Coulson really had no idea at the gravity of the punishment he had handed out to Skye.

While the team had mostly forgiven her for helping Miles out, the bracelet was still on her wrist. It had been on her wrist for nearly two weeks.

It felt like the longest two weeks of her life.

Skye lived computers. She breathed computers. Ever since she was a little girl, she had learned to manipulate them, taught her fingers a delicate dance across the keyboard. She could do anything with the adequate equipment - and she could do a lot with inadequate equipment, too.

A computer in her hands was a musical instrument, a library, a microphone, a weapon.

Also, there were a lot of cute pictures of cats on the Internet.

But the bracelet prevented her from that. Out of respect for Coulson and a real desire for penance, she had waited a week before trying to circumnavigate the device. Once the wait proved too much, she had tried using only the unadorned hand, holding the other one as far away as she could. That hadn't worked. She had tried covering it with sheets, clothes, tape, and once, memorably, peanut butter. Nothing. She had even tried soaking the bracelet in water. No luck. The only option she had left was getting someone else to use a computer for her, and Skye was desperate enough to try it.

Coulson was out. As the person who had put the inhibitor on her, he probably wouldn't be receptive to her getting around it. May was also not an option, given that Skye was still a tiny bit scared of her. Besides, she would probably follow Coulson's lead. And the idea of asking May to google "catvengers" was too ludicrous to even consider.

Fitzsimmons would probably help her, but if one of them knew they both would, and neither was particularly quiet or good at keeping secrets. Which left Skye with only one alternative: Ward.

Things had been getting better between her and her supervising officer after the initial sting of her betrayal had faded, but they still weren't at the level they were before it happened. Skye would have been comfortable asking that Ward for help, the one who'd supported her to Coulson, who had given her a compliment and a smile. But she didn't want to make a bad impression on Ward now, not when their relationship was just beginning to turn back to normal.

Still, Skye really needed to use a computer. Needed to. She hadn't checked her Facebook, she hadn't checked her email, and oh god - she hadn't checked her tumblr.

Taking a deep breath, Skye went to confront her S.O. He was reading on the couch, absorbed in his book, and didn't even look up when she walked in, although Skye was certain he'd heard her. She took a few seconds to check him out - no sense in passing up a good opportunity, and damn if he didn't fill in that white t shirt well - before getting his attention.

"Ahem. Ward?" she asked, a bit tentatively. He looked up, raising his eyebrows. "Would you be willing to...help me with something?"

Ward shrugged. "Of course," he answered, putting his book down. "What's the problem?"

Taking his receptiveness as a sign of encouragement, Skye elaborated. "Well, as you know, this bracelet kind of shorts out any technology I try to use," she said, lifting her arm befitted with the device in question. "And I get that I can't be trusted, I do, but it won't even let me look at non-SHIELD information. So I was wondering if maybe you could use a computer for me?" Sensing his reluctance, she added to her argument.

"Please, Ward? The whole idea is that I can't access any sensitive stuff. You'll be watching the entire time."

Ward bit his lip, looking conflicted. And hot. "Alright," he agreed, and Skye mentally high-fived herself. That was easier than she thought. "But no funny business, okay? And Coulson can't know about it."

"Of course, of course," Skye said, grinning. "Thanks, Ward. And I know I apologized already, but I want you to know that I really am sorry about the whole Miles business. It was stupid of me." She would have continued, but the agent was shaking his head.

"I do know you're sorry, Skye," he said, as he got up from the couch. "I wouldn't be doing this otherwise."

"Great!" Skye punched him lightly in the chest. "My bunk or yours?"

Ward froze. "Um...what?"

"For the computers, doofus. I'm assuming you don't want to do it out here where Coulson could walk by any minute?"

"Oh. Right. Um. My bunk's fine." Ward started towards his room, and Skye quickly followed, grabbing her powered off laptop. Ward's room was spartan, with few personalizations; there was a stack of books in a corner, but everything else looked exactly like her room did before she accessorized it. Skye threw herself on the bed, bouncing around a bit before realizing that she left nowhere for Ward to sit. It was a pretty small bed. She moved herself over to one side, and beckoned Ward to the other.

"Here," she said. "I think it will work if you sit here and I read over your shoulder." Ward sat down and she handed him the computer. As he pressed the button and waited for it to boot, he turned towards her.

"So what was so pressing that you couldn't wait to look it up? Coulson's probably going to take your inhibitor off in a few days. You know he can't stay mad at you."

Skye batted her eyelashes at him. "Who can?" she said, and then laughed. "I just nee- I just wanted to check some things. Facebook, you know. Nothing important."

Rolling his eyes, Ward punched the address into the keyboard. "Password?" he asked.

Shit. Skye had not thought this through. Still, she had come this far, and it would be a shame to give up now. "Thorssexyarms," she mumbled.

"What?"

"I said," Skye repeated, her cheeks a little red, "Thor's sexy arms. All one word. No capitals or punctuation." Ward snorted. "Shut up," she said, swatting his back. "It's not like I thought anyone else would see it."

Ward chuckled. "You know," he said as he typed the password in, "when working for a secret government agency, having a Facebook is generally not a good idea." Her page loaded, a few notifications and one message hovering up on screen.

"I know, I know," Skye responded, eyes on the screen. "Click on the message." Ward complied. Skye leaned in to read it, her chin resting on Ward's shoulder. Unfortunately (for that had been a very comfortable position), the computer screen began flickering. Skye jerked back, and Ward glanced at her, amused.

"Want me to read it to you?" Skye nodded, a bit wary. Hopefully this wouldn't be too personal. Her fears were confirmed by his next words. "It's from 'Alicia Greenberg,'" he said. Skye's stomach did a somersault. She moved to cut him off but he had already begun reading it.

"Hey Skye! Just wondering if you're free to cosplay next weekend, I still have your Iron Man costume," Ward read, more than a hint of mirth in his voice. "It feels like ages since we last hit the Tower. Just looking at this picture made me feel so nostalgic!"

Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Skye did not know why she ever thought asking Ward to check her Facebook was a good idea. She had been without Internet for too long. It was messing up her brain.

Her S.O. did not seem terribly unhappy with her decision, however. He had collapsed in laughter at the image in front of him, which Alicia had ever so helpfully included in her message. It showed Skye and a few other people in costume posing in front of Stark tower. Skye was dressed in full Iron Man regalia, save her head, which remained uncovered to leave no doubt to her identity.

"Having fun?" Skye asked dryly. Ward recovered, with some effort.

"Wait," he said, in a tone that could only be described as gleeful. Skye had rarely seen him like this, and had to admit it was worth the embarrassment to expose this side of Ward. "There's more." He began reading out loud again. "All the crew misses you. Do you remember that time when Captain America was rumored to be in that cafe and we -" at this, Skye lunged forward, reaching her arms around Ward to get her bracelet close to the screen. The computer promptly died, and Skye let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Sorry, Robocop. That next part might have shorted your circuits."