Hey, babes! Back again with a new chapter for ya! I'm so happy that Grant's finally out of Vault D now, you guys. Now we can start getting into the good stuff. :)

Enjoy!

Once he leaves the room, Skye turns back toward her computer and lets out a shaky breath, letting a few stray tears roll down her face. She couldn't let them fall in front of him, not wanting him to know that he still gets to her. He doesn't get to have that kind of power over her.

Her hand subconsciously lands on her stomach as the tears continue to fall. She knows that she told Coulson it was okay to let Ward out, but she wasn't expecting it to be so soon. She thought she'd have more time to come around to the thought of having him walking so freely around the base. But now he's out and she'll probably be running into him from time to time around the base if he chooses to actually cooperate with the team and not lock himself up in his room.

He seemed different, though. She's not exactly sure how, but he seemed different to the man they locked away what feels like forever ago when it was only a few months. Maybe being in solitary changed him, or it just stripped away the facade he'd been wearing while on the Bus.

Unless neither of those instances was really him and none of them actually know what the real version of him is like because he's worn so many masks and played so many parts over his time with Garrett and with SHIELD.

And if he can switch so easily from one persona to the other, who's to say something similar won't happen while he's taking care of their child. Who's to say he's not still putting on an act and has some bigger endgame in mind than just being around their child.

The thought terrifies her, sending a cold shiver down her spine. She doesn't want anything happening to her baby. She wants to protect her little one at all costs, even if that means eventually having to get away from Ward. She'll do it if it means protecting her child. That's her number one priority.

"Skye. Skye, can you hear me?"

She's pulled from her thoughts by the familiar, friendly voice, her eyes focusing just enough to see Trip kneeling in front of her, his brows furrowed in concern and his hands resting on her knees.

"Trip?"

He gives her a small smile. "Yeah, it's me. You doing okay? You were completely zoned out when I came in to check on you."

"Ward's out," she says simply and watches as Trip stiffens for a moment before relaxing again.

"He is?"

She nods. "Yeah." She swallows thickly. "He was just in here."

"Are you okay?"

She nods again. "Yeah. I'm fine. I-I don't think he'll hurt me. Not physically, anyway. It just...it was a lot to handle seeing him out and up here walking around."

"I'm sure it was."

"There's a small part of me that still cares about him, but another, larger part of me is saying not to trust him or be around him because I'll just get hurt again, and now I have a baby to think about too. I can't put myself in a situation where I might get hurt just because I want my baby to have its father around."

"I can't even begin to understand how difficult of a situation this is for you right now," Trip tells her. "But I can promise you that Fitz and I are both here for you, whatever you need. And I'll even stick to your side as long as you want so you don't have to risk being alone with him if it bothers you that much."

"You would really do that?" she asks him.

He nods. "Absolutely."

"Are you sure? Because you really don't have to—" She cuts herself off when she sees the determined look in his eyes as he watches her. She knows he won't be backing down, that he'll keep his promise to protect her and her baby. She lets out a small breath and gives him a smile. "Thanks, Trip, I appreciate that."

"Hey, you don't need to thank me, girl. Friends help each other out whenever they need it."

"And you're a damn good friend," she assures him.

He smiles. "I like to think I am." He shifts on his feet before moving to sit next to her on the couch instead. She moves over just a bit to give him some more room. "So, what were you up to before all of this happened?" he asks her, gesturing to the open laptop sitting next to her.

She glances over at the device, pulling it back into her lap but closing the lid. "Oh, uh, just looking at some stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" he asks curiously.

She sighs. "Baby stuff."

The edges of his lips quirk. "What kind of baby stuff?"

She shrugs. "Just the usual stuff that any expecting mother might look at. What to expect throughout my pregnancy and labor, what the best-recommended items to get for the baby are, possible names….stuff like that."

Trip grins. "Girl, you've got it bad."

"Got what?"

"Baby fever."

She rolls her eyes. "Of course I do, Trip. I'm pregnant. It would kind of suck to be pregnant and not be excited about all the things I can buy for the baby."

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

"There's just so much I have to do to get ready for when the baby comes and I honestly don't know if I can do it all in time."

"Well what do you have to do?" he asks her.

"Too much, it seems. One of the biggest things is the living situation. I mean, I really love you guys, but do I really want to raise my kid on a secret base?"

"Well, we are technically still fugitives so I'm not sure you'd have much choice in the matter right now."

She sighs. "And that's another thing. Just for the simple fact that Ward and I are fugitives means my kid is going to probably be subjected to ridiculous prejudices as they grow up if we ever go out in public. That is the last thing that I want for my child."

Trip wraps an arm around her shoulders, allowing her to lean into him. He rubs his hand up and down her arm in a comforting manner, and she's so glad that it actually helps. "Hey, you're gonna be alright. You're gonna be a great mom and this kid is very lucky to have you in their corner. I know you'll do whatever is right in the end. Just try not to stress out about it too much, alright?"

"I'll do my best, but I make absolutely no promises. None whatsoever."

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!