Hey guys! I know I left you on that dramatic note for almost a week, but now I'm back! On an unrelated note, did anyone see Tuesday's episode? Skye's an 0-8-4! Can you say drama? Also, who saw the tiny Skyeward moment at the end there? So adorable! Bottom line: AWESOME episode!
BTW, I know I kinda rushed the detective process, but I don't really know what else I can do for that. So, you guys are just gonna have to deal with that. Anyways, hope you all enjoy this chapter!
"What?" Simmons cried in shock after the detectives just told the team what they had found out.
"Ben raped Skye three times." Elliot repeated. He held up the DVD, "And he filmed each one of them."
Grant turned around to Skye who was sitting in a chair out of earshot. She had brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. He walked over to her and stooped down in front of her. "Skye, please tell me it isn't true." He pleaded softly. Instead of answering, she just stayed silent as a few stray tears fell from her eyes. Grant stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "It's bad enough he raped you. But raping you three times… and filming them? God." He put his arms on a wall and put his forehead in between them.
Skye stood up and went over to him. Gently placing her hand on his shoulder, she said softly, "I'm sorry."
Hearing those words, Grant turned around and cupped Skye's face in his hands. "What are you sorry for?"
"For not telling you." She admitted. He let go of her face and pulled her into his embrace. He could feel some of her tears falling onto his shirt, "I should've told you, but I was scared of how you'd react."
"Skye," He said softly while placing a kiss on her head, "You can tell me anything. All this does is make me want to kill Ben about a million different ways."
Skye let out a short laugh. She tilted her head up and place a gentle kiss on his lips. "That's what I love about you." He smiled a little and tightened his grip on her.
A few days later, Skye and the team were about to climb the stairs up to the courtroom. Skye had a white blouse, black jacket, skinny jeans, and small black heels on. Grant was in one of his usual suits. Grant saw the look on her face. She was nervous and scared. He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together. She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. Coulson placed a hand at the small of her back and gave her a reassuring smile. With that, she pushed herself forward up the stairs.
Skye was the first one up on the stand as the star witness. Ben's attorney, Mrs. Davis, was the first to question her. "Skye, how did you meet the defendant?"
Skye spotted Grant in the front row along with her team and the detectives. He gave her a nod to tell her to start talking. "I went out to a local bar for a drink and he sat down next to me. He tried to get me to come back to his hotel room with him, but I told him I had a boyfriend."
"So, you were drinking?" Davis asked while pacing slightly in front of Skye.
"Yes," Skye said shakily but then realized what Davis was aiming for, "But I only had one drink. And that's not enough to make me feel even slightly tipsy."
"Okay." Davis said, "Now you're boyfriend is Grant Ward, the defendant's younger brother?"
"Yes."
"Is it safe to say that Grant has a temper problem?"
"Yes." Skye answered. She sat up a little straighter, ready to defend Grant. "But that's only because of an Asgardian artifact he touched when we were on a mission."
"I understand that." Davis clarified, "But is it possible that Grant is the one who attacked you and, because of his threatening temper, you're blaming his brother?"
"Okay!" Skye shouted, standing up, "I've already gone through this with detective Benson. He didn't do it! Grant loves me too much to even think of hurting me in any way, shape or form!"
The judge decided to intervene, "Mrs. Coulson, I'm going to have ask you to calm down."
Skye turned to the judge, "I'll calm down when people stop blaming Grant!"
Grant stood up from his spot and ran over to her, "Skye," He said. She turned to him and ran into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her gently, being cautious of the wounds. He whispered into her ear, "It's fine. Tell them the truth and everything will be fine. Just calm down." She looked to the rest of her team who had the same calming looks on their faces.
Skye looked up into Grant's eyes and then turned to the judge. "I'm sorry for my outburst." She said quietly to him. Grant breathed a sigh of relief and kissed her forehead. Skye sat back in the chair and smoothed her blouse down, not once letting go of Grant's hand.
"It's fine," The judge said, "But if it happens again, I'll have to remove you from this courtroom."
"Understood." Skye said, tucking a stray hair behind her ear in embarrassment. Grant placed a quick but loving kiss on Skye's lips before going back to his seat next to Coulson.
The judge turned to Davis, "Anymore questions, defence?" He asked.
"No, your honor." Davis sighed and went back to her seat next to Ben who continued to glare at both Skye and Grant.
The District Attorney, Rafael Barba, stood up and walked to the spot in front of Skye. Skye shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She was nervous about the questions he would ask. "Skye," He started, "We know that you somehow ended up in the defendant's hotel room. Can you tell us how that happened?"
"Well," Skye started, "After I got annoyed with his constant flirting, I walked out of the bar and went to get a cab." Skye took a shaky breath and looked at Fitzsimmons, who both gave her a reassuring smile, "He followed me out and grabbed my arm. I felt a knife pressed to my back and he told me that if I didn't come with him then both me and my boyfriend would die. I couldn't be responsible for Grant's death, so I did as he told me to." A few stray tears fell down her cheeks. Grant felt his heart break with every tear that fell. Then he wanted to murder his brother for making her cry. "He took me back to his hotel room where he raped me. Three times. All at knife-point." As the memories came to her mind, more tears started to flow. She put her face in her hands to hide them.
"Do you need a minute?" The judge asked.
Skye took her face out of her hands and answered, "No. I'll be fine." Using the heel of her hand, she furiously wiped at the tears on her face.
"Skye," Barba said, bringing her attention back to him, "were you aware he was filming these attacks?"
After a moment, she quietly answered, "Yes."
Barba went to his desk and pulled out the DVD. "I would like to show the court the very DVD depicting the attacks." He said as he held out the disc to the judge and the jury.
"Granted." The judge said.
The bailiff brought out a TV with a DVD player and placed in the spot where the jury, and the courtroom could see. Skye put her head down, hiding her face with her hair. She hoped she could survive the DVDs. Barba put the disc in and pressed play.
Once the videos became graphic, Simmons hid her face from it. Fitz put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder for comfort. May stared blankly at the wall while Coulson turned away. Grant looked down at the floor and clenched his fist so hard, he was sure that he cut himself with his nails. Every time he heard Skye scream or beg for mercy, he clenched tighter. He could hear his heart shatter at how he made her do all that.
As the videos progressed, Skye could see more and more flashbacks in front of her eyes. She heard herself scream and let the tears stream down like a river. The more she heard herself scream, the more torturous it became. Skye covered her ears in a fruitless attempt to block out her own screams. She fell onto the floor beside the witness stand and pressed her back against the wood of it. She could hear the voices of her own team members calling her the very things he called her. She started to scream out loud from all the flashbacks and voices in her head. Suddenly, she heard a quiet ripping sound. She felt pain coming from her side, right where one of the words was. She started to scream even more from the pain.
Grant's head shot up at the sound of the real Skye's scream. He saw her crouched beside the witness stand. Tears were streaming down her face and her hands were clawing at her head trying to cover up the sound. He stood up, yelling, "Stop the video!" He rushed over to Skye's side along with Simmons and the team. He still heard the video playing. "I said stop the video!" Barba saw Skye's condition and stopped the video.
Skye continued to scream. The voices were piercing her ears. "Skye!" Simmons called.
Skye screamed even louder. "Skye, baby, what's happening?" Grant asked over her hysterics. Skye screams dimmed a little.
"I think she calms down more if you don't say her actual name." Fitz concluded. Grant gave him a confused look, "Call her by her bloody nicknames!"
"Baby," Grant said soothingly and Skye calmed down a bit more.
"Jane Bond." Simmons said. Skye calmed down a little more.
"Rookie." Grant tried again. Skye stopped screaming but was still in hysterics. No one could think of any other nicknames they had for her. Suddenly, Grant thought of something, "Lois Lane."
Skye stopped the hysterics and lowered her hands. She opened her eyes slightly and looked at Grant. "Grant." She whispered. Just as the words left her mouth, she closed her eyes and collapsed into Grant.
"What happened?" May piped up.
Grant felt something warm spread over his clothes. He reached out and opened Skye's jacket slightly. Crimson was spreading over her white blouse and onto the floor. "Oh my God." Grant breathed.
May turned to the court and yelled "Somebody call an ambulance. Now!"
Left you on bit of a cliffhanger huh? That was actually a really cool chapter to write.
Quote of the day: Your naked body should only belong to those who fall in love with your naked soul. –Charlie Chaplin
Song Suggestion: Almost is Never Enough (ft. Nathan Syke) –Ariana Grande
Hope you all liked this one! R&R please!