Grant decides that his definition of 'reasonably comfortable' differs slightly from Coulson's. But the cell's got a cot to sleep on and space to stretch his legs so Grant won't complain. He's had worse.
The food waiting for him is just a plain ham and cheese sandwich but given the fact that all he's had to eat in the past 2 days is a bite of the world's most disgusting energy bar, it might as well be filet mignon. He drains the water bottle that accompanied his meal and drops down onto the cot. He's out in seconds. His reality giving way to dreams immediately.
Skye's sitting in one of the white leather seats in the lounge area of the Ship, playing around with her laptop. He watches her for a few moments, the way her eyes are squinted in concentration, the way her slender fingers fly over the keyboard. The way her tongue pokes out from between her lips as she's reading whatever it is that's on her screen. She looks young, sitting crossed legged like that but, also, competent. And he's head over heels, after spending only a few days with her. Which is something he's got to keep locked away, because it wouldn't be professional. And if he gets reassigned because of his feelings, he'd have to trust somebody else to protect Skye, which he doesn't.
He squares his shoulders and moves into the lounge area, dropping into a seat across from her.
"Finally done with the creepy staring, Robot?" she asks him, without taking her eyes off her screen. Grant's a little startled she's noticed him standing there, because she hasn't been the most observing since she's been with their team. She's walked into his mother twice and almost broke Leo's nose running around a corner.
"I wasn't staring. I was… observing. What are you doing, anyway?"
She looks up at him, eyes a little narrowed at his obvious cop-out. "I'm Google-fishing." She replies and then sighs when she sees the blank look on his face.
"You know, Google-fishing?" she shakes the laptop a little, as if that would make him understand what the hell 'Google-fishing' is exactly. He raises a brow instead of replying and she sighs again, this time sounding very exasperated.
"Google-fishing is what you do when you don't really know what exactly you're looking for. You give a vague search term and follow the links through the web. Like regular fishing, you don't know exactly where the fish are, but you throw your line in the hopes of catching something."
Grant cocks his head. "What are you trying to catch?"
Two slender shoulders rise a little, "I don't know, that's the beauty of Google-fishing. There's information a-plenty if you know how and where to look. The biggest source of shared knowledge. You know, one person might not be able to solve the problem, but if a 100 people have 1% of the solution, the job gets done. I think that's beautiful, pieces solving a puzzle."
Grant is quiet for a few heartbeats, because even though he doesn't understand her view of the world, he does respect it. "You and I see the world very differently," he finally says before getting up and moving towards the cargo bay. He almost misses it when she whispers, "You say that like it's a bad thing."
The scene changes, as dreams are prone to do, without thought or reason and suddenly Grant's sitting back in front of Skye, this time a game in between them. She's practically bouncing up and down in her chair after landing her third hit on his battleship. All the while, he's only got the 2-hit boat and he's still misfiring. He should change his tactic, try to make her nervous.
"Every decision you make from here on out… has consequences. So be warned. The kiddie gloves are off." He tries to say it in his most menacing voice but it's hard to do when fighting a smile. She almost looks like a kid on Christmas morning, so happy. Her eyes are shining with mirth, and he knows his attempt at intimidation failed. She pretends to think for a second before saying, "G7."
Grant looks down at his board, which is just a stall tactic. He knows she's hit his boat for the 4th time. He grudgingly picks up a red peg and puts it in its place. "Hit."
Skye pumps a fist in the air. "So, explain to me again what this has to do with my training?"
Grant thinks for a while. Really, he just likes spending time with her, even if he has to lose at his favorite board game to do so. Also, he needs a little time away from the physical contact when they are combat training. It's getting harder and harder to keep from kissing her when she's pressed up close to him, and his self-control can only take so much. But he's not going to tell her that.
"Well, it's important for every SO to… evaluate their students thought process." He finally says, before adding, "And I like board games. B10."
She shakes her head, her eyes betraying the laugh she's keeping inside. "Nope. And, this isn't thinking. It's stabbing in the dark. But it's nice to take a break from the workouts."
Grant's not sure if she needs the break for the same reasons as he does, but he can agree with the sentiment. His shoulders loosen a little. He's been trying very hard to keep the line between them professional and strictly SO-rookie, but the sternness of it weighs on him too. Normally, he's a pretty laid back guy but he can't afford to be with her. Because he won't be able to keep his feelings back if he did. He's only human though and sometimes he slips and shows more than he's comfortable with.
"You deserve a break. I've got to give Coulson credit, I never would have pegged an ex-Rising Tide hacker as a good fit, but… you're picking things up pretty fast."
She laughs at that, her voice sounding like bells tinkling in the wind. "Wow, a compliment. Those are few and far between. But thanks. And I don't want to ruin a great SO-rookie bonding moment here, but I'm going to have to respond with… G4."
The small smile he's had on his face since he heard her laugh slips off. He really likes bonding with Skye, but he really hates losing. She notices the tightness round his eyes and her smile grows even wider, her eyes sparkling with triumph. "Say it Garner… Say it."
Grant huffs out a breath, "You sunk my battleship".
Suddenly Skye's not laughing anymore and a dark red stain is spreading steadily across her chest. There's blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. "You didn't save me Grant. You let me die. Why did you let me die."
Grant bolts upright from the cot he was sleeping on, his breathing heavy and sweat dripping from his brow. It's been a while since he's had this nightmare, probably triggered by all the reminiscing he's been doing. He tries to keep the memories at bay when he's awake but even he can't control his subconscious. He hates the fact that his good memories get tainted by the picture of Skye bleeding out. Of Skye blaming him… Guilt really is the gift that keeps on giving.
It's a testament to how shaken up he is, because he doesn't even realize there's somebody in the room with him until the stranger shifts in his seat. Skye would probably tell him to get his Spidey-sense checked, because it's clearly on the fritz. On the other hand, if he'd stop constantly thinking about what Skye would do or say in any given situation, his attention probably wouldn't be lacking.
He gets his breathing under control, closes his eyes and lets his senses take over. On the outside he's perfectly calm and still, but his inner self roams the room to find out what stranger is watching him so intensely. It's been a while since he's used his gifts to read people, usually just using them to do a general body count and surroundings check. He hadn't needed to feel for aura's when he already knew the blacks, browns, and reds of his enemy. And he'd made a vow to his team to never read them without their permission.
Grant loses his composure briefly when he senses the yellows and blues that surround the other person. It's an aurahe knows really well, the combination of colors very distinctly Leo's. Grant's not overly concerned with the red that's tinging the edges, because there's orange there as well. Leo's angry, a feeling directed both outward and inward, but he's also curious. And a curious Leo is an open-minded Leo. Still, Grant's not going to be the first to speak, preferring to let Leo gather his thoughts first. Grant knows Leo will talk when he's ready.
It remains quiet for several more heartbeats before Grant hears a soft release of air.
"That looked like one hell of a nightmare." Leo's voice is a whisper, barely even loud enough to be heard over Grant's own heartbeat. But there's no malice in the words, no emotion inserted into them at all. It's just a clinical observation Leo's made.
"Nothing I'm not used to by now." Grant's reply is honest, because he'd never lie to his best friend, no matter what world he's from. He shifts his legs off the cot and turns around to fully face this world's Leopold Fitz. He can't really see his face, just a vague silhouette but it's all too familiar for Grant.
"I s'pose we've all got our own nightmares to deal with." The thick Scottish brogue makes Grant's heart squeeze, because it's so utterly Leo. The lights flicker on and Grant can now see the man who wears the face of his best friend. He looks almost exactly like the Leo he knows, down to the checkered shirt and cardigan. There are some small differences, his brownish-blonde hair is cut shorter, less curly and there's a stubble on his cheeks that's unfamiliar to Grant. He's not making eye contact with Grant, instead fixing his gaze on a point over Grant's left shoulder.
"I suppose we do," Grant replies truthfully. "Why are you here, Leo?"
The other man's eyes snap to his, and there's a strange sort of intensity in them. "I needed to see for myself."
"See what, exactly?"
"That you're not who we think you are. That you're not the monster who's hiding under the bed, the nightmare that he is." There's fire in his voice and again Grant's struck by the level of betrayal they must all feel towards his mirror-self.
"And do you? See it?"
Leo sighs, "I don't know. I didn't see it before either, so I'm not sure what I thought this would accomplish." There's a hint of resignation and a lot of repressed anger in his tone and Grant can tell that this world's Leo isn't undamaged either. Maybe not as…defeated as the Leo he knows, but not the carefree, monkey-loving sort-of-conspiracy theorist either.
They are staring at each other, each of them sizing the other up. Each of them trying to match the person they know with the person in front of them.
Leo drops his gaze to his tablet for a moment, his eyes turning sad and wistful. "They look like they're close friends," he says without looking up. Grant can only imagine what he's looking at, but he has a pretty good idea. His LDC was filled with memories and pictures. The ones Sk – Daisy confronted him with earlier were only a few. There were a lot of images of him throughout his life, everything important to him safely stored in a place where only he – and Leo – could reach them.
"We are." Grant replies, because he's not going to pretend he's not the one in the pictures. Those are his memories and he won't let anybody try to distance him from them.
"We've been through a lot, Leo and me. Saved each other's lives more than once. He was my best man, I'm sure there are pictures of that in there somewhere."
Leo only nods.
"Look, I know you don't believe me, but I'm sure you've done enough tests on me and my tech to not not believe me either. I don't know how to explain how I got to be here, but if there's anybody who can figure it out, It's you Leo. Just… just keep an open mind, okay." There's a note of desperation in Grant's voice. Not only because the idea of spending the rest of his days in the cell isn't appealing to him at all, but because he's got this chance to reconnect with people he thought were lost to him forever. His mother, Coulson, Skye… they might not be the same people he remembers, but he's not going to waste the opportunity to get to know them. His dad would call it a prime chance to get insight in the nature vs. nurture debate, and a study in how people are formed by experiences. Grant would just call it a second chance, then again, his dad always was the more eloquent of the family.
The scientist gets up from his chair and Grant assumes he's done with this conversation. Even though it didn't last long, it was heavy with emotions. But Leo surprises him by coming closer to the invisible barrier between them. "Nobody ever calls me 'Leo'. It's Fitz most of the time, or you know, when Jemma gets annoyed she'll use the full name for effect. Never Leo though."
Grant's not sure there's a question in Leo's statement, but there's enough curiosity lacing his voice to make him reply anyway. "When I first met Jem and Leo, they were talking a mile a minute, not even noticing anything around them. I liked them instantly." Grant thinks back to that first meeting.
Grant's standing in the doorway, staring open-mouthed at the two people before him. The auburn haired girl sounds exasperated when she tells her companion off. Something about not being Hermione, whatever the hell that may be. It takes less than a second for the guy to respond to her and the flurry of words coming from both their mouths is so fast, Grant almost feels like he's watching a tennis match. Luckily, he's got the presence of mind not to turn his head between them, like a cartoon character. Still, he's never met two people so in sync with each other before, and he finds himself wondering if they maybe 'upgraded' themselves in some way. He's seen a lot since he graduated from the Academy and if the rumors about these two are true, they would certainly be capable of altering themselves.
They still haven't noticed him standing there, so wrapped up in a discussion Grant's not even sure is being held in English. He scrapes his throat a few times, but to no avail. It's like he's invisible or something. Finally, a little fed up about standing there being ignored, he drops his duffel to the floor. The heavy tactical gear inside it makes a satisfying 'thump' when it hits the metal.
Two heads shoot up at the sound simultaneously and it takes all his willpower not to smirk at the sight of that. He schools his features into a somewhat strict expression. "Fitzsimmons?" he asks, his voice betraying no hint of the amusement he's feeling.
There's a second of silence before the scientists speak up. It's like a routine they've got down to a T, when she points towards the sandy haired guy and says, "Fitz" followed by his "Simmons" in her direction. The guy – Fitz apparently – narrows his eyes at Grant, almost in a dare, before he seems to realize who Grant is.
"Agent Garner, right?" he says while sticking out his hand to shake. "Coulson told us you'd be comin' 'round. I'll have yer comm system sorted out in no time." He turns towards his table and starts fussing with the communicator Grant gives him. The girl – Simmons – comes over and out of the blue shoots him up with something and he only gets a chance to blink once before he sort of crumbles in a heap.
When he wakes up again, he's a little sore and a lot pissed off but he doesn't get the chance to act on his feelings. Coulson and his mother appear in his field of vision with an easy smile on their face. "Welcome to the team. I'll let these two," Coulson points towards the two ambushing scientists, "explain the new comm system. Team meeting upstairs in an hour." He turns around, and after giving him a small encouraging smile, his mother follows. The scientist move closer again and he watches them wearily. "Sorry about that Agent Garner, the nano-bots take a little while to get used to," the girl says, "but you'll be fine in a few more moments. Would you like some water?" He shakes his head minutely, bigger movements don't seem all that possible at the moment.
"Wha—," he starts to say but he gets cut off by the gangly engineer. "Yea, sorry 'bout that, it's usually easier when you don't prepare for the injection." He bounces a little on the balls of his feet. "This is going to be so great! I mean, this plane alone is just… awesome!" There's awe in his voice and Grant sort of gets swept up in the younger man's appreciation for their new mobile command center. It really is a sight to behold, the outside matte black and impressive, while the inside is just the right combination of practical and high-tech.
"So," Fitz intrudes his thoughts, "if we're going to spend god knows how long together, I think we should get to know each other…. How do you feel about monkeys?"
Grant honestly doesn't know how to respond to that.
"Okay, I liked them at first, then I sort of resented them for being able to sneak up on me with sharp, pointy things. But then they started talking about the nano-tech and they were so… good." Grant shrugs, "I always use my friend's first names, last names are for subordinates, superiors and people I generally don't like." Grant gets up from the cot to move towards where Leo is standing. "I only use 'Fitz' to get his attention when he's gone off on a tangent."
Leo's lips curve up at that.
"And he calls me Grant, because he knows I'm not just my parent's son and a SHIELD legacy. He's got enough respect for me to value my for myself and my skill, not my last name."
"Ah yes, I saw the pictures. I can't believe you were raised by Agent May. Their relationship here must really freak you out then, I can't imagine what it would be like to find out your other self actually slept with your mother. Talk about Oedip…-" he stops talking when he sees Grant's face. "Coulson didn't tell you?"
It's all Grant can do to get towards the little built in lavatory fast enough.