Sorry that this took so long to upload! But it's here now and finals are over so I'll be able to update regularly again!

"So, what's it like up close?" Simmons asked excitedly, practically skipping around the laboratory. Fitz rolled his eyes and Skye laughed. No matter how many times Fitz told her not to, his partner always got far too excited about the science of situations that were almost always life threatening.

"It's, I don't know, it's what you'd guess it would be. You've seen the pictures, right?" Simmons nodded and Skye continued, "It's just like that. It's all… glowing and stuff."

It was Simmons' turn to roll her eyes. "Hey, high school drop out here!" Skye protested, noticing the scientists' expressions. "Don't expect me to be all science-y!"

"Skye," Ward said, entering the room, "Coulson wants to talk to you."

Skye nodded quickly, her stomach clenching for just a second before she hopped off of the table she had been sitting on. The lab door shut and the pair of scientists expected Ward to leave after her but he didn't. They began working again but awkwardly and silently.

"What happened… with her and Miles?" Ward asked as expressionlessly as he could. Simmons smiled down at the lab table, knowing that Ward was jealous.

"Well she talked to him," Fitz began.

"And nothing really happened," Simmons continued, "He seems kind of… evil. I really don't think she loves him anymore."

"Good," Ward said, nodding. Simmons grinned. "Because he's a really bad guy who could,"

"It's okay," Simmons said enthusiastically, "It's nice that you have a little crush. You should tell her, maybe she likes you, too."

"I don't – I don't like her."

"Right," said Fitz. He and Simmons looked at each other for a split second before going back to work.

Ward left the room, mostly because he could feel the smartness in the air and it was starting to give him a headache. This was not the time for headaches, he felt, this was the time for figuring out exactly what he felt and what everyone else thought about him… and Skye.

Showing his emotions was never something that was easy for him. Believing in people was a long shot as well. He had been hurt too many times that it was just easier to become self-sufficient. It saved him a lot of pain. But lately, something in the back of his brain told him that not needing or accepting anyone made him miss out on the fun moments in life.

It all started with Maynard. He was abusive and horrible and scared the shit out of any kid he passed. Grant's mother was never around much. Maynard scared the shit out of her too. His mother was always off trying to find some treatment for her son or crying hysterically or drunk. Sometimes it was all three. Regardless, Grant was alone, but he was weak and afraid not hateful.

It was the day that his father left the unstable family that Grant truly felt broken for the first time. But, with everything that had happened, he tried to believe that there was some justifiable, good reason for his father to leave. He did not want to hate anyone, not even his father. He never knew where his father went but he never wanted to find him either. He was afraid that seeing the deserter would just make him madder than ever and he already found it hard to control his anger.

There were times when Grant wasn't alone. His little brother, Alex, was with him. For a few years, they braved the rage of their older brother together. Together, they were strong. But everything changed at the well. The family was off on a picnic together (just Grant, his mother, Maynard and Alex) but when his mother was distracted by a good looking single man, Maynard pushed Alex into the well near the picnic blanket. Grant had run to the rope by the well, about to throw it down.

But Maynard had looked into his eyes with an evil grin that never meant good things were to follow. Maynard threatened him just like before. Grant knew he would carry out his threats so he stood scared. Alex screamed for him but Grant was frozen. Maynard stood by the well and laughed menacingly as Grant watched his brother clawing and treading the water. Alex tried to hold onto the edge of the well but his fingers kept slipping and he coughed loudly, his face growing redder with every gasp. Maynard laughed one last time and walked away. Grant threw the rope down as fast as he could but by the time it hit the water, there was no one on the surface. His brother, his only friend, was dead.

So he ran. He ran away from his problems, from his home, from what was left of his family. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to or not but his feet carried him, going faster and faster as his legs fought with the part of his brain that wanted to stay with his family. For a few days, a young Grant Ward stayed in the shadowing, sleeping in the alleys and trying to convince himself that this would work out and that he'd be living a better life.

But he returned. After less than a week, he was tired of running through the streets, alone and helpless, stealing morsels of food to scrape by. He felt weak, truly, terribly weak. Somehow, being alone made him feel much worse than anything that his brother had ever done.

So how could Skye have been alone for so long? How did she bear it? She was stronger, in some ways, she was stronger than he was. Less than a week alone and I broke, Ward thought. It was the small things about Skye, the things that kept him guessing, that intrigued him most about Skye. Looking at her pretty face and her bubbly expression he knew there was a lot more to figure out about the real Skye. But he was okay with that.

Skye knocked on the door of her father's office quietly before entering.

"What happened," Coulson asked softly, meaning for his daughter to sit down in the chair across the desk from him.

"You heard the whole conversation."

"What happened in here?" he asked, gesturing to her head.

"I – I knew that he didn't care about me before I even started talking. I never wanted to abandon you all, I promise."

"There's always a moment where you question whether you're on the right side. When was that moment?" Coulson said, staring at her and holding her hand. Skye hadn't realized this, but it felt comforting.

"It was," she began, her voice choking up for just a second but she continued, "He said he loved me. I know it was stupid and I knew he was faking but I wanted to believe it. I promise, I never truly wanted to run away with him. It was a second…"

"I'm glad that you chose us," he said lovingly, "I couldn't lose you again."

"You were the one that left me in the first place," Skye reminded him, getting up quickly.

Coulson fell back into the rolling chair as his daughter left. Things had been going so well, but he'd been an idiot. He'd messed it up. Coulson felt like his world had been turned upside down when he received the file. He realized that he had a daughter, that it was Skye, and that May had kept this from him. He'd tried to be fatherly but it was hard and it always felt so awkward and mechanical. With all of his heart, Coulson wished that he could be the perfect father, the man at the School Board Meetings, a dad at the Daddy-Daughter dances or, if that wasn't possible, a father, a real, loving father.

Skye wasn't sure what to feel. She would usually be upset. She'd flop down on the bed and daydream for hours until she had to use the bathroom or got really hungry. She'd wish to find her parents. That's what she did before she actually found them. It had been her purpose… Miles had said that. That desire and that quest had kept her moving but now the road ended. She had finally found them. When she was little, she had always imagined a moment like this being one of her happiest. But it wasn't. She wasn't upset with her parents anymore but she felt like she had nowhere to go. There was nothing that she was really working for.

She sat down on the bed, lost in thought. It took a while before Skye realized that she had been sitting on a pen. Inspired by her find, she grabbed a piece of paper and held the pen on it, trying to think of a question. It took her awhile to complete her thought but when she did, she wasted no time in running to May's bunk and sliding the note under the door.

"Dammit," Ward cursed grabbing Skye's hand and speed walking, pulling Skye behind him. Both people felt soft chills before determining that it was a serious situation. "The Hub has fallen."

"What?" Skye ran to stand in front of him.

"Centipede has control of the Hub!"

Did you like this chapter? Answer these questions to get the sneak peek and to have your OC featured in the next chapter

1 Rating of this chapter (1-10)

2 Thoughts on Miles (a lot of you said that you hate him. Can you be more specific? Do you dislike that he's kind of an evil guy or the way that I'm writing him?)

3 Thoughts on my characterization

4 Thoughts on the way I'm developing the ships

5 Letter suggestions for May and Skye

IF YOU ANSWER ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS, ALSO INCLUDE A DESCRIPTION OF YOUR OC. I WILL USE ONE OC FOR A SMALL PART AS A SHIELD AGENT WHO WORKS AT THE HUB! I WILL ONLY CONSIDER YOUR OC IF YOU ANSWER THE 5 QUESTIONS.