Hey everyone! HEre is the next chapter - a little shorter since it's more of a connecting chapter, but the next one should be longer and advance the plot much more significantly =)

Endless thoughts flickered through Fitz's head. How could Ward be Hydra? How could he have been lying to us, all this time? He had no answers for those questions. He wasn't sure that he even wanted the answers - they might just make everything worse. Looking over at Skye, he felt his heart break a little bit more. The expression on her face showed just a fraction of the deep hurt she must be experiencing, but the thing that really made him angry was that there were unshed tears glistening in her eyes. Ward had made her cry, and that made Fitz's blood boil even more than the actual betrayal. He has no right to hurt Skye. Not after everything she has been through…

"Listen up." Ward's brisk tone interrupted Fitz's thoughts as the specialist strode into the room, Jemma a couple steps behind him, her eyes red and puffy.

"Why should we listen to you?" The words were out of his mouth before he could think them over. Not that he regretted them.

"Because I have managed to infiltrate Hydra, and this is our only shot to take them down." Sighing, Ward ran a hand through his hair. "I can't do it without this team, though."

Moving over to Jemma's side, Fitz took her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. She looked over at him, and it was easy for him to see how hurt she was. While she hadn't mentioned anything to him, he knew her well enough to recognize the way she looked at Ward - it was the same way he sometimes caught himself looking at Skye. "You okay?" He whispered, while Ward continued trying to make his case with May, Coulson, and Skye.

A trembling smile formed on her lips. "I don't know."

They were interrupted by Coulson. "This is a team, but each of you have the right to make your own choice - what will it be?" He paused to look at each of them. Fitz forced himself to meet Coulson's gaze without squirming. "I, for one, am going to trust Agent Ward. He has proved that he has our backs, and frankly I see it as our best chance to take down Hydra.

Surprisingly, it was May who first responded. "You know I will follow you, Phil." Her voice was soft, but determined.

"I'm in, too." Jemma nearly whispered from beside him.

"I don't like it, but I don't really see another choice." That was Skye.

If Skye and Jemma are both in, I can't really see what choice I have. As everyone watched him expectantly, he sighed and said, "Fine. I'll help too."

"Thank you," Ward said, his eyes focused on Jemma even though he was addressing the entire team. "Here's the plan." Activating the holotable, he started pulling up images. Fitz listened and found himself nodding along, despite his reservations. The plan was dangerous, but if they pulled it off, there was hope for SHIELD.

"Are you okay?" Walking back from the debriefing, Fitz kept his pace slow so that he would have more time to talk.

Skye shrugged slightly. "Not really. But I've seen worse, I guess."

"I'm sorry for that." And he truly was. He knew that Skye would be taking this hard because Ward was her SO - they had been much closer than Fitz ever had been to the specialist.

"Well," he started, his eyes trained on the ground, "If you feel like talking, or anything, really, you can find me?" It came out like a question - an awkwardly-worded one at that. They passed Fitz's room in silence.

Finally, she replied, "Thanks, Fitz. I've never really had anyone to go to before." They stopped in front of her door. "This is me," she commented, slightly shyly.

Unable to shake the impression that this felt like the doorstep scene of a first date, Fitz went in for a hug. "Everything will be okay - I promise." Holding her in his arms, breathing in her scent, feeling the emotional intimacy, Fitz truly believed what he said. They would make things work out. They had to.

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