A/n: Hello! The feedback on this was much better than I'd ever hoped it to be and so convinced me to get this chapter up much quicker :) Sorry it's short, but it will be the shortest of the bunch. Enjoy!

Chapter Two

When flames lick at my heels I jump into your arms (but you still set the fire)

DAY TWO

The British Museum didn't require formal clothes so Skye was able to choose from the ones she'd packed. (A grey sweater with leggings, mere practical clothes made divine on her). The fact that she'd picked them made Ward feel near relieved as Skye didn't seem to like the dress he'd chosen. He wasn't sure why. He personally thought it was a little more chaste than things girls usually put on these days and Skye surely wasn't afraid to show skin. Maybe she'd thought it was ugly.

Whatever the reason, she should have mentioned it. He would've given her something else.

"Where do you want to start?" he asked her as she looked over the map.

"Mm. I guess… I've always wanted to see the Rosetta Stone."

She'd effortlessly eased into her old self - as he liked to think of her, pre-training, pre-Hydra, pre-worry, more likely than not her true self if not for all those harsh factors – when he'd made it clear that today would not be like the restaurant. The past would not be discussed, it was simply like a first date. A blind date. As though memories were all erased from their minds to give them a blank slate.

If that were truly possible, Ward was sure he would've already fallen in love with her by now.

So they saw the stone first and made the rounds after that. Ward kept himself at a distance. He'd rest his hands on her shoulders, maybe, but nothing more. Simple, as if they'd truly just met. Meanwhile Skye was acting decently talkative in plain conversation.

"Wow," she commented on a particularly brutish statue.

"Kind of ugly."

"I was looking at the big head," she said flatly. "Reminds me of yours."

She turned to move on to the next exhibit (for as talkative as she was, she was moving at a fair pace) and Ward laughed at her jibe before trailing after her.

"Ah look. Hydra."

"We're not talking about it-"

"I said look. At the stupid drawing thing."

Ward did. It seemed to be a sketch; a well-muscled man taking on a large lizard with multiple heads.

"It reminds me of the serpent," Skye said. "From the bible."

"Powerful?"

She scrutinized him, incredulity written all over her face.

"Evil," she pronounced, as though speaking to a child. Then she snorted. "Do you see everything the wrong way? God, how did you even manage to pretend you were normal for so long… I'm surprised we weren't talking about puppies one day and you didn't causally mention how they should all be burned alive because… they have too much fur to be practical, or something."

What the hell? She'd been doing so well.

And that didn't even make sense.

"Jesus, Skye…" He ran a hand through his hair. Instead of reminding her this wasn't something to be talked about, he pulled her over to the side. Maybe she'd respond better to honestly. "Listen. It was easy to know what that Grant Ward would have done. I knew him inside and out, even if I didn't always agree with him. And honestly, I don't think he was any better or any worse than me."

She scoffed at that, shaking her head thoughtlessly.

"And I do like dogs. Me. I had a dog, Buddy. Garrett gave him to me."

She stared at him. Her brown eyes moved uncertainly as they read his face. "Oh. I guess it's possible for the man to have done one non-evil thing in his life…"

"He ordered me to shoot him."

"Fuck!"

"Shh. Keep your voice down! There's kids…"

"How did you not realize that man was insane, Ward?" she asked desperately. She tilted her head, almost pityingly. "Is he why you're insane?"

"I'm not- mm," he grumbled. They were getting off topic. They'd been doing so well and then his fucking past had to bring things off the rails again.

But she needed to know. He couldn't let her think the worst.

"You killed a defenseless dog because your mentor ordered you to?"

"I didn't shoot Buddy," he said, hands grasping her shoulders, trying to ground her in front of him. It wasn't until that moment that he could feel the light trembling. "I couldn't - there was no logical reason for it. I left him in the woods because it gave him a shot to fend for himself."

Skye nodded. "So as long as something is… tactical, it's excusable?"

Yes! "Yes." He smiled when he said it, because she seemed to have finally have started comprehending his way of thinking.

Grant Ward knew he was a killer, but not a serial killer as Skye had once called him. There was always a reason. An end to justify the means. A mission in the long run.

"So you killed Eric because it was tactful." Her voice was very quiet, causing him to grimace.

She looked so sad.

He wished he hadn't caused it.

There had been kills Ward made that were worse than others. People who killed mercilessly, people who liked to see others in pain, who'd taken lives as well, or even just cocky assholes were easier marks.

Koenig had near reminded Ward of a child. The man was strange and petulant, and Ward did not enjoy killing him.

But he was not a child. And he'd been in the way.

Ward shrugged. "I was a spy. I had a mission," he repeated the words from a lifetime ago.

Her face was blank. "Ok."

She walked away. By the time Ward caught up with her she was looking at another exhibit, reading the description until she discovered something else to fall under the scrutiny of her witty comments.

She started speaking as though the conversation they'd just had didn't exist and managed to keep it up until they were leaving.

It was impressive. And though it was unexpected, Ward was pleased she was able to refocus so easily.

"Should we get something from the café on the way out?" he asked. He eyed the gift shop, and smiled. "Maybe a souvenir…?"

Skye shook her head. "I don't need anything."

"You could pick out anything you want," he offered.

"No thanks."

"Ok, we should probably eat though."

She sighed. "You can."

"You haven't eaten today," Ward observed gently, concern coating his voice.

"I'm well aware, Ward," she snapped.

She was showing him her back as she faced the exit to the museum, and Grant put a hand on her shoulder. "You need to eat."

"I'm not a child. I can decide for myself if I'm freaking hungry!"

Her voice cracked near the end of the sentence.

"Are you crying?" he asked, not meaning to put as much blame and disbelief in the question as there probably was.

"No," she denied petulantly. As good as any confession.

"Hey," he cooed, "why are you crying?"

She scoffed, turning around to show him the tears. She looked about to spew venom. "I don't-" She sniffled discreetly and shook her head while she recalculated her response. "I just want to leave."

"Ok. Sure, of course," he assured, guiding her towards the door with gentle hands on her shoulders. She was shaking. Of course, she wasn't just shaking.

"Skye-"

"I know," she replied instantly, her voice overlapping even her name.

"You really have to stop," he hissed in her ear as they made their way out.

She let out a shuttering breath. "I'm trying."

"Not hard enough," he said firmly. She was an agent and it was possible she'd respond better if he treated her like one. Like May would. "Look, there's going to be a shit storm if you don't stop. So find a way to get your emotions in check, now."

"Everything ok here?"

Skye looked up from under her bangs and Ward, in turn, glanced up from staring at her. A museum security man was standing in front of them.

Well shit.

Ward flashed a smile. "Ah, yeah. She's just a little upset, but some air will fix her up."

Skye nodded meekly. "Yeah, everything's fine."

"You're sure?" asked the guard skeptically. And the question was undoubtedly directed at Skye.

Skye smiled. "Mhm. I really just need to get outside," she said exasperatedly with a put-on grin, selling it well enough.

Ward saw the man's eyes linger at her arm. There was a layer of bruising, most likely from her recent training. It wasn't an unlikely occurrence.

"Ok," said the guard simply, gesturing for the door. "I still hope you enjoyed your time."

"Thanks," Ward said as they walked past. He could feel the man's eyes on their backs. When Ward surreptitiously glanced to the side, he saw the man heading for a staff room.

He suspected something. They couldn't chance it.

Grant stopped walking.

"Skye, you head outside. I need to take care of something."

Her eyes got wide. She wasn't stupid, and what he was going to do had clicked in her mind immediately. "No…" she whispered, shaking her head. "Please don't do this."

He tried to give her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

There was a strained grimace on her face as she shook her head. "No it won't. Not if you do this. He didn't think anything-"

"He's about to go call the cops, Skye," Ward leveled with her. If that man had heard any of the conversation of when Ward was trying to help her get ahold of her powers… well, it sounded bad. "Just wait outside."

"Please, I'll do anything," she whispered desperately. "I'll be better, I swear. I'll act like a perfect girlfriend. I could… I could put on a show for you tonight, just you and me," she added quietly. "Just please don't kill anyone!"

"Skye, you didn't do anything wrong," he told her, shocked she would think so. Shocked that she believed she owed him anything for this.

Or could stop him.

She took his hands. "Please," she tried one more time.

"Just wait outside," he said, giving her hands a gentle squeeze before releasing them and she just about broke down in tears. "And get that under control," he added when the trembling increased. It wasn't threatening anyone, mere vibrations, but it needed to stop. For the well being of their cover as well as anyone else and only Skye could learn to compartmentalize her emotions and learn halt the manic vibrations.

But as Ward followed the guard into the backroom, he only felt quaking increase.

A/n: I'll probably start updating ever few days from here on out. (but reviews make me wanna post faster! ;) )