AN: Wow... Almost fifty reviews?! I'm speechless and humbled and just... so grateful. You guys are truly amazing. The response to this has been above and beyond what I ever imagined, and all I can say is thank you. SkyeWard will never die, because people like you and me will always be here. SPEAKING OF ALWAYS/HARRY POTTER: HOW MANY OF YOU ARE GOING TO THE NATIONWIDE YULE BALL AT BARNES AND NOBLE ON THE NINTH? I'm going! Sorry, I rabbit-trailed... Chapter ten of Comatose commences!
People came and knocked on her door throughout the rest of the day, trying to come in. But she didn't want to see anyone.
The next morning, she unlocked her room, though she didn't talk much. She thanked Simmons for bringing her food, but other than that she was quiet. Lincoln tried to get her to speak, but she couldn't even meet his eyes. Eventually he let her be.
Two days after she'd awakened, Phil called everyone together and told them the truth about Ward's mission with the CIA. Simmons swallowed as Fitz stared at his shoes, saying that he should've known. Lincoln didn't react, having barely known the man. May glared at Phil for lying to her. Mack sighed, and Coulson continued speaking.
"I hope that you can forgive me for not seeing it, and for sidestepping the law. I-" He broke off as the door opened, revealing a frantic-looking Daisy. She paced anxiously as she spoke.
"The thing that pretended to be Will on the other planet, it took over Ward's body. It made it through the portal and it's here on earth. I... I forgot to mention it because I was upset," she said to the S.H.I.E.L.D Director. He nodded, Jemma helping the girl into a chair. Lincoln furrowed his brows, slightly confused.
"How do you know?" He asked. She looked to Coulson, then to the floor, then finally into the electrokinetic's eyes.
"Grant told me. And he told me about his work with the CIA."
The room was silent with confusion, so Phil explained for her. Daisy kept her eyes lowered as he relayed what she'd told him.
Suddenly the door burst open, Tanner and Megan yelling at each other as they entered the room. At the sight of them, Daisy tensed and set her jaw. Coulson sighed.
"We're in the middle of something right now, guys. Can't it wait?"
The siblings shouted "no" at the same time.
"Director, sir, if you could please tell my idiot brother that he is not exempt from full gear cleanup, I would be appreciative."
"Excuse me, but I'm pretty sure if it wasn't used there's no reason to clean it!"
As they argued, Daisy edged behind Coulson's desk and grabbed the gun out of his front drawer, raising it and pointing it at Megan. She'd noticed that even though they fought constantly, Tanner always protected his younger sister.
Everyone's eyes widened, and even the siblings fell silent. The seismic Inhuman glared at the two of them.
"Grant also gave me an interesting bit of Hydra trivia. He said that the organization's favorite mercenaries shared a last name with our two light-summoners here. At first I thought it was a coincidence, but when I described them, he denied that theory."
The brother and sister both set their jaw, as Daisy continued.
"If you come peacefully, we might be able to work out a lighter sentence for you two. If not... There's a chance neither of you walk out of here alive."
The silence that filled the room was so heavy it was almost tangible. Then the siblings gave an identical sigh and raised their hands, placing them behind their heads and getting on their knees.
May wasted no time with surprise, cuffing them and nodding to Mack. They escorted the pair from the room, shutting the door behind them.
Lincoln stared at Daisy, his expression stunned. "So... What else did Ward tell you?"
The girl bit her lip to keep it from trembling, the squeezing in her throat making it difficult for her to answer.
"He... He told me the names of our kids. He told me I would be okay. He told me he loved me."
Coulson wrapped his arms around the girl as she began to sob quietly. Though there was clearly hurt on the other Inhuman's face, Daisy couldn't bring herself to regret a single moment she'd spent with Grant.
The others in the room left silently, until only she and Phil remained, the S.H.I.E.L.D director carefully running his fingers through the girl's hair while tears ran down her face.
-3 Weeks Later-
FitzSimmons chattered excitedly but in hushed tones, staring at their latest project. Since being told of Ward's CIA status, the scientists had worked furiously on what they called Operation Vanilla. They now believed they had completed it.
"I've checked the calculations six times over. It should work," Fitz stated, examining the row of test tubes. Each glass contained an orange liquid that swam with tiny particles. Simmons picked up one of the vials.
"I hope it does. I feel so guilty, knowing everything we put him through. As if he wasn't already exhausted trying to be three different people, we made his life hell. If this doesn't work I don't know if I'll ever forgive myself."
Suddenly the door to the lab slid open and Daisy stood there, her eyes panicked.
"We found him. He's in northern Virginia, at an old military base. Wheels up in thirty."
Fitz and Simmons began filling small darts with the orange liquid, the entire batch making six projectiles. They then loaded the darts into a gun before grabbing their gear and heading to the jet hangar.
Jemma handed Daisy the dart gun with a small smile. The Inhuman looked nervous, but managed to return the expression.
As they all loaded into a Quinjet, Daisy played with the firearm in her hands, making sure she knew it's weight and feel before she would have to use it. She prayed to whatever God was listening that the concoction FitzSimmons had come up with would work.
*It's called Operation Vanilla because you know, Vanilla extract? Like they're trying to extract Hive? No? Okay... Don't forget to review if you enjoyed!