From Darkness into the Light
Spoilers: All Episodes, mainly focused on the 1x21 "Ragtag" promo
Disclaimer: I don't really own anything here.
Skye sat playing poker with Ward and Fitzsimmons while May and Coulson prepared to Director Hill's arrival. The Bus was parked on a private strip of JFK waiting to be boarded by the Director of SWORD. Laughter filled the cabin as the four 'kids' played each other, Trip sat with them having recently withdrawn from the game.
"Oh man Fitz, give up now." Skye laughed as the man raised the stakes. "You should be glad this isn't strip poker or you'd be down to your birthday suit."
Ward put up his hand, "I did not need that image."
"I don't think any of us did." Trip put a hand over his eyes and shook his head. "Ward control your girl."
"She controls me remember?" Ward chuckled and watched as Skye placed her bet. "You all know she's going to win this game right?"
Simmons smiled, "highly unlikely as statistically one person can't win multiple times in a row at poker. Skye has already won twice…"
"I think that's the point Jemma." Fitz threw up his hands, "I fold."
Skye smiled at him, "good job Fitz, getting out before the big guns are drawn."
"The only big guns around here are the ones I make…"
"OHH!" Skye covered her mouth and looked between Trip and Ward as they digested the comment, both turning to look at the scientist. "Oh you'd better run Fitz because I don't even think Simmons can save you from that one."
Simmons and Skye started laughing as Fitz slid down in his chair more, "poor Fitz, must you always make things awkward?"
"Awkward, how could…" he saw the men looking at him. "Oh, did you take that to mean I was insulting your masculinity?" He put up his hands and started waving them, "no that is not what I meant, I am so sorry…"
The entire group started laughing and Skye shook her head, shrugging. "You know if you boys want to measure, I'm sure Dr. Simmons can give her expert clinical opinion on that."
"For medical purposes I'm sure they're already on file." Simmons smiled and all three men's faces when blank while the girls laughed. "Kidding, I swear they don't put those type of measurements on file."
A clearing of throats made them all look or turn to see Hill with Coulson and May, she folded her arms and looked at them as if expecting an explanation.
"I assume you're preparing for a mission involving each of you as a poker player?"
"Actually," Coulson smiled and turned to Hill, "it's a team bonding experience, board games during down time tends to help cement them. Of course when it's not Upwords or Battleship…"
"Only because Skye can beat anyone at Battleship and Simmons wins at Upwords with her extensive dictionary." Fitz made the comment, "you can never when those games with those two, you might as well sink your own ship or not spell a word."
Simmons gasped, "honestly Fitz, you act like we cheat at it."
"I wouldn't say cheat," he motioned to Ward, "have you ever won at Battleship with Skye?"
Ward gave it some thought, "not once."
"Only because I distract you with talking." Skye smirked and bumped his arm, "which by the way guys, I win." She laid her cards down and they showed a flush, the table erupted in groans.
"Come on!" Fitz threw his hands up, "well that's another game we have to scratch off the list."
Trip held out his hands, "we could play Risk or Axis and Allies, no physical way to cheat in those games."
"Yes exactly," Fitz turned to Coulson. "Next time we land, one of us needs to go buy one of those games."
Hill turned to Coulson, "I thought you had a skilled team, not a kindergarten class. They are only slightly better than Congress and I mean, slightly."
"Back to work." May's voice was stern and they all looked at her. "Everyone, I think all of you has had enough bonding time. Ward, take Skye down and have her work on her training since her spar with me this morning landed her on her back and I was only using Level 3 techniques. Fitzsimmons, don't you have some prototypes you wanted to show Director Hill?"
"Right, we should start organizing those prototypes." Simmons leapt up and Fitz joined her. Skye shook her head and started working on cleaning up their card game. Ward helped her by stacking chips, putting them back in their case.
"We should start talking." Hill turned to Coulson and the agent motioned to the Command Center.
Skye's laughter made Hill look back once to see Ward whispering as he collected a chip from Skye's fingers, to which the younger agent threw back her head laughing. She pushed him as she stood and moved to the shelf where games were stored. Ward watched her from where he stood with a gentle smile on his face.
"Are they involved?" Hill looked at Coulson as they entered the Command Center. "Ward and Skye, are they involved?"
May and Coulson shared a look before the Calvary answered the question. "It's complicated."
"Uncomplicate it…quickly!"
The two agents shared a look once again and Coulson finally spoke, "it's a Romanoff-Barton situation all over again."
"Excuse me, did you say you have another Romanoff-Barton situation again? I distinctly remember you telling Fury that that was one in a very large astronomical number. That the chances of that happening again would be never seen before your death."
"Technically it's after my death." Coulson smiled and folded his arms.
Hill shook her head, "so you're telling me if I stick a gun to her head…"
"He'll shoot you." May spoke bluntly, "after he tears you apart with his bare hands. Ward's need to protect Skye is stronger than any I've ever seen. I personally wouldn't risk putting her into the field unless he's there beside her."
The director turned to see the two walk past the command center in workout clothes talking and she even got a clip of their conversation.
"No you are totally not serious?" Skye moaned and looked pulled on his arm as she turned around. "Please, no more pushups…I won't survive."
"Would you prefer pull-ups?"
Skye shrugged, "pushups sound great, how many do you want? I can do 10, no how about 15?"
"We'll see, if you can make it down in under 15 seconds I'll decrease by ten."
The girl was instantly gone and Ward was shaking his head, "fifteen, fourteen, thirteen…"
"Ward get your ass down here now!" The intercom and eco told them that Skye was already in the cargo bay.
Coulson couldn't help but chuckle, "he's come a long way and it's Skye who's made the difference. Can't say we trust him completely yet but we trust him enough to put him in the field as long as Skye or us are there to monitor."
"Five months and you're suddenly ready to put him back in the field? If it were any other time I may consider it but I just got news that has me personally visiting HUBs and what not. A sleeper agent, deeper than HYDRA had us aware of…released John Garrett from the Cube. That bastard is out there and there is little doubt what he plans to do next."
May and Coulson looked at the feed of Skye and Ward as they spared, Skye talking Ward's ear off as he tried to get her to concentrate. May sighed, "which one do we protect."
"Both," Coulson looked at the both of his agents. "We protect both of them, without one the other is dangerous and we don't know what Skye is capable of."
Hill nodded, "my main concern is keeping our 0-8-4 agent away from Garrett. We know Garrett is dying of something, maybe Ward can shed light on that, but he wanted the GH-325 and/or any 0-8-4 that could lead to healing him." The director pointed to the screen at the girl who was laughing as she listened to her rookie/trainer. "That girl destroyed an entire village and lived plus holds information on GH-325. He'd dissect her alive if it meant having the answers to his questions. I don't even think Ward's protective nature could stop Garrett from doing so either."
A/N: And shit hits the fan...
Next we see Coulson interrupting a makeout session and also the team is informed about Garrett.
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