Pieces Solving a Puzzle Together
Spoilers:All seasons...
Disclaimer: I only own the characters that Marvel doesn't already own.
One Year Post SHIELD-Inhuman Treaty - Skye and Ward's Apartment - New York, New York
Skye woke to the sound of gentle shushing, opening her eyes she turned her head to see Ward standing over the bassinet in the corner of their room. He was lifting their daughter from the bassinet gently and attempting to calm her cries. Holding her against his chest, he brushed her head with his lips.
"It's okay Callie Rose, Daddy has you." He gently bounced her and headed towards the bed, Skye put her arms out wordlessly to take the baby. "Mommy's going to make sure you don't go hungry, she's right here."
Accepting the newborn, Skye rolled onto her side and unbuttoned her top, pushing aside the sports bra as her daughter nuzzled her chest. With a little help, the baby latched on and Skye rubbed her finger against the soft black hair on the small head. Ward laid down beside them and watched their daughter as she nursed. "Sorry babe but they aren't yours anymore." It was meant as a joke and it gained her a small smile.
"I can let it go if it means she's well fed." He put his large hand against the newborn's head and leaned down to kiss the head full of hair. "Lincoln is dropping the twins off later today since Regan and Jamison took them to the habitat the day after she was born."
"They never got a chance to meet their sister."
"I thought it best that you get some bonding time with her." Ward watched as Callie moved her tiny fist, resting it against her mother's breast. "I told them that they could come today after you'd had some time with the new baby. Besides, they have their last days of school this week so we should stay here till the weekend then we can move her to the habitat."
Skye grinned at her daughter as she rubbed a finger against her cheek. "I can't believe she's only two days old, it seems like it's been weeks already. I guess I just want her to have been with us longer than two days."
Awe seemed to fill his eyes for the millionth time since he'd first laid eyes on the newborn. "I can't believe she's here. I missed her birth, I should have been there."
"Jamison took the broken hand for you." Skye took Ward's hand and kissed his knuckles. "He was helpful and before you ask, he didn't go further than my head. It was Monroe who had her hands south of the border the whole time."
They laid in their little bubble the whole time Callie nursed and as soon as she finished, Ward gently took the newborn to burp her. He walked as he gently patted the tiny back, afterwards he laid the newly sleeping newborn in her bassinet. Watching the tiny being for a few moments, he looked over to see Skye asleep once again. Smiling softly, he bent down beside the bassinet and placed a hand on his daughter's stomach.
"I swear you'll always be protected Callie Rose; Daddy will never let anything happen to you. I didn't have a great childhood because my parents didn't care about me, my siblings didn't either and your mom's childhood wasn't much better. She lived in an orphanage, her parents didn't find her until a few years ago so she felt like she didn't belong. It'll be different for you I promise because your mother and I love you more than we can say. Today you get to meet your sister and brother, they are excited to see and hold you. They love you like your mother and I do, so you will never feel like they don't. I swear you will always feel like you belong and you will always have a family."
"Babe, don't burden her too much." Skye's soft voice filtered through the room and Ward sighed at the fact she had only been dozing, knowing she was right.
Standing up, he kissed his daughter before returning to the bed. Settling down on his back, he felt Skye curl into his side with her head on his shoulder. "I just wanted to let her know that she'll never feel rejected or unloved."
"I know but she's only two days old so I doubt that's going through her head right now. Especially since she's getting fed every four hours and held continuously. Every time she starts to even whimper you're there to calm her." Kissing his bare skin, Skye nuzzled against his chest as she settled finally. "It's okay for her to cry some, it's how she's able to talk right now."
"It breaks my heart to hear her cry, she shouldn't have to ever cry. I used to cry all the time as a child due to the torture I went through due to Christian and my parents. I don't want her to ever have to go through that."
Skye rubbed her fingers against the scars on his side. "She won't because she has parents who love her and her siblings will protect her until they can't. I see how you look at her Grant; you look at her as if she's a miracle so I know she'll never be more protected or loved than she is when she's with you. You'd never hurt her, that's one thing I can be absolutely sure of. Our children are safe with you and with each other."
"Rest, you'll have to feed her in a few hours." Ward kissed Skye's head as his hand rested against her crown.
Same Day - Late Morning - Skye and Ward's Apartment - New York, New York
Ward opened the door to the apartment while Skye finished feeding their daughter in the bedroom. As he opened the door, the twins ran in while Lincoln walked in slowly with a nod of his head. Mari was behind him along with Judy, this confused Ward because the woman never left the habitat. She patted his arm before walking to the living room to sit down.
"Why is Judy here?" Ward asked Lincoln as he shut the door.
"She insisted on coming, said she needed to tell you something and it couldn't wait till the end of the week. All I know is that she had Eloise drawing something all week so it must be important if it's being recorded."
The twins were loud as they moved through the apartment but Skye stopped it before he had a chance to. She walked into the living room with Callie in her arms, the baby was asleep and oblivious to what was going on around her. However, they both knew that Callie had a set of lungs on her that must have come from Cal because neither he or Skye were that loud.
"Guys no more yelling, we don't want to wake your sister." Skye's voice was gentle but firm.
Ellie stood up and tried to see the baby in her mother's arms. "Can we see her?"
"Go sit on the couch and I'll even let you hold her."
Ellie sat on the couch with Davie beside her, Skye sat beside them and gently placed Callie in her sister's arms. After adjusting Ellie's arms, Skye sat back to watch Ellie with her sister. "She's so small, what's her name?"
"Callie Rose Johnson." Ward spoke as he sat down beside Davie. "What do you think of her Davie?"
"I like her." Davie grinned at his father, "I promise to protect her Dad."
Ward ruffled his son's hair, "I know you will. Ellie, why don't you let your brother hold your sister."
Ellie transferred the baby to Davie, Ward put his hand under the baby's head just as a precaution while the transfer took place. Davie grinned as he held his sister, "hi Callie, I'm your big brother Davie. When you get bigger I'm going to teach you everything I know."
The awe of a new sibling wore off soon enough and the twins were in their room playing while the adults visited. Judy insisted on holding the newborn and Skye let the elder have Callie for a few moments. Both watched as the elder looked at the baby in awe, like she was seeing something amazing for the first time in her life.
"She will be amazing." Judy spoke softly, "unlike the one before her, she shall hold a gentleness and shall never exhibit hatred."
"The one before her?" Mari looked confused, "I'm confused, this is their first kid."
Skye knew what the woman spoke about. "So she won't be like the one who was banished?"
"No but she shall defeat him in the future." The woman looked up at the two parents. "Her gifts shall be dangerous but she will wield them with instinct and knowledge that they can harm. Never shall she use them recklessly or with intent to harm, she shall have a pure heart that she uses to protect humans and Inhumans alike."
Ward looked slightly confused, "okay, that's a lot to take in."
"Legend spoke of one of light who would defeat him who was banished. It was thought to be a myth because we had interbred with humans for so long and the Inhuman genes were slowly dying away, becoming extinct. Your mother thought you would be the one to defeat him." She smiled softly at Skye, "I told her it would not be you but your own child. She just smiled at the knowledge you would find your genetic match, since she'd been a girl when the last genetic match had been found naturally. She wanted your happiness Daisy, but then darkness fell upon everyone when those that hunted us came."
Skye nodded, "my dad told me that when he healed her she was never the same. Apparently everything gentle about her died with her, that HYDRA destroyed her." She shook her head slightly. "She'd hate who I became, being the deputy director of HYDRA."
Judy gave her a soft smile, "you lead a very different HYDRA and you lead our people with wisdom. Your mother would be proud of you, you have become everything she imagined and more."
Apparently Callie decided she'd had enough of being handed around like a toy and let out a cry. Judy gave her back to her father and Ward held her close, crying turned into whimpers before silence prevailed. Skye watched as Ward sat down, allowing his daughter to fall asleep against his chest, her tiny ear right over his heartbeat. She reached over to adjust the blanket around their daughter, Ward caught on and quickly tucked it around the infant.
"I think she's addicted to his warmth." Skye made the comment and half the room chuckled. Ward gave her a confused look and she grinned. "Your internal temperature runs a little higher than normal so your skin is like a heating pad. Babies like to stay warm and when you hold her, she's always content."
He kissed the infant's head, "ignore your mother Callie Rose, sometimes she's ridiculous."
"Already with the middle name. What trouble is the kid getting into?" Lincoln smirked and Skye just shook her head.
"No, he calls her Callie Rose." Skye smiled as she leaned her head against Ward's shoulder.
"Her name's too beautiful for her middle name to be forgotten."
Mari snorted, "sorry Hellfire but no one is going to take you as badass when you act like that."
"When he's in Daddy-mode he's all mushy and a big teddy bear." Skye rubbed his leg, "but away from Callie or the twins he's my hard ass, fire throwing, HYDRA Director husband." She grinned at Ward, "I think you're hot either way."
He leaned down to kiss her temple, his voice a whisper in her ear. "If you keep talking like that we'll end up with another one very soon." He grinned when she gave him a deer-in-headlights look.
"Watch it Buddy or you'll regret the consequences." She narrowed her eyes and stood up, taking their daughter from him as carefully as possible. "Come on Callie, we're going to go lay down."
Lincoln stood up with Mari following, "we should get going, I'm taking Mari to lunch."
"That guard of yours is going to take me back to the habitat." Judy stood and looked at Ward. "For a human he's acceptable."
"I'm sure Jamison appreciates that Judy."
Evening - Skye and Ward's Apartment - New York, New York
Dinner was nearly done that night when a knock appeared on the door to the apartment. Ward checked the security camera that they'd hidden in the peephole, it was Jamison and Taylor. Opening the door, he found them with grave looks on their face so he ushered them in without a word. Once they were seated on the couch he sat across from them and waited for them to speak, they wouldn't have invaded his personal space without it being extremely important.
"She struck sir." Jamison held out the tablet that was in his hand and Ward took it, reviewing the data on the screen after a few manipulations with his fingers. "They're all dead."
Ward covered his mouth with a hand, the information about their French location showing that their foreign office had been bombed. Everyone and everything had been destroyed, no mercy but Malick's signature was present so it had been Hand without a doubt. She'd given no warning and done nothing but harm and maim, at least Malick was smart and didn't take unnecessary risks or lives.
"What do we do Boss?"
For once he was unsure of what to do, they'd been unable to trace Hand since her announcement. Whoever she'd recruited had the skills to keep everyone off their back, disappearing essentially. While at SHIELD, Victoria Hand had been a legend. Her plans and strategies made even session high level agents wary, she also wasn't afraid to sacrifice those involved to get the job done. He was essentially going against an enemy that was way more experienced then him.
"We need to coordinate with SHIELD and I want you to find someone." He looked up at Taylor, the man's ability to track down people was one of the reasons Ward kept him around. "Find me Natasha Romanoff, she's dealt with Hand before when they were at SHIELD. We need all the intel we can get."
Jamison looked up and Ward didn't bother turning, he knew Skye was behind him. She'd been in the doorway between the living room and hall for a few moments. Within seconds he felt her hand on his shoulder and although he would be tense for days, her hand helped him relax for a fraction of a second. Her hand was gone seconds later as she took the tablet in one hand and handed him his daughter with her other. Holding Callie close to his chest, he bent his head and breathed in her scent, his nerves calmed immediately.
"Find Natasha Romanoff and also start scans for any of Malick's signatures." Skye handed Jamison the tablet back. "She's gone too far this time, fifteen humans and six Inhumans means she's started a war. I will coordinate with SHIELD but schedule a meeting for tomorrow, I want to talk to all the heads via video conference."
"Yes ma'am."
"Dad!" Davie's voice was heard from down the hall. "Ellie flooded the bathroom."
Ward handed Callie to his wife before standing to take care of the bathroom. He knew Skye could take care of whatever was necessary to start working towards winning the war against Hand. It would be a long war and he feared what the outcome would be, especially given how dangerous Hand seemed to be.
A/N: And thus the start of war...
Next: Skye goes into the field for the first time when a newborn is used as bait by Hand
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