"He's not a psychopath. Narcissistic? Yes. But he has feelings, he has empathy. He loves quite deeply, in fact. He was fully prepared to die for Jemma and Abby. Part of that is the behavior he was conditioned for, but it was also love."
"What are you saying?" Coulson asks Dr. Heller, the SHIELD psychiatrist who'd treated the likes of Natasha Romanov and Bucky Barnes, and seemed a fair candidate to assess Ward.
"He's saying he isn't evil, just supremely fucked up," Nat answers.
"Thank you for that concise summation, as always, Natasha," Dr. Heller rolls his eyes, but fondly. "What I'm saying is, Ward will always have predilection for violence, possessiveness, and manipulation, because he was effectively brainwashed on SHIELD's watch and molded into John Garrett's image. But that doesn't mean he can't be rehabilitated."
Coulson just stares.
"Your personal history with the subject is coloring your ability to be objective," Dr. Heller rebukes. There's a collective gasp at that. "Child soldiers, given acceptance back into their communities, can recover.
"And yes, that is exactly what Grant Ward is – a teenager recruited by Garrett and used as a fighter, when he was still a child and easy to manipulate. Maybe SHIELD was blindsided by the Hydra thing, but his commanding officers certainly would have seen the signs in Ward's relationship with Garrett, and failed to do anything about it so long as it served their purposes. In my professional opinion, I think SHIELD owes him a chance to reestablish himself as a contributing member of society, and, I think, he's ready to try."
"What makes you so sure?" May asks.
"Jemma," Elisson chimes in plainly, as Heller himself had insisted she be called in to consult. "Grant is love- and approval-driven. It's what motivated his previous alignments but, with Jemma, I have seen him consciously abstain from manipulation. He's shared his trauma with her in order for her to process hers. It's not all about him anymore."
Elisson glares at Hunter when he audibly scoffs. "He procured her the help she needed, even though he clearly feared her healing would lead to her leaving," she says pointedly. "And when they were in danger, he laid down all loyalties to get Jemma and Abby back. And from what Dr. Heller tells me, he's made no plays to get out of the cell this time."
"He's still Hydra," Cap points out.
"He was trying to move his branch out of that, actually" Daisy volunteers. "I've done some digging, and Hydra was simply a revenue source. He's made no moves toward, she pauses to hand out copies of the file she had compiled, "any of Hydra's mandates in the past three years. He's moved mainly into mercenary work, and there's no grand evil science stuff. Jem's his science division."
"Abby reformed some of his thought processes. Through her, he's learned there aren't conditions on everything. She has no expectations, she loves him because he's her Dad, flaws and all. He's trying not to feed in to his weaknesses," Elisson adds in.
"He did literally hand her to someone he openly hates, all because Abby liked him," Morse points out,rolling her shoulder as if to remind herself of the bullet wound that had been there a few months ago.
"And there's Jemma's well-being to consider. There would obviously need be conditions to his release. Stringent ones. But without him?" Fitz says. "She just lost Tarleton. What happens next is going to be ugly regardless, but I think, it's up to us to make it better or worse."
"And," he plows on, "even if Jemma hates when people account for Abby's Down Syndrome first, it has to be a consideration. Because she may never have the emotional and mental tools set to deal with his absence."
"I'd recommend starting by letting him see Abby and Jemma. I'll observe further, put it in a report and you can make your choices," Heller states.
There's a lingering tension as everyone leaves Coulson's office.
-/-/-
The conditions are slightly better than the vault, at least. They've let him shower without cameras and Daisy brings him his meals.
"How's Jemma?" he asks as soon as his former teammate steps to the doorway. "Is Abby sleeping better? New places are hard for her."
Daisy actually smiles at him in what might be considered fondness. "Jemma is holding up, Abs is restless but that might be because it's an underground base and she's a baby." She slides his tray into the food slot. "That pane behind you is a digital picture frame. I can load it with a picture of them if you want, just don't smash yourself into it in attempt to die this time."
"I'd like that. The digital picture thing, not the smashing." He clears his throat. "'Come and get your love' by Redbone always puts Abby in a good mood. I don't know why. Might need to remind Jemma, she'll be too stressed to think of it right now." Grant smiles despite everything. "Or take Abby outside. She loves being outside, one of the very few things she got from me. But watch her, she'll put anything in her mouth. Eating Indian paint brush led to some interesting places."
"Okay."
"Jemma needs time. Don't let push herself too hard. She works in order to shut stuff out. Just keep her company for me? That one baking show with the Brits makes her happy. Even if she can't replicate their results to save her life. And fudge brownie ice cream after she cries helps. Usually."
"Anything else?"
"There's a tablet with a yellow cover on it, under my jump seat. Give that to Jemma. She'll know the password."
Daisy just looks at him.
"It's her research notebook, or what I could salvage of it," Grant concedes when it looks like she won't make a move without more explanation. "We got in a fight that I regret. I burned it. I've been trying to fix it ever since. Saving me took Sarona from her. I can't fix that, but I can fix this."
Daisy just pauses a moment before she nods, then walks away.
-/-/-
He doesn't expect who comes in next. He hopes for her, sure, but he doesn't expect her. Or rather, he expects SHIELD to be keeping her under careful watch to make sure she can't get anywhere near him.
Her hair is dirty, her eyes are red rimmed, and she's wearing sweats that have seen better days. There's also an-Abby sized fluorescent orange cheese handprint on her left boob.
Jemma clutches the tablet to her and looks at him desperately. All of it is distressing but… "You fed the baby Cheetos?" he asks incredulously. His wife thinks Whole Foods is heaven on earth. She doesn't feed Abby Cheetos.
"Of course not, they're full of actual petroleum." He's relieved to hear it, that's she's not so far gone. "It was Barton. He was rather charming, it was hard to maintain my anger. Worst of all, she likes them."
He smiles fondly. "And you got suckered by Abby's 'I'm cute and you love me' smile."
She smiles back. "I did. I wonder whom she learned that from."
"We are cute and you do love us," he teases.
She laughs but it soon falls flat. "I built these pods with Fitz, to withstand Inhumans. They can also be dropped from great heights and reorient themselves using the gravitational pull in midair to land safely."
Her tone is almost morose. It makes him ache with regret.
"Baby…"
"I know you're sorry. I'm simply noting that Coulson has a rather mean-spirited penchant for irony, trapping you in one."
"Metapali's in Vault D. He isn't that creative," he replies dryly.
Her eyes fill with tears. "I can disable the pod. We could just take Abby and go. Rebuild our lives, away from SHIELD away from Hydra. We can just go."
"Deep down you don't want to run Jem, that's the pain talking."
She laughs bitterly. "Maybe."
"It's going to be okay."
"Sarona's dead and I let them cage you again. In what world is that okay? In what universe is it okay to put someone who just survived a disaster in a cage? Mine was metaphorical. They did it again, except this time your cage is literal." She sighs heavily and hiccups to hold back tears. "I just want our lives back."
Her voice goes reedy and breaks as she cries in earnest now. He needs to hold her but can't, the barrier keeping him from offering even a little comfort to his sobbing wife. the pain of it runs so deep it makes his bones hurt.
"Jemma, just look at me, baby. You know that a life on the run isn't a life for Abby, and it sure as hell isn't a life for you. If we have any chance of truly getting it all back, I have to play by Coulson's rules this time. We can't run. I won't be selfish this time."
"Promise me?"
He knows exactly what she means. She wants his promise that he's not going to try to off himself. She'd probably be okay with him trying to con Coulson now…but it doesn't mean he likes that his influence is changing Jemma even in the slightest of ways. "I promise."
Daisy walks in through the bay doors outside his pod. Jemma's too wrapped up in their conversation to notice her presence. It honestly makes Grant smile to know that, even in the worst of times, some things never change.
Jemma jumps when Daisy touches her shoulder. "Abby needs you, Fitz misplaced the octi. Home girl is melting down like Kim Kardashian."
Jemma nods then looks to him.
"Be here when you get back, baby." He jerks his head subtly at Daisy when Jemma glances down, and she takes the prompt to slip an arm around her friend.
Jemma sniffles and nods again. "Okay." She holds up the tablet. "Thank you. Having this… Thank you. I love you."
"I love you too, Jem."
-/-/-
Jemma returns to the common area of the base. She scoops up Abby and wraps her in her blankie. Abby wipes her tears and snotty nose on Jemma's shoulder. She can't find the urge to care.
Abby is red-faced and fairly inconsolable. Jemma puts a happy lilt into her voice. "Abby, look at Mama. Hey, sweetie, I will find him. Okay? Even if I have to dumpster dive again."
"Why would you dumpster dive for a toy? Just get her a new one." Lance pauses in getting a bottled water.
Jemma snorts a laugh despite herself. "You're so adorably clueless." She turns to Abby. "Where do we think Fitzy put him, Abs?"
-/-/-
Coulson strolls by Grant's pod and stares at him as if he's a zoo attraction. It's irritating to be sure, but it's nothing he can't handle. They've done this dance before and curiosity always gets the better of Coulson.
"What's changed? You talked Jemma out of freeing you."
"What you mean is, what's my plan? What am I playing for? Might as well be direct." Grant shrugs. "I was the best spy and specialist in your entire agency, barring maybe Romanov. If I'm making a play. you're not going to know until I want you to. Though, I can tell you I have never in my life willingly walked into a cage. You've never had anything I needed until now."
Coulson is baiting him, he knows that, but the silence is making him edgy after being so utterly alone for so long.
"Okay," Grant says thoughtfully. "Jemma watches this show about a political fixer in DC. It's soapy, farfetched. But I relate to the father figure. The guy is every bad thing you can be. He deserves to be taken out. No questions, no qualifiers, the guy needs to be dead. But no one ever bests him until they use his daughter's life as leverage. The only thing that brings him to his knees is if someone might harm her."
Coulson hums, though whether it is agreement or otherwise Grant can't tell. He continues anyway.
"I used to think, that if anyone ever used my kid, I'd be angry simply because someone dared to touch what was mine. And that's part of it, maybe, but it isn't all of it. My actions – good, bad or indifferent - put us right here. My kid was in harm's way because of my arrogance, because for me Hydra was a tool not a belief system and Malick knew that. Abby was leveraged, Jemma was leveraged, because I love them. Maybe Garrett was right and love is weakness." Grant paces the small length of his cage, but doesn't look at Coulson.
"Or maybe it's closer to your school of thought that everyone is worthy of second chances. I don't know. But inn a show of faith, I'm going to give you intel. No demands. I don't expect to be let out, though I'd like to see Abby periodically. But the intel isn't contingent on seeing her, and neither is seeing Jemma. Just take care of them. I think I can trust you'll do that at least. Also, I'd appreciate if you'd judge my men based on their sins and not mine, and I'd rather Metapali never sees daylight again. And if you won't do that for my sake, do it to keep Jemma from crossing a line she can't come back from."
"Sounds like a lot of contingents, Ward."
"Not a one, just stating my preferences."
"Then spit it out, Ward."
"Sarona Tarleton was the daughter of one of the current pillars of AIM."
Coulson actually blinks at that.
"George Tarleton. He went through a process similar the centipede soldiers, except in his case the procedure was merely meant to increase intelligence. It's made him smarter than Fitz and Jemma combined. He has absolutely no moral code, none. He'd have killed Sarona himself if he thought it'd accrue him more power. He over threw the previous regime. Which is why I have been putting together the pieces to take him out at the knees."
Coulson simply stares. "Wait, what?"
"His base is mid-level in size, but he has a lot of man power at his disposal. Also – and this is the fun part - telekinetic powers. He has a penchant for controlling things with engines. I didn't have the men to overthrow him or the ability to counter his powers without involving Jemma, and I don't put her in a situation where she's doing Hydra business and compromising herself. You want her help removing him from power, you can ask her. It's her choice."
Coulson crosses his arms defensively as if even with a wall between them and every bit of power on his side, he still doesn't trust the info. "Then how'd you fund Jemma's science division?"
Grant smirks. He can't help it. "I'm a Ward. Like I needed Hydra money to give my wife a lab to science in."
"Say I believe you," Coulson says slowly. "How do we find him?"
"Bangor, Maine. There's a shell company. MODAK Industrial."
Coulson turns to walk away, his brow furrowed as he clearly gives it some thought. Grant calls out to catch him before Coulson can make it out of earshot.
"Coulson did Abby find her octopus?"
He's not trying to needle Coulson; he really just wants to know if his kid found her toy. Jemma won't have an easy time of it if Octi doesn't turn up. But it must not read that away, because Coulson stalks off.
-/-/-
"We've been asked to step in on this decision. Coulson is too emotionally involved to make the call himself or ask his team to do," Captain America says, the Avengers gathered before him.
Romanov tips her chin at him. "Where do you stand on it?"
"You put rabid dogs down," Cap retorts.
Romanov recoils before her face hardens, though Rogers doesn't appear to notice.
"It's clearly not as simple as that," Banner says, shooting her a sympathetic look. "Otherwise Coulson wouldn't have asked us to make the call. We do everyone a disservice if we don't take all factors fully into account. The phycologist says…"
Stark interrupts, pulling up the file on his Holodex and reading from it. "'Mr. Ward shows mental affectations of that of someone exposed to long term abuse, and a nearly omnipresent form a brainwashing. Mr. Ward was groomed and manipulated to become what he has. Given therapy and vastly different resources and influences, it my belief Mr. Ward can be rehabilitated.'"
Banner sighs. "It goes against my code to not offer aide if something can be done. I became a scientist for a reason."
He looks to Stark who shrugs, seemingly carelessly. "I always root for the underdog."
"We cannot free a sociopath," Rogers grinds out.
"Would say that to Buck if he were here?" Nat asks and he flinches.
"That's different."
"Because he's your friend? That guy is someone's friend too. Someone's father, best friend, husband, and - whether or not Coulson will admit it - he even means something to him. Is someone only redeemed in your book if the immediately show remorse? Or is he irredeemable because he signed on the dotted line? SHIELD knew his background and, trust me, they knew Garrett. Or do only ex-Russian assassins get a pass in your book?"
"Nat…" Cap pleads. " He's not Bucky. He's not you."
"No. He's not. Someone gave me a chance to wipe out the red in my ledger."
Steve flinches at that.
"Now look," Romanov continues. "I'm not saying let the guy have free rein. I'm saying, you don't know what it's like to be molded by something evil, to kill to survive. To be in the service of something darker than you can fathom or being so young you think it's the same as love and approval. People like Ward and I, our slates can never be wiped completely clean and we know it. But all it takes is one person, one different. We have the power now, boys. We can feed the monster or the man."
"I'm with Nat on this one," Barton cuts in. "I think the kid was a trigger for change. I knew him before, and I saw them together. He loves his kid. He's not going to jeopardize her any more, not after all this. As a father…you just can't. The idea of your choices hurting them is paralyzing, and he sees where it's gotten him."
"He did give up Tarleton. The Intel proved real. Coulson sent a team out. We can use the guy." Romanov tacks on.
"Thor? Your thoughts, big guy?" Stark asks.
"I do not want to clean up any Midgardian messes, so whatever best avoids that. As well, I would like to please the tiny Midgardian. I like her."
"Really, whatever makes the baby happy?" Cap says, utterly mystified.
"Lady Abigail's joy is infectious," Thor defends, puffing up.
"Alright," Barton says. "Enough deliberation. Let's blind vote."
-/-/-
They transfer Grant from a containment pod back into vault D. He really wants to know if they ended Metapali for him, but he can't seem blood thirsty right now. He thinks they might have seen something anyway when he sees Jemma carrying Abby down into the vault. He assumes it's his last visit a final bit of mercy before he never sees them again. He keeps the pain off his face for Abby's sake, though it's a close thing.
His little girl clutches a book to her chest and almost leans out of Jemma's arms in attempt to give hello kisses, as her habit demands.
"Hey, Joy bug."
Grant blows her kisses hoping that will suffice, even if it's very unlikely. Jemma sets Abby down and she promptly trucks it over to him on surprisingly sure feet. Once she gets something down, she masters it quickly.
Jemma barely snatches her back in time before the barrier snaps up.
Abby whimpers.
"It's a special wall, Joy Bug, you can't touch it," she says absently, then "hello, love," she greets, giving him a short lived smile.
"Hey, babe."
He watches as Jemma squats down, keeping Abby from setting off the barrier.
"Da's okay," he explains so hopefully Jemma won't face a meltdown. "But he's on a sort of time out."
Jemma lets out a bark of laughter. "I did some no, nos, but its getting worked out okay," Grant signs. Abby's shocked face makes him laugh even as tears sting his eyes. He's cried more in the last four days than he has in a decade. The only thing helps even remotely is Jemma seems to be on a bit more solid ground.
"Elisson said it would be good to give Abs back any normalcy I can. So I thought you could finish 'Hop on Pop' with her."
She gives him a sparkling smile, and he's buoyed by it.
"Well, we do need to find out if Pop survived all that hopping." Grant jumps in place and Abby giggles as he knew she would.
"For the fortieth time," he mutters lowly to Jemma. It's Abby's go to book right now, and he nearly has it memorized.
Jemma slides the book through the food slot she opens the barrier and they sit as closely together side by side as it will allow. It takes some cajoling, but they get Abby settle for cuddling with Jemma and occasionally patting his arm though the slot as he reads.
He's almost to the end of the book before he knows it. He's stalling. He and Jemma both know it. He bends to kiss Abby's hand where she's waving it through the hole in the barrier.
"Alright baby, wanna see how it ends?"
His voice might shake a bit but if this his last visit he's going to soak her up like the sunshine.
He's distracted from her answer as Coulson walks in with his team and the Avengers. They all file in with somber expressions, except for Thor who is making faces at Abby. Coulson sends the Asgardian a reprimanding look and he falls in line. It'd be comical if Grant wasn't so sure the ax was about to fall. He hopes they think better of doing it when Jemma has the baby. Bad enough she has to hear it at all, but if she has to try and keep it together for Abby's sake? He hopes Coulson hasn't turned that cruel.
Jemma scoots closer to Grant and the wall hums to life. He doesn't tell her to move, even as it stings and makes his world blurry. When Abby tries to cram herself through the food slot again, Coulson punches something into his tablet and makes a hole in the barrier.
"Might as well hold her before she wedges herself in a laser wall," he says smiling down at Abby.
Grant is too stunned to say anything.
"We have a proposal for you," Coulson says as Abby attaches herself to Grant's chest. "We're willing to free you but there are a few conditions. For the foreseeable future, you will be under constant surveillance. You will provide SHIELD and the Avengers any Intel they ask for. You will wear trackers at all times, trackers so precise we'll know when you pee. You'll disband your Hydra faction. You will live in a prepapproved neighborhood any employment you seek must be approved by SHIELD. You will attend therapy, multiple times week. If you violate any terms and conditions you will stand trial for any and all crimes you have committed over your career as a spy," Coulson finishes.
Grant presses his lips into the crown of Abby's head. "This was a smart move, Coulson. I'd agree to anything with her in my arms."
"You make a move and I'll come after you myself," Rogers says.
He shrugs. "Truthfully, I was done the minute they were taken."
Banner nods to Jemma. "She said as much."
"One last thing." Stark tacks on. "I'd like to offer you a job, Dr. Simmons-Ward."
"A…. what? Why?" Jemma is clearly flaggergasted.
"I need someone to run my bio-engineering department. I only hire the best, and you're it. Besides, I believe you should be judged by your own merits and not the faults of your husband."
She looks to Grant.
"Don't look at me, baby, that choice is all you. Otherwise, I agree to the terms."
He directs the last bit to Coulson. Jemma nods and turns to Stark.
"I'd like to give you job offer some consideration," she says slowly. "First, I need to get my family settled, make sure that Abby is going to adjust. I've never been away from her until Malick forced things."
"I understand," Stark says nonchalantly as he leads the way out the door. "Offers open. I'll have Pepper send you the details. You'll be hard pressed to resist, Doc. Pep's an excellent negotiator."
The Avengers file out, and Daisy finally lowers the barrier. Jemma's through in seconds flat. She launches herself at the side that isn't occupied holding Abby and hugs him so hard they all lose their balance and fall over. Grant can't help the happy laughter that bubbles up out of him. They're going to have their life together, one better than he could even have imagined. They're going to get their ever after.
AN: George Tarleton and MODAK belongs Marvel. However Sarona Cheree Tarleton belongs to me. I created her completely ignorant of the MODAK/George Tarelton until I went surfing Maravel Wiki for a proper villain. The commonality of their names and how nicely he fit my plot needs was a happy accident.
Killing of Sarona was a very painful yet needed thing as there needed to be proper scarfices made to the planet and to the gravity of the rescue. if you enjoyed the chapter please let me know. This story will wrap up fairly soon as there is only one chapter left.-MM