A Second Chance at Redemption

Spoilers: 1x20 Promo pics and the promo itself...

Disclaimer: I own Avery and that's it.


Skye lay with Avery in her arms while Ward went to see how many agents were in the compound and what the best path was to the hanger. Looking down at the baby girl in her arms, she felt as if everything in the world was worth fighting for her. The betrayal of Avery's father had been hard to grasp with especially in the early months of pregnancy but knowing that the betrayal led to the miracle in her arms, it was worth it.

It was nearing sunset on the second day, Ward had refused to leave them for longer than necessary to check in with Garrett. He insisted they wait a day because she'd just given birth and he didn't want her passing out due to unknown complications or feeling weak. The sound of the door made her sit up as she knew the boots on the floor of the quarters were Ward's. He practically stormed into the bedroom and started tearing the clean bed sheet apart before turning to her.

"We have to go, Garrett's men will be arriving within the hour and I have to get you out of here." He left the sheet on the bed and helped her up, gently taking Avery from her while she stood.

In that moment Skye saw the man who was Grant Ward, not the agent or killer but just the man. He gazed down at Avery as if she was to be worshiped, his eyes full of happiness as he focused solely on the baby in his arms. Closing his eyes he kissed her on the head and whispered gently that he loved her before handing her back to Skye. "What do I do?"

"Hold her to your chest, I'm going to wrap her against you and then fit the vest around you. I got it from the armory and I know it's loose enough that it could protect you both."

He helped her wrap Avery against her chest with the sheet, taking care to make sure the baby could breathe. Skye watched as he stole small touches to the tiny hands and feet, a finger to her cheek and his gaze full of love. She knew the look in his eyes was one of memorization, almost as if he knew he'd never see their daughter again and didn't want to forget a single thing about her.

Ward fitted the vest to put it around them both so a bullet wouldn't harm her or Avery. She looked down to see the vest lining up with the newborn's head, protecting every inch of her as she calmly slept against her mother's chest. Touching Avery's head, Ward smiled as the baby's tiny nose wiggled.

"We have to go." His demeanor changed and handed her a weapon, it was clearly not an ICER.


Moving through the building, they avoided many agents and it was only getting a hallway from hanger before Ward pushed her behind him. The quick hand movement had landed on her vest and caused Avery to wake.

"Shh," Skye put her hand to her daughter's head and tried to rub her back through the vest but failing. Avery's whimpers were getting louder and she sighed. "She's going to give us away, I can't get her to quiet down."

Ward looked back at her and nodded, "I'll keep you covered, stay down with her."

Skye expected him to be angry or partially upset but he seemed to understand that Avery's cries couldn't be helped. Soon whimpers turned into cries and Skye tried to hush her daughter, finally she had enough and took the vest off.

"Skye…" Ward turned to see her taking the vest off.

"I can get her quiet if I can calm her, I can't do that with the vest." She put the vest down and bent down against the wall, removing her daughter from the wrap he'd made for her. Wrapped in makeshift diaper from a pillow case and a towel, Skye gently bounced her daughter till Avery calmed down. "That's it baby, calm down."

Ward turned to look down a corridor to see agents heading their way, "put the vest on, we got HYDRA incoming."

Skye was quick to remove the wrap and place the vest back on, keeping Avery tucked against her with the wrap quickly becoming a sling around her. She kept down as the gunshots went off, trying to sooth her crying daughter as the gunfire hurt the baby's tiny ears.

It was only when Ward pulled her up that she held tight to Avery, the baby not pausing in her protests about the situation. They ran as quickly at the pace she could go, childbirth a day before didn't help in the physical department and every time she put force on her feet as she ran it radiated up only hurting her more.


They got to the hanger only for Ward to push her back, clearly seeing something inside that was a danger. Avery's cries turned to whimpers as Skye bounced her, trying to calm her down. "Shh, that's it. Everything is going to be alright, Daddy is going to protect us and get us home."

"Garrett's plane just landed, we only have one chance to get past him." Ward looked back at Skye, "try to keep her quiet as much as you can."

"Okay."

He leaned down quickly and moved the sheet covering her to kiss her head. "I love you Avery, no matter what happens know that I love you." His finger touched her cheek before meeting Skye's eyes. Ward quickly cupped her cheek and kissed her before pulling back. "I love you, I'm sorry for everything…just take care of her and tell her I loved her."

Skye didn't know what to say so instead she nodded and squeezed his hand as he took her gun from her. His guns were raised in a position ready to fire and Skye followed as they slipped into the hanger.

He led her around several pieces of equipment and planes, having her duck down as he moved forward to clear the area. Just as she was about to move again, a sound resonated through the hanger from the other end and Avery let out a cry. Trying to sooth her daughter, Skye looked up at Ward and watched him move closer as if ready to defend them both because they would no doubt be discovered due to Avery's cries.

"Shh, Avery please be quiet baby." Skye tried to rub her daughter and whisper but the baby wasn't having it and continued to cry.

"We need to run for it." Ward looked down at her and she nodded as he helped her up.


So they ran for it, Avery crying as they ran for the small jet at the corner of the hanger only for a shot to make them both pause. Ward turned around and aimed his gun at the person firing and found Garrett there with his arms folded and several men with weapons.

"Take another step Skye and I'll put you and that baby down in an instant." Skye stopped and turned, noticing she was a foot from Ward. He seemed to inch closer to her so she took two steps and was mere inches from him. "Ward, what is going on here? I believe I left two days ago and when I did, there wasn't a baby."

Avery's cries got louder and Skye held her daughter closer to her, kissing her head and trying to calm her. Ward just kept his weapons raised and was prepared to shoot at Garrett if he tried to harm both girls.

"I can't let you harm them sir."

"Son, we already went over this. Don't tell me in a week she's managed to convince you to turn your back on our goal. Think about it, that kid holds the key for everything we've been searching for…"

Ward bit his cheek as he spoke, "that kid is my daughter and her name is Avery, she's not an 0-8-4, she'd not an experiment and I'm not letting her be payment for debt. I owe you my life but I won't be paying with my daughter so you can forget it."

Garrett laughed and put his hands on his hips, "daughter…you really bought that line? I knew you were deep but how can you be blind to what is in front of you. Clearly Trip's kid…"

Skye took a risk and removed Avery from the sling, allowing Garrett to see her. She kissed Avery's head as she held her gently, the baby's bare back denoting her race and her hair all black like her father's. Garrett's expression changed as he viewed Avery in Skye's arms. The hacker's eyes bore into him, "I never confirmed that Trip was her father, you assumed that because he protected me." She eased Avery back into the sling and covered her up, "I knew who her father was all along and so did everyone else. Why do you think everyone was protecting me? Not because I'm an 0-8-4 but because my daughter's father was with the enemy."


"Okay, we can work something out." Garrett looked straight at Ward. "So we collect samples from the kid and give her back to you but Skye, Son I can't let her live. Even trade, the girl for the kid."

"Even trade…" Ward nodded and lowered his weapons, Garrett signaled to his men to move in.

"Grant?" Skye looked at him, "no…you promised."

"I promised to protect Avery and I will but I owe him a debt." He looked down at the ground as Garrett's men got close enough to grab. "One I won't let her be payment for…"

Garrett smirked and shook his head, "see we all win, we get information from you Skye, Ward gets the kid and the kid lives."

Just as the men reached for Skye, Ward fired on them and quickly passed his guns to Skye before grabbing those of the men that lay dead at their feet. His attention turned back to Garrett and the man had a weapon trained on them.

"You're making a mistake Son…I told you I'd give you the kid."

Ward shook his head, "my mistake was following you sir. I may owe you my life but not my loyalty, that stays with my family."


The sound of engines made them all look up to see a jet descending into the hanger. It held the SHIELD emblem and seemed to be dropping its ramp. "They followed you here…" Skye smirked and Garrett eyed her. "You should have covered your tracks better."

"No," Ward spoke and looked Garrett in the eyes. "I informed Coulson where they were and he was sent here to get you specifically."

As if on cue, the jet lowered itself to the point the person on the ramp could reach out to grab them. Garrett watched as four men and Maria Hill pointed weapons at them while Coulson reached for Skye with May's help. They pulled her onto the ramp and held her back, Ward took a moment to turn back and look at her as the ramp started to close and the jet rise. It was his mistake because Garrett fired his weapon, hitting Ward in the chest.

"No…" Skye's scream resonated despite the engines. She grabbed the gun from one of the men's sides and fired it, sending the bullet straight into Garrett's head. "We have to go back…"

The ramp closed shut and May looked at her, "we can't go back. Let's get you to Simmons, she's waiting in the forward compartment."

"No, we have to go back for Ward." She pulled out of May's hold and turned to Coulson. "He doesn't deserve to die like this."

"He's already dead." Hill spoke as she marched past them, "besides, at least he died doing something noble instead of rotting in a prison like he deserves. Remember that when you tell your daughter lies about him."


Skye stood there for a moment before starting to sob, a hand on her daughter's back and May leading her to the forward compartment. She felt hollow as Simmons removed Avery from the sling and examined her, declaring her healthy despite everything that she'd been through. Medics started to review Skye herself, removing the tracker from her shoulder and trying to give her anything she needed. All Skye needed was her daughter, to hold her and tell her about her father.

He'd known he'd die before he'd even started, he held and loved Avery in the moments he could. In the moments he was her father he gave her everything he could, all his love and attention that was allowed. Memorizing her face and tiny limbs as if trying to hold onto her until his last moment and she was sure his last thought had been of his daughter. The daughter who he loved with has last breath, who he gave his life for.

"Here we are." Simmons handed Avery back to her and she held the baby against her chest. "A fresh nappy and some clothes. What's her name?"

Skye looked down at her daughter and touched the tiny nose that was all Avery's father. "Avery, her name is Avery Day Ward."


A/N: One more chapter left...