe the shock hasn't worn off yet.)
She's okay, he thought. She's okay, she's all right…she's standing right there in front of me. Coulson's going to bring her home.
Ward wanted to smile and call her name, but couldn't bring his body to respond…his reverie was cut short when Coulson spoke for him, "Skye?"
He could see her eyes quickly shifted to Coulson standing next to him, and she hurriedly started approaching them. Ward forced his legs to move to come towards her. There were no words to sum the relief he was feeling at the moment to see her well, and perhaps, he could have a chance to talk to her after her reunion with Coulson—
FLASH!
A figure with a blue ball of light appeared between Skye and them, and just as quickly as Ward saw him appear, the figure snatched Skye and vanished, leaving her fading voice begging, "No, no, no not yet—!"
"DON'T GO!" Coulson shouted.
Ward was stunned—what just happened? Skye, she's…disappeared. Vanished. Who was that figure who took her? This must be the same teleporter he overheard being discussed earlier. This means that HYDRA's back on her tail again…damnit! She's not safe…!
He could still hear her pleas, "No, no, no not yet-!" in his mind as he reunited with Lance and Kara. Their reunion was so short, so short—and now she's out in danger again. Their work is not done—his work is not done, not until he finds Skye and she's out of HYDRA's tracking purposes. Not until HYDRA is taken down, will she be safe.
Maybe that will be the answer to all their problems. In the back of his mind, Kara's recovery, his mission to find Skye, and he himself starting over will merge in this one common goal: take down HYDRA from the inside. Grant Ward knows that little voice in the back of his mind: he's insane for still harboring feelings towards the girl who's shot him, for him to work with Coulson and take down HYDRA, but that credibility of being insane is what he will need to make sure that these two women are safe. And that, he is okay with.
Ward walks up to Coulson, with a fresh determination in mind, and responds, "Your call, Boss."
…
THE END
Author's note: I know the ending was a bit awkward, but I wanted to leave a bit up to imagination, since of course, we don't know what Ward is really thinking. Who's excited for Tuesday's episode! The original six are BACK! Whoohoo! :D