Chapter 25

"Fitz." Mack says knocking on the door. "Come on bud."

"Mack I'm fine, go back to playing." Fitz says.

"Ah come on man, you really think I can play with my roommate all depressed like this." Mack says opening the door. He sees Fitz sitting on his bed with his knees curled to his chest. "Man you got to let it go."

"I can't Mack, no matter how much I try not to think of her she just appears in my mind."

"Have you tried calling her?" Mack asks Fitz. Fitz dangles his phone.

"Not great service up here, and I don't want to seem so desperate also…." Fitz thinks back to the kiss. Would Simmons really remember it? Would she really want to come back to him? Or is what she said true, were they always just going to be 'childhood friends'. Fitz hugs his knees. "She's supposed to be here now."

"But she's not." Mack acknowledges. "And right now she's gotten the job of the lifetime that she's really happy about, so why can't you just be happy for her."

Fitz avoids Mack's eyes. "Come on Fitz, if you really love her you want her to be happy right. So let her be happy, don't be begging her to come back. 'Love and let go' is the saying right."

Fitz sighs. "I just don't want to let go." He admits. "It's hard to picture being more than a few feet away, now she's miles gone. And here I am."

"Well you shouldn't swallow yourself in self-pity Fitz. Simmons is happy where she is, and until she decides to come back—for you –or not for you, you need to let her decide her own path."

Fitz scrunches his fist. He was listening to Mack's words, but in a way what he was saying just wasn't getting through to him.

XxXxXxX

Skye cringes in her bed, memories coming back to her like a flood. "No." She tries to calm herself. "Just please no." Her nails grip her pillow, as she finally opens her eyes, the memory fading. She takes a deep breath, happy this time her memory really wasn't a memory, but some nightmare she'd already begun to forget.

Skye turns over on the oversize bed and see's Bobbi snoring away. Somehow knowing Bobbi is a heavy sleeper makes it easier for Skye to know she can rest easy. Skye grabs her jacket and puts it over her oversize t-shirt she's using as PJ's.

Skye walks downstairs and tries to look through the cupboard for some hot chocolate. A hand reaches over her and grabs it. "Ward?" Skye says a bit or annoyance in her words. He passes the mix to her. Skye frowns, grabbing the kettle and beginning to boil some water.

"You mad about something?" He asks her. Skye bits her lip, not answering. "Skye?" He grabs her shoulder.

"You don't have the urge to kiss me." Skye says her voice in a soft tone. Ward freezes in shock. "Do you even find me attractive? Or do the scars make me look ugly."

Ward is shocked by Skye's insecurities. "Skye, gosh, No. You're like… Skye that's not it…I" he fumbles on his words, which was odd considering how he was taught.

"Well I'm sorry I don't make it on your approval standard." Skye says grabbing the heated water and pouring it into a cup already ready with the hot chocolate mix. "Now if you excuse me I'm going back to bed."

Skye leaves.

Ward wants to run, he wants to chase after her. But he stands still, his inability to connect with others a real downfall.

Ward absolutely found Skye attractive; gosh he couldn't put into words how beautiful she was. And kissing her, he'd never really imagined his relationship with Skye, but he found an urge to sometimes just wrap her in a hug or take her into his arms and kiss her again and again. To tell her how special she was and how he'd never let anyone take her again. He'd tell her that the scars made her more beautiful and they helped shaped her as she was today. He'd repeat it over and over just how pretty she was.

But Grant Ward was afraid, so he watched unsure what else he could do as she walked further and further away.

XxXxXxX

The next morning the group went down to get breakfast at the ski lodge, after they got all their equipment set up. Skye tried on a pair of ski's while, while Hunter, Roy and Bobbi went with snow boards. Trip, Mack, Fitz and Ward all went with ski's. Skiing looked a bit easier than snowboarding, so Skye decided to start with that. Plus snowboarding looked like a sport you'd end up falling on your butt way too often. And Skye was most likely going to have a lot of that.

Mack was actually a pretty good skier, he helps Skye for lots of the afternoon, along with Trip fitting in. Ward watches from the background, and later Bobbi puts on a pair of skis and show's Skye how it's done.

When it's close to the end of the day, Skye is thoroughly exhausted. "Come on up to the top with us." Bobbi asks with certainty. "Please, for one last run."

"I'm going to head back if that's okay." Skye says, still out of breath from all the falling and tripping. "I still have a ways to get down."

"I'll come with her." Ward says, knowing it'd be unsafe for Skye to be alone.

"Do you have this?" Bobbi questions. Ward nods to show he's ready to protect Skye with his life.

"It's only a five minute ski down" Ward confirms.

"Okay, then I'll see you two back at the lodge."

Bobbi heads to the chair lift, and Ward watches Skye struggle to find her footing as she ski's further to the bottom. After about four minutes she's already fallen. Ward ski's over to help her, he puts out his hand. "I don't need your help." Skye says with certainty. Ward frowns watching Skye struggle to get up.

"Well you shouldn't ski so close to the trees." Ward says, realizing it's getting pretty dark, and their drifting from the light of the path.

"It's fine." Skye says, using her ski poles to lift her up, only to fall again. "Ah that's it, I give up." Skye shouts, throwing her ski's off. "I'm cold and tired, and I don't want to do this anymore." Skye gets up and starts walking in her ski boots. Ward ski's beside her, stopping and taking off his ski's.

"Skye." Ward says catching up to her.

Skye stops. At first Ward thought it was for him, but it wasn't. "Did you hear that?" She says.

"Hear what?" Skye doesn't listen to Ward as she heads into the forest part after a sound Ward isn't even sure exists. "Skye you have to stay near the trail." Ward enters the forest. For a second he's lost sight of Skye. "Skye." He says, seeing if she'll reply.

"Skye?" Ward calls.

He hears a scream.

"Skye!" Ward shouts now running to after the sound. Ward easily finds Skye's pink coat fallen off and in the snow. A man has his arms wrapped around her trying to get a cloth over her mouth, Skye's fighting though. Ward buts in and kicks the guy. Skye breaks free. "Run!" Ward tells Skye. Skye nods, beginning to race away, the heavy ski boots impacting her ski. Ward follows after her, but not before he hears the sound of snow breaking underneath them. Ward looks down seeing a mini avalanche clashing towards them. Ward's pushed back, and he feels his body go through a large drop as he blacks out.

Cliff hanger ending, sorry to do that. Next chapter in a few days, I already have it written, but thinking of re-writing it, but I don't know yet. Guess will see, if I don't rewrite it I'll post in on Thursday. Make predictions on what you think is going to happen :D