Matter of Importance

Spoilers: Season 2 promo

Disclaimer: I own nothing, Marvel owns it all!

The cargo bay was full of sound and noise, mission teams coming and going at all times of the day. Ward stood working on one of the vehicles that had to be repaired due to a stray bullet getting logged in the engine. Being elbows deep in an SUV's engine wasn't the most exciting thing in the world but Skye's name had yet to be pulled again for a mission so he continued working on the cargo bay wherever he was needed.

"I have to say I'm surprised they let you out of that cage." Ward looked over to see an agent that shared his graduating class at the Academy. She'd also been vying for recruitment by Garrett and eventually had been chosen by the madman, if only to serve as a warm body in a bed.

Wiping his hands, Ward pulled back and put the wrench down. "What do you want Kay? Garrett is dead and I'm not interested."

"Why not? Word has it that you were his right hand man, heir to his position yet they have you here working like a slave." The blond moved closer and touched his chest, Ward pushed her back away from him.

"Not interested so move on."

She smirked, "sooner or later you'll need someone to scratch your back, come find me when no one is willing to fuck a traitor." With her blond locks swinging, she moved away and out of the cargo bay.

Ward went back to the engine he had been working on, ignoring the world around him. He was almost done when a hand with a familiar weight rested on his lower back. Turning he found Skye dressed in one of her plaid shirts and black jeans, the only thing that made her look different from the year before was her hair.

"How about taking a girl to lunch?"

"Your only choices are cafeteria food and cafeteria food." Ward wiped his hands on the cloth that laid nearby. "What will it be?"

Skye smiled and shrugged, "how about cafeteria food?"

"Let me wash my hands and I'll take you to lunch."

Turning he closed the hood of the SUV before heading to the sink to wash his hands. As the water ran over his hands, he turned to see Skye examining one of the motorcycles. He watched her as bent down by the engine to take a better look at it. Grabbing the towel nearby to dry his hands, he turned back for a second to hang it up when the sound of Skye yelling made him pause. He turned to find a Skye's father standing before him, he saw her moving quickly to him just as he felt the knife in his abdomen.

"NO!" Skye didn't seem to care about the bloody man or about detaining him as the alarm blared to alert the base of the security breach. She pushed past him to Ward, the ex-specialist collapsed to the floor. "Grant?"

He looked up at her as she cupped his cheek, a small smile on his face as he felt cold and weak. The likelihood of death was close, he could already feel it closing in on him. Starring into her eyes, Ward felt peace like he'd never known. "I love you."

"Don't say that." Skye smiled at him. "You're going to be fine, everything is going to be alright. Grant I need you to hold on, please hold on." Her hands pressed against the wound despite the blood loss.

"You were my light," his voice weak as he spoke but continued to stare at her. "My light in a lifetime of darkness. The only person I loved…"

Skye watched as he lay talking just as medics arrived and five men detained her father. "Grant? Grant no, hold on." She cried and gripped his shirt. "I love you. I love you too, please hold on for me."

The sound of beeping was constant, the white room holding a single occupant and void of everything remotely warming. The only person in the room besides the occupant stood by the door in full black, just starring at the body on the bed. A knock drew attention away as Melinda May set foot side the white room.

"How is he?"

"No change."

May stepped over and stood beside the figure. "Skye you can't stay here forever."

"I just can't figure out why he did it. Why take out the people coming to rescue him." The young agent sighed, "I need to know why."

"I think we both know the answer to that." May took a step to Skye and put her hand on the young agent's arm. "After all, he's the only one able to make your heart race. That's not anger or rage…"

Skye shook her head, "don't say it, after everything he's done, he doesn't deserve that from me."

"That's your decision." She looked over at the ex-specialist who laid in a coma. "Mack and Fitz finally got the video feed working from the SUV. We can see what happened and after watching it, I think you should to."

Following May out of the room, Skye looked back at the man in the bed one last time. Tearing her eyes away Skye headed to the security room after May. She found Coulson inside with Hunter, both waiting on her.

"I've already watched it so I'll run it for you." May pulled up a digital file on the computer and let it open up.

They watched as everything seemed normal in the vehicle, the guards talking while Ward sat between them quietly. Skye was on her tablet till Ward's voice was heard.

"Agent Skye, two puppies."

Skye looked back to see something before speaking. "We're being followed. Evasive maneuvers immediately, weapons hot."

Bullets were suddenly firing through the vehicle, Agent Roswell was shot dead and Agent Grady was trying to fire his weapon out the window. They watched Ward lunge forward and push Skye down, holding her down as bullets flew through the vehicle.

"Can't lose them and they're gaining." Agent Matthews spoke as the SUV spun, "they hit a tire, I can't do anything." The car spun before Matthews hit the break, causing the vehicle to roll.

They watched as the car rolled several times before coming to a stop on its top. The camera showed all were unconscious for a time till Ward woke and voices off camera were heard. Apparently the HYDRA men because the SHIELD agents were unconscious.

"Grant Ward, you're free so come on." Seconds later Ward crawled past Grady and out of the vehicle.

The camera continued to show the vehicle but voices were heard. Ward's was first followed by the HYDRA agents. "And you are?"

"Agent Mayer, served under Garrett and knowing SHIELD had captured his second we decided to get you back to HYDRA. After all, who better to lead us right?"

"Can I meet the others?"

"Why the hell not. Come meet your commander boys."

A younger voice was heard, different from the first. "Sir good to meet you. Heard a lot of stuff about you."

Ward was heard a second time, "sorry to tell you this but most of it is true." A struggle could be heard followed by gunshots. Then came a line of questioning by Ward. "Who told you to rescue me, I know you didn't do it on a whim?"

"No one ordered me." The original agent spoke "I swear…"

"Wrong…" The word was followed by a gunshot.

Suddenly once again Ward was in shot as he pulled the SHIELD agents from the vehicle. First was Matthews then Grady before coming to Skye, who was laying on her side as if she hadn't been wearing a seatbelt.

He pushed her bangs back and checked her pulse. "Skye?" Ward's features could be clearly seen and he seemed to look at her with a mix of concern and reverence. Gently taking her wrist, he pushed back her sleeve to check the small band there. "Sixty-five, you're okay." Gently he picked her up and cradled her as he moved her out of the overturned vehicle. "You'll be home soon enough Skye, you're safe now. HYDRA can't touch you today."

They couldn't see him anymore but they heard him and Grady, who apparently had come to. "Put her down!"

"I was just getting her out of the wreckage." Ward's voice was heard. "I've put her down, now what?"

"Now you get what you deserve." A gun shot was followed by Grady's voice. "You think taking out your own people will help you? You're a traitor, as far as SHIELD is concerned you'll have died in the ambush." Grady seemed to stop talking till he spoke again. "Don't you dare look at her, you'll die looking at nothing but dirt."

"Turn it off!" Skye spoke and May turned it off. "He protected me and saved my life."

May put a hand on her arm, "Grady is going to undergo disciplinary action for what he did. Ward was our prisoner and he took it upon himself to determine the punishment Ward should receive."

Skye finally looked up and her eyes seemed to blaze with fire, "do something, don't just let this be a note in his file. I feel like laying one in him for what he did. Ward has done some horrible things but he's always protected me, that's all he was doing here and it put him a coma he may never recover from."

A/N: Yep it was all a dream. Ward's dream while in a coma because in reality Skye never woke to stop him from shooting the HYDRA agent or stop Grady from shooting Ward. Oh and Agent Mayer in chapter 1 and this chapter is the brother to SHIELD's Agent Mayer who oversees the cargo bay in Ward's dream.

Next...Not Sure

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