Chapter 5: Misfire

Author's Note: Second to last chapter. I couldn't come up with a more creative title for this chapter though. I think every single type of emotion that can possibly be felt was felt by me when I wrote this. Enjoy…?

…

"Skye's telling the truth," Elliot continued, pointing at Garrett. "This sick son of a bitch has kept me here for ages in that dark ass cell."

Skye inwardly sighed. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to be worried or relieved at the sight of seeing both Trip and Elliot back here. "Trip, what are you doing bringing Elliot back? He's injured!"

"Yeah, no thanks to this jerk," Trip seethed, motioning to Garrett. "Believe me, I had no intentions of bringing him back here, but I guess stubbornness also runs in the Ward family too."

(flashback)

Trip settled Elliot into Fitzsimmons' medical van and was about to leave to find Skye, until Elliot jerked up and grabbed Trip's arm so suddenly that it almost made Trip man-handle him.

"I need to go back there," Elliot said. "Take me back there."

"You're crazy!" Trip said. "You're injured, and you need medical help—"

"Please," Elliot begged, wincing has he grasped onto the straps of Skye's bulletproof vest around him. "Take me back to Skye. She knows my brother Grant. I need to find him. Please."

"You are in no shape to be back there!" Simmons fussed, turning his head to her while she swiftly checks his pupils for a concussion. It was a good thing Fitz was occupied in taking care of the other victims. "It's too dangerous. Agent Triplett will go back and get Skye. That's final."

"No! I'm sorry—I've wanted to find Grant for so many years, and to have heard that he's dead—he's alive! I need to find out where he is—"

"You can ask Skye yourself when I bring her back here," Trip urged, shoving Elliot's hand off him. "Right now, the longer you keep me here, the more danger Skye is in, and you might not even get a chance to ask her if she isn't back alive!"

He turned to rush out again, but Elliot used all his strength and lunged to grab Trip's waist, yanking out his gun. Trip spun around and was about to restrain him until Elliot pointed the gun at his own head.

Simmons shrieked and froze in her spot while Trip tried to reach him, holding his arms out in assurance. "Hey, it's okay. What are you—"

"Please, if you don't take me back to Skye, I'll shoot myself," Elliot declared. "I'm not afraid to die, after this many years in torture. But if I kill myself, you guys will have to deal with an unsuccessful hostage rescue at the end of this operation, and it will be all on you."

Simmons glanced at Trip desperately, shaking her head. Trip, sensing the urgency of his tone, but for the sake of not losing any more time, cursed. "Oh, HELL! Give me back the gun! I'll bring you back to her. But hurry up! We won't have long until the rest of my team is going to destroy this place!"

Elliot eagerly handed the gun back to Trip and latched onto him, jumping to his feet. He fought through the exhaustion and the pain as he and Trip rushed back to the now crumbling facility.

(end of flashback)

Ward lowered his gun and shook his head, stricken with shock. "E—Elliot?"

He smiled weakly. "Grant. It's been years."

Ward still shook his head. For these many years that he hasn't seen Elliot, he could still make him out anywhere. It was as if he was looking at a similar complexion of himself, just a size or two smaller. He looked weak and tired, but his eyes still shone that same innocence as when he was younger. "It can't be you. You can't be alive—I read your file! I saw your body in the morgue!"

"An induced coma," Trip answered for him. "Made him look dead while he was still asleep."

Elliot took a few more steps forward and released himself from Trip's hold, standing as straight as possible. "Once a pirate, always a pirate: 8858!" Elliot stated, smirking.

Ward visibly caught his breath. That was a phrase that only he and Elliot shared, and no one else, not even Garrett, knew about their code-phrase. Well, except Skye. She was the only person that he ever confided his family talks with. And she knew how important Elliot is to him…

"Oh my god, it IS you!" Ward exclaimed, running forward and grabbing Elliot into a bear hug. "You're alive, you're alive!"

Elliot just as eagerly wrapped his arms around his big brother. "Ow! It's so good to finally find you after so many years. And ow, ow! Not so hard."

"What's wrong?"

"Try escaping this maze without getting caught—then you'll know what I mean."

"I'm so sorry about everything…I can't believe I never questioned everything, or checked anything else after I heard you died," Ward said, solemnly. He took a step back, regaining his excitement to seeing his brother again. "Man, you're almost as all as me! And those same shoulders…you've been working out?"

"Do pull-ups in my room count? Gotta pass the time somehow while I was here."

Ward chuckled. Leave it to Elliot to find the silver lining in everything. It felt so good, to be free from the burden he's kept for so many years: not finding and not saving Elliot. It felt as if he was given another chance at life to make up for all these years lost.

Elliot just swatted Ward's back and grabbed him back for another hug. Neither wanted to let each other go while they cried tears of happiness, rocking back and forth in each other's arms.

Skye smiled at the brother reunion as Ward and Elliot embraced. Her own tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she shall how happy and free Grant Ward looked, nothing like the tormented facade he wore before. This was the man she knew, who loves his brother and would do anything to save him. Here was a man who seemed to have just found his hope in life again. He had never looked so happy as he does now.

The brothers finally released each other, and Ward patted his brother on the shoulders before turning his attention to Skye. He walked over to her and took her hand, lightly rubbing it. "Thank you," he warmly said. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

She was so shocked at his sudden tenderness that all she could do was nod and beam back. A flutter of hope also erupted in her heart too. His eyes lingered its stare in hers, speaking all the unspoken words of appreciation, faithfulness, and hope to her in their brilliance.

Elliot watched his brother and Skye share their moment together, a smile also tugging at his lips. It was clear that there was a special bond between them, and though he can't say for sure what type, he had a pretty good idea.

It's complicated.

Meanwhile, from the close distance, Garrett was too preoccupied fuming and watching his plans crumble to realize that his gun was suddenly twisted out of his hand, knees were kicked to be buckled, and Trip had his arms in a bind. He leaned down to Garrett's ear and spoke, "How ironic that the first move you taught me is the last one to be used on you."

Garrett glared at him. "You little—"

"I wouldn't finish that," Trip said, resting the barrel of his gun to his former mentor's skull. "Because I've improved how this hold can go. One wrong move and you choose between a blown off head, or a snapped neck. You're going to pay for all the crimes you've committed and to ever have you walk through the doors of SHIELD that stained its reputation from day one. You caused so much pain in countless families through Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T. and killed off so many of your recruits that I don't want to know what Coulson would do when he deals with you. [Garrett narrows his eyes at him] And yes, he's alive still. Takes more than just your little HYDRA guards from dismantling us."

Garrett struggled in Trip's arms and tried to move, but Trip just pulled him up and shoved him forward.

"You're not going to kill me?" Garrett asked, scornfully. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity—"

"Believe me, I would've put 2 in the back of your head without blinking," Trip seethed, pushing him along. "And that doesn't even start to cool the hate I have for you. But unfortunately, those weren't my orders. Now, you do your best to come easy, or I'll shoot you in places much worse than your blundering head."

Garrett fell silent. He followed suit in Trip's hold as they staggered towards Ward, Skye, and Elliot, who just finished their moments in reunion. They shifted their attention to Trip and Garrett, and their smiles instantly faded. Ward drops Skye's hand carefully held her back and approached Garrett. It took every fiber of Ward's being to not dash over and personally destroy him. All those years of "training" him, deceiving him, threatening him, torturing his brother, almost killing Skye…he has a lot of scores to settle.

He clenched his fists in his side and finally spoke after a moment of glaring at him. "You may have saved me from juvie, but you almost destroyed my family [gesturing to Elliot and Skye]. Of all people, I would think that someone who's been hurt before knows how to cherish the present. You just used that to your advantage and manipulated a scared young teen to do your evil bidding. I do not ever want to see you, hear about you, or know about you ever again. You may have taught me how to survive on your own account, but they taught me how to live for others. Punishing you like you punished me would be a waste of my energy and my strength. I'll gladly be the one locking you up myself once we escort you off site. (looked up at Trip) Trip."

Trip smirked and nodded; truth be told, he was still very hesitant in letting Ward be in close quarters with Skye and him, but he feels better now that he realizes how Elliot played such a large role in his path in HYDRA. Trip continued to push him past Ward and Elliot, casting murderous threats with his eyes as he did.

But Garrett had more tricks up his sleeve. After a moment of stunned anger, he suddenly sent Trip flying to the direction of Ward, Elliot, and Skye, who all were knocked down at the sheer impact of Trip's body almost 10 feet away.

"Me letting you live after your second deflection from HYDRA was one of the worst decisions I've ever made," Garrett fumed. "I knew you couldn't get away from the girl and the team."

They all groaned. Skye and Ward sat up easily, but Trip and Elliot were unconscious. Ward crawled over and knelt down to the two men, shaking both of them. "Trip? Elliot? Are you okay?"

Skye glanced up and saw Garrett victoriously standing over them with a mini-aerial splicer in his palm, small enough to stay hidden in his hand, but powerful enough to send anything above waist level flying. "How—" she started.

"He made have improved that move, but I created it," Garrett replied, now picking up the gun that Trip restrained from him. "Never underestimate what your eyes can't see."

Ward turned his eyes in time to see Garrett aim the gun at Skye. Without second thought, he lounged and grabbed her just in time before Garrett fired the shot. Both landed on the ground with Ward's arms securely cocooned around Skye, and just as quickly, he drew out his gun and shot at Garrett's hand that held his gun, knocking his gun out of his hand eliciting a strained yell of pain. He pushed himself up and fired at Garrett again, this time in his chest. With pained and angry eyes, he stood watching his mentor crumple to the ground, motionless.

Ward fell to knees and just sat there, stunned. Here lies his former mentor, lifeless in front of him in a pool of his own blood. His mind flashed back to so many memories with this man who he thought was a father-figure, who thought had his best interests in mind, despite his cruelty. But no, he was just cruel.

Skye pushed herself up and recounted the past several seconds. Her life just flashed before her eyes as she stared down the barrel of Garrett's gun right before Ward pulled her to him for safety. She looked over to her side and saw Ward sitting there, stunned and not moving. She crawled over to him and shook him by his shoulder. "Ward?"

No response.

"Ward, are you—"

While still staring straight ahead at Garrett, he uttered, "15 years. I've followed this bastard for 15 years. Never doubted he was tough, but also never doubted he was my savior from a lifetime of doom in jail. Never thought he would lie to me, since my life started off as so much a lie…turns out he was lying all along. The worse one of all."

Skye scooted closer to kneel beside him, watching him carefully. She knew he was in a state of shock, still taking in the quick minutes that had just transpired: him finding out about the truth of his duties, his life, his brother.

After a few more seconds of stillness watching Garrett's lifeless body, he turned to her and finally spoke again. "How…why…"

Skye solemnly smiled. "Coulson found a flash drive during our escape from Cybertek last time. At first he thought it was more useful files from HYDRA, but it turned out to be all the documentation about you, Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T., and all other HYDRA soldiers roped into the effort. I heard your conversations with Garrett. I admit that I doubted you at first, but after watching those feeds and documents, and the setbacks you had to do in order to protect me…I finally understood. He used your mind against you. You didn't even know what HYDRA was when you joined. That's how Project G.A.R.R.E.T.T. started; manipulating people into ransoming their closest fears to a false promise of a better life."

Ward sighed. "How can I ever start over again? After all the things I've done…I never aligned myself with HYDRA. All this time, I was convinced that it was because I needed to save John by finding that serum. But now—that was just one of his disposable projects. (quick glance to Garrett's body) And I just killed him. How is this any different than all the horrible crimes I've committed…? How can you be so convinced to believe in me?"

"I believe in starting over," she reasoned. "I know you can. You hurt me, Ward, but it doesn't mean…"

He reached up and held her face, tracing his thumb over her cheek, as Skye trailed off from her words into silence with silent joy. Tears of happiness shimmered in her eyes as she leaned into his touch. He never thought that he would be able to be in this position ever again, so close to the girl he loves. Skye returned a smile of her own, hope slowly being restored in her eyes as she savored his hand on her face. THIS was the man that she fell in love with: someone who had a genuine care for her and abiding to find the truth he was meant to find.

His eyes glimmered with relief, and a small crack of smile—a rare but extremely charming smile—appeared on his lips. It was the same smile he shown her when they were hiding in the utility closet a while ago in the Hub before the revealing of HYDRA—before their first kiss. Ward found himself again. He was finally free, finally back to feeling his true self, the self he found when he was sent to "spy" on Coulson's team. Grant Ward, agent of SHIELD—not Grant Ward, HYDRA sleeper agent.

"We can start over," she emphasized, calmly smiling. "It won't be an easy road, but you can do it. I'll be here to support you. Coulson and everyone will." She knows Coulson was listening on the other side, though no comment was heard from him. She readjusted her sitting position on her side to lean closer to him as she spoke, her eyes with genuine glimmer. She reached her arm to hold his upper left arm. "I believe in you."

He faintly nodded, his smile growing wider. He knows his road would be a long one, but with Skye's support on his side, nothing will be too hard for him to handle. His heart soared at Skye's emphasis of "we" in her statement. She hasn't given up on us yet, he thought. "I know. I finally feel free. I finally have a new purpose in my life. I—"

He was cut off by Skye's sudden wide-eyes jerking from him to her left. Before Ward could register what was happening, Skye threw herself around him and tackled him to the ground. It was then—or right before—he remembered he heard a gunshot. On instinct, he wrapped his arms around her, the back of his head thudding against the gravel from Skye's impact to his body. He groaned in the sudden, dazed pain and tried to push Skye off to sit up, only to register in his mind—Skye wasn't moving.

Her small frame remained wrapped around him while he frantically shoved himself up with one hand while the other remained around her. Ward shook her. "Skye…?"

He glanced down and his breath caught in his lungs, making him wanting to hurl. His eyes trailed to the bullet wound to her left of her back, a fleshy hole gaping wide and blood so neatly and profusely draining out of her, soaking her shirt and now onto Ward's arm. He wanted to scream, but all he could was croak. "Skye…! Oh my god…no!"

He glanced up and saw Garrett, barely conscious from the ground here he lay, with the gun now directly at Ward's head. He was coughing out blood from his mouth as he struggled to aim his gun more steadily. "You won't ruin my plans, Grant. I've come too far—to let you and your girl take that away from me. I'm so close—I can only eliminate you both." He set his finger on the trigger to pull it—

-but he never did. Ward beat him to it first. He didn't hesitate to unload his handgun, all 3 remaining rounds, into Garrett as he dropped dead, for real. He dropped his gun, breathing heavily, but hurriedly turned his attention to back to her. "Skye? Please…?" He turned her over. Her eyes were closed, but she was regaining consciousness. "Skye…"

She fluttered her eyelids open. "Ward…" she softly said. "You okay?"

He grimaced. "I'm fine," he said, voice shaking and tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "Why? Why did you have to save me? Why—"

Skye gently shook her head, eyes partially open. "You can…start over. You and Elliot together. It wasn't meant to be this way…"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"

She coughed, and he propped her up even higher on his lap, his left arm and increasingly bloody hand applying pressure to the wound. Oh god, oh god, oh god, he thought, panicking. Each cough meant more blood escaping the hole that has been growing on her body. He wished he was Trip, who had taken medical training; he would've known what to do, but he felt so powerless. "Grant…"

"I'm here Skye," he begged. He knew that in the few times she called him Grant, it was serious…

"…You…me…us," she coughed. A small trail of blood left her lips. With each shallow breath she took, she felt colder and colder. She slowly raised her arm, weight by mounds, to his chest as he grasped it with his right hand. "Too short. Too late…"

"Skye…I've always been yours. Always will be," he spoke, fearing his heart itself would stop before he could say anymore. "You're mine, always be my one and only. My feelings for you—they're real. They always have been." He let out a sob. "I love you."

She dizzily nodded, such a faint movement that she almost wasn't sure she made it or not. She desperately tried to absorb the warmth in his embrace as her body was getting colder with all the blood that was flowing out of her. Already, lights were dancing behind her eyes. Skye blankly, sleepily struggled to stare into Ward's eyes, which were now stricken with grief and remorse. She was moments away from slipping into an eternity away from him. With her eyelids drooping, she felt him lean over and apply a gentle kiss to her lips before pulling away. "We're an 'us'. Always will be. [sob] I'm sorry we couldn't have been sooner. You can't leave me now that I have this second chance. You promised you'll be there to support me. Please….please…" Ward trailed.

"Grant…"

Another choked sob. "Please, please, please don't…" he pleaded, shaking his head.

"…I love you too." Skye whispered, faintly smiling. Her hand slipped out of his grasp, and body fell limp, as her head slumped to his chest.

It took a full second for Ward to realize what had happened. He gulped, unable to breathe. "Skye…? SKYE!" he screamed. He dropped her hand to feel her neck for a pulse; there was none. He adjusted her limp form in his lap and shook her, desperately, gently. "Please…PLEASE….Skye…"

He lost it. He nuzzled his head to hers and cried. There was no holding back. He didn't care that there were footsteps stampeding the area, closer and closer. He didn't care that more and more explosions were creeping nearer. He didn't even notice that Trip and Elliot had just awakened moments earlier and witnessed the last few seconds of their farewell. Ward just held her and wept, knowing he lost his only lifeline to humanity—his one and only love.

He remembers his first confessions with the truth serum…

He remembers training her each day in the cargo hold…

He remembers how sincere she looked when she offered to talk…

He remembers how genuine she looked when she told him he was a good man…

That was how Coulson's team found them. He looked up with his tear stained face when he heard shouts to him. Glares and pained expressions from Coulson and May seared at his face, but he didn't care. Ward was numb, holding Skye, as he cradled her close to him. All he could do was tighten his grip on her dead body, refusing to be pulled away from her. Her blood was now dripping to Ward's pants and the ground, creating an unthinkably large pool of blood. The tears he shed were staining his smoky, red face and soaking Skye's now crimson colored shirt as he looked up, unable—refusing to move.

"Grant Ward, get your hands up! Off to your feet!" Coulson yelled, cautiously stepping closer with his gun poised.

Suddenly, he and May stopped short in their tracks and lowered their guns. The earnest, despaired look on Ward's face gave it all away. Coulson dropped his gun and ran towards them, dropping to his knees to try and shove Ward away, but Ward refused; he only grasped Skye harder.

Coulson fell back to the ground in a slumped sitting position, dazed. Tears were forming at the corners of his eyes as he tried to blink them away. "She wanted you to start over," he calmly said, sighing. "She wanted you to be Agent Grant Ward of SHIELD again."

Ward's eyes, dead in its stare, looked down to Skye. "There's nothing to live for anymore. I finally learned about the truth. I thought I had a chance. But now…[glances up at Coulson] just get this over with. Shoot me. I don't want to be away from her."

"You're not letting her go in peace, Ward," Coulson replied, remembering the audio feeds he heard in the comms earlier between him and her. "She wouldn't want this. This was her choice. This was her final sacrifice. It was for you, for SHIELD, once and for all. Don't let that sacrifice be in vain."

Ward looked down at her again, answering, "I don't want to let go."

"You won't have to," Coulson said, reaching his arms toward him. Ward immediately jerked away, leaving Coulson's outstretched arms in the air. "When you turned against John and HYDRA, you've already clung on to your chance, your lifeline. [looks down at Skye] You got her back, and she got you. If you end your life now, she will never be able to say that you've been given a second chance. Think of Elliot. You just reunited with him, and you want to end your life? She wanted to save you, and saving you was her last act. Please, make it worth it to her."

The sobs started gurgling up Ward's chest again as he stared at Coulson, quickly switching to May, who's expression of solemn anger didn't change. He glanced down at Skye again, who only looked as if she was sleeping in his arms. "I—I can't. I don't have the strength anymore…she was my strength…"

"The strength is in you, Grant," Coulson continued. "She is in you. Your heart. I know you have a special place for her in your heart. Draw from that. Start over. Save yourself from what Garrett would've done—eliminated and destroyed you. Draw from the love she has for you within the place of love you have for her."

The pressure on his chest was so overwhelming that his form couldn't hold anymore. Ward unleashed a fury of tears, sobs, and wails as he collapsed into his embrace with Skye, sounds that no man, no woman, no being could ever fathom imitating. Such pain, utter remorse, and anger echoed through his body as Coulson and May just kept their positions in watching them. They too, started crying, not just for losing one of their own, but finally getting one back.

Fitz and Simmons shortly came running to the scene, only to stop to stare at the unfolded events.

"SKYE!" Simmons screamed and promptly covered her mouth with her hand to quiet the cries. She was about to dart over to her when Fitz pulled her back and wrapped his arm around her, biting his tongue to stifle sniffles from his own body.

Trip sat there, sighing, and for once didn't care if the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes to let them fall. Elliot weakly stared at the events, no bothering to stop the wetness from his eyes that was growing. They knew that this was the ending no one hoped for, one in the honor of saving SHIELD and destroy HYDRA…for good.