Chapter 7: Greatest Fears Part 3

Grant's POV- Status: The Bus. Whereabouts: "Classified"

He carried Skye and her toys down to the lab, entering Fitz swapped him his ear comm for Skye's colouring book and Iron Man. He set Skye on her feet and knelt down in front of her "you be a good girl for Fitzsimmons while I'm gone ok Skye" he said trying to focus on anything other than her little teary eyes so he wouldn't change his mind and tell Coulson he had to stay with her; she nodded bitting her lip to stop it trembling.

Skye's POV

She bit her lip a little to stop it trembling, she could go a few hours without him here she just couldn't cry or she might change her mind and beg him to stay with her. She shuffled on her feel trying to decide what to do to make him understand that she needed him to come back safe.

She panicked a little when she saw he was starting to stand up to go. She did the first thing that come to mind and flung her arms around him to keep him from going anywhere, she just needed him to stay with her a little longer; she wasn't ready just yet to let him go.

Grant's POV

He was about to stand up again when Skye launched herself at him wrapping her little arms around his neck and squeezing him tight to her. It's a good thing he's got fast reflexes because she nearly knocked him off balance, luckily he caught hold of the lab table to steady them.

Giving her a tight squeeze he pulled back and stands up "I'll be back before you know it, be a good girl ok?" He encouraged.

"I will" she sniffled clearly not wanting him to leave her.

Fitz's POV

He decided he needed to step in "she'll be fine Ward" he told him then turning to Skye "we'll colour in some rockets and you'll see him soon, come on" he said and took hold of her hand and led her to his work station so Ward could go without Skye making it hard on him.

Grant's POV

"She'll be fine Ward" Simmons assured him seeing his reluctance to leave "The Bus will be locked down and we have an ICER if anything should happen" she assured him.

"No offence Simmons but leave the ICER to Fitz, I don't want Skye to end up like Agent Sitwell" he stated mockingly but with some level of seriousness, he really didn't need Simmons accidently shooting Skye with an ICER it would probably scar her for life.

He needed to go, he turned heading towards the cargo bay stopping at the doors "see you soon baby" he called over his shoulder. He left the lab leaving Simmons muttering something that sounded like "it was one time."

Grant's POV- Status: The Short Bus. Whereabouts: "on route to classified location"

"Testing comm link, can you hear me Fitz?" He said from the backseat of the Short Bus. May and Coulson had beaten him to the front and now he was sitting in the backseat like a little kid going on a field trip, it was probably Coulson's way of punishing him for coming up with the name 'Short Bus' he thought.

"Grant?" He heard Skye hesitantly through his ear piece, his heart skipped a beat.

"What are you doing on the comm link, baby?" He asked curiously, heart beating faster as he waited for an answer.

"Skye was missing you already" Fitz informed him.

If he didn't know better he'd say Fitz had an eye brow raised in amusement.

"I didn't think it would hurt since we're only testing the link at the moment" Fitzadded hesitantly after he didn't say anything for a minute.

"Is The Bus on lock down?" Coulson interrupted asking the question he was most anxious to know.

"Yes Sir, everything is locked up tight here and comms are loud and clear. We aren't hearing any indication they know we're even in the area" Fitz informed them.

"What about HYDRA?" May cut in.

"No sign of HYDRA either but there is chatter about the rebels increasing their foot patrols around the base" Fitz informed them sounding worried.

It was his turn to interrupt "Sir that could indicate HYRDA's already tried to acquire the 0-8-4 and failed. The rebels might be on higher alert than we thought" he put forth assessing the new risks in his head this proposed for them.

"We proceed with the original plan and if necessary engage if they discover our presents, we don't want to go in there guns blazing" Coulson stated firmly.

"Understood sir" he stated, he wanted to get this over and done with so they could get Skye away from any potential harm being in this area might bring. "Fitz, I don't want Skye listening in on comms" he said not wanting her to be distressed by anything she might hear especially if something should happen.

"We have the comms going through our headsets Ward, Skye's not listening. She just wanted to hear your voice" Fitz informed him making him feel a little warm, Coulson and May where in the front seat and they were like her parents.

He cleared his throat a little awkwardly "good, thanks Fitz" he said hearing that put his mind as ease.

Grant's POV- Status: "The Short Bus-Arrived at location" Whereabouts: "Classified"

Coulson pull them up at the back of the base were they observed the rotation of the guards on patrol. There was a 2 minute window between each circling of the building, it was tight but doable.

Fury had informed them that the 0-8-4 was in a brief case in the closet but they had no idea what it did 'could these guys be anymore cliché? The closet, really?' He thought sighing as they went over the plan.

If the plan went as scheduled they'd be in an out in 7 minutes before anyone noticed. Coulson would be on standby in the car, May would watch his back while he got the briefcase from the closet and then they'd get the hell out of there.

Grant's POV- Status: The Short Bus-Arrived at location. Whereabouts: "Classified"

As usual things didn't go to plan well the retrieval part did, that went without a hitch. What didn't was the fact HYDRA was waiting for them when they got back to the car. Bullets hit the back window shattering it.

He heard Coulson on the comms "coming in hot, lower the ramp and have that ICER at the ready" he ordered in a rush.

Dreed settled in his stomach, this was exactly his fear. Coulson thought they weren't going to be able to shake them in time to reach The Bus where Skye and Fitzsimmons where waiting practically defenceless.

He returned fire as another lot of bullets pinged off the back of the SUV 'we needed to lose them before we got to The Bus' he thought determinately hitting one tire out of the two cars pursuing them. The car swerved out of control and drove off the road, there was still one car gaining on them as The Bus came into view and he knew this was going to be a race against the clock as soon as they made it to The Bus.

He practically yelled into the comm "Fitz you better have that ICER ready. We aren't going to be able to shake them in time, we're coming in hot. 4 minutes out" more bullets hit the SUV and he ducked as one narrowly missed his ear and shot straight between the front seats between Coulson and May putting a hole in the front window luckily now shattering it.

Fitz's POV-Status: The Bus. Whereabouts: "Classified"

He lifted lock down so the ramp could lower and grabbed his ICER clicking off the safety. He looked up meeting Simmons eyes, he handed her an ICER which she took with shaking handed "go and hide in the utility closet, nobody ever looks there" he told her leaving no room for argument. He walked over and picked up Skye who was still at his desk colouring and settled her on his hip and turned back seeing Simmons still standing there.

"What are you going to do?" Simmons asked worry evident in her voice.

"Wait for the others, protect Skye…..please Jemma, go before they get here and all hell breaks loose" he pleaded.

"Ok" she agreed reluctantly, leaving him alone with Skye.

Skye's POV

She could tell something was wrong, Fitzy had a frowny face and Jemma looked like she had a bad dream. She swallowed hard and tried to be brave 'if somethings wrong Grant won't be far, he would make sure she was safe. He always does' she thought but still she was scared.

The looks on Fitzy's face made her doubt 'what if somethings happened to him? What if Fitzy couldn't protect her?' She bit her lip as it started to tremble she looked up needing to know what was going on.

Fitz's POV

He watched Simmons disappear and thanked god she didn't argue with him, he had enough to worry about without her too.

"Is things ok Fitzy?" Skye asked sounding scared as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

'She must have read the stress on my face' he didn't realise he'd been so transparent. He looked at her seriously considering how best to approach this situation not wanting to frighten her but needing her to understand the severity of the situation "not exactly Skye, you see in about 2 minutes" he said checking his watch and judging by the gunfire he could hear in the distance "some very bad people are going to come on The Bus. I need you to do everything I or Ward tells you too do, no arguments. You promise?" He asks her seriously getting a nod "good" he said satisfied.

Walking towards the lab doors he had an ICER in one hand and Skye in the other, he watched the SUV hit the ramp and come to an abrupt stop with all three agents running out of it in different directions.

May and Coulson headed for the stairs, May most likely for the cockpit and Coulson for higher ground to hold HYDRA off while Ward headed straight for them.

Grant's POV- Status: The Bus. Whereabouts: "Classified"

He spotted Skye safe in Fitz's arms by the lab doors and breathed a sigh of relief that she was safe for the moment. He was out of the car as soon as it was safe. He skidded to a halt in front of Fitz and Skye his own weapon at the ready and holding the briefcase.

"Hi Robot" Skye said sounding happy to see him stretching her arms out making grabby hands at him, if they were in any other situation he would be thrilled to receive such a greeting but he didn't have much time so pleasantries would have to wait.

He grabbed Skye from Fitz cutting off all chitchat, he was in Agent Grant Ward mode at the moment "where's Simmons?" He asked noticing she was nowhere to be seen.

"Told her to hide in the utility closet with an ICER" Fitz informed him.

"Good, I want you to join her and lock yourselves in" he said pushing him to move towards safety.

"What are you going to do?" Fitz asked as he headed towards the utility closet.

"I'm going to take Skye and the 0-8-4 and keep both safe" he said hearing bullets ricochet off the ramp as HYRDA entered The Bus he rushed to the stairs taking two at a time.

He had to get Skye somewhere safe. He headed to his bunk where he knew he was the only one with the code, he dashed for the closet thinking of the irony placing Skye down inside.

Skye looked terrified as she sat eyes wide with fear and her hands were covering her ears because of the loud gunfire. Taking her hands away from her ears so she could hear him "I have a very important job for you, I need you to stay here and keep hold of this for me" he placed the briefcase down next to her in the back of the closet "think you can do that? Think you can stay here for me and look after that until I come back and get it?" He asked getting a shaky nod.

Hearing the gunfire getting closer, it sounded like Coulson was losing ground by himself. He needed to move fast, he couldn't let HYDRA get any closer to Skye or the 0-8-4 because now if they got one, they got the other. 'Idiot, why'd you hide them in the same spot' he scolded himself 'too late now' he sighed smoothing Skye's hair down "don't come out until I come and get you" he said needing her to understand as much as needing the assurance she'd stay safely out of the way while he took care of this.

"I promise, I won't move" Skye said with earnest still looking scared, he nodded and close his closet door and lock his bunk behind himself.

Skye's POV

She was trying not to think of the last time she was in a dark closed waiting for someone to come and let her out, she could feel her chest tightening as she looked around in the darkness. She sat in the dark next to the brief case with her hands over her ears but that didn't seem to block out the loud bangs and crashes she could hear.

There wasn't much light in here and she didn't like being closed in but at least she knew Grant wouldn't leave her in here and that the door wasn't locked. There was only the crack from the door letting in light so it wasn't totally dark like last time. She shuddered a little at the thought of how dark and scared she'd been.

She heard someone grunt and a crash, she didn't like it in here. She stood up in the closet not liking the helpless feeling being on the ground gave her, she swayed a little and had to grab hold of a jacket hanging next to her to steady her legs. They were shaking nearly as bad as last time and she took a deep breath to calm herself to stop the shaking, she frowned 'it smells like Grant' she thought and took another deep breath 'his jacket smells like him' she smiled a little and grabbed hold of the jacket hanging next to her and buried her face in it breathing in his safe smell. Her legs weren't shaking as bad and she did feel a bit better.

She opened the door just a bit, she did promise she wouldn't move but she didn't think standing counted with the door open a bit more she wasn't as scared. More light was coming in but the bangs and crashes were getting louder, she just stayed in the corner with the briefcase and his jacket "he'll be back soon" she breathed quietly in the dark.

Grant's POV

He had his hands full in the lounge as he took out another HYDRA agent with his ICER and kicking the legs out from under another one bring him to his knees, he punched him knocking him out 'that was two, there must be two more somewhere. I'm sure I counted four in the car' he though as he quickly headed to where he'd last spotted Coulson.

He found Coulson heading towards him from the direction of the cargo bay.

"Any more?" Coulson asked nodding his head towards the lounge.

"Got one ICED and one unconscious in the lounge, you?" He asked.

"ICED in the cargo bay, Skye and the 0-8-4 safe?" Coulson asked worriedly while jerking his thumb towards the cargo bay.

"Both in my closet" he explained tucking his gun away.

"It's always the closet" Coulson mused with a chuckled "somehow it's one of those places we just go to on instinct."

He nodded not really listening, he want to make sure Skye was ok. Coulson must have guessed his line of thought.

"Go check on her and make sure she's alright, I'll rescue Fitzsimmons from the utility closet" he nodded heading off towards his bunk leaving Coulson muttering something along the lines of "again with the closet."

He met May in the lounge as he walked past the two unconscious HYDRA agents heading towards his bunk.

"I'll put them in the interrogation room" May stated grabbing the ICED one under the arms dragging him away.

He put in his pin as fast as he could sliding the door open, he stepped insides sliding the door shut behind him. He didn't want Skye to be alarmed by the mess and remaining HYRDA agent slumped just outside his door 'too close' he thought and walked over to see his closet cracked wider than he's left it "Skye?" He called out worriedly hurrying forward to open his closet door.

Skye launched at him for the second time that day "its ok baby, it's all over now" he assured her picking her up out of his closet before sitting on his bed with her held firmly to his chest. He tighten his arms around her as she shook 'she's probably in shock' he reasoned letting her take whatever comfort she needed from him.

"I stayed in dare and I didn't move wike I promised" Skye told him proudly looking up at him with big eyes.

He smiled at that "you did good baby, I'm proud of you" he assured praising her as he smoothed her curls down "how about you stay here for one more minute while I talk to Coulson ok?" He set Skye on her feet and walked over to the door sliding it open.

Walking out a fist connected with his jaw catching him by surprise making him stumble to the ground. He heard a squeal of surprise and so did the now conscious HYDRA agent because he turned to see Skye standing in the door way of his bunk with her hand over her mouth.