AN: Trigger warning for suicide attempt in the flashback.


Sighing, he sat up to rub his eyes. "I guess I owe you both an explanation on my childhood."

Clint snorted. "It would be appreciated."

"Where do you want me to start?" asked Grant. "Because I'm not sure myself."

Natasha placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Start wherever you feel is necessary," she said gently.

Taking a deep breath, Grant glanced between the two of them before telling his story. "It started when I was five. Mom and dad said that I was going to be homeschooled instead of going to school like the normal kids. I thought that maybe they just wanted to help me with my education more, you know? That wasn't the case. When I didn't get something right mother would hit me." Clint and Natasha listened intently but remained silent, which he was thankful for. He didn't know if he could continue if he was interrupted. "It wasn't so bad at first, just smacks and a few punches. The next thing I knew she was locking me in closets and not letting me eat for days at a time. Dad wouldn't lift a finger against her, he just drowned himself in alcohol. And this went on every day. When I was ten years old, I met a girl named Skye. She lived at the orphanage next door. I liked to hang out on the rooftop whenever I could. I still remember when I met her. Friday, March 12th. I was up there, thinking about my life and reflecting, you know. It sounds so stupid but I did it a lot. I remember the first thing she ever said to me: 'Why are you on the roof?'" He laughed, running a hand through his hair. "I disliked her at first because she was nosy and annoying. We grew attached pretty quickly though. She's the one that got me to see the simple things in life. She's the one that told me having a favorite color is important. She's the one that told me everyone was unique and special. I guess she was special to me. Every time she left to go to a new foster home, I was scared she wouldn't come back. We went swimming and watched movies and TV together on the weekends. My parents left every Friday morning before I woke up and wouldn't get back until Monday. So we spent every moment of the weekend with each other."

He continued, swallowing thickly. "Over time, my older brother, Christian, started making me beat up our younger brother, Thomas. I hated it. I didn't want to do it. But Christian was so cruel that I knew I couldn't let him get his hands on Thomas. It escalated one day when Christian made me push Thomas into the well." Tears were spilling over, but he wiped them away quickly out of embarrassment. "H-he was begging me to help him, but Christian…he wouldn't let me. Right before he could drown, I managed to throw him the rope. He got out, thank God, he got out. Weeks later, Skye found out I was being abused. She wanted to tell somebody, but then my family would just get her too. She was there for me for everything after that, even all of my hard problems. I was there for her too, especially when she was hit for the first time by one of her foster parents. I thought she would never leave me, you know? That she'd always be there for me." He was crying now, head buried in his hands.

Natasha was crying silently too, squeezing Grant's shoulder.

Clint looked on with an understanding glint in his eyes. "Until she wasn't," he whispered softly.

Grant nodded sorrowfully. "Until she wasn't," he confirmed.

"What happened, Rookie?" asked Clint.


Sixteen-year-old Grant Ward walked through the rain as he approached Skye's new foster home at seven at night. She had been there for three weeks now, and they had kept in contact via phone calls. Today, she wasn't answering his calls and Grant needed her more now than ever.

His younger sister, Rosie, had tried to kill herself that day. His parents had ordered him to go upstairs to get his sister down for lunch. Being the good little soldier he was, he got up from the table and walked upstairs. He had knocked on her door, calling her name. When he received no answer, he tried the door to find it locked. Using all of his strength, he had kicked the damn thing down. He hadn't been prepared for the sight. Rosie was laying on her bed peaceful looking, her hair strewn around her head like the angel she was. Except blood was everywhere. The walls. The sheets. He saw the knife by her hand. He screamed for his parents and they came running.

Somehow, his parents blamed it on him. Because everything was his fault. They covered up the suicide attempt as best they could and wouldn't let him anywhere near her, so he had left the hospital to visit Skye. He wasn't prepared for what he saw there either. When he stepped onto the driveway, he spotted her on the porch. She was relaxing with her boyfriend, Miles, who Grant highly disliked. The guy was a jerkwad who didn't deserve Skye. Plus, he was jealous because he had a crush on Skye. They had practically grown up together so it was either they started dating or became like siblings. Skye treated him as her older brother, while Grant loved her.

"Grant?" she called from the porch, wearing a blue tank top and white short shorts. She got up and made her way toward him with a scowl on her face. Oh great, he thought, why's she scowling? "What are you doing here?"

"You weren't answering my calls and I-" he started, but she cut him off.

"Did you think there might be a reason I wasn't answering?" she snapped. "I'm with my boyfriend."

Where the hell did that come from? "I-I needed to talk to you," he tried again.

"It can wait," she said angrily. "Now please leave."

What in the hell? His heart broke slightly at her cruelness. This was even worse than Christian. "Why are you mad?"

"Because you shouldn't be here. I didn't answer your calls for a reason." She was glaring at him now.

His eyes roamed the porch and he caught sight of the alcohol Miles was pulling out while waiting for Skye to return. His eyebrows scrunched up. "You've got to be kidding, Skye! You're telling me to leave because you're going underage drinking with your boyfriend? Do you know how bad that is for you?"

She scoffed at him before replying furiously. "Oh stop it Grant. Stop acting like you're my brother! Because you're not! You don't get to tell me what to do and what not to do with my own boyfriend. Now leave. Miles and I don't need your constant input on everything! So just leave us alone!" She jabbed a finger into his chest before walking back to the porch.

That was the moment he realized just how cruel the world really was. The moment his best friend of six years, the one who grew up with him through everything, turned her back when he needed her the most.

Steeling himself until he swallowed all of his emotions, he turned around and walked away, hands in his pockets and a blank expression on his face.

He disappeared before the next morning.


"And that's how you found me almost two years later. I made my way to the woods where I met Buddy, who followed me around. I eventually took him in and started raiding cabins for supplies and food," concluded Grant, his eyes glazed and puffy.

Natasha wrapped her arms around him, careful to avoid his injuries, and spoke softly. "Well, you have us now. And we're not gonna let you go. So get used to it. Right Clint?" When she didn't receive an answer, her and Grant turned to see him staring straight ahead, eyebrows furrowed and a scowl on his face. "Clint?"

"That bitch!" blurted the archer suddenly. "Oh, I swear to God I'm gonna lock her in The Fridge for what she did to you!"

Natasha was the first to laugh, followed by Clint, and then finally joined by Grant.


AN: So, this chapter finally gives the reason for Grant running away. It is also the beginning of Grant starting to ease up with Clint and Natasha. In all honesty, I kind of drew inspiration for this chapter's Skye from season two. While it might not be a shared opinion, I highly disliked Skye's attitude in season two and used it as a parameter for the flashback part. Thank you guys for all your support!

Alkeni: Thank you for your suggestion. I have no plans for this fanfic to burnout, especially because I have quite a lot of chapters already written. I have a lot of respect for your opinion because I love A Different Choice and Enough Good Left After All, so your continued reviews mean a lot.

And, finally, a question. Would you guys like to see a few chapters from Skye's perspective? Or perhaps a separate fanfiction with one-shots of her view?