"Gin Rummy!" Cidney declared slapping down her cards.
"No." Fitz looked at the ace she'd played, "You still have a card left. Ace isn't high."
"Yes it is."
"No you play King high."
"Careful Fitz. She won't go down easy when it comes to aces being high." Ward sat in a chair near the two players.
"You stay out of this!" she pointed at Ward accusingly, "You don't play right either."
"See what I mean?" Ward directed to Fitz.
"Some shmuck tells you King is high and suddenly you know how to play the game I taught you. Ruined game night."
"See Fitz this why I stopped playing cards with her."
"Yeah you stick to boring old board games."
"At least the rules are printed and in the box. That way you can't claim you found different variations online." Grant nearly came out of his seat to defend his board games.
"There are different ways to play, Grant!" she insisted.
"Fine how about we play poker?" Fitz offered. He wanted to distract her from the mission the next day and help her relax.
"Deal." She gathered the cards and began to shuffle, "Deal you in, Grant?"
"No thanks I've lost enough money to you."
"Ever play Texas Hold 'Em, Fitz?" she smiled slyly
Fitz looked between the two of them and walked away, "I'm not losing all my money to a soulless ginger." He muttered.
"Awww Fitz come on! I'll play nice! We can bet candy or something." Fitz waved her off. "Coward!" she hollered after him.
She held up the deck and bent them slightly, "Hey Grant? Wanna play 52 pick up?" she taunted.
He shot daggers at her and she chuckled softly to herself, "Couldn't believe it when you agreed that day we were snowed in. Twenty-five years old and you didn't have a clue."
He rolled his eyes at the memory and she began shuffling the cards absently. "Grant?"
"Mm?"
"Can I ask you something?"
He leaned forward giving her his full attention, "You don't ever have to ask me that question. I'll tell you anything you want to know. I promise."
She chewed her lip nervously, "Did you…when we were together and you told me about yourself did you lie? I mean obviously your job wasn't real but the things about you…were they real? Or were they just all lies?"
"What made you ask that?"
"You're so different…I've told them some stories about us and every time someone says "that doesn't sound like Ward"… You still know me better than anyone. You sent in Skye because you knew she'd connect with me best, you remembered little details like the tea, and the card games and-"
"The fact that you twist whatever ring is on your left hand when you're nervous or stressed." He stated looking at her hand as it stilled, "Or that you don't really like coffee you just like cream with a little coffee but you always liked it when I'd make a pot because you love the smell of it. Peppermint hot chocolate is your warm drink of choice. You're favorite season is fall because you love it when the leaves change and the air gets crisp; you love snow but you hate winter because the cold hurts the shoulder that popped out of place when you fell out of a tree at fifteen. You're the most compassionate, understanding, gentlest person I've ever met. You showed so much of yourself to me…I'd never had anyone give so much trust and care to me...you're the only person who made me want to talk about my past and my future…my hopes and dreams. So everything I told you, everything about my childhood, about the darkest parts of myself and everything I want to be one day was all true. I never lied when I told you about myself. We're a new team and we're all still getting a feel for each other…I've been a specialist these past five years. Which means I worked alone mostly and my people skills are rusty. Cold and calculated, that was my job. I'm still warming up to them …and you? I've never fully opened myself up to anyone but you "
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Not trusting you-"
"You have good reason not to trust me."
"I know...but tomorrow we're going in together. And I have to trust you completely."
"And I'll have to trust you." he took her hand, "I trust you, Cid. Just keep doing what you've been doing these past two weeks and you'll do great tomorrow. And if you start feeling nervous just remember I'm there. I'll protect you."
She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him tightly to her. A nervous sigh escaped her and he squeezed her reassuringly. "I have something for you." she pulled back and fished into her bag, "I left early for work today so I could get you these." She held out the five pictures he'd picked out with a few others that she selected.
Calloused fingers ran over the new photos- Danny laughing on a swing, sitting in the snow and getting a taste of the white treat. In the third Cidney held him perched on her hip while blowing bubbles; Danny had a cheesy grin on his face and his hand were frozen as he reached out to pop the bubbles.
"I had those on my computer and thought you might like them."
"Thank you." he pulled her to him and kissed her temple, "You didn't have to let me get to see him. Thank you for doing that for me."