Chapter 16: The Real Grant Douglas Ward
Skye's POV- Whereabouts: "Gramsy's house" Time: 2:57am
She could find the kitchen by herself, all she needed was a drink of water. No need to wake Grant up. She successfully made it down the stairs. Reaching the bottom step, she jumped off and walked down the dark hall; it was the second door on the right, she remembered from lunch earlier.
She opened the fridge and got out her Iron Man water bottle. Gramsy had brought it for her that afternoon, along with another pair of Iron Man PJ's to wear while Grant washed her other ones.
Gulping down her water she heard the front door open and click shut. Grant and Gramsy are sleeping. Bad man's in the house. Fear struck her and she froze to listen more carefully. She could hear heavy footsteps approaching, getting closer and closer.
All of a sudden the kitchen light flicked on. A man with dark hair appeared in the doorway with a backpack in hand. "GRRAAANT!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, dropping her bottle. She backed away from the stranger, until her back hit the cupboard.
Grant's POV
He shot up in bed, grabbing his gun, and searched the room for Skye. She wasn't there, but he'd heard her scream. He jumped out of bed running for the stairs. Gramsy met him on the landing, looking panicked. He rushed past her, taking two steps at a time, noticing the light on in the kitchen. Please, be a spider. Don't be HYDRA. He thought, desperately. Who else would it be, Gramsy lives alone. He signalled Gramsy to stay back.
Gun drawn, safety off, he prepared to enter the kitchen. The scene he saw was the furthest from what he expected. "Thomas?" He demanded in surprise, lowering his gun considerably. Tommy spun around from where he was trying to calm Skye down, the girl trembling and crying, crouched by the sink.
"Grant! Why do you have a gun? Whose kid is this? Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Thomas asked, bewildered and raising his voice over Skye's hysterics. He stepped away from Skye, eyeing the gun in his hand cautiously.
Skye scrambled up off the floor and ran to him, arms raised, as soon as Tommy stepped away from her. He clicked the safety on, putting his gun down on the counter than picked Skye up, holding her close.
"You said there was no big bad wolf." She accused, clutching his shirt with white knuckles.
"I know I did, baby, he's not a bad guy. He's my little brother. Thomas, this is Skye. Skye, this is Thomas." He introduced.
"Baby?! I'm still confused." Thomas exclaimed, frowning at Skye. Did he go have a kid and not tell me? Typical Grant. Thomas thought, examining Skye closer, trying to see a family resemblance.
Gramsy. Grant remembered she was still in the hallway, no doubt worrying. "It's ok, Gramsy, Tommy just startled Skye! It's all clear!" He shouted into the hallway.
Thomas scoffed. "I startled Skye? She startled me!" He said, dramatically holding his heart.
Skye was still trembling, eyeing Tommy with caution. "It's ok, baby. Tommy's not going to hurt you. I'm sure he didn't mean to scare you. Did you Thomas?" He tried to soothe her, giving Tommy an unsympathetic look.
"I'm certainly not going to hurt her. She nearly gave me a heart attack. I certainly wasn't expecting anyone to be in the kitchen at 3:00 am." Thomas explained, giving Skye a friendly smile. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry, Skye, here." He apologised, holding out her Iron Man water bottle for her.
Skye's POV
She was still not sure about this man. Thomas was Grant's little brother. He didn't look very little to her. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, Grant said so. He has the same eyes as Grant and Gramsy, even his hair looked like Grant's. She watched Thomas pick up her bottle with suspicion, but didn't object wanting to see what he'd do. Thomas surprised her by holding it out to her; she'd have to see about this mini Grant.
Grant's POV
Skye was still eyeing Tommy with guarded brown eyes. She slowly reached out taking the bottle cautiously, like she thought he was tricking her and would snatch it back suddenly.
"Tanks." She said in a small voice, curling the bottle into the crook of her arm protectively. She rested her head against his chest relaxing a bit.
"You're welcome. Am I really that scary?" Thomas asked, teasingly.
"Only a little, but you look like Grant." She replied in the same small voice.
"Uh, I look like 'Grant'?" Thomas frowned. Not daddy? He wondered, more confused.
Skye nodded, but Grant answered. "I think he's more…silly than scary, Skye." He addressed the girl in his arms, then refocused on his brother. "What are you doing in the kitchen anyway? It's three in the morning."
"Same as Skye, getting a drink." Thomas said defensively. "I was going to surprise Gramsy in the morning. I am an adult, Grant, I drove." He rolled his eyes.
Gramsy spoke for the first time since entering the kitchen. "Well, you certainly did." She chuckled.
"Yeah, well, this isn't exactly what I had in mind." Tommy said, with a hint of sarcasm.
"I don't think any of us expected it either. You ok now, baby?" Grant asked, brushing Skye's hair behind her ear. She went to answer but yawned instead, causing the adults to laugh.
"Grant, get Skye back to bed, it very late. Thomas, next time you surprise me, I'd love it to be at a decent hour, but it's lovely to see you. Give your grandmother a hug." She ordered.
Tommy embraced Gramsy with enthusiasm, squeezing her tight. Grant tucked his gun in the back of his boxers, stepping towards his embracing family, kissing Gramsy's head and ruffling Tommy's dark brown hair. "I'm going to get Skye to bed, it's late. I'll explain everything in the morning, Tommy."
Tommy ran up the stairs behind him. "It's good to see you, ya know. She's adorable." He told him matter-of-factly.
"She is." He agreed, climbing the stairs. "I've missed you too." He admitted, smiling softly as his little brother grinned. He'd missed Tommy more than he'd like to admit. He always made a point to ask after him, when he spoke to Gramsy on the phone. She filled him in on his brother's life, but it just wasn't the same as experiencing it with him.
They parted ways at the top of the stairs. "Night Tommy." He said, closing the door to his old bedroom behind himself and Skye. He placed Skye down, tucking her in again. He put his gun away and sat her bottle on the bedside table, then got in bed beside her, flicking off the lamp. Yet again he had more explaining to do. Perhaps after it all, he and Skye could finally relax.
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He woke early the next morning and decided to go for a run. Making his way back inside, he was met by Tommy coming down for breakfast. "Morning." He greeted his brother, closing the front door behind himself. Tommy didn't look awake yet, he only grunted in acknowledgement, heading for coffee; he'd never been a morning person.
Tommy had his second coffee down and a slice of toast on the go. He decided he was awake enough. "Ready for me to explain?"
"Yeah, go ahead. I'm awake enough."
Thomas' POV
He shook his head, incredulously. "I take it back Grant. I'm not awake enough for this. Are you trying to tell me you and a three year old are part of some super-secret spy organisation and bad guys want Skye to use her as a bargaining chip to get an 0-8...what now?" He rambled, trying to understand.
"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy." Grant chuckled humourlessly.
"It's pretty crazy, man. How can they just want to use a little girl like that? She's adorable. I'm quite upset I can't be called 'Uncle Tommy.' You know, she's such a cute little thing, spunky really." He was really trying to take in everything that his brother was saying. Spies. He thought, astonished. My brother's a spy. He really shouldn't be surprised.
Grant's POV
The youngest Ward talked enough for all of them, but he had to stop him there. "Tommy, slow down, breathe." He encouraged.
"But, I really got my hopes up last night, and when Gramsy said…"
"What did Gramsy say?" He demanded.
"She said, she's never seen you so relaxed before, that you actually smiled, not grimaced. Well…just that Skye must be special, if she made you relaxed enough to smile."
There was no doubt in his mind that Skye was special, Coulson said it himself that Skye's superpower was to make him smile. What really shocked him was how easy everyone was able to pick up on it.
Tommy smiled at him. "She also said, you were in love with her. Not that you loved her, but that you were in love with her which didn't make sense, until just now, when you explained things." He told him, frowning. "You haven't denied it, yet."
He sighed. "There's no point denying it. I've known for a while, but Skye's three at the moment. I'm in love with her, and I can't do anything about it, but protect her until I can tell her." He concluded, disgruntled.
"Sorry man, I'll quiet going on about being an uncle." Thomas said with a sheepish smile.
"It's ok, Tommy. Maybe one day it'll happen. I didn't actually think I wanted it, but after taking care of Skye…I can see it's something I might want in the future. Probably only with Skye to help me though. It's hard on your own, Skye gets into so much mischief." He admitted.
"I get the feeling Skye is a handful child or adult. Good luck with a kid that shares both your DNA. Wow, just thinking about that is scary. Cute, but scary." Tommy chuckled, pretending to shiver.
He could clearly imagine all the trouble their kid…or kids could get into. He imagined them as little carbon copies of their Mommy, with her brown hair and eyes.
"Can I hab some jam?" Skye walked up to him with her arms out stretched.
"Yeah, baby. Here, go to Tommy while I make you some toast." Skye stiffed as he handed her to Tommy, but he knew she just needed to get to know him and she'd be fine.
Thomas' POV
He wasn't sure what to do, Skye seemed scared of him after last night. He wasn't sure how to make it right, so he tried to do what he'd seen Grant doing to calm her last night. Rub her back and smooth her hair down. He mentally instructed himself. "Did you have a good sleep after I scared you? I am sorry about that." He ran his fingers through her hair, untangling it.
Skye's POV
She stiffen when Thomas touched her hair, he was a stranger. She didn't know whether to trust him yet. He might look like Grant, but that didn't mean he was Grant and that she could trust him.
She met his eyes and looked intently at them. They looked very similar to Grant's; everything about Thomas was very similar. He was only slightly shorter and less solidly built. She glanced at Grant who was busy making her toast, then back at Thomas. "I did sleep good, but Grant didn't snuggle with me this morning." She explained, sadly.
Thomas' POV
He couldn't help but chuckle, his brother wasn't a snuggler. He didn't like to have people in his personal space. He certainly didn't like to be hugged. Grant only let Gramsy get away with hugging him because he didn't have a choice. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd hugged his brother, and not felt him flinch at the contact.
Grant's POV
He observed the interaction between his brother and Skye, just making sure they were fine. He heard Tommy's chuckle and looked up to see Skye's reaction. She was not amused. Her arms were crossed as she glared at Tommy.
"Thomas." He called, getting his brother's attention. Tommy looked up and he shook his head in warning.
Thomas' POV
Thomas turned his attention back to the unimpressed three year old. "Sorry, I just can't imagine Grant being very snuggly." He said, barely containing a smirk.
Skye wasn't laughing. "He's a very good snuggler." She told him matter-of-factly.
"I'm sure he is." He snickered, unable to help himself.
Grant's POV
He pulled the toast out of the toaster and put it on a plate. "Shut up, finish making Skye's toast. I'll take her before she strangles you. She takes her morning snuggles very seriously." He informed his still snickering little brother, taking Skye from him and shoving him towards the toaster.
"You're a very good snuggler!" Skye told him. She sounded upset that Tommy didn't believe her. She wound her arms around his neck, giving him a tight squeeze as if to emphasis her point.
"Thanks baby, you're a good snuggler too." He told her, glaring as his brother for upsetting her. Tommy was avoiding eye contact with everyone but the toaster.
"Thomas, what have you done to Skye now?" Gramsy asked disapprovingly, walking into the kitchen, smoothing down Skye's hair and kissing Grant's cheek.
"Tommy doesn't believe that I'm a good snuggler." He dobbed his brother in, running his fingers though Skye's bed hair, trying to placate her.
Gramsy gave Tommy a disapproving look and turned her attention to Skye. "Don't listen to Thomas, he just doesn't remember what a good snuggle feels like. You'll just have to remind him of the importance of snuggling." She said, giving Thomas a look that clearly read. Apologise, and stop being mean.
Thomas' POV
Thomas felt guilty, but he really found it funny that, Grant, his big brother, was a good snuggler. It was laughable. He was enjoying morning snugglies. Come on, it's a little funny. He thought, but didn't dare say aloud. He didn't need another displeased look from Gramsy.
He prepared Skye's toast with lots of strawberry jam and walked over to where Grant was still hugging Skye, the plate of jam toast a peace offering. "I'm sorry, I didn't believe Grant was a good snuggler, but it's been a while since I snuggled. You'll have to remind me, okay? I am sorry, Skye. Can you forgive me?" He grovelled, extending the toast.
Grant's POV
He was enjoying watching his brother suffer. That will teach him. Skye obviously wasn't sure she accepted Tommy's apology as genuine. Tommy sent him a pleading look. He sighed. "Skye, what do you say? Do you forgive Tommy for not believing I'm a good snuggler? He did make you jam toast." He added as a last resort.
Skye seemed to think about it for a moment. "Is it stwarbury jam?"
Thomas breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, I put lots of strawberry jam on there, but don't tell Grant. He doesn't like jam." He whispered the last part.
"I don't mind it actually. I have been converted, somewhat begrudgingly." He shrugged.
Gramsy's POV
She watched her boys interacting with Skye while she drank her morning coffee. Skye was a fire cracker of emotions, full of life and energy. Just what her boys needed. Particularly Grant. He always felt he didn't deserve happiness, and that if he had it, it would be taken from him. Hopefully, Skye could show him differently.
Skye hadn't made it easy for Thomas to apologise. He might realise people change, that his brother is different now. Thomas' face went from relief to shock hearing his brother liked jam. Now, if that wasn't a sign that Grant Douglas Ward had changed, than she didn't know what was.
The next few days would be interesting. Skye and Thomas would either hate each other or love each other, depending on if Thomas could wrap his brain around all the changes in his brother. Both thought they knew the real Grant Douglas Ward. She wondered if either of them really did, or was he still trying to discover that himself.
Notes- Thank you EmmaJMcGhee for getting my head screwed back on with the editing process lol I kind of did my own head in. I've got an exhibition coming up so life's a bit crazy at the moment. That being said I've found time to insert another of our Ward family favourites so I hope you like him as much as I do.
