Matter of Importance

Spoilers: Season 2 promo

Disclaimer: I own nothing, Marvel owns it all!

The sound of knocking once again woke Ward, he looked to his side to see Skye curled up beside him sleeping comfortably. She was a good six inches away on her side facing him with one hand laying against his chest. Gently he removed her hand and stood, walking to the door and opened it only to find May. The fact the woman was the one waking him meant that something was up, either dangerous or extremely important.

"We need to talk."

She pushed past him and Ward looked up at the ceiling, knowing he was about to die a very violent death. He turned to see May starring at the figure in bed, he wasn't surprised considering no one knew about Skye's escapement to his room every night except for Hunter but the mercenary wasn't saying anything. "I understand what this looks like…" he put up his hands but went silent at her glare, which was even darker in the low light.

May walked over to Skye and shook her shoulder, causing the hacker to open her eyes. Skye turned her head slightly to find May and sat up as she did. "What's going on?" She pushed her hair back and blinked, looking between them. "May what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

Skye yawned and covered her mouth, "I was sleeping when you came charging into my room waking me up."

"This isn't your room Skye."

"Might as well be, it's where I sleep because Hunter and Fulton make their activities known as if the wall wasn't between us." She reached beside her and turned on the light, the brightness allowing May to see that some of Skye's personal items lay on the nightstand beside her. Standing up, the hacker grabbed her soft jacket and pulled it on before sitting back down on the bed. "What's going on, it's 0200 and even you're never up at that hour anymore?"

It wasn't hard to take in the fact the young agent was clothed in what was considered appropriate for sleeping. Shorts and a tank top and there seemed to be no signs of activities that warranted killing Ward. May looked over at Ward, taking in that he was wearing sweats and a shirt. She looked between them, "there better be only sleep going on."

Skye planted her face in her hands, "ahh!" She groaned and looked up at her SO, "what are you doing here in the first place at this unholy hour?"

"Despite reports and video footage from transport," she looked over at Ward, "Victoria Hand was rescued alive from one of HYDRA's labs during a raid last night. She's currently in the Infirmary undergoing treatment for torture burns and infected wounds."

That had the hacker looking at Ward, he seemed to be unable to find words to say. "It's possible right? You said you didn't shoot her in the head, just three bullets to the back and chest."

"One to the chest, two to the back. I rarely take a shot in the head because if there was a chance they could live, it gives them a chance." He sighed and folded his arms, "I told you, I don't like the way it makes me feel."

Without prompting and despite May standing between them, Skye got up off the bed and moved over to the ex-specialist. He pulled her close and buried his nose in her hair, allowing himself to feel her soft breathing under the palm of his hand as he held her. The hacker pulled back and looked at Ward, his eyes lighting up slightly as he met her brown muddy orbs.

"We can mark one name off that long list."

"Doesn't change what I've done Skye." He sighed and played with the ends of her hair. "I'm a murderer."

Skye shrugged, "so are most of the people on this base. Newsflash for you Robot, Romanoff has you beat in body count as does Hunter and Barton, you're pretty low on the list if I'm correct about Denton and Lowe."

Rolling his eyes, he looked over at May despite keeping an arm around Skye's waist. "How is she doing?"

"Mentally she wants you dead and physically she's fine besides the infection and burns. I had to have all agents in the room disarm themselves because when Coulson said you were on the base, she threatened to hunt you down." May saw Skye lock her jaw and tighten her fist. "I suggest you both stay far away for now." Making her way to the door she paused, "I'll reassign you a room away from Hunter tomorrow."

Skye shrugged, "wouldn't matter, I'll still end up here. We both sleep better beside each other, its proximity now not noise. I doubt you'd be able to sleep away from Coulson now if you tried."

There was no reply as the door shut and Skye leaned against Ward, he picked her up gently and carried her back to bed. Once the petite hacker was under the covers he turned off the light and crawled over her, brushing back her hair as he always did till she fell asleep. "Get some sleep mia bella."

"You're a good man." Skye touched his cheek with a finger, "you just made some horrible decisions."

"You make me better." He kissed her hand and lay combing through her hair, watching as she fell back asleep.

Skye made her way into the Infirmary and over to one of the holding rooms, she found Victoria Hand in a bed with a piece of paper and pen. A quick knock on the door made the woman look up at her, just starring as if trying to figure out why Skye was there.

"Agent Hand, welcome back to SHIELD." Skye held her tablet to her chest. "Most of us were saddened by the news of your apparent death and we're happy to know you survived."

"Yes well," the woman looked back down at the paper. "It is surprising that you managed to survive this far. There doesn't seem to be much need for a hacker anymore when all the information is for the world to see." Hand looked back up at her. "What are you doing now besides standing around?"

Skye shrugged, "I'm a field operative, bordering on operational type duties. When on the base I run the security feeds and keep an eye out for all things going on. I also oversee Grant Ward's rehabilitation."

The woman's hand stopped and Skye noticed her tense, "I suppose you're on Coulson's thought train that everyone deserves a second chance."

"Not everyone but he does and I don't just say that because he's my former SO." She watched the woman's eyes narrow slightly. "Anyhow, I'm actually here because Simmons will be releasing you within the next hour and I need to take you to get your security check."

The walk was quiet and Skye accepted that the woman beside her wasn't going to say much. The two agents following them were without a doubt wondering how Hand had survived. Everyone was, especially an ex-specialist who'd shot her. Every incoming agent had to undergo extensive security checks that were practically unfakable as well as a very detailed and thorough lie detector test.

One the way to the security room, talking drew Hand's attention and Skye knew it was because of the voice. Ward and Hunter were talking as they hefted equipment from one of the storage rooms, no doubt going on one of the jets for a mission. Skye made a signal and the agents behind them were suddenly on each side of hand.

"You cheat!" Hunter threw at Ward and the man chuckled. "Absolutely cheated because I've never lost a game of cards."

Ward turned to him, "perhaps you finally met someone who can beat you. It's not my fault you have several tells."

"That's shit, I do not have tells." Hunter smiled at seeing Skye. "Fireworks, tell him I don't have tells."

"Then I'd be lying because the reason you such at hand to hand combat is due to your telling foot movements." Skye smiled at them, "Rota mission or Moscow?"

Hunter smirked, "Moscow and Ridley got assigned with Bower."

"Trade Bower's weapon for an ICER, I can't have him shooting Ridley because the kid gets scared."

Hand and Ward seemed to stare at each other, the woman took a step but was held back by one of the agents. "You'll be wishing you were dead eventually."

"I've already tried to die three times, SHIELD prevented it so I'd talk to them if you have a problem about why I'm alive." He looked at Skye and she traded a knowing glance before both men left.

Grant Ward shut his bathroom light off to find Skye on the bed with her computer. He lifted the covers and got under them, reaching over to pull an earbud from Skye's ear. She smiled and turned to him as she shut her computer. "I have a few more messages to go through for Coulson than I'll be ready for bed."

The ex-specialist nodded before leaning in to kiss her cheek. "I've got to help Dawson with a vehicle repair early in the morning so I'll see you later in the day." Without another word he turned over and shut off the light, settling to sleep.

Skye smiled as Ward went to sleep without waiting for her, he'd been doing it more often if she had work to do instead of waiting on her. He'd even taken Hunter up on poker, causing the ex-mercenary to lose horribly. Placing her headphones back in her ears, she opened her laptop and started working on the coded messages that they had recovered from HYDRA. With only her laptop's screen lighting the room, Skye relaxed on her stomach and started getting to work.

Two hours later she was finished and left her laptop on the bed to head to the bathroom. Shutting the door behind her, she did her business and started washing her hands. Shutting the water off, Skye heard the sound of the main door being opened and a flashlight lit under the door. Without a weapon she was left with only hand to hand, Ward would wake up within seconds of a secondary presence on the room. It was instinct, he was accustomed to her but no one else. It was like he knew when someone other than herself was in the room with him.

She was right when she heard Ward's voice. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Like I said, you'd be wishing you were dead soon."

The voice was Victoria Hand's and Skye felt rage boil up in her. Without a second thought she flung the door open to find Hand a few feet away with a gun, the bedside light on and Ward sitting on the edge of the bed. "Get the hell out!"

Hand seemed taken aback by the hacker standing in shorts and a tank top with feet bare. She also didn't notice the look in Ward's eye change from dangerous to homicidal. Skye knew that Ward would kill Hand if she even threatened her.

"Agent Skye…"

"Agent Hand I suggest you leave because right now you're on the verge of life and death. One move and you could be on the floor with bullets in you again." She moved towards the bed as Ward rose. "Grant no, stop."

Ward paused in his movements and Hand looked between them. "She has control of your leash now, fitting since you were her SO."

"Don't provoke him, I have minimal control when there's a threat to me. Right now you have a weapon and I have nothing, that's a threat so like I said before, I suggest you leave."

Hand lowered the weapon and looked between them, "this isn't over."

"You started a war." Ward's words were clipped as Hand narrowed. "It's only begun."

"This coming from a traitor?" Hand smirked, "quite poetic."

A/N: Oh yeah I went there! You'll learn more of how she survived later as the story goes on. Threatening Skye was dangerous on Hand's part, not that Skye couldn't take her. It's all about perception.

Next...Not Sure Yet

Please read and review...