Chapter Ten (Led Me to the End)

(Sometime Later)

Ward woke up suddenly, gasping and coughing with a searing, unbearable pain in his stomach and back. The white lights from above burned his eyes, he tried to move his arm to block it but found an IV in his hand, restricting his movements. Everything was foggy, he tried to get up but a British shout stopped him.

"Don't do that! You'll tear the stitching!"

Ward looked over to see Simmons running into the room waving her arms in a frantic 'no' motion, "Stitching?" he asked.

"Look at your stomach." Simmons said simply.

Ward frowned and lifted up the hospital shirt he was in to see a heavy wrap of gauze wrapped around his stomach and his back, faintly tinged with fresh blood. Simmons saw his confusion.

"You were shot. A bullet managed to penetrate your tactical gear and go straight through your back and stomach. You're lucky that Trip, Bobbi, and Hunter found you when they did. You would've bled out and died. You've been out for a while now."

"How long?"

"A few hours. They found you unconscious and bloodied on the ground, no one in sight." Simmons replied.

Ward's face fell and he tried to get up, "Skye, where is she?" he asked frantically. "Where is she?"

Simmons held him down and shook her head, "Grant, don't move. You'll tear the stitches and you'll start bleeding again."

Ward gulped and settled back down, "Where is she?"

Simmons took a breath, trying to figure out how to explain it to Ward, "Hydra took her. We don't know why. They couldn't find her at the warehouse. But Hydra has her." she explained.

Ward's face fell again and he felt sick to his stomach, "It's my fault." he muttered. "I let myself get shot and couldn't protect her. I'm the reason why she's gone."

Simmons placed a hand on Ward's shoulder, "Grant, you couldn't help that you got shot. It's not your fault. We'll get her back."

"You're sure as hell we will."

Ward and Simmons looked to see Coulson and Hunter coming into the room. It was Hunter who had spoke.

Coulson nodded at Simmons, "We're good here, Jemma. Come back and check on him later." he said.

Simmons nodded and quickly left the room.

Coulson turned back towards Ward, "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like hell." Ward grumbled.

"Well, I say you're doing pretty well for a guy that was just shot through the stomach and the back just several hours ago." Hunter said, smiling slightly.

"Not helping."

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

"Why is Skye gone?" Ward asked, looking down. "Why did they take her?"

"Well, I was hoping that you would know, but it looks like you don't." Coulson replied. "We really don't know. Did Hydra happen to say anything?"

Ward sighed and frowned, "Nothing of importance, I think. There was something about 'only get the girl'. So they were just after her. Then I was shot after that, so I don't know what happened." he explained.

"Well, they were long gone when we gone there." Hunter stated. "You were lying in a bloodied heap in the middle of the warehouse almost dead. I'm surprised that you're awake like this."

Ward kept his head down and remained silent, clearly blaming himself for Skye's capture.

"We'll find her, Grant." Coulson stated. "We'll find her. Just get some more rest. Everything will be fine."

"No it won't." Ward muttered. "It won't."

(Elsewhere)

"Where the hell is that man?!"

"Uh, Whitehall, sir, we don't know. He just disappeared."

Whitehall ran his hands through his hair, looking at the young Hydra agent, "I knew we shouldn't have trusted him. But he was our only clue to the city." he spat. "And we even went through the trouble of getting his daughter for him and he takes off. That man is crazy. Where is the girl anyways?" he asked.

"In the holding cells and putting up a good fight. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if SHIELD finds her soon since she is a part of Coulson's team." the agent replied.

"Not if that Cal bastard gets here soon and we can leave for the city." Whitehall responded. "We did something for him and he's expected to do what he promised, not if he wants his precious daughter to end up like his wife."

The agent blinked, unsure of what Whitehall was saying, "Sir?" he asked.

"Cut up and dead. That girl is special just like her mother." Whitehall replied. He took a breath, "What happened to agent that was with her?" he asked. "Agent Ward."

"He was shot and left for dead." the agent replied. "But a team of SHIELD agents recovered him. We're not sure if he's dead or not."

"I'm sure he's just subdued, not dead." Whitehall stated. "That man's a demon, hard to kill. Heard that from his old SO himself. Something's not right with that agent."

The agent nodded, "Should we try to get info from the girl, sir?" he asked. "Until he comes back?"

Whitehall sighed, adjusting his glasses, "That will do for now. We'll try to do what we can until that bastard decides to show back up."

(SHIELD Base)

Ward continued to look down at the white sheet covering his legs, trying to figure out why Skye was kidnapped. Thoughts were racing through his head. He thought that he had changed things, kept bad stuff from happening. But that didn't keep Skye from being taken.

Suddenly, his mind jumped to the alternate future. His stomach lurched, the current reality was around the same time in the other timeline that he himself had taken Skye from the Bus. Coulson had called that 'Ward and Hydra taking her'.

The future timeline was still happening, just in a different way. Ward had taken her to see her father, with Hydra around.

"Quick, Ward, think." he thought. "Why is this happening?"

Things were starting to connect and started to make sense. He had taken Skye in the alternate timeline around this time, and now Hydra had taken her. He had taken her to her father, was it possible that Hydra had done the same thing?

"Dammit!" Ward spat, realizing that the future he was still trying to prevent was still happening, just in a different way.

It was possible that Skye's father had worked a deal with Hydra to get Skye, to get his daughter. But in return for what? What had Hydra been looking for in the other timeline?

The temple. San Juan.

This was still all about San Juan and whatever the hell that temple was. Skye was still being led towards that.

Ward gripped at his sore stomach, knowing that he was helpless in doing anything other than telling Coulson what was going on. If they would believe him.

They were still being led towards the end.

Author's Note: I don't own AoS, Marvel does. So you see what is happening here now. It all leads back to San Juan. Ward's okay and figures out what's going on by paralleling it with the alternate timeline he avoided. But things he wanted to stop from happening are still happening, but in a different way. This goes to show that somethings are set and cannot be changed, and have dire consequences if interfered with. Keep reading and PLEASE favorite, follow, and/or review! (Can we make it to 55?) ~AwakeAndAliveSpartan.