Matter of Importance

Spoilers: Season 2 promo

Disclaimer: I own nothing, Marvel owns it all!

The sound of footsteps woke Ward and he opened his eyes to see the clock on his nightstand reading nearly 0200. The time of morning meant all occupants of the room should be asleep but turning over he found Skye moving around in the darkness. She was in her mission gear, of which he'd only seen once since she'd started donning it. The sound of a bag being set on the bed along with the shutting of drawers told him she was preparing for a mission. It was the first time since his release five months before that she'd be leaving him and what surprised him was she hadn't mentioned it in the slightest.

He turned on the light and saw her freeze with her hand on the drawer she had taken as her own. "Were you just going to let me wake up to you gone from the base or were you planning to tell me before you left?"

"I'm not allowed to discuss missions with you." She turned and looked at him, "not because I don't want to but because your status prevents free information exchange."

Ward sat up and looked at her from the bed, "you didn't have to give me details Skye, all you had to say is you had to go on a mission."

Without a word she picked up her bag and pulled it over her shoulder. "I'll see you when I get back."

"When will that be?"

"Just when I return." She headed towards the door and paused as she stepped out. "I'll return to you alive and breathing, I promise."

The door closed behind her and Ward had to restrain himself from jumping off the bed after her. He knew he'd be talking to Coulson about at least letting Skye tell him when she'd be gone and the duration. Instead of running after Skye or waking Coulson to demand answers, he turned out the light and let himself fall asleep alone for the first time in three months. I wasn't a sensation he particularly liked as he'd grown use to Skye's warmth beside him and the knowledge she was safely within reach.

Coulson looked up when a knock on his door sounded, he found Ward standing in the doorway waiting patiently. Shutting away files, the director put them in a drawer and clasp his hands together on the top of the desk.

"Come in."

Ward moved inside and sat down in one of the chairs, "sorry for interrupting you sir."

"Not a problem. What brings you to my office without being dragged?"

"I wanted to ask something I have no right to ask but I figure all you can do is tell me to forget it."

Coulson nodded, "it's about Skye isn't it? The mission without being informed?"

"Yes sir, I understand my status as a prisoner prevents me from having any knowledge of missions or anything related but all I'm asking is non-specific information. Just the ability to know when she leaves and the duration of the mission."

"I've been meaning to discuss something with you. Between the new senator assisting Talbot while he assists us and May's constant need to have me sign forms, I don't think I've had the time to think much less talk to you."

"I understand sir, you're busy and I'm the last person you have time for."

The director chuckled, "actually that would be Skye's father or one of the other prisoners. You've done what I've asked of you and more, much more. I don't know if you're aware but Dr. Nixon has to submit weekly progress reports to me, not about what you discuss specifically but the progress you're making. You surprised me, going more than twice a week for a while before reducing back to twice a week. What made you change your mind?"

"I realized that it wasn't that I can't change but that I didn't know how. The sessions have helped me deal with the past but also learn to connect with people around me. Individual growth Skye calls it."

"Agent Mayer in the cargo bay submitted your monthly work progress, along with everyone else's. She said you go above and beyond to help the others working there, especially if they're not trained. She said usually you've trained them before she can reach them to do so."

Ward just stared at him, "the more each person can do the quicker the teams can get off ground and in the field. It gives a greater chance of defeating the enemy and getting them safely home. Also if something is missed because of the inability to do a task correctly, you have to deal with the fact it could endanger someone's life."

Coulson nodded before removing a box from his drawer, he walked around and handed it to Ward. "Open it."

He did and found a small capsule, "what is this?"

"Skye told me she let you know about her GPS monitor. Well consider this your work release program, we implant this in you and you gain back rookie status. More freedom, field work and decisions made on your own instead of for you."

"What do I have to do?"

The man merely smiled, "two things and both you've proven to be good at. The first is to continue therapy, both with Skye and individually, and second, become Skye's partner in the field. She works well with others but is reckless to a degree without May there. You know her, you can anticipate what she is going to do and can persuade her from doing something reckless."

"I'll do it."

"Good, I'll let Trip know so he can implant the monitor." He moved around the desk to sit down.

"Thank you sir." Ward stood and began to leave till Coulson's voice caught his attention.

"Oh and Agent Ward," he turned to look at the director. "You'll report to your SO as soon as she returns."

He was concerned that Coulson underestimated how much he'd pissed off May. "Sir I don't think May is going to agree to that."

The man didn't even look up from his paperwork, "Skye is your SO. She's the only one that even has a handle on your behavior."

The lights of the Infirmary were the first thing that met Ward's eyes as he opened them. Apparently to get a GPS monitor implanted, the person receiving it had to be under sedation if they weren't high enough on the chain of command to know where it was located. Blinking twice he looked around to see himself in a recovery room but what alerted him was the clicking of keys. It was a familiar sound that he so often fell asleep to.

Turning his head he found Skye sitting beside the bed in a chair with her computer in her lap. She had a few scratches on her neck and a bandage on her bare forearm but other than that she looked whole. It was a welcoming sight even if the wounds made him furious at whoever dared to harm her.

"Skye?"

She smiled and looked up at him, "finally, you're awake. I got back right as they were pulling you out of surgery. You'll have to excuse the wounds but Trip made four incisions on your body so you wouldn't know where exactly the monitor is."

"Whatever was necessary," he looked at his wrist to see the bracelet gone. "Does it replace the bracelet?"

"Yep, better actually." She stood and set her computer down before sitting on the bed beside him. "Less restrictions, which means you don't have to get clearance from May every time you need to go somewhere even mildly restricted." Smiling the hacker looked at him. "Unfortunately it records vitals down to a single heart stroke so our private life just went from exposed to really exposed."

Reaching up he touched the back of a finger to her cheek. "Doesn't matter, as long as I have you beside me I can live with nothing but your company."

"You are such a romantic." She leaned down and kissed him. Pulling back brown eyes met brown eyes as she smiled. "I won't tell anyone though."

Ward nodded, "appreciated."

"So Coulson told me, I'm now your SO and you're my rookie. As if the world wasn't backwards enough."

"Could we settle with partners?"

"Yeah, I guess." She laid down beside him, "besides, we're equals now in the field. Well with one exception but I think that's how it'll always be."

Ward played with her hair; loose unlike the ponytail she'd worn when he'd last seen her. "How is that?"

"I use an ICER and you are lethal." Shrugging she looked at the ceiling, "but then again, supposedly I'm Pacifist and can't stand the idea of killing. Why that is I don't care because it just means we fit together like puzzle pieces."

He kissed her forehead, "pieces solving a puzzle."

"That was so long ago, I thought you'd forget that conversation."

That made him smile as he looked down at her, "every conversation we've ever had I'd remember. Anything with you is hard to forget. I even remember what you were wearing when we met."

"You mean when you kidnapped me."

"Same difference." That gained him a snort just as Trip entered the room with a tablet.

A/N: Well was anyone expecting that? I knew some real proof of Ward's recovery was needed before he could be let off the bracelet. I also think however they would come up with some way to track him at all times.

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