So while I should be writing the next chapter of Never Give Up Hope, but instead I feel compelled to write this...It hurts that they didn't allow him a chance to speak beyond a few words and that they hurt him.

She knew the plan, could repeat it word for word, but the moment she saw him again...it faded away. He had the gun pointed at her, she wasn't afraid of him, although she should be. But there was something in his eyes, she took a step towards him, slowly closing the distance.

"Grant." She lifted one hand to his cheek, tracing the scar with her fingers. He closed his eyes briefly before the mask settled again,

"Don't..." He said the gun lowered in his hands,

"Don't push me away, please." So that was a low blow, she knew he wouldn't want to deny her anything, maybe she could stop this before their family got hurt. She would be lying if she said that she didn't want him, she loved him, he belonged with her. The knowledge hit her like a bullet, she was his just as much as he was hers, Garrett was just in their way. His eyes were searching hers, looking for any sign she was going to lie to him, so she met his gaze. Letting her fears and hopes collide in her eyes, her hand moving from his cheek to his chest, "Come back to me, Grant." She whispered, ignoring the man behind her, as Grant took her into his arms.

"Skye, I owe him..."

"No, you don't. The only person you owe anything to is yourself, he hurts you Grant, I know you believe you deserve that but you don't."

"I am a bad man, Skye." He kept saying that, like it was the only thing he knew.

"A bad man wouldn't jump out the plane to save Jemma or fight to keep Fitz alive. He wouldn't shoot a man just to save me, do you know what I see when I look at you?"

"What do you see?" He sounded so broken and sad, it broke her heart.

"I see a man who has been through hell, who never got the life he deserved, who deserves to be with the ones who love him. You have a family with us, so what do you say Grant? Help us stop Garrett?" She could see how conflicted he was, she saw May out of the corner of her eye, watching them carefully. She nodded to her as Grant handed her the gun,

"Skye..." Grant said meeting her eyes and cupping her face, as they leaned into kiss, May joined them. She held out her hands for the keys she had in her hands.

"They are forcing these people to work here, by holding someone they love captive, they need to be cleared out before we take him out." May told them, a smile on her lips. Turning their attention to the man who was still tied to the chair,

"They have my wife. I will help you if you free her."

"We can get them out, one of our men is on his way here." May told him, he nodded and told her the password to the hallway where they kept the 'incentives'. She met May's eyes and smiled at her.

"Grant and I will meet Coulson, he might need us." She told her, May's eyes flickered toward Grant in a question.

"I would never hurt her, May." Grant promised,

"I touched the Beserker staff today, I still have the rage, you hurt her and I will end you." May's voice bordered on vicious and she was touched at her concern.

"Go free the hostages, every soldier should be away from there and headed towards Garrett." She smiled at the older woman, who shot Grant another glare before leaving to free the hostages.

"Coulson is going to kill me." Grant muttered, taking her hand an leading the way, "You have to pretend to be my hostage, Skye. He wants me to get what I want most."

"I'm flattered, Robot." She teased, feeling better then she would have thought possible, she was still wary of him being around Garrett but she trusted him.

"What if you carry me in? Like I fought and you had to knock me unconcious?" She suggested.

"That would get you too close to him, I don't know what you have planned but...I don't want him to touch you. He's stronger now, like Mike."

"So the alien blood was duplicated, good makes the next part of my plan easier." She told him, meeting his questioning gaze.

"Why do I think I'm not going to like this?"

"You know me all too well." She stopped him at the door and he picked her up, bridal style.

"You have to go limp, won't work if you don't." He chided, she obeyed him and went limp in his arms. He carried her into the room and Garrett spotted them first. Fury was talking, so he only heard the end of that conversation.

"Don't tell me, your whole HYDRA stint is because you misheard my damn 'One man' speech." Fury looked at Coulson, "You got it right?"

"Yes." Coulson replied.

He tried to ignore the joy he felt at having her in his arms, knowing she trusted him. He knew Garrett would believe she had fought and he had restrained her. Her plan was dangerous and they both knew it, the tiniest thing could change the outcome.

"My boy! You have the girl, perfect. Maybe we can reprogram her to forget SHIELD and once we are done you can have her."

"Thank you, John." He muttered in response.

"You failed to mention that Ward was on his side, Coulson." Nick Fury's voice carried across the room, startling him.

"Doesn't matter, he betrayed us, plus he's got Skye." Coulson said, his voice angry.

"Now Phil, the boy only wants his girl back. Even you can understand that, after all you pulled Melinda from her safe job to be by your side." Garrett reminded him pointedly.

"Why don't we hear from Grant? Have him explain how he kidnapped the girl he claims to love, held her hostage at gunpoint." Coulson glared at him, and he flinched until Skye squeezed his arm softly.

"Grant, you say you care for the girl. Let her go, bring her to people who want to keep her safe." Fury ordered in his Director voice.

"I'm sorry Sir." He started, as Mike turned away suddenly and Skye lifted herself out of his arms. She flung two metal circles at Garrett's back before she nodded towards Mike.

"Hey, Asshole." Skye shouted, causing Garrett to turn towards them quickly. His face morphing into one of amusement,

"I always liked you, Skye." He moved her back behind him as Garrett took a menacing step towards her,

"That's far enough, John." He watched Garrett carefully, Skye was moving behind him,

"Move Son, let me see the girl." Garrett's voice became threatening, as he stepped closer to them.

"I don't think so John." He felt Skye's hand on his back, pulling him away from Garrett.

"Grant, I gave you an order." He could see Mike lifting his arm and taking aim.

"Any other time, anything else I would do for you, John. Skye is off limits, you told me that you would make sure I got what I wanted. I want her, that makes her your gift to me, John."

"If you want a smart hacker, we have thirty of them easily, you can take your pick." John was still advancing on them, when Skye screamed,

"NOW!" There was a blast and Garrett was across the room, struggling to get up. Mike had taken another step closer, his arm taking aim again. Skye pulled him away from the fight, towards Coulson and Fury. The former of which glared at him, in a very not Coulson way.

"Where's May?" Coulson asked, as they watched Mike and Garrett fight. Fury seemed amused at the barely concealed disgust on Coulson's face.

"Freeing the 'Incentives'. Change of plans, AC." Skye quipped, not releasing her grip on his arm.

"Trip meeting May then? What happened while we were talking to Garrett?"

"I had a moment of clarity, figured out where my loyalties really are."

"Told you that girl was a risk, Phil. But I shouldn't be surprised that you turned her into an asset, like Natasha."

"With all due respect, Director. We have more pressing matters then, my 0-8-4 status." They heard Garrett's last breath, he was cursing them all. Mike nodded at them,

"May has Ace. Follow me, everything can be explained then." Skye pulled him out next to her, leading them to the parking lot where Trip was standing with May. Coulson crossed to May and his arms pulled her into a hug, the scene was intimate and they looked away. Mike walked towards Ace an hugged his son for the first time in months. Fury was talking to Trip, and he almost felt like walking away, until Skye leaned into his arms.

"It's going to be a long road, but you have me, are you willing to take the chance?" She asked, her brown eyes searching his for the truth.

"I will never leave you again, even if you push me away, I will keep watching over you." He promised,

"You found Fitzsimmons?" Coulson's question stopped all the other conversations, he felt relief until he saw the look on Fury's face.

"Their pod sank...if they hadn't sent out a distress signal, they wouldn't be alive." Fury answered, he let out the breath he had been holding, they were safe. "I have doctors with Fitz now, we should go, Simmons is not the timid girl I sent you Coulson. She's fiesty, went at two doctors for incorrectly setting up the IV needle, never seen Banner actually jump."

"What happened to Fitz?" He asked dreading the question, Fury looked at him, in pity.

"They say he will be fine, if he wakes up." Skye let out a strangled sound and buried her face in his chest. Coulson looked like he was going to be sick, May's mask fell and Trip looked like someone had taken his puppy.

"It was supposed to float! Those damn things are supposed to float! It was my way of giving them a chance to escape, I wouldn't have done it otherwise. Garrett wanted them dead, he didn't know about the pods."

"Grant, I know." Skye was attempting to calm him down but Fitz's last words kept replaying in his head. Fitz was like his brother and he failed to protect him...why hadn't he seen it before?

"I failed them, just like I failed my brother." He whispered, May argued with him, her voice firm.

"You tried to save them, Garrett was going to kill them or worse, we need to be there for Simmons."

"Lead the way, sir." Coulson said as they headed towards the BUS, when he faltered he saw Coulson turn to look at him,

"I meant now, Agent Ward." That sentence had him moving, they would do whatever it took to save Fitz, he would be right there with them. He felt Skye's hand tighten around his and followed her into the BUS, just in time to hear Fury's anger at the state of the BUS.

"Really Coulson?" Fury asked again, they didn't miss his reply.

"Blame Hand, she shot at us."

"I will call Maria and inform Victoria that she will be expected to explain her actions."

"She's alive?" There was a short laugh at his expense, "Son, don't ever think you can just kill Victoria Hand. She has more lives then a damn cat."

(So there it is, it's not what I had planned exactly...but I should be able to write my other stories now that it's done and out there...I can't even wait until this fall. Season 2 here we come, plenty of time for me to finish all my stories and have new ones waiting for the season premiere. Still not on board with the May/Ward fight, something very wrong with the way he said her name and held his hands up in a defenseive gesture. Plus Skye's dad is alive?)