Title: Can't Go Back
Author: Katie
Story Summary: This is a collection of non-chronological one shots about Ward's redemption. All happen in the same universe.
Spoilers: Season One
Ratings: PG
Pairing: SkyeWard
Authors Note: This will always be marked as complete since I don't know how many there will be. When I think of a story I want to write, I'll add it. If there is a story you want to see, let me know!
Distribution: Please! Just let me know.
Feedback: Please…Please!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything…at all…
16 Weeks, 2 Days, 9 Hours Since The Events At CyberTek
It's been sixteen weeks, four agonizing months, since everything in their world had changed. They've been trying so hard to put things back together, but so far it's felt like every time they make a half step of progress, they get knocked four steps back.
They're some place in Florida now, Coulson and May are in meetings at some secret base while Skye forces Simmons off the bus (and away from Fitz's side) long enough to eat at a small café by the water.
Skye and Simmons are walking back onto the bus less than 45 minutes after they left it, Skye carrying most of their meals in cardboard containers. Simmons afraid to leave Fitz for too much longer than that.
May and Coulson are already on the bus when they get there, Simmons rushes past them barley sparing a wave in her haste to check on Fitz. Skye stops in front of them, "How'd the meeting go?" she asks before noticing that something isn't right. May won't quite meet her eyes and Coulson looks apologetic. "Oookay…what is going -"
She's cut off by the sound of a group of people she doesn't know entering the bus, she looks at Coulson curiously then catches sight of two agents she's never met, each holding one arm of a man in handcuffs…Grant Ward. She's frozen in place, their eyes meet for a fraction of a second before the agent on his right tugs his arm hard to make him move forward. They're taking him to the cage…the realization hits her hard. "Skye…" Coulson's voice sounds far away when she drops everything she's holding and walks away.
She paces, angrily, in the common room for a few moments before walking to Fitz's room. She lets herself in, and is surprised to see Fitz awake, sitting in the center of the bed with Simmons, talking animatedly.
It took all most a full six weeks for Fitz to wake up after all most drowning – it was awful for all of them, but for Simmons it had been the worst month and a half of her life. Even now, he spends all most 14 hours of every day sleeping, and in his waking time he does almost everything a little bit slower than he used to, he's also developed a little stutter – his mind working faster than his ability to communicate will currently allow. He's still a genius, and he's still goofy and sweet natured, they're all overwhelming thankful for that. Simmons is adamant that he'll return to his former self fully, in time.
"Hey" she says, flopping down on the bed when FitzSimmons scoot over to make room for her.
"What's wrong?" Simmons asks, followed by Fits a few seconds later, he immediately looks irritated at himself for falling behind.
Skye puts her hand on Fitz's knee comfortingly and takes a deep breath, "Ward is on the bus". The scientists have very different reactions. Simmons is instantly scared, eyes darting around the room as if Ward is going to jump out at them at any moment. Fits lays his arm protectively around Simmons's shoulders, but looks relatively unfazed…maybe even a little hopeful.
It's quiet for a long moment until Coulson knocks on the door, "Come on, we're gonna talk about this" he says. Skye sighs as she opens the door and they file out of the room. "Fizt!" Coulson clasps the younger man on the back when he walks past and Fitz offers a smile in return, he knows how much time everyone still spends worrying about him.
They walk to the kitchen where May is at the table, already sitting in wait for them. She's silent while everyone sits, until she spots Fitz, "How are you?" she asks, a smile brewing under her ever present stoic expression.
"A lot…a lot better" he answers smiling at her as he sits, then shaking his head in annoyance with his own stutter.
A long moment passes in uncomfortable silence until Coulson clears his throat, "I know the idea of bringing Ward on to the bus is…uncomfortable" Skye scoffs but Coulson continues "but he will not be roaming around the bus, he will be confined to the cage and in the rare instance that he is let out, it will be in handcuffs. You will not be in any danger" he looks at Simmons as he says the last part.
None of them are naive enough to ask why he's here, even Fitz knows that they're having more trouble than anticipated tracking down the remaining Hydra sleeper cells. And, yeah, they all know how much Coulson loves a redemption story…even if Coulson doesn't.
"What makes you think he'll help us? That he won't be leading us right where Hydra wants us?" Skye asks, he voice is calm but her eyes dart around the room, betraying her worry.
"We'll be through in vetting any information he gives us. But…I think we all know that he was never in Hydra for the cause, he was there for Garrett, who is no longer a factor" Coulson says.
"No one is saying that you can or should trust him, but he has information that we need" May says evenly.
"Did he ask to be here?" Simmons asks quietly, "I mean maybe he has some plan…" she looks at Fitz protectively.
"No" Coulson says "He hasn't said much at all" he sighs heavily, "This is not forever. But right now, I don't know what else to do… how else to eliminate Hydra once and for all, how else to make sure this never happens again." He shakes his head, "I'm asking you to try…and if we can't all find a way to be okay with it, we'll take him back and we'll find another way to more forward…But, you all have to know that this was a last resort"
The silence in the room is heavy for a long moment before Fitz looks around and says, "This will be good…this is how we'll get Ward back, how…how we'll be a team again" he stands after he says it and walks back to his room. Simmons lets out a breath; she's trying not to cry when she follows him.
After several seconds, Skye stands "This is a bad idea" she walks away.
She stops in front of the lab, debating with herself for a long moment before walking inside. She walks over to the video screen on the far wall and flips the switch to the side, she crosses her arms over her chest while she waits for the screen to stop flickering and show her Ward. Somehow, she's still not ready when it does.
He's pacing the length of the cell over and over, facing her for six steps then walking away for six steps, and repeat. She hadn't had the time or the where-with-all to take in his appearance when he was pulled past her in the entry way to the bus just hours before…it's all she does now; He's in dark jeans and a grey t-shirt, no shoes. He's still broad and strong, his presence still intimidating without trying to be. He's growing a beard, it makes him look older – she wonders if it was by choice, or if he hadn't been given access to razors, she closes her eyes and tries not to care. His hair has grown longer, and in contrast to his beard, that makes him look younger. He rubs at something on his arm, pushing his sleeve up as he does, it reveals as nasty cut in the center of a purple-blue of a bruise – she tries not to care if it came from another inmate or a guard…if there are more like it lurking under his clothes.
Coulson comes up behind her and places his hand on her back; she shakes her head a little and closes her eyes tight – trying to force her tears to stay in. She wanted, so badly, to be done crying over Grant Ward, but when she shrugs Coulson's hand off her back, turns on her heel and walks down the hall towards her room, she knows she not.