Choices

Summary: Skye deals with the choices she's made and the choices that are made for her.

This has nothing to do with any of my other stories, it's just an idea based on the promos and sneak peeks for season 2.

Skye could pinpoint the exact moment in her life when everything had gone wrong. It was the moment Coulson had finally come out of hiding only to tell her to go and get some information out of Ward. It was an order not a question and like the good little solider she had become Skye obeyed.

At first it hadn't been difficult, she had asked questions and Ward had answered. Thinking back Skye wondered if she should have seen how badly things would go but at the time she didn't care. Skye knew for a fact that if Grant Ward had been the one to kiss her she would have pushed him back, hell she would have beat him into a bloody pulp for even thinking about kissing her but this time she was the one to kiss him, months later Skye couldn't answer why. As much as she wanted to Skye couldn't blame Ward for what happened next, no matter how much she wanted to. Unfortunately she had to share some of the blame for ending up half-dressed against the wall of Ward's cell. It wasn't exactly the physical interrogation Coulson had had in mind when he'd turned the cameras off.

It wasn't until two months later that Skye realised how badly she was screwed.

It was meant to be a routine mission and it was, right up until the moment Skye got herself shot. She'd had worse, a shot through the shoulder was a mere scratch compared to two shots to the stomach and she had survived that, eventually.

The hacker couldn't understand why Simmons was so nervous after she had been patched up, that was until Skye saw her blood test results. She hadn't even thought about the consequences of her encounter with Ward, she hadn't even seen him since that day. After the encounter Skye had told Ward exactly what she thought of him and it hadn't been kind. She hadn't had the courage to face him since.

Simmons had waited patiently for an explanation but Skye couldn't bring herself to tell it. She barely managed to admit to Coulson that she pregnant, there was no way she was admitting to who the father was. Simmons had her options but Skye couldn't, even if the baby was half his it was also half hers. This was her chance to have a family all of her.

Skye was adamant about one thing, Grant Ward must never know.

Skye was almost four months when it became general knowledge around The Playground that she was expecting but no matter who ask, be it May, Fitz, Hunter or Trip, Skye never would admit to who the father was. That's how the pool started. She'd almost strangled someone when she'd learned that the best odds were on Lance Hunter to be the father. Apparently the mercenary would never flat out deny sleeping with Skye, which he hadn't done but none the less it gave people ideas and Hunter just rolled with it.

The team had been supportive of Skye but they still wanted a name and that was something Skye couldn't give.

If Grant Ward didn't know he was going to be a father the no one would.

However everything changed when HYDRA attacked.

No one could figure out how The Playground had been compromised but it had and all hell had broken loose within. Luckily HYDRA's target hadn't been the SHIELD agents working in The Playground. Unfortunately their target had been the weapons vault and the prison. Apparently HYDRA's idea of a good time was to release over twenty prisoners and the throw the berserker staff among them, escaping with the victor. The victor was clear, only one man in that room had handled the staff before. However when the SHIELD agents finally made it to the prison there was no escape, only Grant Ward sitting in his cell, with the door open, staff against the wall, prisoners and HYDRA agents alike unconscious or dead on the floor.

It was then Skye decided he had a right to know even if no one else did. Grant Ward needed to know about his child.

Skye was surprised at just how easy it was to sneak into the prison, the guards were more worried about the HYDRA raid than they were with watching the single prisoner who was still awake.

Skye watched Ward in her cell and all she felt was pity, not hate, he looked like the broken man he had been when he had first picked up the staff. Ward's look was distant, he didn't really see Skye standing there.

Before she could chicken out Skye spoke, "I'm pregnant," Then added quickly, "It's yours."

Ward's eyes snapped up and gave Skye a once over, clearly searching for the small bump that she kept well hidden. His reaction wasn't what Skye was expecting, especially when he just lay on his bed and rolled away so he face the wall, so he didn't face Skye, "Keep it away from me."

It wasn't anger or hate in his voice but hurt. Skye could tell he cared, which was the exact reason Ward wanted their child far away from him. He couldn't hurt or damage the child if he wasn't anywhere near it.

Skye left without another word, thankful that the cameras had been damaged in the fight. Coulson didn't need to about this, no one did.

Only someone did, stepping out of the prison Skye almost collided with Fitz. The engineer didn't say anything, he didn't have to, the pain was written all over his face. Fitz knew.

Fitz knew and it was only a matter of time before he told Coulson or even just Simmons. No matter who he told the secret was out. Fitz had figured out Ward was the father of Skye's child and it was only a matter of time before he told everyone.

Only he didn't. Fitz kept his mouth shut and Skye had to wonder why. Of all the people in The Playground the engineer hated Ward the most. After slowly recovering from the injuries inflicted by Ward the resentment was still there and had only grown with time. Skye had to wonder what Fitz was up to. If he wasn't going to tell anyone the truth what was he going to do?

Skye had just entered her sixth month, happily spending most of her time relaxing in the lounge, when the pain hit. It was excruciating and it didn't take Skye long to figure out something was wrong. Simmons had been in the lounge at the time and had reacted quickly, quickly enough to save the baby. If Simmons hadn't been there Skye would have lost it and she wasn't entirely sure if she herself would have had the will to live if she had lost child.

Skye spent the next week in bed while Simmons tried to determine what exactly had gone wrong. The biochemist hadn't been thrilled with the answer, poison. A poison specifically designed to cause a miscarriage or still birth. Skye had been visibly sick when Simmons had told her the truth. Someone wanted her baby dead.

It took Skye exactly three more days to figure out who. She thought back to the day she was poisoned, she had prepared all her food and drinks herself, all except one. A herbal tea. That had been delivered by Fitz. Fitz had planned his ultimate revenge on Ward, kill his unborn child. Skye didn't need to confront the engineer, his guilt was written all over his face. He looked sorry about hurting Skye but determined to hurt Ward. Skye was sure, she knew. Fitz would try again. And if this was what sweet, innocent Fitz was willing to do when he found out who her child's father was Skye was afraid what the other, less rational and more violent people might do. Skye was afraid for her child's life so she did the only thing she could do, what she had always done. Skye ran.

Skye lasted a week in the outside world before realizing she needed help. Coulson and SHIELD searched for her, still unaware of her child's origin, while HYDRA was jumping at the chance to get a SHIELD agent, close to Coulson, to use as leverage. Skye needed help but she couldn't trust SHIELD, not after Fitz. She only had one option and it wasn't a good one. It also disturbed Skye greatly that at that moment in time she trusted Grant Ward more than she did Coulson, May and FitzSimmons. Ward had told her to stay away but this was life and death.

Sneaking back into the Playground was surprisingly easy, especially in the dead of night. Getting into the prison section was also surprisingly easy. Talking to the former Agent Ward on the other hand, was not.

Ward was asleep when Skye unlocked his cell, at least she thought he was. The specialist sat up when Skye stepped into the cell and froze when he recognized her. It took a couple of seconds to realise it was the pregnancy that shocked him, it was a lot harder to hide then it had been the last time they'd met.

Realising they didn't have a lot of time before someone detected her presence back on base, and in the prison, Skye spoke quickly, "Someone tried to kill our kid, Grant." She used his first name to get his attention, it worked, "I need your help to get away."

Ward shook his head, "That kid's better off far away from me. Get the team to help."

"Who do you think tried to kill the baby?" Skye snapped. Seeing the look of shock and anger on Ward's face she continued, "Fitz at least. And if I can't trust Fitz then I can't trust the other either."

"But you can trust me?" Ward asked, doubtfully, standing up and crossing the cell to stand in front of Skye.

"No," Skye admitted, "But right now you're the lesser of two evils and I trust you want to do what is best for the kid, that's why you're keeping your distance, isn't it? But right now the best thing for this kid if for me to hide and with both HYDRA and SHIELD after me you can help me do that."

Finally Ward nodded, "Lead the way."

Together they ran but it didn't take Skye long to figure out that this was nothing more than a job to Ward. He was there to protect their child, nothing more. They never stayed in the same place for more than three days and always slept in separate beds and Skye had had enough.

They had been so many places in the last month and a half that Skye had stopped trying to remember locations, sometimes they weren't even in the states anymore. All she knew was that their location when she hit eight months was cold. Ice cold.

It was near midnight and Skye hadn't slept since arriving two days ago, she was either kept awake by the baby or the cold and right now it was the cold. She only had one choice. Climbing out of her own bed Skye climbed into Ward's.

Ward pulled back when Skye pulled herself closer. "Skye…" He warned.

"If you insist on dragging us to the artic, then you have to keep me warm." Skye replied.

Ward just wrapped his arms around Skye and didn't say another word.

Skye didn't complain, at least she was warm and Ward was talking.

Skye made sure Ward had them back in the States in time for the baby to be born, the only condition she had ever given him about the locations they ran. It was almost four o'clock in the morning when Skye gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Ava.

For the first time since she broke Ward out of prison Skye saw the specialist smile.

Ava was three months old when Skye found herself back in the Playground. She needed closure and this was the place to get it. After being away for so long Skye was still surprised at how easy it was to break into a secure SHIELD base and even break into the Director of SHIELD's office.

Coulson froze when he entered his office and found the hacker sitting at his desk, in his chair feet on the director's desk, "Skye?"

"Hey, AC," Skye replied.

Coulson stepped forward, "You're alive?"

Skye laughed, "Of course I am."

Coulson was confused, "And you're child?"

"She's safe," Skye replied, "Far away from here."

Coulson crossed his arms, "Why did you run?"

"Ask Fitz, I just came to say goodbye" Skye snapped and again she ran.

It had taken Skye seeing Coulson, being back inside SHIELD, for her realise the truth. That wasn't the life she wanted anymore, the life she wanted for her daughter. Skye knew exactly what she wanted, and more importantly who she wanted.

Ward and Ava were hiding far away from the Playground, far away from those who might wish them harm because of what Ward had done.

Ward looked up when Skye let herself in, no doubt surprised that she had returned alone, Ava was asleep.

What Skye did next no doubt surprised Ward even more, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt Skye pulled Ward into a kiss, pulling back she smiled, "I choose you."

Author's Note: This was just a story that's been rolling around in my head for the last couple of days and I needed to write it down. It is a bit rushed but I needed to write it down before season 2 started and ruined my train of thought.

I made Fitz evil and I'm sorry but it seemed to fit.

I will post the final chapter of my other story ESCAPE THE DAY later today.

PLEASE REVIEW.