Alone No More

Spoilers: Season 2, Episode 6 "A Fractured House"; Season 1 and 2

Disclaimer: I only own Melody, Ella, Devon, Nathan and Robbie


Grant Ward had to admit that being asked to join Skye on an op after so long felt foreign but within a day it had turned natural. Her movements as a SHIELD agent were some of the most amazing he'd seen since May or Romanoff. The rookie agent he'd attempted to train had turned into someone lethal, possibly more than him. His only concern apart from controlling his jealousy at watching Skye flirt with a mark was the fact that they'd left their kids in the care of Bobbi Morse and Lance Hunter. Of course, it was even more concerning when a check in with Coulson had led to finding out that Bobbi had been pulled away for a mission, leaving Hunter with six kids all ages 10 and under.

"If I have another guy try to buy me a drink I won't be liable for my actions." Skye's voice filtered through the radio. "I assume you have eyes on Romeo as he makes his way to the bathroom?"

Ward let his eyes drift in the direction of their mark. He downed his scotch before heading in the direction of the restrooms. "I have him." He pushed past the men standing in the hallway and headed into the bathroom.

The man was washing his hands so Ward moved over to the farthest sink. The guy looked at him as he turned off the water. "You mind?" The mark motioned to the paper towels and Ward handed him a few. "Thanks."

Ward rung out his hands and grabbed paper towels as the mark pulled out a vial from his pocket and looked at it. "Know where I can get some of that?"

"Oh this isn't for me." The man smirked and looked over at the specialist. "This makes women go wild, a drop in a drink and within ten minutes they're willing and able. I could spare you some, for say $450."

"Not worth the price, a hooker is less expensive." Ward threw the paper towels away and headed to the door. "Thanks for the offer though." He opened the door slightly and Skye slipped in, locking the door behind herself.

Their mark turned and instantly paused at seeing Skye. "If I knew you were this eager Sweetheart I wouldn't have bothered with the drink." He looked past her at Ward, "you mind man? Obviously the girl wants something."

"Hope is not lost, a path of light is laid before you." She took a step towards him and extended a hand, "take it."

Ward watched the man as if he was in a trance, he took Skye's hand and fell to his knees. Instantly he looked up at her, as if almost in devotion. "What can I give you?"

"Tell me everything you know about the drug and who makes it. After you've finished, forget you ever knew of it and leave this place. Go home to your wife and love her like she deserves."

It was amazing, he'd heard of her abilities that could give a lost person a second chance. However, having never seen them before Ward found himself amazed and in awe of her. Skye had power in ways no one could dare to dream of, she could command an army if she wanted or just help a lost soul. If her abilities had been known before HYDRA's fall there was no doubt that they'd have stopped at nothing in order to possess her.


Back in the hotel room, Ward watched Skye emerge from the bathroom in sweats and a sweater that was clearly too large on her. She sat on the bed and started clicking away at her laptop but eventually looked up at him while biting her lip.

"You're curious, about what I did tonight."

Ward moved from the wall by the window and moved over her, sitting a foot away. "I'm in awe. What you did tonight, if you'd had possessed it during HYDRA's war with SHIELD there is little doubt you could have changed everything. One command and you can have anything you want." He chuckled softly, "I see now what you meant by blackmailing the universe. You didn't blackmail it, you merely commanded it."

Skye looked down and pushed her hair back as she met his eyes upon raising her head. "There are different types of beacons. I'm a Beacon of Light and if I wanted, I could make a man spill his darkest secrets to me as I shine a light into his soul. I'm dangerous and I'm surprised you didn't succumb when I commanded Hoskins."

"You already touched my soul Skye so it wouldn't work," he watched her give him a look of confusion. "You shined a light on it when I was still under Garrett. I started second guessing myself, allowed weaknesses to shine through like never before. I was still consumed by a debt but I started to think for myself. You did all that before you gained it so I doubt it would work on me now." He stood and leaned over, kissing her head. "Get some sleep, we have to rescue Hunter tomorrow."

He started to leave till she spoke. "Hey Ward." He turned and she stood up to look him in the eyes. "Hope is not lost, a path of light stands before you." She held out her hand, "take it."

A soft chuckle escaped him, "doesn't work."

"Worth a try." It was light but her laughter was there. "See you in the morning."


Walking down the hall towards Skye's apartment, they could hear the loud commotion before even arriving at the door. Skye unlocked her door and both parents paused in the doorway to see Lance Hunter duct taped to a chair, a gag in his mouth and terror in his eyes as Nerf darts found themselves attached to the edge of the chair just a few inches short of his family jewels. The kids were having a Nerf Gun fight while Levi played on the floor near Hunter.

"Everyone stop right now!" Skye spoke and the room seemed to freeze, all the kids turned to see her and Ward. Shutting the door, Skye merely looked at them. "Rooms now!"

Everything was dropped and the kids were gone from sight quicker than Ward thought most specialist moved. While Skye was a loving mother, there was little doubt she put the fear of the universe into the kids.

"Mmmm." Hunter muffled and tried to move but couldn't. Ward moved over and quickly cut the duct tape with a knife as well as ungagged the man. "You have demon children. I swore up and down that Bobbi was a demonic hell beast but compared to them she's angelic. They worked like a bloody STRIKE team to tie me up and proceed to torture me with those blasted toy weapons. All the while taking care of my son but leaving me to sit here for half the bloody day."

Ward merely looked at the man, "what happened exactly?"

"Everything was going swell and I was starting to prepare their packs for school tomorrow as you instructed but then all of a sudden I'm being asked to sit down so they can put on a performance for me. Bloody performance my arse, they had they tape ready and bound me before I could even think to move. Like I said, they worked like a bloody STRIKE team, perhaps better than one." He threw up his hands before stand and bent down to get Levi. "Next time you need a nanny, hire one because I am never watching them again. I don't care if you're bleeding out on the bloody carpet, find someone else to watch them."

He collected Levi's belongings as well as his own and was quickly out the door. Ward turned to Skye and she put up a hand. "Don't you dare say a word, crack a joke or anything of the like Grant Ward. I can see pride in your eyes at this stunt and that isn't going to surface even a tiny fraction."

She stormed off and Ward followed to find her calling the girls into the boys' room. They all sat on the floor and Ella seemed to know what was going to happen. "We weren't trying to hurt anyone."

"You all can forget all afterschool activities, all previlges and everything that includes fun for the next week. You're grounded, every single one of you and you're all going to write an apology to Agent Hunter." She watched them all look at the ground. "Your father and I left you here, expecting you'd behave and apparently that went well until just hours before we arrive home. It's clear that one of us has to stay here with you guys because you can't behave."

Before Ward could say a word, tears started to fall as well as sobbed apologies. Clearly they all felt remorse over it so he put a hand on Skye's arm. She turned to look at him and he shook his head, hoping she'd understand. "Ella, Melody go to your room." He was gentle as he spoke and both girls stood up, moving past their parents with tears and sobs of remorse. "Boys, start cleaning this room while I talk to your mother."


After closing the door, Ward took Skye's hand and led her to the kitchen. "You can't just forgive them when tears fall or trust me, I wouldn't be here right now."

"I'm not saying forgive them or let them off the hook for their actions." Ward sighed and leaned against the counter. "I'm saying that maybe you were a little harsh on them. What they did was not appropriate and they need to apologize as well as deserve punishment but you practically yelled at them."

It took a few seconds before Skye shook her head, "I guess maybe I was a bit harsh but this is the first time I've dealt with this sort of thing. They're so well behaved all the time except for the occasional fits, which are dealt with swiftly." Shaking her head Skye leaned against the counter as she stared at the ground. "I'm a horrible mother."

"No you're not!" She looked up when he sternly said it, his jaw set as he cupped her cheek. "You're a good mother, you love them and sure you're going to screw up. I did a few times and I'm still learning now. Parenting isn't easy, it's a lifelong road of learning from mistakes. You took on five children Skye, five when most wouldn't even take on one." A smile emerged on your face. "You're a great mother and I don't think even at this moment they'd disagree."

"What do I do?"

Ward took a step back and let space resume between them. "What do you think you should do?"

"Apologize, tell them I love them but what they did was inexcusable so there will be consequences."

"Then do that." He turned to the fridge and started removing food. "I'll make dinner while you talk to them."


An hour later dinner was cooked and Ward found himself joined by happy kids, despite being in tears just an hour before. Clearly whatever Skye said to them let them know that despite their actions she loved them. They were chatting with her as they sat down, telling her about their Friday Freeday at school.

"I'll let you eat." Ward kissed Ella and Melody's heads before ruffling the boys' hair. "I love you guys."

Skye caught his hand as he started to move to the living room to get his mission gear bag. "Hold on Turbo, you're staying and having dinner with us. Family dinner means all of us, you included."

"Yeah Daddy." Melody looked up at him. "We're a family, all of us."

"Alright but after dinner I have to go." He sat down and started cutting up Melody's baked fish, allowing her to tell him all about the newest class pet that her class had acquired. It seemed after the Snowdrop the rabbit and Turd the Frog, they'd gotten two gerbils. It was starting to sound more like a zoo than a classroom.

A quick glance up and he found Skye smiling at him, clearly just as amused by their daughter's tale about the Great Gerbil Hunt that had occurred on Friday in the classroom after a student had left the cage open. However it was the spark in her eye that made him smile, it was soft and full of something he dare not name out loud.


Despite saying he'd leave after dinner, Ward found himself putting the kids to bed as Skye cleaned up and did laundry. He found her in front of the fire place with a glass of wine and several of his letters. He sat down across from her and she folded the letter she held, holding it in her hand as her eyes met his.

"I'm not giving them back."

"I figured that." He shook his head as he looked at the letters. "It was a form of sanity for me. Writing to you seemed to take away the loneliness, the guilt for destroying what could have been for a debt that never existed."

A smile formed on her face and she picked up the letters, placing them in a box that sat beside her. "That's in the past."

"No it's not, not entirely." Ward sighed and looked at the flames. "It still lingers between us, the what ifs and what could have beens. What we felt then never went away, no matter what happened between us but we continue to put up a barrier because we're both afraid that the past will destroy us eventually."

A hand on his cheek made him turn his head to meet her eyes. "It's not fear of the past destroying us. It's fear that who we fell in love with only exists in the past." A smile appeared on her face. "I'm learning that I was wrong. The Grant Ward I knew still exists, in fact I think only about a quarter of him was a lie. I'm still discovering that other quarter and I never want to stop."

He seized her lips before he let his doubts stop him and immediately she curled into him, her arms wrapping around his neck and fingers in his hair. Ward pulled back, looking at her with a dazed expression. "I'm still discovering you and I never want to stop either." It was a whisper but she smiled as her nose bumped his. "Give me a chance…"

"I saved your life," she smirked at him. "I blackmailed the universe to keep you alive, I think that's evidence I've already given you one you've yet to take."

After a few moments and another kiss, he extracted himself from her and pulled her up as he stood. "I should go. I'll drop the kids off tomorrow after I pick them up from school."

"Okay." She smiled and watched him depart after kissing her head, grabbing bag and only pausing long enough to smile at her from the doorway. "Night."

"Goodnight." The door shut behind him and Skye smiled, feeling like a teenager for the second time in her life. The first time had been on a couch in Providence before all hell broke loose but that had been years before and after many lessons learned.


A/N: Who is happy? I'm still gushing after the last part and also laughing after what happened with Hunter.

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