Chapter 2

My neck aches as I slowly wake up wondering where I am. This definitely isn't my room and as I glance down I see Daisy curled into my side and can't help the smile that plays across my face knowing that she is finally resting. I've worried about her for days but she's been so driven and focused on finding Inhumans and helping them that all I've been able to do is make sure I have her back, protecting her as best as I can. Moving slowly I settle her head onto the pillow before covering her with a blanket. Turning off the light I glance back one last time at her sleeping form before I let myself out of her room and head to my own. Sleep eludes me for awhile as I run through all the things she said earlier and I wonder how I had been so blind not to notice she was blaming herself. That stricken look on Daisy's face still haunts me and I worry about her state of mind, especially now that Ward is back.

The blaring of an alarm startles me from my dreams and I glance once at the clock, sighing softly as I throw back the covers and get ready to start my day. Breakfast in the cafeteria is a somber affair as everyone seems to know something is off. Afterwards I head to the gym to get in some rounds on the bag, imagining Ward's head as the center of the target, before heading up to the Director's office for the daily briefing. Daisy is noticeably absent this morning as I glance around the room and Coulson waits a few minutes to see if she will show up, but when she doesn't he begins his prepared speech.

"I know you are all questioning the wisdom of bringing Ward back here," he says as he glances around the room seeing the grim faces of Hunter, who looks ready to kill at any moment. Bobbi, who is doing an amazing job of holding it all together even after everything that Ward's done to her, and Fitz whose concern is directed more toward Simmons' needs than the fact that the guy that tried to kill him has returned into all of our lives again. "We need the intel on Hydra to see just how far up the food chain Ward really went."

"That's what you said last time," Hunter complains angrily. "You told me to make sure he died and now he's a living, breathing member of our base."

"Temporarily," Coulson snaps as Bobbi places a hand on Hunter's arm. "Once we get what we need I'll do it myself."

"Right," Hunter replies, shaking off Bobbi's hand and heading for the exit.

Bobbi's eyes meet mine for a moment before she follows Hunter out the door.

The director dismisses the rest of us but calls for me to stay behind. "Where's Skye... Daisy... this morning?"

"I haven't seen her," I answer as Coulson reaches for his grumpy cat coffee cup, sipping from it slowly.

"Okay," he says as he sets the mug down, heading for the door. "I'll see if I can find her."

"Why don't you let her be," I reply, my voice harsher than I had intended.

Coulson's head jerks up, his eyes narrowing as they meet mine. "Is there something I should know?"

"She exhausted," I tell him. "She needs a break."

"Is everything okay?" he asks, concern evident in his voice.

I don't want to betray Daisy's confidence but at the same time I'm worried about her. "She's just tired and now that Ward's here... and an Inhuman..."

I trail off leaving the rest unsaid. Her guilt. Her fear. It's Daisy's story to tell, not mine.

"Fine. Let her rest," he says. "I need to check on Ward. Do you want to back me up?"

He frames it in the form of a question, but I know it is not so I just nod and follow him to the polytechnic pods we have set up for the Inhumans. Glancing into the first one I see Joey Guitierrez in the midst of a morning workout, the large screen in his room displaying a national morning talk show. Next to him is the room Alicia is in and things haven't changed much there at all. She lays on the bed, curled up in the fetal position, her eyes closed, shutting out the world. The third pod holds the self-proclaimed Director of Hydra. He lays on his side, the gunshot wound from Hunter's semi-automatic freshly bandaged. Coulson keys in the code and Ward sits up carefully, grimacing slightly as the movement pulls at the edges of the wound.

"I'm surprised you kept me alive," he says but there is no malice behind the words. No threat and I wonder if this is because of the change he's recently gone through or if it is just a ploy.

"It wasn't my first thought," Coulson admits. "How are you feeling?"

Ward grimaces slightly as he shrugs. "I've been better. I'm feeling like a stranger in my own skin."

"That's to be expected after what you've gone through."

"What exactly happened to me?" Ward asks.

I see Coulson weighing over how much to tell him and finally he says, "There is a small number of people who have a dormant gene inside them. When that gene is exposed to a chemical called Terrigen, it causes their DNA to change. That's what happened to you."

For such life changing news Ward seems to take it well enough, sitting back slowly, grimacing slightly as he does, and looking at his hands. "That's why I can do this?"

A tiny ember takes hold in his hand and the flame builds for a moment before he closes his hand, suffocating it.

"Yes," Coulson answers.

"And this is what happened to Skye in Puerto Rico?" Ward asks.

Coulson tenses beside me but nods.

"Can I talk to her about it?" He seems genuinely curious about what's happened to him but I still don't like the idea of Daisy being anywhere near him.

"I'll arrange it," Coulson replies. "But I need some information from you in return."

"Our original deal is still intact," he says. "I'll answer any questions Skye has. No one else."

"Fine," Coulson snaps quietly. "I'll arrange it."

Together we leave the room and I can feel Coulson's fury burning off him in waves. "He's still manipulating us."

"It's what he does," I answer.

"Do you think she can handle it?" he asks.

"You'll need to ask her," I say after fighting back the voice inside me that wants to tell him about her guilt. "But I'm going to be there with her."

He nods in agreement. "It can wait until tomorrow."

I'm in the weapons room, stripping down my gun, preparing it for cleaning as I try to keep my thoughts from drifting where they shouldn't. Next to me on the table is Daisy's gun, already cleaned and ready to go and as if she knows I'm thinking about her, she appears in the doorway.

"Hey," she says, coming to sit beside me. "You let me oversleep."

"I thought you needed a break," I tell her as she reaches for her weapon, turning it over and placing it back on the table, realizing there is nothing left for her to do with it.

"Thanks," she replies softly. "I'm sure that went over well with Coulson."

"He was fine with it," I answer, my eyes staying on task as she has a way of distracting me if I don't. "Mostly. Well... sort of."

My words have the intended effect as she laughs and I can't help but grin as well until she asks, "How was the debrief?"

"Fine," I answer. "Coulson explained his reasoning for bringing Ward back. Hunter's pissed. The usual."

Her face clouds over with guilt once more and I wonder how much of it has to do with the man or what's happened to him. "It's okay to still have feelings for him, D."

"I don't," she insists quickly but we've been partners for too long now for me to not be able to recognize the lie. I nod, allowing her the space she needs to work through it as I continue working on cleaning the barrel. We sit in companionable silence as I meticulously place all the parts back together before getting up to stow our weapons. With my back to her I say, "You know I'm always here for you."

"I know that," she replies. I turn back toward her and see the pensive look on her face once more. "Sometimes I get too much in my own head. I'm fine. Really."

"Well next time that happens come talk to me, D. That's what partners are for."

She nods and smiles. "Copy that."

"Now do you want to back me up on a little mission?" I ask, my face turning serious.

"Does it involve an Xbox and a beer?"

"A couple of beers at least," I answer and she smiles once again, nodding as she follows me out of the room.