Author's note

The endings of both the movie and the book My Sister's Keeper are mentioned in this chapter. They're both more than a few years old but still, just wanted to say upfront that how each ends is mentioned.

Chapter 5

"Oh, thank god you're back!" Skye exclaimed on seeing Ward and Coulson walk up the cargo ramp. "I was worried! You said four hours, and now it's been longer than four hours and I thought you weren't coming back!" She directed this last part at Ward.

"Sorry, it took a little longer than expected," Coulson replied, seeing the genuine worry that the young hacker had for her SO. "But there was never any question of whether we would both be back or not." This part he directed as much at the specialist beside him as the young girl in front of him.

Ward flicked his gaze to Coulson from where he had been staring at Skye for a moment, giving him a brief nod to show he understood that he was once again reassuring him of his place there. Coulson returned the nod then headed towards the stairs.

"I'm going to let May know that we're back."

"You didn't think you were coming back," Skye accused as soon as Coulson was out of sight.

Ward wanted to deny it but didn't want to lie to her about it. "I wasn't sure," he said softly.

"Why?" Skye implored, seeing the sadness on his face. "Why would you have not been able to come back?"

"I can't tell you," Ward replied. He and Coulson had not decided for sure whether the younger members of the team could know the truth, so he knew he had to keep it from her for now. But he would tell her enough to hopefully satisfy her for now. "Not yet, anyway. All I will tell you is that the meeting was about something very important and so classified that no one outside Fury, Hill, Coulson and I know what it was about." He saw that she was going to say something so stopped her before she could. "Please don't ask any more Skye. When I can tell you more I will, but for now, please just trust me."

She studied him closely for a few moments, making him feel like she could see right through him. "Okay," she conceded finally. "I will trust you. But if you need my help, for anything, all you have to do is ask."

"I know," he responded, smiling softly at her. "I'm going to head up and grab something to eat." He went to walk away and then remembered what Coulson had said. That if he let them, his team mates could be good for him. He turned back to Skye, and saw the slightly dejected look on her face. "Wanna come with?" he asked with a small smile for her.

"Yes!" she said quickly, her answering smile bright. "Maybe we can watch a movie too?" she asked hesitantly.

"I would like that. Maybe we can ask FitzSimmons if they want to join us?"

At that she beamed at him. "Definitely! I will go ask them then meet you in the kitchen!" With that, she bounded off up the stairs.

Smiling, he shook his head at her, and then followed after her up the stairs.

A few hours later the four of them were spread out across the lounge, finishing up their second movie – Simmons's choice of My Sister's Keeper. Fitz and Simmons were sharing the loveseat, with her feet across his lap and Skye and Ward were sitting on opposite ends of the couch with an empty bowl from their popcorn on the cushion between them.

"I'm not saying it was a bad movie," Skye was saying while wiping her eyes with a tissue. They had all teared up a bit; it was a pretty sad movie after all. "I'm just saying that they completely changed the ending from the book. And that takes something away from what you get in the end of the book."

"How did the book end?" Ward asks, it not being a book he had ever read.

"Anna wins her case and Campbell gets given power of attorney, then on the way to the hospital they get in an accident which leaves Anna brain dead. Kate ends up getting the kidney. I just think it's more satisfying because it better shows that it was never about Anna wanting Kate to die or even not wanting to give her kidney. I don't know. I just thought it was a better ending," Skye replies.

"I agree," Simmons said. "There was definitely something more satisfying about the book ending-"

"It even made you cry, too," Fitz interrupted.

"But that doesn't mean the movie was bad," she continued, shooting Fitz a glare.

"Hmm. That does sound like a better ending. But I didn't mind the movie. Do either of you have the book, I wouldn't mind reading it," Ward said hesitantly, looking from Skye to Simmons.

"Sure," Simmons agreed immediately, with a smile. "I have it in my bunk. I'll get it for you before we turn in for the night."

"Thanks," Ward said, returning her small with a small one of his own.

Coulson passed through the lounge at that moment, happy to see Ward spending some time with the younger team members. He just knew that if Ward gave them a chance they could be good for him. The soft place to land that Ward had never really had.

"What do you say to heading out for dinner tonight?" he asked them all, making Fitz and Simmons jump, as he was behind them and they hadn't realised he was there.

They all quickly agreed and he went to the cockpit to tell May.

That night, Ward found himself lying in bed, unable to fall asleep. He just couldn't understand how they were all so understanding. In some ways he had expected it of Coulson, but not of Fury and Hill.

Commander Hill especially seemed angrier at the way Garrett had treated him, than at Ward himself. He didn't really understand why. He was a grown man, and had made his own choices. He was responsible for his own actions. So why did they all seem to still trust him? It just didn't make any sense to him.

Maybe they were all just pretending. Maybe they wanted him to think they were on his side, and so they were treating him like they cared, when really they didn't. But that didn't seem right either. Everything about them had seemed completely genuine, in a way he had never sensed from Garrett.

His interactions with Garrett had always left him feeling a little on edge, like John wasn't telling him everything. Which he supposed he knew was true, but it was more than that. Comparing it now to the conversations both with just Coulson and with Coulson, Fury and Hill he thought maybe he could see a difference. Their treatment of him and their words seemed more authentic in hindsight than Garrett's ever had.

Maybe it was something he could talk to Coulson about. Because while he wasn't entirely sure that they were all being genuine, he felt like he could trust Coulson to be honest with him. With that thought, he finally drifted off to sleep.