Chapter 10

True to his word, Ward spent the weekend helping Skye brush off the stressors of the week. On Friday night they had dinner at Milano's with Stacy and Rob. Aimee joined them when she stopped by the restaurant, and even her husband left the kitchen when coffee and dessert, a mouthwatering tiramisu, were served.

Skye had settled into their cover much more easily than he'd anticipated, and he was proud of her for that. She didn't hesitate in her answers, and she appeared relaxed throughout the evening. She and Stacy had hit it off, and Ward found he genuinely liked talking to Rob as well. They shared an interest in sports and reading material, and they all enjoyed the live bands playing in the area that night.

On Saturday morning they drove out to Malibu and spent the morning hiking some of the easier trails in the Santa Monica Mountains. They ate a picnic lunch at Escondido Falls, a two-tiered waterfall that had a decent cascade of water due to recent rainfall. Skye once again took photos of the landscapes as well as some selfies. She also asked fellow hikers they met to snap a few photos of the two of them for their relationship history book, as she'd taken to calling the photo album in their living room.

In the afternoon they went to the public beach in Santa Monica. They'd brought folding beach chairs and a beach umbrella, and Skye listened to music and relaxed while Ward read. Later they locked their valuables in the car and went swimming. Ward had been amused to see that Skye's version of swimming was more of a dog paddle, and he spent some time helping her improve her skills in the water. He tried to touch her as little as possible because the wet skin revealed by her red bikini tested his resolve more than he liked. And if there was one thing that night on the sofa had proven, it was that his resolve was easily weakened where she was concerned.

They returned home and played board games over pizza and beer that evening. Ward suggested they start with Battleship but quickly regretted his choice when Skye beat him soundly three times in a row. They switched to Forbidden Island, a fast paced game for two to four players, though it was actually good for couples because it involved cooperative decision making. It also allowed Ward to assess Skye's problem solving skills. While she approached each situation they encountered on the sinking island in a different way than he would have, he could see the merit in most of her suggestions.

Their undercover assignment was more domestic than any other assignment in which Ward had ever participated. He'd done his best to inject as much a sense of normality into their routine as possible because Skye wasn't an agent; therefore, he reasoned, she needed it more than he did. It was hard to remember that in the beginning, he'd dreaded spending so much time with her. Now it was a routine he found some comfort in, though he refused to attach any particular importance to that realization.

On Sunday they spent a couple of hours in the kitchen making lasagna as Skye told him about the project she was working on at Quinn Worldwide. She might have been a high school dropout, but when it came to hacking and coding, she was in a league of her own. Hacking SHIELD was no easy feat, and he still remembered the chagrined expression on the face of a senior analyst when he'd had to admit he couldn't break the encryption on her laptop the day Ward brought her in for questioning.

They were now two hours into a game of Risk, and Ward had finally managed to outfox her. She was biting her lip and eyeing her dwindling army and territories with a frown so cute he had a hard time hiding his amusement.

"Ready to call it?" he asked.

"No," she said, her tone disgruntled. "And you know you have an unfair advantage, right? This is all military strategy, tactics and negotiation, something you have about a decade of experience in."

"It's also a good game to help you develop those skills," he pointed out.

She sighed. "Can we call a timeout and finish tomorrow? This game is giving me a headache."

Ward checked his watch to see that it was nearly eight o'clock. "It's getting late anyway. We'll just leave the board set up."

Skye stood and stretched, and his eyes were drawn to the strip of skin exposed as her shirt rode up. He averted his gaze as he stood and walked into the living room, turning on the local news and settling into one of the armchairs to read. Skye followed, curling up on the sofa with an envelope of photos she'd printed out at the local Rite-Aid's one hour photo lab.

He was distracted from his book as she sorted the photos from their night with Stacy and Rob, their hike and picnic at the falls, and their time at the beach. He was sure she'd amassed more photos of him in their few weeks together than he'd had taken in the last ten years, not counting green screen shots done as part of his undercover operations. She took a few from each of their activities and began placing them in the photo album, writing brief notes under each one.

When she placed a few to the side, he asked, "Are you framing those?"

She shook her head. "I'm adding them to my photo wall at work. Most of my co-workers have photos pinned up of family and friends."

It was smart, and he was glad that she was not only picking up on those kinds of cues but also following up on them in order to better fit into her new role. He returned to reading when she picked up her tablet and began surfing the Internet. Occasionally she laughed, and he'd look over to see her scrolling through various funny memes, gifs, and YouTube videos she searched out on a daily basis.

It was peaceful and exactly the sort of thing that had never been peaceful in the past – not when it involved sharing space with another person. He'd always preferred the solitude that came with working alone, so he wasn't sure how to process the fact that he didn't feel that his space had been invaded by sharing it with Skye.

When she went upstairs to get ready for bed, he remained downstairs though he was too lost in his own thoughts to pay attention to his book any longer. Skye was a variable – a puzzle piece he didn't quite know what to do with even though she fit into his life in a way he hadn't expected. When he was sure she would be in bed and probably sleeping, he set aside his book, turned off the TV, and headed up the stairs to join her.

When Skye pulled into her parking space on Monday morning, she gathered her laptop bag, her purse, a smaller bag containing her breakfast of a bagel with cream cheese and a banana as well as the leftover lasagna, and her travel mug of coffee. She juggled the items precariously as she got out of the SUV and tried to hit the door lock button on her keyless remote.

"Here. Let me help."

Startled, she turned to see Miles had parked a few cars over and had managed to approach her from behind without her even noticing, something she would not be telling Ward about later given his criticisms of her spatial awareness.

"Thanks." She handed over her laptop bag and the smaller bag containing the food before locking the doors of the SUV. When she turned back to Miles, he was looking inside the food bag curiously.

"So. Lasagna night leftovers? It looks like a lot," he commented.

She shrugged. "I thought I would share with Hannah and anyone else who wanted to try it. It's good."

Tension was easing into her shoulders as they walked silently into the building and scanned their ID badges before heading into the elevator. It was a silent ride up to their floor, and Skye looked over at Miles to see him staring at his feet.

He followed her to her desk and set her laptop bag and the food on the floor beside her chair. When she glanced over at him after placing her purse and travel mug on the desk, he was staring at the wall of photos she'd put up. Most were of her and Grant, but she hadn't been able to resist putting up a couple of Fitz and Jemma after clearing it with Ward, who'd said there was no reason anyone would pay attention to the photos. He had, however, nixed her putting up photos of Coulson and Tripp given their field work duties.

Skye pulled out her new photos, and she could feel Miles watching her as she added them to her photo wall. Ward was right – Miles was going to have to get over himself eventually and realize that whatever he'd envisioned happening when they reconnected just wasn't going to happen.

"So I guess you sold your van?" he asked, still looking at the photos.

She nodded as she picked up her travel mug to take a sip of her coffee. "A few months ago, after Grant returned from overseas. It didn't make sense to keep it when I knew I'd found a home."

He looked genuinely confused. "And that's what Grant Ward is to you? What do you even have in common?"

Skye had thought about what she would tell Miles when this topic inevitably came up. As she had with Stacy, she settled on a version of the truth. "Nothing and… everything, I guess. When we met, it wasn't exactly instant romance, but it was intense. Despite the obvious attraction he was guarded, and you know me – snark is my middle name in situations like that. We constantly pushed each other's buttons. But then we found common ground, and we actually managed to build on that. In some ways we have nothing in common but in others? He gets me without pushing too hard. Somehow we just fit."

"That was always our problem, wasn't it? I pushed too hard."

Sighing, she leaned against the edge of the desk. "I don't think we were ever meant to be – not the way you wanted. I just didn't understand myself well enough to see it at the time."

His expression was resigned as he nodded. "Yeah, I'm getting that now. I know I've been acting like a jerk, and I'd like to say that will change, but I need some time."

"I can understand that. I would like for us to be friends again, Miles."

He smiled at her before turning his attention back to the photos. "You look happy. You're not the same Skye I knew who was searching for something."

"I am happy. I know I'm different, but the past year has been the happiest year of my life because I finally know where I belong." She didn't have to fake the conviction in her tone because it was the truth. She'd found a family in SHIELD – in Coulson, Jemma, Fitz, and Tripp. Even Ward was slowly being added to that circle as it was becoming more and more difficult to imagine her life not including him in some way.

"I'm glad," he replied simply, though she didn't miss the flash of hurt in his eyes at her words. "I'll see you later."

When he turned the corner, Skye sat down in her chair and propped her chin on her hands. All things considered that had gone better than expected, and she was finally hopeful that she and Miles might find a way through their messy relationship history to being friends again.

The week passed quickly for Skye. By Friday she was feeling more relaxed at work because Miles' overall attitude towards her had warmed up. When Miles stopped brooding, Megan warmed up as well and Brian became less awkward around her. It was a relief because they were required to work together on certain projects, and she was grateful not to have to endure the tense silence that had previously accompanied their brainstorming sessions.

She knew she probably owed Hannah, at least in part, for improved relations among the group, and she had thanked her by inviting her to lunch that day. The two women visited one of the nearby food trucks and then walked a couple of blocks over to a street that included several trendy clothing boutiques.

Skye eyed an outfit in one of the windows they passed. A black, low cut camisole had been paired with a short amethyst skirt that featured an asymmetrical hemline. It was the perfect date night outfit, especially since she was hoping to convince Ward to go dancing that night.

"I love this shop," Hannah commented. "They get discards from designer boutiques and sell them for peanuts in comparison to what you'd pay when they're first released."

"I've never really shopped much, designer or otherwise," Skye told her. "My closet used to have a shocking amount of plaid until my friend Jemma staged what she called an intervention. I always had other concerns besides what I was wearing, and I never really had the money for non-necessities. I think Grant has more clothes than I do."

"Well, you have the money now, right? A little frivolous shopping is good for the female soul." Hannah grabbed her hand and dragged Skye into the boutique.

Five minutes later, Skye emerged from the dressing room and faced the large, full length mirror.

"Wow. That looks amazing on you. It's the perfect date night outfit if you want your significant other to be completely distracted all night," she said with a smile. "Here try these shoes."

Skye took the shoes, a pair of black high heeled sandals that buckled around the ankle. The added height made her legs look longer, and the fitted design of the heavy silk camisole and skirt hugged every curve. She'd worn her black leather jacket with skinny jeans and a scoop neck black blouse to work that day, and she'd intended to wear it out that night as well. But when she slid on her jacket, it looked good with the camisole and skirt, and she knew she was going to buy the outfit.

The original prices gave her sticker shock, but Hannah was correct about the markdowns. The prices were more than fair, and she didn't care that apparently it was a last season look. Skye knew she had some purple and grey shadows in her makeup bag. On a whim, she had painted her fingernails and toenails a shiny, dark slate shade the night before, and the color coordinated with the new outfit.

Armed with her new purchases, they began walking back to Quinn Worldwide.

"I talked to Miles earlier, and he doesn't have a problem with you and Grant joining us for a drink tonight," Hannah said. "I really wish you would. I know it's date night, but maybe just an hour?"

Skye bit her lip as she thought about it. "Things have been so much better this week that I'm almost afraid to rock the boat."

"An hour. One drink," Hannah coaxed in a pleading tone. "If Miles gets to know Grant and sees that he makes you happy, I really think he'll warm up to him. And after that you'll still have plenty of time for dinner and whatever else you planned."

"Why don't we pick a place we can have drinks and dinner?" Skye suggested. "I'm always starving by that time anyway."

"Even better," Hannah said happily. "How about Mexican? There's a great restaurant downtown called Mercado. It gets a little loud on Friday nights, but they have a great happy hour menu, and the food is amazing."

"Sounds good. Grant's picking me up at five," Skye told her. "I think he'll be fine with the change of plan."

When they got back to the office, Hannah ran the dinner plans by Miles, Megan and Brian before calling to make a reservation. Skye texted Ward to make sure he had no objections; as she'd expected he didn't mind having dinner with her co-workers. She suspected he would use it as an opportunity to size them all up, Miles in particular.

When the clock neared five, Skye went to the bathroom to change and freshen up her makeup. The layered necklace she was wearing seemed to detract from the plunging neckline of her camisole, so she removed it and kept only the dangling silver and black onyx earrings Jemma had given her the previous Christmas.

Returning to her desk, she found Hannah waiting for her. She had changed into dress shorts and a gauzy white blouse over a bright blue tank top with thong sandals. Skye was a little overdressed in comparison, but she didn't care.

They headed down to the lobby at five and Skye found Ward waiting for her as he had been the week before. She felt that familiar tingle of awareness when she saw him; he wore his usual black leather jacket over a black Henley that tucked in just above his belt, jeans and black boots. She'd noticed how monochromatic his wardrobe was. Most of his shirts were white, grey or black, though he did have a few faded blue ones. However, she couldn't deny the black on black look worked extremely well on him, and the five o'clock shadow just added a hint of danger to his overall appearance.

Skye had hoped for a reaction to her date night outfit, and she certainly got it. He never took his eyes off of her as she crossed the lobby, and the way his gaze swept her from head to toe said he appreciated the view. She scanned her badge and joined him by the guard's desk.

His hands settled on her hips, and he bent his head to kiss her. "That is not what you were wearing this morning. I'd remember."

"Lunchtime shopping trip," she told him, resting her hands on his shoulders. "What do you think?"

"I think I'll have to keep a close eye on you tonight," he said with a smile. "Someone might try to steal you. You ready to go?"

She nodded and glanced over at Hannah, who was observing them with interest. "I guess we'll meet you over there?"

"Okay," Hannah replied. "I'll just wait here for Miles, Megan and Brian."

The drive to Mercado was short, and Ward made use of the valet parking rather than waste time trying to find a parking spot. Inside the restaurant was already starting to fill up. Dim lighting created a pleasing ambiance, and wonderful artwork reflected a Dia de los Muertos theme that added to the mood of the restaurant.

They decided to wait at the bar for the rest of their party before being seated. Skye slid onto a bar stool and turned to face Ward when he remained standing instead of taking the stool beside her. The high stool evened out their height difference, something he took advantage of by wrapping his arms around her waist. Skye glanced around and noticed several women checking him out, and she was getting her fair share of attention as well.

Turning back to Ward, she said, "I hope things don't get awkward tonight." He was playing with the ends of her hair, and she shivered in response.

"You said things have been better since you and Miles talked on Monday," he answered.

"They have," she admitted. "But facing the visual proof of our relationship might be hard for him to swallow this soon."

"Well, we can't stop being a couple when he's around," he said, raising his brows. "All that would accomplish is making our relationship seem ambiguous. It won't help."

"Yeah I know," she said, meeting his gaze. "I guess I still feel a little guilty, but I know you're right."

"Things will work out, Skye," he said gently.

She smiled at that. He was always so certain of things, and it had an odd way of reassuring her when she starting worrying. Over his shoulder, she saw Hannah walking through the door with Miles, Megan and Brian following behind her.

"They're here," she said, looking up at him. Biting her lip, she gripped his jacket and pulled him in for a kiss. It started as a gentle brushing of lips, and then Ward slid his hand up to the side of her face as he deepened the kiss.

Warmth spread through her body, and she felt slightly dazed when he pulled back. He brushed his lips against her cheek and then her forehead, his hands rubbing up and down her back slowly. When Skye looked up, she saw Miles staring at them from a few feet away, his face impassive. Hannah was beside him; she waved and Skye waved back.

"We should get our table," Skye said, her voice shaky.

Ward backed up and lifted her from the high stool before taking her hand and leading her over to the hostess stand. Minutes later they were seated at a large rectangular table. Ward had removed his jacket, and the way the sleeves of his shirt ended mid-bicep emphasized his lean, muscular physique. She wondered if he realized how distracting that was for the female population. If she had a hard time not staring, she couldn't blame the other women similarly affected.

In a move that surprised her, Miles had taken the seat across from her rather than keeping his distance. Megan sat to his right and Brian was seated to Miles' left and opposite Ward. Skye was between Hannah and Ward. The waitress passed the menus, and she immediately started perusing the happy hour section.

She and Ward decided on the guacamole plate, tamales, and tacos de carnitas before turning to the main menu. They chose the chips and two salsas, fish tacos and empanadas. Ward gave their order to the waitress when she returned, raising a brow when Skye ordered the Mercado Margarita.

"Tequila? You want to go dancing later, don't you?" Ward asked.

Skye shrugged and smiled at him. "Maybe. You could always let me go alone."

"Looking like that? Not a chance," he told her, draping his arm over the back of her chair.

Their drinks, chips and salsa, and the guacamole plate arrived quickly, and she was sure that it was the best guacamole she'd ever eaten. She and Ward shared their plates of food as they arrived – the small plates of tamales and tacos de carnitas arrived first followed by the main entrees of fish tacos and the empanadas.

Skye bit into one of the fish tacos and moaned in delight. "So good. Here," she said, holding it out to Ward. He took a bite and offered her the empanada he was holding.

Chewing slowly, she nodded. "Also good. Is the food this good in Mexico?"

"Better," Ward told her. "You pick the weekend, and we'll go."

"If it's better, you'll probably have to roll me back across the border," she said with a laugh.

"Or you could join me for a run in the morning," he said, amused.

"We've already established I'm not running girl," Skye replied firmly.

"If you know Skye, you must know she's not into exercise of any kind," Miles said as he sipped his beer.

"That was true," Ward said as he turned his attention to Miles. "But she joined me in our home gym twice this week, and we hiked part of the Santa Monica Mountains last weekend."

"The easy parts," Skye clarified. "It was more fun than I thought it would be, and the views are incredible. And maybe I'm not into running, but I kind of liked learning to punch things this week. Grant's teaching me some basic self-defense." She threw a mock punch at Hannah, who laughed.

Miles' expression was tight as he locked eyes with Ward. "Well, I stand corrected."

"I love going up into the mountains," Hannah said. "I can tell you some of my favorite easy hikes. You can always work your way up to the more difficult ones. Oh, and you have to take a drive along the coast, too."

"That would be a nice ride on my bike," Ward said to Skye.

Skye was too full for dessert after their meal, but she ordered another of the Mercado Margaritas. They had a kick, and she'd felt the first one right away. Ward was nursing his second Corona as he chatted easily with Brian.

When Skye went to the restroom, she had to sidestep a few admirers near the bar on her way back to their table. Her engagement ring usually came in handy for those situations; she flashed it and most guys backed off. She sat down beside Ward, and he shook his head in amusement.

"Can't take you anywhere," he said, placing his arm across the back of her chair again as he smiled at her.

"Yeah, that's funny coming from the guy who has his very own neighborhood stalker," she replied, raising a brow.

"I wouldn't call Ava a stalker. Persistent, maybe."

"Uh huh. That's why you're changing your run times from morning to morning," she laughed, sipping the last of her margarita. "I gotta say I love these margaritas."

"If you really want to go dancing, there's a great salsa club nearby," Megan said. "They have excellent margaritas, and they usually have a live band on Friday nights."

"Ooh, salsa dancing. I have no idea how to salsa," Skye said, looking at Ward. "You?'

He shook his head. "No, but if you really want to go, we can check it out."

Ward settled the bill while Skye got directions to the club from Megan. It was within walking distance, so they left the SUV parked at the restaurant and walked over.

"That went okay. Mostly." Skye leaned into Ward as they waited to cross the street.

"I don't think Miles is my biggest fan," he commented. "But he definitely believes in our relationship now."

They found the club easily with Megan's directions and spent the next couple of hours attempting to salsa. They weren't particularly good at it, but Skye enjoyed being close to Ward and he was being a good sport about it. Salsa dancing was definitely a contact activity, one that fueled the simmering attraction between them. She was still surprised when he loosened up. It was one of the reasons she loved their date nights so much. By ten she was yawning, and she followed Ward sleepily back to the restaurant.

Ward pulled into the driveway and waited for the garage door to open before parking inside and turning off the engine. Skye was asleep in the passenger seat. He'd noticed that she could fall asleep almost anywhere if she was tired enough.

He got out and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door and reaching in to remove her seatbelt. "Hey Skye? Time to wake up."

She opened her eyes and smiled sleepily. "Okay."

He couldn't help smiling as he helped her out of the car, steadying her when she started leaning back too far. He put his arm around her and led her up the steps, pausing to unlock the kitchen door. He reset the alarm and when he turned around, Skye was removing her leather jacket. The thin spaghetti straps and plunging neckline of her silk camisole revealed a tantalizing amount of skin, and he swallowed against the sudden dryness in his throat. He watched as she took two bottles of water from the fridge and handed one to him.

"Thanks for taking me dancing," she said, sipping her water. "I know it's not your favorite thing."

Ward shrugged. "But you like it. I don't mind, really." The merits of being able to hold her close outweighed his general dislike of club environments. Salsa dancing turned out to be more intimate than he'd anticipated, but they'd both enjoyed it. They'd become comfortable in each other's physical space, so much so that it was hard to believe they'd only begun this assignment a month ago.

When she turned to go upstairs, he gave in to temptation. Grasping her hand, he put the water bottles on the counter, turned her around and kissed her. She responded immediately, arching into him as she wound her arms around his neck. He coaxed her mouth open, sweeping his tongue inside to taste her. She was salty and sweet; he pressed her back against the island and slid his hands into her hair to cradle her head in his palms as he slanted his lips across hers again and again.

Ward finally pulled back, leaning his forehead against hers for a moment as he made an effort to calm down. If he didn't stop now he was afraid he wouldn't stop at all, and he didn't think Skye would put a halt to things either. He released her and watched as she took her water and disappeared up the stairs. By unspoken agreement, they hadn't discussed their attraction since that morning two weeks ago, but he wasn't sure how much longer they were going to be able to maneuver around it.

He stayed downstairs for a while, finishing his water and checking all the locks before going up to the bedroom. Skye was already in the bed, so he left the light off as he grabbed a clean pair of boxer shorts and walked into the bathroom. He brushed his teeth and changed, tossing his clothes into the hamper.

Skye stirred when he got into bed. He was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, and she suddenly rolled over towards him.

Snuggling into him and draping her arm across his waist, she asked sleepily, "Is this okay?"

Ward released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He hesitated for only a moment and then he wrapped his arm around her. "Shh. Go to sleep."

She was asleep minutes later, but he was distracted – by the gentle rise and fall of her chest against his side, the soft sound of her breathing, and the weight of her arm across his waist.

Put it in a box.

He had a feeling he was going to need more boxes for the woman sleeping so peacefully beside him.

The next six weeks passed more quickly than Skye could have imagined, a blur of work and a form of domestic bliss she was fast coming to crave. She and Ward settled into a routine during the week. They cooked together, had established game nights, and she'd begun working out with him in the gym at least three nights a week. She learned techniques for kicking and punching and discovered that going a round with the bag was a great stress reliever.

They spent weekends doing different activities; they went to the beach or walked the hiking trails, and they took Ward's motorcycle for long drives up the coast. Skye had never ridden a motorcycle before, but she loved the way she was able to lean into him and enjoy the ride.

As promised, Ward took her to Mexico one weekend. They spent two nights in Tijuana, and she was giddy with the excitement of being in a foreign country for the first time. She dragged Ward to every kitschy tourist trap market she could find, ignoring him when he laughed at her. Before they left she bought a small, colorful Dia de los Muertos doll that reminded her of the artwork at Mercado.

This weekend they had hosted their first barbecue, inviting Stacy and Rob and the Milanos. It was Skye's first experience with hosting anything, much less playing hostess in her own home, and she'd taken pains to make sure it went off as planned. The Saturday afternoon barbecue stretched into the evening hours, assuring her it was a success.

The bubble burst on Sunday evening. They had finished dinner, and Skye was surfing the Internet while Ward watched the news. She was only half listening until she heard a familiar name. The news anchor was interviewing a Senator Christian Ward of Massachusetts, who was in California with his family for a political convention. She could practically feel the tension radiating off of Ward, though his face remained expressionless as he listened to the news clip.

Skye set her tablet aside. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, turning off the news and getting up.

Skye watched him walk into the kitchen, and moments later she heard the door leading to the garage open and shut. Grabbing her tablet, she searched out the Ward family of Massachusetts, confirming what she'd suspected. Senator Christian Ward was Grant's older brother.

He never talked about his family, and Skye had enough respect for his privacy not to push. He'd mentioned attending military school at sixteen, and she knew he wasn't close to his family, but she'd had no idea that he was descended from political royalty. As far as she could tell, the Wards were on the same level as the Kennedys and were well respected in their home state. There was even some speculation that the senator would make a run for president in a few years.

Skye gave Ward his space but when he hadn't returned an hour later, she went up to the gym to find him pounding the punching bag mercilessly. She hesitated in the doorway before approaching him cautiously. "I brought you some water."

He paused but didn't look at her. "Thanks."

She placed the water on the weight bench. He was ignoring her now, and she bit her lip uncertainly. "You're not fine, Grant. Do you want to talk about it?"

He landed a vicious punch before stilling the bag and looking at her. "Why? Because we're engaged? Except we're not, Skye, and when I say I don't want to talk about it, I mean it."

His words landed like a slap, and she drew back. Without another word she left the gym and went back to the house, blinking furiously to keep the tears at bay. But once she was inside, she felt trapped. There was really nowhere to go that was her own, no place she could hide, and she couldn't bear the thought of lying in bed waiting for him to come in.

Then it hit her. She grabbed her phone and, on impulse, the little Dia de los Muertos doll she'd placed on the end table, and she walked out the door.

Ward hated himself the instant he snapped at Skye, and the stricken look on her face stayed with him as he worked out his aggression on the punching bag. Disgusted with himself, he sat on the weight bench and downed the bottle of water. Skye had only been trying to help, and he knew that, but he also knew he couldn't talk about his family without shining a light on memories he'd worked hard to lock tightly away.

It was nearly ten when he left the gym and went back to the house. He turned off the downstairs lights and walked up the stairs to the bedroom, expecting to find Skye in the bathroom or already in bed. But the bathroom was empty, and so was their bed.

Frowning, he checked the other rooms upstairs before walking back down the living room. A few minutes later he was sure she wasn't anywhere in the house and he was starting to worry. He checked the patio and even though the yard was dark, he checked the tire swing as well.

Ward was walking through the garage when he saw the small light coming from inside the SUV. He opened the driver's side door and got in, relieved to find her in the backseat. She was playing with the Dia de los Muertos doll she had brought back from Tijuana; she kept her eyes on the doll and refused to look at him.

"I'm sorry," he said, sighing heavily. "I was out of line."

"I shouldn't have pushed. Obviously it's not my business."

Ward watched her for a minute. "You're not planning to sleep in the car, are you?" He had a feeling that was actually her plan when she came out here, a learned behavior from her time spent living in her van, or a defense mechanism. Either way, she was using it as a physical barrier, and it bothered him.

She didn't answer him, confirming he was right. "I'm sure you figured out already that the senator is my older brother."

Her fingers stilled on the doll, and she nodded. "I know."

"The Wards may look good on paper, but that's not the reality," he finally continued. "Seeing him brought back some memories, and I took that anger out on you. And I'm sorry about that because you didn't deserve it. It's just not something I talk about."

She nodded. "Got it. The Wards are off limits."

Ward sat quietly as she went back to playing with the doll. "Skye, you can't sleep out here. You have work tomorrow. If you want your space, I'll sleep on the couch."

"You can go to bed," she said, still not looking at him. "I just want to stay here for a little while."

He left the garage light on when he went back inside. By the time he showered and got in the bed, it was ten-thirty and Skye still hadn't come inside. Ward lay on his back, alternating between watching the clock and listening for her to come inside. A painful thirty minutes later he heard the kitchen door open and close, and the faint sounds of the alarm being reset.

Skye didn't speak when she entered the bedroom, taking her pajamas from the dresser drawer and going into the bathroom. He heard the shower running, and then the quiet sounds of her moving around the room. When the bathroom door opened, the scent of her shower gel and lotion drifted out. Then she got in the bed. He waited for her to slide over to him but for the first time in weeks, she stayed on her side of the bed with her back to him.

Skye was wiped out on Monday after her tense night with Ward. She'd gotten very little work done that day, alternating between staring blearily at her screen and trips to the coffee pot in the break room. Even Hannah commented on it, asking her if she was okay.

"I'm fine. I just couldn't sleep last night," Skye said.

Frowning, Hannah asked, "Did you and Grant have a fight or something?"

"Or something," Skye told her. "It wasn't a fight exactly."

"I'm sorry," she said, her expression sympathetic. "Is there anything I can do?"

Skye glanced at the time. "Stop the clock?" It was four-thirty and for the first time since starting at Quinn Worldwide, she actually dreaded leaving the office.

"Avoidance isn't a solution, you know," Hannah pointed out. "But if it'll help, we could stay a little late, order dinner in, and have a brainstorming session about the tablet project."

Skye latched onto the suggestion gratefully. "Thanks."

She knew that Hannah was right and avoiding Ward was just delaying the inevitable, but her feelings were hurt. She felt raw and vulnerable, and she needed time to get that under control before facing him again. She didn't think cooking dinner together and playing board games as they usually did on Monday nights would go over well for either of them that night.

She sent him a text letting him know she was going to be staying a little late to work on the tablet project and that they were ordering dinner in. When he messaged back asking what time she thought she'd be home, she told him at least by seven. She could have stayed later, but she hated to keep Hannah at work when it wasn't necessary.

Miles, Megan and Brian were on their way out at five when they saw Hannah and Skye working on the project together. They joined the discussion, and soon the ideas were flying fast and furious. Wally commented on them working late but left them to it, and the building had mostly emptied out by six when their dinner arrived.

Skye's phone beeped as Hannah began passing out the sandwiches, and she saw a message from Ward.

Ward: I'm at the store. Got the dish soap and detergent. Do you need anything?

They'd done the shopping on Friday night in preparation for their barbecue on Saturday, but Skye had later discovered a few things she'd forgotten to put on the shopping list.

Skye: My deodorant. Coffee creamer.

Ward: Which flavor do you want?

Skye: French vanilla lat

A sudden noise distracted her, and she paused. Was that a gunshot?

"What was that?" Hannah asked in alarm.

"It sounded like a gun," Miles said warily.

They heard the elevator doors open, and two people dressed in black tactical gear stepped out. They wore masks and carried guns, and they were definitely not Quinn Worldwide security.

Skye's fingers flew across the keyboard of her phone as she tapped out her final message.

Skye: Milk

She dropped her hands immediately, but her movements had caught the attention of the male. He approached her aggressively and grabbed her wrist. "What did you do?"

Skye swallowed hard. "Nothing."

The man took her phone and looked at the messages. "Who is Ward?"

"My fiancé," she answered quietly, looking over at the others. They all stood still as statues, all clearly confused and scared.

"This department should have been empty," the woman said. "Tie them up. But not her."

Skye jerked in surprise when she realized the woman was referring to her. "What?"

The woman stepped in front of her. Her eyes were green but lacked any warmth; they were cool and calculating as she considered Skye. "You work here in the Applied Technology department. I might need you."

When Miles stepped forward in protest, the woman pointed her gun at him. "You can be a dead hero, or you can stay alive. Your choice."

Skye shook her head at him. "Don't. I'll be fine." And she would as soon as Ward got there. She knew the store he had probably stopped at, and she knew it was only a fifteen minute drive to Quinn Worldwide. She knew he would have understood her message and left immediately. He was on his way.

Everything will be fine, she told herself as the woman pushed her towards the elevator.

A/N: Evil cliffie! I'd say sorry, but I'm feeling evil lol. I fell asleep editing this, so I'm posting later than I meant to. This ended up being another really long chapter due to fleshing out scenes, but I still wanted to include the time jump here. So, now you guys have a choice. I was going to edit the third part of The Head and the Heart series tomorrow. However, since I ended this on a cliffhanger, I could be persuaded to start editing Ch 11 tomorrow instead. I might be able to get it ready to post before the weekend's over – I've been sick again (flu turned upper respiratory infection) but I'm finally feeling better and have a little more energy for working on my stories. Let me know what you want. I was hopped up on cold meds again while editing this, so also let me know if you see any mistakes or posting errors.

Up Next: Action!Ward to the rescue, and Skye and Ward have the emotional fallout of both their fight and the hostage situation to deal with. In other words, good stuff! :-D