Well, I think I am going to be doing weekly updates from now on, unless I suddenly have a brainwave/no homework as I can't really afford to choose fan fiction over my education, unfortunately :(

Also, I've taken some liberties with Ward's condition, in real life he probably wouldn't be healing so fast, however, this is Marvel, their medical care is like 10 years advanced from real life :)

Replies to reviews:

Guest 1: It's okay, I get what you mean, thanks for reviewing this time though, and wow, thanks so much for that compliment, it means a lot!

Guest2: :D Thanks for the review!

Guest3: Thank you, well, unfortunately it's mostly angst for this chapter and the next, but there will be some fluff later! Thanks for the review!

Disclaimer: I own nothing belonging to Marvel, at all, unfortunately :( But can I say a big thank you to FaithfulBeliever for some of the ideas featured in this chapter and the next!

The Well

"Fitz!" Jemma cried, hopping towards the unconscious man. "He's still breathing," she smiled at Coulson in relief, before moving over to Skye.

"Trip should be fine too," Coulson observed, leaning over him and checking his pulse. "Are all of the remaining Hydra Agents taken care of?" he asked May.

She nodded. "I think so, but I should probably go and check everywhere is still secure,"

"I'll call 911," Coulson added. "We'll need police and extra medical support after this,"

A.O.S

They had been at the hospital for a week before the inevitable next problem occurred. It had been a steady stream of pain meds (for Skye and Fitz), bandages and casts (for most of them) and questions from the authorities.

The team were hanging out in Ward's room, well, what had been Ward's, now it was more like everybody's; the hospital was incredibly busy and there wasn't much space. Plus the CIA had temporarily commandeered the Bus, the Agents they sent round to investigate the impersonation charges were unsurprisingly old friends of Coulson's and they agreed to gloss over what they had done, if they could take the plane for a spin on their own missions for a while. It wasn't really a problem, only May and Buddy were really fit for travel anyway.

"I'm sorry for bringing you here," Coulson apologised when the room was empty for once.

"Why?" Ward asked whilst running a hand through the sleeping Buddy's fur.

"You must have realised where we are by now," he continued.

"Of course," Ward confirmed nonchalantly. "I'd prefer not to be here but you didn't have a choice in which hospital you sent me to if you didn't want me to die,"

This was still a fact which Ward was finding hard to believe, he would have thought it were a trick if it wasn't for the fact that they definitely weren't lying. Of course he still had an eternity to go if he ever wanted to prove himself trustworthy and he still had his own trust issues which he needed to iron out, he had always found it hard to trust people, but he did feel a lot safer than ever before when he was with the team and Buddy.

"And we can't really leave with Skye and Fitz in this state can we?" Ward pointed out.

"If you ever have problems you will tell us though?" Coulson queried and Ward confirmed. "Good, I'll be back but Talbot's been demanding even more pointless questions which apparently I have to waste even more time answering,"

"Goodbye sir," Ward said and Coulson stroked Buddy (whom he was growing increasingly fond of) and left.

Ward sat quietly, an idea which he had supressed in the back of his mind now slowly starting to take hold.

A.O.S

One week later and the plane had been returned. Fitz was still in a bit of pain but Skye had stopped hurting completely on the ninth day, both she and Coulson suspected it had something to do with her 0-8-4 powers or lasting effects of GH-325. Trip's concussion was getting better, and although he was ordered not to put too much strain on his lungs, Ward's ribs were no longer too much of a danger and Simmons's ankle was healing nicely.

There was just one problem; they were scheduled to leave in the morning and the plan hadn't left him, only grown over time.

A.O.S

He was back in his bunk in the Bus, after all he hadn't killed them during the last two weeks and if he wanted to, everyone, sans May and Simmons (who found that arguing was pointless), agreed that him sleeping in the interrogation room wouldn't make much difference, only hinder them if they needed to take someone in who was actually loyal to Hydra.

This only worked to his advantage.

Gesturing to Buddy to keep silent he opened his door quietly and slipped across to the mission briefing area to open the cargo hold, and after making Buddy stay upstairs, sneaked out into the night.

Although Ward had spent half of his life away from this place and had done his best to forget everything, fifteen years had imprinted this area in his brain.

The night air was cool and the journey down the country lane would have been pleasant, if he hadn't been filled with an overwhelming sense of dread.

Half an hour later and Ward's increasingly snail like pace had led him to the ruins of an old house. Once tall, imposing and frightening, it now lay in burnt ruins, an eerie silhouette in the glow of the night sky.

A.O.S

Skye knocked on Coulson's office door, holding her tablet and becoming increasingly impatient.

"What is it?" the Director asked, standing in the doorway, wearing his Captain America pyjamas.

"I programmed Ward's bracelet to set off an alarm if he was ever a mile away from the plane," she explained. Ward had been issued with his own silver bracelet at May's insistence, but Skye couldn't help admitting that she did feel just a bit safer knowing that he had it on his wrist. Honestly it helped everyone sleep better too.

"He's probably gone to his parent's house," Coulson inferred. "Can you go after him? I don't want to invade his privacy but I'd feel a bit better if someone else was with him, I think he'd prefer you over anyone else,"

Skye nodded, Ward was moving pretty slowly and she should be able to catch up with him in about ten minutes, thanks to intensive field training with May. She was also pretty glad that she hadn't actually gone to bed properly that night, she'd just surfed the internet, and hadn't been asleep when the alarm had sounded, it would have been annoying to follow him in pyjamas.

A.O.S

When she arrived at the house everything was quiet, everything was dark, not to mention severely creepy, but Ward was nowhere to be seen.

"Coulson, where is he?" she whispered, but got no reply, then she remembered that she'd taken her com out earlier, damn, it had felt like it was still in her ear.

Well, the house looked pretty dangerous and she hoped that Ward wouldn't be climbing around in there so she decided that she may as well start with the overgrown garden. The incredibly massive garden which was part of the presumably formerly grand house. She almost felt jealous of Ward, before she remembered what his childhood was actually like.

There was a figure standing at the opposite end of the garden so she made her way past an old well and quietly over, not wanting to startle the specialist by yelling.

"Ward," she greeted when she was just a few paces away.

"Yeah," the man answered, but his voice was much deeper and more threatening. "What do you want?"

"Uh, oh, sorry," Skye apologised. "I was actually looking for someone else but..."

"But you said my name," the man interrupted, taking a step towards her. "What do you want, who's looking, the drugs are due tomorrow, so who are you? I warn you, it has always been very hard to get lies past me,"

Skye's blood ran cold, but she steeled herself; drawing to conclusions wouldn't help, right? She weighed her options; she could demand to know where Grant Ward was, which would risk giving him away if this Ward didn't know where he was and she didn't really want Ward to have to fight anyone with his ribs still healing. Of course there was always the chance that he wasn't here at all, he could have glanced at the house and moved on to the cemetery, Skye couldn't know after stupidly leaving her com on the Bus.

"They sent me to tell you that the drugs wouldn't be available until the day after yesterday and sorry for the setback. However if you harm me in any way, you won't be getting the drugs at all,"

This Ward did not look impressed. "Why are you trespassing on my property?" he yelled and advanced towards her.

"Why are you here?" she deflected, trying to buy some time. "Maynard Ward, right? You're meant to be in prison for drug dealing,"

"This house belongs to me now, and kid, I decided this is the perfect place to hide everything. Unfortunately, you're still trespassing and I can't risk you causing the cops so..."

"Should have brought an ICER," Skye muttered under her breath as she sprinted towards the gates, but it was in vain, Maynard was faster. All the moves she had learned from May and Ward were nothing compared to his brute strength and bone crushing grip as he slammed her into the wall of the old well, and leaned her backwards, slightly over the edge.

"Why are you here?" he hissed in her ear.

"Let her go!" Ward shouted, moving quickly closer to the two.

Maynard glanced towards the new arrival and shoved Skye backwards.

Her echoing scream mirrored Ward's strangled cry.

"Skye!" he yelled as he launched himself at Maynard.

"What are you doing on my property...Grant?" his brother smiled maliciously in recognition as he twisted Ward's arm behind his back and grabbed his hair at the same time.

Ward aimed a kick at Maynard's knee, then used the distraction to elbow the man in the shoulder, before twisting round and kicking him in the stomach.

"Skye, are you okay?" he called down.

"I'm fine, I just hit my head on the way down and I'm feeling a bit dizzy and -"

Grant cried out in pain as Maynard punched him and sent him flying to the ground. He started coughing violently, a massive pain in his chest and Maynard's foot was on his wrist before he had time to react. "I thought I told you, you should always watch your back," The bone cracked loudly though the otherwise still night. "You shouldn't have allowed your feelings to get in the way…She'll die Grant," Maynard promised, running his foot along Ward's arm to his elbow. "She'll die, just like Dana did, and you can't stop it," Ward's vision blurred as he tried to push Maynard's foot off his broken elbow, but he found he couldn't, not at the angle he was forced to lie in. "I don't know why you came back, tell me, did you miss me, Grant? But I swear to you, you'll regret it,"

Hope you guys liked this chapter! Please leave a review, honestly, I love each and every one, they truly make my day :)