Matter of Importance
Spoilers: Season 2 promo
Disclaimer: I own nothing, Marvel owns it all!
Skye woke to the sound of shuffling and opened her eyes to see Ward sitting on the bed pulling on his boots. Smiling, she let herself count the scars on his bare back as he bent over to tie the laces together. Reaching out to touch one particular scar, Skye wanted for him to jump or to tense up but instead he just turned slightly to look at her.
"You're awake." He reached over and touched her cheek with the back of his finger. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yep." She stretched, not caring that her tank top rode up and his eyes lingered on her exposed skin. "So today is the big day huh?" Letting her arms fall back beside her head, Skye rolled onto her side and looked at him with a smile. "You ready?"
He stood and grabbed the shirt off the bed, pulling it over his head. "As ready as I can be. You remember the plan?"
"Like I could forget." She smiled up at him as he strapped on his watch and leaned down to kiss her head.
"Remember, I'll be nearby as will Hunter." He ran a finger down her cheek, "I'll see you later because I'm already late for a meeting with Coulson."
Skye sat up and threw back the covers, hissing slightly as her bare feet hit the concrete floor. "So cold!"
Ward chuckled as he looked at her from the doorway, "I halfway expected you to move some stuff in since you've been here most nights."
"Only because I'm forced out of my room by Hunter and his girlfriend. Did you know the man doesn't know the concept of quiet sex? I swear I feel like I'm hearing the lions in Africa going at it." Skye pulled on her jacket and shoes, "hearing him through my wall is traumatic."
"Have you told May?"
She snorted, "May spends most nights with Coulson and I guarantee you that they aren't talking." Seeing his confused look she smirked, "yeah they became a couple, again apparently. Did you know that Coulson was her husband at one point before they divorced? I mean, working with your ex-wife who is sleeping with one of your agents…Coulson must have had a serious jealousy streak going."
"You done poking fun?"
"Not even close." Skye smiled at him, "but I'll let you get to your meeting."
Skye was silent as she moved through the hallways to the western corner of the base. She stopped when she saw Holmes waiting, he was checking his watch and held a package in his other hand.
"He's not coming to meet you." She spoke firmly and Holmes looked up to see her. "You really think I don't know about what was going on? I see all the activity on this base and I know about your little meeting with Ward?"
Holmes chuckled and pointed at her, "and you came to stop me? You're a child playing with adults. Ward was only doing the right thing by helping us take down this insanity that Coulson is trying to build. The man is crazy if he thinks he can build SHIELD back up, HYDRA is everywhere and we're going to pick you off one by one." He started towards her, "starting with you."
"I don't think so." Ward moved out of the shadows with an ICER, stepping up beside Skye. "It's over Holmes, everything was recorded and they have the list."
The man watched as one by one agents emerged into the light. Hunter, May, Hill and finally Coulson all held weapons and the man nodded. "I see how it is, I finally understand what Garrett was talking about. You're weak, one girl bats her eyes and suddenly you're trading secrets with her and her damn organization between the sheets." He looked at Skye, "must have been something if you've driven him to turn tide. How many times did you fuck him till he gave you everything you wanted?"
Skye shrugged, "not that it's any of your business but Ward and I haven't gotten past first base."
"I really didn't need to know that." Coulson spoke and Skye noticed May rolled her eyes as if annoyed.
Holmes shook his head, "what was it then if you're not fucking her?"
"Despite what you think, you have it backwards."
"What backwards?"
Ward smiled slightly, "Skye didn't try to turn me by making me fall in love with her. I turned because I did fall in love with her. You wouldn't understand because you're a psychopath like Garrett but when you love someone, they become your first priority above even your own life. I did what I had to do to protect her, even revealing everything I knew about you and HYDRA."
Skye watched as the man nodded before pulling his weapon, it seemed to happen quicker than anyone could take aim. She pushed Ward aside as Holmes fired the weapon, seconds later the psychopath was laying on the ground with a bullet in his head. The feeling of her legs going weak had Skye looking down to see a wet stain growing on her back shirt, she pressed her hand to it to see bullet wounds. At that moment she went down, only for Ward to catch her.
"Skye?" He shook his head, "no, no!"
She smiled at him, "shh, it's okay Grant."
May bent down and looked at him, "we need to get her to the Infirmary right now."
Without hesitation, Ward pulled her into his arms and moved past all the agents and down the hall. He'd never felt like he'd run as fast as he was currently going and the feeling of Skye's head against his shoulder as he ran up the stairs made him want to go faster. He ran and ran till he made it to the Infirmary, where Simmons stood talking with Trip over medical supplies.
"Simmons, Trip help!" He laid Skye down on an empty gurney, both were immediately over and checking Skye out.
"What happened?"
Ward shook his head, "she pushed me out of the way when the HYDRA mole tried to shoot me."
Simmons looked at Trip, "we need to get her into surgery immediately."
As Skye was rushed off, Ward stood starring at the doors that lead to where Skye lay. His hands bloody and his heart breaking. The sound of footsteps didn't even make him move, despite May and Coulson coming stand beside him.
"Ward…"
He shook his head as Coulson spoke, "she wasn't supposed to get hurt. She shouldn't have been there and it's your fault!" The ex-specialist practically roared at Coulson, the entire Infirmary seemed to pause to watch it. "You assured me that this plan would work, that no one would get hurt except Holmes. Now she's fighting for her life, possibly dying and all because you thought she'd be the best one to confront him." Ward became quiet as he spoke, "she's all I have left, Garrett and my family took everything else and now because of you I may not have Skye anymore."
The man left the stunned and speechless director standing in the infirmary with May beside him. May put a hand on Coulson's arm as the man began to speak. "Maybe I shouldn't have assumed we would have had everything under control. He's right, I underestimated everything and now Skye's fighting for her life." The man looked at May, "she is all he has and now…"
"Let him calm down, he's just angry and upset right now." She shook her head, "do you remember when I was shot six months in? How you wouldn't listen to anything anyone had to say until I woke up? You blamed everyone from Simmons to Trip to Skye but it wasn't their fault. Ward will realize that soon, that blaming everyone from something not estimated isn't the right thing to do. We just have to be patient with him."
Hours seemed to pass and finally Simmons emerged stripping off a surgical mask. Hunter had joined the three in the tiny waiting room an hour after Skye had been rushed into surgery. Ward stood as everyone else did, Simmons walked over to him with a look on her face.
"Please…"
"The bullet ruptured some of her intestines and bowel leaked out." Simmons looked at them all, "we've repaired the damage but only time will tell if we managed to contain the infection. The next few hours will tell us whether she has a more extensive infection or not. We have her on antibiotics but they aren't the strong enough kind we need if she does have an infection."
Hunter folded his arms, "what does that mean?"
"It unfortunately means we're going to need to either raid a hospital or find a contact with access to heavy-duty antibiotics." May spoke and Simmons just nodded.
A/N: This leaves them having to bargain with allies and enemies once again, the question is which one will they bargain with to get what they need?
Next...it's obvious.
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