A.N: I promised you an epilogue before I left and here it is... but stay tuned because I'm also posting deleted scenes that were cut from the story. I've never done that before but I thought what the hell... Why am I going to hold those scenes hostage. I'm even going to add author's commentary to that. That will have to come AFTER I return from California though. But if you don't care about deleted scenes, then the story ends here for you guys. I hope you've enjoyed the ride. I want to get back to finishing Severed Ties. I think I'm in a better place mentally to do that now. Because that one hurts a lot. Even though it's gone the AU direction mostly. It still freaking stings. Anyways... as always... thank you for all the support. Everyone who reviewed, favorited or followed this story... this last chapter is for you... xoxo

One year later…

Paris, France

Grant Ward stood behind the bar, cleaning empty glasses. Living in Paris for the last six months, he'd been able to set down some roots. He looked up when someone called his name, a waiter, asking for his order.

"Almost done," he responded to the man in fluent French, before placing both orders on the bar in front of him.

The waiter passed by to pick up the drinks and left, leaving the bar open for more patrons. Two women sat in front of him with grins, placing their own drink orders.

He turned his back on them to prepare their drinks when a new voice spoke up, in English.

"I heard the bartender in this place was a real jerk."

He stopped what he was doing, looking over his shoulder with a smirk. His eyes met hers and he could have sworn he'd felt his heart skip a beat at seeing her for the first time in a year. He turned around completely, placing his hands on the bar in front of her.

"You can't believe everything you hear…" he answered her.

She was giving him a knowing smile, leaning forward. "I guess I should know better."

He leaned forward, his face inches from hers. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you actually…" she answered with a shrug. "What's a girl gotta do to get a drink in this place?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "The usual?"

Skye bit her lip. "Surprise me."

He nodded and turned around to finish making the other two orders and hers. He placed the two drinks in front of the two women who'd been trying to get his attention and brought Skye's drink over to her.

"So what are you really doing here?" he asked her.

"I told you… I'm looking for you." She told him, taking a sip. "This is good by the way."

"How'd you find me?"

"Wasn't hard." She shrugged. "Did I ever tell you I'm great with computers? Like weirdly great?"

He eyed her suspiciously.

She sighed. "Coulson has a proposition for you."

"What kind of proposition?" he asked. "And why?"

"We can't talk about it here." She took another sip, shaking her head. "And because I asked him to. But I think he might have felt like he owed you. Don't take my word for it though. No one really knows why Coulson does the things he does."

"So why make contact now?" Ward asked with his arms crossed in front of him.

"Because I asked if I could be the one to come find you." She told him. "I wanted to see you."

"Skye…"

"Can we go somewhere private?" she asked making him arch his eyebrow. "To talk."

"Right…" he scoffed with a knowing smirk.

It was her turn to laugh. "Do you have a place nearby, barkeep?"

He nodded. "My shift ends in half an hour."

"I can wait." She took another sip of her drink, winking at him. "I'm not in a hurry."

They barely made it into his apartment before her lips were on his. She'd kept up her flirty banter at the bar, driving him crazy with anticipation. Kicking the door shut behind him, he lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bedroom. He gently dropped her on his bed, kissing her lips down to her jaw and eventually finding that spot on her neck that made her moan in his ear.

It had been such a long time but he still knew her body intimately. Like it hadn't been a year since he'd seen her or touched her. Like an entire year hadn't gone by since he last kissed her. She pulled his face back toward hers and kissed him again, turning them over so she was straddling his hips.

She lifted the blouse she'd been wearing over her head and he trailed his hands up her torso, feeling her skin. His hands came around her back, he sat up as he unhooked her bra and let the straps fall from her shoulders before peeling the flimsy material off her body. He instantly latched on to one of her erect nipples, teasing her with his tongue. She wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his back, keeping him there.

In a few moments, they were both naked and he had her pinned beneath him. She spread her legs, hooking them around his waist, urging him where she needed him to be.

He didn't hesitate and entered her swiftly, groaning against her neck. It had been too long. He'd missed her more than he'd wanted to admit. She smiled as he moved within her.

It wasn't long before his movements became erratic and he was pounding into her. When her orgasm ripped through her, she called out his name. He shuddered above her and emptied himself inside before collapsing on top of her.

He moved off her quickly and wrapped an arm around her, holding her close to him.

"Stay…" he whispered, knowing he had no right to ask her that.

She only smiled and touched his cheek. "I'm not going anywhere."

He found her standing at his balcony later that night, overlooking the city.

"What?" he asked.

"This just feels like déjà vu." She answered. "I took you to my apartment the first time that I picked you up from a bar."

"I'm pretty sure I picked you up." He crossed his arms with a smug smirk.

"We picked each other up." She winked. "It's a really nice place, Grant."

"It's not much." He shrugged. "But its home."

"Is it?" she asked him.

"For now it is."

She walked up to him. "What if I told you that you can come back to your real home?"

"Skye…"

"When you left, Coulson exploited Hydra." She told him.

"What?"

"He did it before anyone could pick up where Garrett left off." She smiled. "It's taken about a year but he's rounded most of them up and they're being prosecuted."

"So I'm a fugitive then?" he frowned.

"Not exactly." she shook her head. "Coulson granted you a full pardon before exploiting the organization… he went all the way to the top… the president signed it."

She walked to her bag that she'd dropped on the floor upon entering his apartment earlier, taking out a document and handed it to him. He looked down to see the words; he'd been pardoned for his crimes committed while working for Hydra.

"But… how… why?"

She shrugged. "Coulson believes in redemption. Says that nobody is nobody and that everyone can be saved if you get to them early enough."

"Did you have anything to do with this?"

"I might have." She smiled. "But it's not exactly a full pardon… from us…"

"What do you mean?"

"According to the world, Grant Ward is pardoned because he's been helping take down Hydra." She continued. "But Coulson wants to give you the chance to make amends."

"How?"

"By really coming back and helping him take down what's left of Hydra." She smiled knowingly. "This piece of paper keeps you from being arrested and prosecuted… but he actually wants to save you from what Garrett turned you into… I think he grew a soft spot for you on that last mission." She pulled out an ID card from her bag. "It's not a badge… I can't swear you in as an official agent… I don't have the clearance for that… but this is an opportunity, Grant. That one day… if you want it… you can be one of us."

He looked from the ID with his face on it to her face. "But…"

"It's safe again. It's safe for you to come out of hiding." She told him. "But only if you want to. Coulson isn't going to force redemption on you. He's only going to offer you this one chance. You can take it or leave it."

"I can come home?" he asked and she nodded. He looked down at the document and ID card in his hand and smiled softly. "I've never been given this chance before."

"I figured." She said. "Do you want it?"

He nodded. "Yeah…" Looking up at her. "More than anything." He grinned. "I didn't realize I wanted this… but I do…"

Skye smiled slowly. "Then we better pack your stuff. We leave back to the states in the morning."

He walked up to her and cupped her face in his hands. "Thank you. I love you."

She smiled and leaned up to kiss him softly. "I love you too. And there's no need to thank me. This was all Coulson."

"Remind me to kiss his feet when we get back." Ward chuckled.

She rolled her eyes. "He's not that kind of guy. He wants to do this. He knows how much you mean to me."

He leaned in to kiss her again. "God, I've missed you." He breathed against her lips.

" I knew our paths would cross again." She grinned. "Welcome home, Grant."