Author's note

Some lines taken from episode 10 'The Bridge'

Chapter 28

Skye looked up from her laptop at the sound of light knocking. She had stayed up, wanting to speak to Ward about how the meeting with May went and was watching a movie to kill time.

"Hey SO," she said when she saw Ward looking through the partially open door.

"Hey rookie," he replied with a smile leaning in the open doorway.

"You coming in or are you going to stand there holding up the wall all night?" she asked with a grin, putting her laptop on the floor and moving over to make room for him.

He stepped in and closed the door behind him, sitting in front of her and leaning back against the side of the plane. She immediately threw her legs across his as she leaned back against the wall at the top of the bed.

"What were you doing before I interrupted?" he asked as he rested his hands on her legs, drawing patterns with his fingers.

"Nothing terribly exciting, just watching an old movie. And I don't mind you interrupting," she replied.

"Hmm I'll remember that."

"So how'd it go?" she asked, unable to keep the question in any longer.

"About how you would expect. She was shocked of course, although she accepted everything. She's onboard with your plan; agrees that it's probably the best bet," he explained.

"What did she say about me knowing?" she asked.

"She wasn't pleased that you know. She's still wary over you, not entirely sure you can be trusted but I think I might have helped her to see that you can be. She's not convinced though," he told her truthfully.

"How did you manage that?"

"I told her the truth. That the people you care about are important to you and that this team is your family now. And you won't do anything that would jeopardise that," he said like it was the most simple thing in the world.

"It's amazing how well you understand me," she said.

"Well they're my family too. So I get it," he said with a smile.

She smiled back at him, awed over just how well he understood her without her having to explain it. She moved suddenly, scooting forward until she was curled in his lap.

"I'm so lucky to have you," she whispered.

"I think I'm the lucky one," he replied, kissing the top of her head.

"So you'll be telling Garrett soon?" she said asked as she snuggled further into his chest.

"I'll be talking to him at some stage tomorrow," he answered.

"Do you think he'll buy it?" she asked quietly.

"I think so. I hope so. He should. It's exactly the kind of thing he will expect, I just have to sell it to him, which shouldn't be too hard. I know him, know how he thinks, what he expects of me. So I will just sell it as that guy," he answered.

"Okay good. Now on to more important things," she said lifting her head up to look at him.

"More important things like what?"

"Like the fact you've been in here for ages and haven't kissed me yet," she replied with a grin.

"Well we can't have that," he responded with his own grin before leaning in to capture her lips.

He threaded the fingers of one hand into her hair and rested the other on the small of her back. Skye rolled over, straddling him while grabbing the front of his shirt with one hand and wrapping the other around his neck. She pulled back to take a breath and then leaned forward to kiss him again. He moved his hands down to her hips, while deepening the kiss.

After a few more moments Ward pulled back. "It's late; we need to get some sleep."

"Stay with me tonight?" she asked.

"I shouldn't," he replied, placing a kiss on her nose.

"But you will," she said with certainty.

"I will," he agreed. "I'm going to go get changed and I'll be back," he continued, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Okay," she said pulling away. "Hurry up though, because I'm sleepy and you're comfy."

"I'll be right back," he replied, pecking her lips one more time before getting up and leaving her bunk.

He went into his bunk and changed then hurried to the bathroom to brush his teeth before returning to Skye's bunk.

She shifted across to the wall as he closed the door behind him and climbed onto the bed. They shuffled around a bit trying to get comfortable before Ward laid on his back and pulled her to lay half on top of him.

"These bunks really aren't made for two people are they," Skye commented lightly, resting her head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat.

"Not really, no. But this is pretty nice," he replied, kissing the top of her head.

"It is," she agreed. She lifted her head to look at him. "I think I need more kisses before I go to sleep."

He happily obliged and they shared kisses between stories from their pasts for a while longer before they drifted off to sleep, arms and legs entwined.


"Keep your hands up," Ward called as he watched Simmons and Skye on the training mats.

He and Skye had been awoken early that morning when Simmons barged into Skye's bunk and jumped on them, unsurprised to find Ward there for the third time that week. She had insisted that they needed to get up because it was time for training and when Ward had checked his watch he had found that she was right; they were actually running late.

Once Skye had realised that Ward and Simmons were in no way interested in each other romantically she had been happy for the scientist to join them a few mornings a week for training, usually ending with the two girls sparring as they were now. He watched as Skye managed to knock Simmons down and pin her to the mat.

"Yes!" Skye exclaimed, jumping up and dancing around. "I told you I would get you today!" she said pointing and Simmons who was still lying in place on the mat.

Ward grabbed their water bottles and handed Skye hers before grabbing Jemma's outstretched hand and hauling her up. The scientist had beaten the hacker in their last two sparring bouts so Skye had been particularly motivated to win today.

"You're both getting better," Ward said once they were both drinking their water. "But you're still leaving you're right side open Skye and Jemma you've got to keep your hands up to protect your face."

"Yes master," the girls chorused before bursting out laughing. It had become a running joke with them that he was a slave driver during training and so they had taken to calling him master, trying to get a rise out of him. Fortunately, he saw the humour in it and tended to respond simply by rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, you two are hilarious," he said as the girls started walking towards the stairs. "And where do you think you're going rookie?" he called.

"Um. To have a shower?" she answered as she turned back towards him. She didn't mean to make it a question but she thought that would have been fairly obvious.

"You owe me some pull ups, you were late to training," he said with a completely straight face.

"But you were late too!" she complained.

"So I'll do them with you. I will even do three for every one you do," he offered.

Skye took a moment to consider it and realised it was an easy choice. She definitely wanted to watch Ward do pull ups. "Deal."

"It's going to have to wait," Coulson interrupted from the balcony. "I need you all up in the command centre, we've got a case."


"Pour you a scotch?" Ward offered as May approached him at the bar. He had just pulled his cold beer away from his aching jaw. He stood by his decision to take the hit from a centipede super soldier at the warehouse because May was faster than him, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Don't ever do that again," she demanded.

"Brandy then?" he asked, a little confused and really not in the mood.

"You're head needs to be in the game in the field at all times."

"Time out," Ward said gesturing with his hands. "Still playing catch up here. What the hell are you talking about?"

"You taking a punch for me. Like I need your protection or something. I don't," May said fiercely.

"I wasn't in any way trying to protect you. I took that punch because you're faster than me. It was a purely tactical decision," Ward asserted.

"My mistake," May said quietly. She had felt like he was trying to protect her in the warehouse and she hadn't liked it one bit. She didn't need anyone's protection. Apparently she had been wrong in her thinking though.

"Look I know how to do my job and how to allow you to do yours. Making those kinds of calls is what I'm good at. I respect your abilities and I think you respect mine, so we're on the same page. So don't flatter yourself thinking it's anything more than that," Ward said then turned to walk away.

"Ward," May called. He turned back to face her and raised an eyebrow. "I do respect your abilities."

He nodded at her and turned to leave again, seeing Skye standing off to the side.

"Sorry," the hacker spoke up when she saw Ward notice her. "I didn't mean to crash."

"What's up?" Ward asked with a smile.

"Is this about that thumb drive again?" May asked coldly. She was on edge about the conversation with Ward. She didn't know why she had read more into what happened in the warehouse than was there and she was annoyed at herself for even bringing it up.

"No," Skye said quietly, looking away from her SO to the female agent and then to the ground.

"Good."

"Look I get that you don't want to help with that, loud and clear, big neon flashing lights. But I didn't ask okay? Coulson-" Skye started to explain, before May cut her off.

"Coulson doesn't want to tell you the truth," May said angrily before taking a breath. "The truth is, you need to decide why you're here. We have a mission, and it's not to find your parents. If you can't put aside your personal attachments then you shouldn't be here!" she finished, raising her voice slightly.

"I think that's enough Agent May," Ward said, stepping between the two women. He turned his back on the older agent and moved towards Skye. "Now I'm pretty sure we have some free time rookie, wanna do those pull ups now?" he said with a smile at her. "I bet I can finish faster than you."

Skye looked up at him and offered a small smile. She knew he was trying to distract her and she was grateful for the effort. "You're on SO!" she said a bit of her cheer returning at the thought of watching Ward work out. "What do I get if I beat you?"

"Think about it while you're changing and let me know what you want when you meet me down stairs. I'll do the same," he offered easily, walking past her to his own bunk.

Skye turned and headed to her own bunk, leaving May standing alone near the bar.

May knew she had been too harsh on the young girl and she really hadn't meant to be. Her anger had just gotten the better of her, as had been happening a lot lately. She was feeling conflicted over the fact that she blamed Skye and Ward for not being honest about why they were on the team, when she herself wasn't being entirely honest about why she was there. She hadn't told Coulson about her secret line to Fury or the fact that she was there to monitor him. She was feeling guilty about it, even though she had no intention of telling him. She thought about going to watch Ward and Skye do their pull up competition, knowing it would probably be entertaining, but figured they would both be happier without her there so headed to the cockpit instead, knowing flying would help her clear her head.