Hey babes! Back again with a new chapter. Sorry it's been a while, been busy with work and other things. But here you go!

Enjoy!

Glancing periodically through the viewfinder of his Polaroid camera as he wanders around the base, Grant does his best to not run into any other agents in the hallways. The last thing he needs is to give one of them a reason to hate him even more for accidentally bumping into them. He knows some of them are starting to come around to the fact that he's there and is actually going to be sticking around, but not all of them are happy about it. He's still trying to come to terms with it himself, actually. He's still waiting for that other shoe to drop, for Coulson to cuff him one day without explanation and just throw him into Vault D and keep him there for however long he feels like. For his son's sake, though, he really hopes that doesn't happen.

Stopping when he reaches the lounge, he can't help the smile that stretches across his lips when he sees Skye on the floor with Adian, the little boy giggling as Skye tickles him and blows raspberries on his stomach.

Bringing the camera back up, he peers through the viewfinder, quietly moving closer to the scene to make it more clear in the lens. Once he's close enough, but not too close that they notice him just yet, he captures the moment, pulling the film out of the camera when it pops out the bottom.

He waits for a moment before setting his camera and the new photo on the counter next to him, moving to join his little family.

"Hey."

Skye looks up at him and smiles, Adian squealing in delight when he sees him. "Hey. Adian, look who's here?"

"Hey, big guy," he says, lowering himself to the floor and reaching out to pull his son into his lap. "Were you having fun with mommy?"

"He was a welcomed reprieve from the work I've been doing for Coulson," Skye tells him.

"What has he been having you do?"

"Analyze some symbols that keep popping up everywhere. Neither of us knows what they are but he really wants me to find out. But I haven't been having any luck so far." She reaches behind her to grab the tablet sitting on the couch cushion and taps on the screen before holding it out to him. "He hasn't told me too much about where he's gotten all the samples of the symbols but—"

"I've seen these," he cuts her off once he sees the symbols on the screen.

"Wait, you have?"

He nods. "Yeah. The first time was when we had that recon mission in Belarus. I didn't know what they were then, still don't. But then Garrett starting etching those same symbols into some sheets of glass on the Bus."

Her eyes go wide as she pulls the tablet back to her and looks at the symbols. "Garrett carved this stuff himself?"

He nods. "Yeah."

"Did he say what it was?"

"No. But he wasn't making a lot of sense at the time, either, after he was injected with the GH formula." They lock eyes after a moment of realization between them, his filling with worry and concern. "These writings, they're not...yours, are they?"

She shakes her head, swallowing. "No."

He lets out a breath. "Good. That's good. Because once Garrett started, he couldn't stop. The writing was anywhere he could carve, didn't matter what it was. The walls, the floor…"

"On his desk," she whispers, and he almost doesn't catch it.

"To be honest, now that I've had time to really think about it, I'm glad that he was put down when he was. The Garrett I knew, the one I thought cared about me, he was long gone once the writing started. And whatever took his place, I don't think it was meant to survive."

"You're really okay with him being gone?" Skye asks him.

He takes a deep breath. "I'm learning to be. It's not easy, because he was all I knew for so long, but Lisa's helping me work through it all."

"That's good."

"It is. But uh, I'm glad you aren't writing those symbols," he tells her honestly, bouncing Adian a little on his knee. "Garrett went practically insane once he started doing that, I don't want the same to happen to you. Adian needs you."

She nods. "Yeah, I don't want it to happen either. You're sure it happened after Garrett was injected with the GH formula?"

He nods. "Mm-hmm. It didn't take very long to happen either."

He can practically see the gears in her head turning over, piecing things together inside her mind as she takes in all the new information he gave to her.

"You okay?" he asks, grabbing her attention again.

"I'm fine. I just...can you watch him for a bit?" she asks, pulling herself up off the floor. "I need to go talk to Coulson about something."

"Yeah, of course."

She doesn't respond to him, choosing instead to lean down and kiss Adian's head. She runs a hand through his own hair before leaving the room and he forces himself to not read too much into it. Not at all. It couldn't have meant anything. She's made it clear to him from the start that all they're doing is raising Adian together. Her mind was obviously elsewhere when she did that, having just shown affection toward their son and was a little caught up in things. That's all it was. That is all it was.

.

.

.

"Grant."

Looking up from the book in his hands, he gives Skye a small smile when he sees her standing in the doorway to the lounge. "Skye, hey. How'd your talk with Coulson go?"

She breathes in deeply. "That is a conversation to be tabled for later. Right now, there is something a lot more pressing than that going on."

"What is it?"

"Simmons is in danger."

His brows furrow. "How so?"

"Apparently, this entire time that she's been gone, she's been undercover with Hydra."

His eyes go wide and he sits up, being careful not jostle a sleeping Adian next to him. "She's been what?"

She moves to sit down next to him. "I guess it was partially her idea, to go undercover in the science division. But now her life is being threatened."

"By who? Someone in Hydra?"

She shakes her head. "Raina."

He sucks in a sharp breath at the name. He hasn't seen that woman for a long time. At least, it feels like forever. He honestly didn't think she was still a player in all of this. He thought she was long gone by now, far away from all of this simply for reasons of self-preservation.

"Grant? You okay?"

He nods. "Yeah. I just...Raina's really back?"

"Yeah. Coulson's going to meet up with her. He's taking Hunter and May with him. But he said that he wants you along on it too."

"He does?"

"He said that you might be helpful because you have a history with her and might pick up on things that the others don't."

"Oh, right, of course. Did he say when we're leaving?" he asks.

"Soon, I think. You might want to go find him to get more of the details, though."

"Are you good with Adian, then? I don't know how long we're going to be gone."

She smiles down at the baby lying in between them and rests one hand on his small stomach. "Yeah, of course." She looks up at him. "Just be careful, okay? I've never liked Raina."

"Feeling's mutual," he says with a small nod. The biggest thing he's never liked about Raina is her obsession with Skye, especially when Garrett wanted her blood. He's never been Raina's biggest fan, and now that she's back in the picture for whatever reason, he really doesn't trust her.

Taking a deep breath, he stands from the couch and makes sure he has the few things he brought with him before leaning down to kiss Adian's forehead. "See you soon, bud," he whispers, flashing Skye a quick smile on his way out of the lounge.

He deposits his belongings in his room before continuing on to Coulson's office, hoping the older man is still there.

He knocks quickly on the door, pushing it open after a "Come in" sounds from the other side.

"Ward, good you're here."

He closes the door behind him and moves further into the room. "Skye said you wanted me on a mission with you?"

"Yes. I have a meeting with Raina. You remember her, right?"

He nods. "Unfortunately."

"You'll be with Hunter and May in the background, keeping an eye on the situation to make sure things don't go sideways. I don't trust Raina, not in the slightest, so I don't want to take any chances with this."

"I understand. I don't trust her either."

Coulson quirks a brow. "You don't?"

"No. I haven't since pretty much the moment I met her. She's been a mystery, one that I don't like. She's had…" He shifts on his feet. "She's always had this odd obsession with Skye, it has never sat well with me."

"I promise you I'll do my best to make sure that Raina never gets near Skye."

"I know you will, sir. I just...I don't want Adian to grow up without his mother."

"It won't come to that. We won't let it."

He trusts that Coulson believes that wholeheartedly, but he can't help the complete sinking feeling he gets in his gut.

So? What did you think? Let me know in a review down below. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Until next time,
Jellybean96 out!