Set after 2x06

"If I ever see you again, I'll kill you."

Those were the words that came up in her mind the very second she rounded the corner of the abandoned building and seeing Ward heading towards her. Both stayed rooted to the ground, unsure which one of them would give in and make a move.

After Ward's escape, the team managed to track him down to an old building about 20 miles away from the abandoned prison truck. He had used one of the men's radio to make himself known using SHIELD's communication line. He demanded to meet with Skye in exchange of surrendering this time without causing any trouble. Skye agreed much to the team's reluctance, because she knew this was the only way to make sure Ward would give himself up.

The plan was to let Skye go in alone as the rest of the team stay close for the order to take him in. Skye had her comm on, so everyone could listen to every word Ward says. But Ward knew and he wasn't stupid. He created a makeshift signal jammer with the equipment he found in the truck on the men and switched it on once 'pleasantries' were exchanged.

Once the team realized that the communications were cut off, Coulson immediately sent the team in to check on the situation and possibly rescue Skye. Jemma tightened her grip on the sides of her seat, her heart threatening to beat out of her chest. Skye might be in danger and she couldn't just sit still and do nothing about it.

When Jemma stood and walked towards the exit of the quinjet, Coulson stopped her and she was told to sit tight with him in the aircraft.

"Agent Simmons, where do you think you're going?"

Jemma turned around at the sound of the director's voice. "Skye's in trouble, sir."

"I know, but let May and the rest of the team do their job."

"No, I'm going."

Coulson squared his shoulders and put his hands on both sides of his hips. He spoke with an authoritative tone that he had mastered during his time as director of SHIELD. "Stand down, Agent Simmons. That's an order."

The old Jemma would probably apologize for her rash behaviour and obey orders given by the director, but this Jemma, all she cared about was Skye's life and she would've hated herself if anything happened to her.

So Jemma breathed in and exhaled loudly, clenched her jaw and looked Coulson straight in the eye. "With all due respect sir, I'm going to help the team to save Skye and take Ward down, and the only way you're going to stop me is with a bullet in my head."

She then turned her back towards Coulson and headed for the exit again, hoping this time he wouldn't stop her.

"Wait."

Damn it. Jemma closed her eyes and held her breath for a moment, not sure what Coulson would say or do to her now.

"Here, take this. You'll need it."

Jemma turned back around to see Coulson handing her a gun. She offered a thankful smile before taking it.

"Thank you, sir."

"Be careful, Simmons."

Coulson may be the new director of SHIELD, but times like these he just could not stop worrying and caring for his team. He valued and respected every one of them and he was proud to see a strong and resilient Jemma Simmons standing before him. Sometimes he wondered if it was a good or bad thing.

"I will, sir."

So this is how Jemma ended up face to face with the man she felt so much hatred for, and the promise she made were the words that made her arm move of its own accord, slowly bringing it up and pointing the gun at Ward.

Her hand was starting to tremble as her eyes concentrated on the man's face. The anger and betrayal she was feeling ever since Ward threw her and Fitz out of the plane and into the sea increased tenfold at the sight of the man she used to work alongside with. She could hear the raging beating of her heart and feel the heat of her cheeks.

Jemma Simmons is a woman of her word. She made a promise. A promise to her team. To herself. To Ward.

And to Skye.

So her trembling hand pulled the trigger.

Only to miss his heart and hit his shoulder.

Ward hardly flinched at the bullet that made contact with his left shoulder. He took a step toward Jemma, removing his right hand from his back, fingers firmly wrapped around a gun.

When he took his next step, Jemma heard another shot fired – a softer bang than the first time – she thought it had come from her.

But she was wrong.

The next second, Skye was standing over Ward's body, radioing in to inform the rest of the team that she had shot Ward using an ICER and he was unconscious.

The journey back to the base and the whole time during the team debrief, Jemma had barely spoken a word to Skye while avoiding eye contact with her. Her mind was in a mess and her feelings an even bigger one.

She felt disappointed in herself because she should've killed Ward instead of injuring him, but at the same time she was trying to comprehend the importance of earlier events. She held a real gun and for the first time in her life, she shot someone with it.

She was in her room thinking when she heard a knock and Skye's voice asking for permission to come in. Jemma said yes and sat up on the bed waiting for her to enter.

"Hey." Skye slowly inched closer towards Jemma.

"Hey, Skye."

"We need to talk about earlier."

Jemma nodded, but her heart was starting to beat faster as Skye sat next to her.

"Thank you, Jemma."

"What for?"

"Although I think you shouldn't have shot Ward, because you've never shot a real gun at someone before, it proves to me that I can always trust you."

Jemma looked incredulous. "You can always trust me, Skye. I'll never betray you."

"I know, I just didn't think you were serious when you told Ward you'd kill him the next time you see him."

"Well, I didn't kill him though. I missed." Jemma slumped in her position.

Skye put a hand on Jemma's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm glad you didn't."

"Why not?"

"Because I know how it feels to kill someone for the first time. Your life changes after, nothing will be the same. You might be different now, after the undercover mission and all that, but I know the old Jemma that I used to watch hours of Doctor Who with is still in there. She wouldn't want blood on her hands. I don't want you to have to go through that."

Jemma couldn't help but feel her heart break a little at Skye's pained expression.

Jemma knew she was different. Different than the biochemist back when Coulson first brought the team together. She had been undercover at Hydra. She had been thrown off a plane to drown to death. Heck, she even threw herself off a plane once, too. She had been through a lot. The team had been through a lot. She was no longer the chirpy Jemma, but she really missed being the old her.

"Thanks for the concern, Skye. It means a lot." Jemma smiled warmly and took the hand that was on her shoulder into her own.

When hand-holding wasn't enough for Skye, she pulled Jemma into her and hugged her tight.

"I missed this. I missed you."

Jemma sighed and held Skye even closer. "I missed you too."