Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel: Agents of SHIELD.
A/N: Takes place S1 ep 10 "The Bridge" I'm changing the endingXD I can't remember where the episode takes place so I'm placing the team in Atlanta, GA
"It's easy to look at people and make quick judgements about them, their present and their past, but you'd be amazed at the pain and tears a single smile hides. What a person shows to the world is only one tiny facet of the iceberg hidden from sight. And more often than not, it's lined with cracks and scars that go all the way to the foundation of their soul."- Sherrilyn Kenyon
All Skye could see in that moment was Ward falling to the floor as the bullet hit him. She didn't even think about what could happen to her, she just ran. She ran toward the scaffolding that Ward was on, she was almost to the ladder when everything blew up. She was thrown 20 feet backward into the wall from the blast and then everything hurt; her head, her shoulder, her ribs. But still, Ward was shot and maybe dead. She had to get up and make sure he was okay. Skye managed to get up off the ground and walk about 5 feet before another explosion rocked her to the core and she flew back into the wall. This time she was out for the count and before everything faded to oblivion her last thought was about Ward and the fact that she didn't get the chance to tell him.
Ward woke up in the lab on the bus and the last thing he remembered was seeing Coulson in the chopper and then an intense pain in his shoulder. He found Simmons fussing over something and called her over, "Simmons? What the hell happened?" he rasped. His throat felt raw, as if he was dehydrated. He tried to move his arm, but the pain in his shoulder stopped him. Simmons jumped at the sound of his voice and when she turned to face him, her face was a mixture of bad news. She couldn't lie to save her life.
"Well, umm. You were shot in the shoulder. Through and through, nothing vital was hit and you should have full range of motion with little pain in three weeks' time," she explained, her accent thicker and she wasn't looking him in the face. What the hell happened?
"Thank you for patching me up. Now tell me what happened," he said, his voice leaving no room for argument. Simmons was fidgeting with the hem of her lab coat and still not looking him in the face.
"Right. Sorry Ward. Coulson was kidnapped by Centipede, Mike Peterson was killed in the explosion and his son Ace is in SHIELD care," she said, her voice wavering slightly. He knew about Coulson, but Peterson was killed?
"Simmons, stop fidgeting," he said gently, trying to catch her gaze, when she looked him in the eye, he was stunned. She has been crying and he just now noticed that her lab coat was covered in blood. He cleared his throat, "What explosion?"
"It happened after you were already unconscious." Okay, that explained why he didn't remember it. Poor kid, his dad meant everything to him.
"Where is everyone?" he asked, his throat still sore and his shoulder was currently killing him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something else was wrong.
She took a deep breath and faced him, tears streaming down her face, "May and Fitz are at the hospital, Ward," she said her voice shaking. What? Why would they be there?
"Jemma, quit being vague and tell me what happened after I was shot?" he asked, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.
Now she started crying and talking so fast he barely understood what she was saying, "Sh-sh-sh-she…saw you…f-f-fall…and by th-the…l-l-look on her…f-face…there was n-n-no…stopping her. She was r-r-running…toward your location…when everything b-b-blew up…She was thrown 20…feet into a b-brick wall…she g-g-got up and…m-managed to stagger forward…but there was…another e-explosion…she didn't get up," Simmons sobbed into her hands. All Ward caught from that was, "She was thrown 20 feet into a brick wall." Now he was getting frustrated with the Bio-Chemist because she wouldn't tell him who! He wanted to hit something. He wanted to talk to his rookie, but she was nowhere in sight. He would know if she was around somewhere.
"Jemma!" he yelled, to get her to stop crying so he could understand her better, "Calm down. I can barely understand what you're saying. Now who's in the hospital? Why are May and Fitz there?" he asked gently.
She stared up at him then and her eyes told him the worst news he has ever heard in his life.
"Skye!" Simmons wailed and started crying all over again. Ward paled, he felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't hide his feelings for her anymore. No! no no no no no! Why did it have to be her? Why is the one person that has come to mean the universe to him always getting hurt?
Oh God. This can't be happening. She has come to mean everything to him. "Simmons, let's go. You're driving."
She looked up then, "What? No. Agent May gave me orders to keep you here. I wasn't supposed to tell you about Skye," her voice was panicky and then she paled, "Oh God! I am so dead."
"Calm down Simmons," Ward hissed, trying to keep his emotions in check. It was hard. This was Skye they were talking about. The person he couldn't bear to lose. "We're going. Now." He grabbed his tac shirt from the chair and threw it on over his head, ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder and hopped in the SUV.
They made it to the Atlanta Medical Center in record time. Simmons is a terrible, dangerous driver. Ward got out of the SUV and felt dizzy then he remembered why they were there and he stormed into the front doors with purpose, masking his pain like a pro. He was used to it, it's not the first time he's been shot and it probably won't be the last. Plus he's had worse. He went up to the front desk and put on the charm. "Excuse me?" he looked at the nurses name tag, "Greta," he said giving her a false smile. He hated flirting with someone he wasn't remotely interested in. Plus, Skye was the only girl for him.
Greta looked up from her computer and smiled at him, "How may I help you sir?" she asked batting her eyes at him. Ward groaned internally.
"You have a patient here, her name is Skye and I want to see her. Right now," he said, not beating around the bush as Simmons walked up next to him, still wearing her bloody lab coat.
Nurse Greta scowled at him and looked back at her computer, "That one isn't allowed any visitors. There's a protection order on her."
Ward scowled and then turned the charm back on, "Can you tell me her condition? Please…she's family."
Greta gave him a sympathetic look, "She's in a coma." Ward's breath hitched in his throat. He turned to Simmons and gave her a not so subtle glare. She bowed her head in shame. It was time to pull the government card. Ward pulled out his CIA Badge and frowned at the nurse.
"Greta, Skye is my wife and you're going to take me to see her right now," he growled. The nurse paled when she saw the badge and immediately got up to do his bidding. He smiled internally and winked at Simmons. Her astonished face made him want to laugh out loud, but he's Agent Grant Ward of SHIELD so he kept his cool.
"Right this way, Agent Dalton. Your wife is on the 12th floor."
Ward was anxious to see Skye. She's in a freaking coma! He was starting to internally freak out. The one person he can't live without is not okay and now he's wondering why Simmons didn't tell him.
"Jemma? Why didn't you tell me that Skye is currently in a coma?" he asked her in a low voice, his eyes narrowed, hiding the pain he was in.
She sighed and started fidgeting again, "Because I knew you'd freak out and possibly do something stupid. Like go on a solo mission," she said quietly looking him in the face with tears in her eyes. He was about to object that ridiculous notion but stopped because she was right. But he wasn't expecting what she said next.
"We all know how you feel about her," she whispered in his ear, "We all know except for her. You have never seen how she looks at you after a mission where you get hurt."
Ward didn't know what to say to that. Was he really that oblivious? And then something else she said snapped him out of his head, "What do you mean by that last thing you said Simmons?" he whispered.
The elevator doors opened and that saved Simmons from answering his question but it didn't stop him once they reached the corridor to Skye's room. Ward pulled her into a corner and frowned her into submission.
"Every time you get hurt, Skye looks like she wants to run into your arms and never let you go. She looks at you like you're the only thing in the world. Ward, if anything happened to you, it would break her," Simmons said honestly, putting her hand on his good shoulder and squeezing gently. Ward was stunned. He was a fucking Specialist for christssake! How could he not have noticed? How could he have been so stupid? He really means that much to her? All these questions were making his head ache.
"Thank you Simmons," he said softly, and then he walked over to Skye's room, but before he could go in a hand on his arm stopped him.
"You don't want to go in there Ward," May said, her usual calm voice wavering slightly. Ward turned to face her in shock. Melinda May never broke her façade. Oh God!
"Why not?" he replied thickly, trying to cross his arms over his chest, but the intense pain in his shoulder stopped him.
"She wouldn't want you to see her like that," May answered; her calm façade back up, arms folded across her chest.
"I don't care! I'm going in there. I need to go in there May, you don't understand," he said, his voice breaking and his eyes started to water. He clenched his jaw and held them back. Grant Ward does not cry. Ever.
"Yes I do, Ward. I know you love her and I know you would tear the universe apart to save her. I'm sorry, there's nothing you can do. Not this time, Grant. She has to save herself," May answered quietly.
Ward stared at her and then he glared at her, "I'm going in there May. What is her condition? And don't you dare lie to me," he hissed.
May sighed, "Her prognosis is bleak, Ward. She has 7 broken ribs, massive internal bleeding, a dislocated shoulder, a fractured arm, a concussion and gashes and bruises everywhere. She's in a coma and she's lucky to be alive. How she got up after she hit that wall the first time," she said shaking her head in wonder.
While May was lost in thought, Ward made his way into his rookie's room and the first thing he saw was Fitz sitting on the edge of her bed, holding her hand crying silently.
"Fitz," Ward whispered as he stepped further into the room. The Engineers head snapped up at the sound of his name.
"Ward, I'm so sorry. I should have stopped her. I should have done something. But as soon as she saw you fall, she ran and then everything blew up," he sniffled, wiping his eyes with the one hand that wasn't holding onto Skye's.
Ward was shaking his head as he sat down next to Fitz on the bed, "It's not your fault Fitz. She would have done it if it were any one of us up there. It's who she is. Skye can't stand the sight of anyone she cares about getting hurt and it scares me every time we go into the field. I just don't understand why she would be willing to risk her life for me," Ward said brokenly, looking up at Skye's cut up face. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked back down at his hands.
"I know why Ward," Fitz said softly, looking up at the Agent beside him. Ward looked at him expectantly. "You and Skye have been butting heads since the day you met months ago, but then you found common ground and became friends. You're the first person she came to trust on the team Ward. You're the first person she opened up to. She may call you a robot, but she doesn't believe that. That rookie of yours just likes to rile you up and get under your skin. Do you know why that is, Ward?"
He simply shook his head. Where was Fitz going with this?
"Because it makes you smile. Skye told me once that your smile lights up a room brighter than the sun," Fitz explained with a smile on his face, but then he sobered and glared at Ward, "Never tell her I told you that. I just thought you should know. Oh and by the way, Skye is the reason we made it out of South Ossetia relatively unharmed."
Ward blanched. What? Why did she never say anything? "What are you talking about Fitz? May's the one that saved us," he said now unsure of himself.
Fitz scoffed and then looked Ward right in the face, "How do you think she knew we were in deep shit, Agent Ward? Skye created a code to bypass her restrictions so she could find the mission plan. She hacked into the Hubs level 8 secure servers and found our mission plan. There was no extraction. Skye went right to May and Coulson. It's because of her we're alive today."
Grant stared at him in stunned silence and then he recovered, "You're telling me that Skye put her freedom in danger by hacking the Hub in order to save us?" he questioned in an even tone.
Fitz let out an exasperated sigh, "Yes, Ward. That's what I'm saying."
Ward narrowed his eyes suspiciously. He still didn't get it. "Why?"
Now Fitz glared at him, put his hand on Ward's good shoulder and squeezed, "What part of this has your circuits frying, Agent Ward?" Fitz growled, "Skye loves you, you bloody idiot!" he hissed right in his face.
"How can you possibly know that?" Ward hissed back, removing Fitz's hand from his shoulder and placing it none to gently back on the bed.
"Oh my God! You're bloody oblivious aren't you? It's the way she looks at you when you're not looking. It's the way she acts when you're on a solo op, she doesn't sleep, she doesn't eat and she's quiet. Really quiet. I asked her once why she's always so distant when you're on a mission. You know what she told me?" Grant shook his head, eyes downcast. He should have noticed. He should have done something! Maybe then Skye would know that he loves her too and that she means everything to him.
"She told me that a part of her is always with you when you're gone and she doesn't feel safe without you so she stays in your bunk," Fitz said, he sounded tired. Ward placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed.
"Okay, Fitz. I think I understand a little better so I think it's time for you to head back to the bus and get some sleep. Simmons and May are in the hall," Ward said quietly, gazing at his sleeping Rookie in the bed.
"But…What about Skye? I can't just leave her here alone," Fitz muttered, more tears forming in his eyes.
"I'll stay with her," Ward said and Fitz turned to face him, a ghost of a smile crossing his face.
"Okay, I'll see you later Ward."
Ward nodded and went to sit in the chair by the bed as Fitz left the room. He held her hand in his, it was so cold and it physically hurt to look at her; she resembled a broken doll lying in that bed. Skye didn't look anything like herself. It was like her light and happiness was replaced with darkness and misery. Grant knew Skye was a fighter; she was a fighter before they met. But looking at her pale cut up face; he started to realize that they weren't so different. She was still a mystery to him but he had a gut feeling that she had to tell him something important.
God, he hoped that she wakes up soon because he can't do this mission without her. "Skye, I need you to wake up, please," he said, his voice hollow and tears threatening to fall down his face. He wiped them away swiftly.
"You have no idea how much you mean to me, Rookie. And I should have told you sooner, but you know me and I'm no good with words, but Skye? I have some things to tell you and I can't if you're sleeping…" he trailed off, choking on the lump in his throat; he couldn't hold it in anymore, there was a real possibility that she won't come back to him and it hurt; worse than anything his family and Garrett ever did to him. He laid his head on Skye's good shoulder and for the first time since he was 12 years old; Grant Ward cried gut-wrenching sobs. He cried himself to sleep with his head still on Skye's shoulder.
The first thing Skye felt besides the intense pain everywhere was the wetness on her right shoulder, and when she tried to move to see what it was? She couldn't because someone was using her good shoulder as a pillow and she'd know that head of black hair anywhere. Ward! He's alive! Skye couldn't stop the beaming smile from growing on her face even though it hurt like a bitch.
"Ward?" she tried to speak but it just came out quieter than a whisper. He didn't move, and then she realized that he cried himself to sleep on her shoulder. Grant Ward never cries. She made the robot cry. Skye didn't know how to feel about this.
"Grant," Skye said louder, her voice raspy and sore, but she was determined to wake him up and tell him that she was for the most part okay, that she wasn't going to leave him, ever. His head shot up at the sound of his name, and he was looking everywhere except her. It was infuriating because she couldn't get up to draw his attention. After a moment he realized there was no one else in the room, and put his attention back to the bed. Skye smiled at him, and his eyes widened. He just stared at her, relief pooling in his eyes and then he was out of the chair and embracing her head.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Rookie," he whispered into her hair, "Do you understand?" at her nod of affirmation, he reluctantly let her go and sat back down in the chair by her bed, running his hands over his face and through his short black hair. At the look on his handsome face Skye knew what he was feeling. He thought he lost her, and he blames himself for her actions.
"What happened to me Grant, it's not your fault. Okay?" she said softly and he stopped rubbing his face with his hands to look at her. He frowned.
"What are you talking about?" he questioned, his eyebrow raised, but he couldn't hide the emotions swirling in his deep brown eyes.
Skye sighed in annoyance. Her SO was not very good at lying to her, "Drop the act Ward. Okay? I can read you like the back of my hand. You don't have to hide from me," she said softly and patted the bed beside her. He sighed, but complied and laid down next her on the bed. She rested her head on his shoulder and instantly felt safe.
"I know what you're doing Ward," Skye spoke up after a minute, her head leaving his shoulder to look him right in the face, her eyes staring deep into his.
"What am I doing?" he asked softly, tightening his hold on her, afraid to let her go.
She smiled at him. He was going to be so mad, but too damned bad. She wasn't going to let him hold this burden alone anymore. "Remember that time you wouldn't talk to me for days?" she asked. Ward's eyes narrowed, and there was a glint in his eyes.
"Yes," he said roughly.
"Well, I had some time to myself and I was snooping in AC's office and I found some interesting reading material that I just couldn't pass up," she explained casually. Ward's eyes widened and he looked at her terrified.
"You didn't," he said, his voice dangerously low. Skye held his arm tightly in hers so he couldn't escape. This was one talk they needed to have.
"I did, and you know what Ward?" she said, grabbing his jaw so he would look at her. He put the mask back on.
"What Skye?" he replied his voice emotionless. It was a defense mechanism; she knew it so she tightened her grip on his bicep.
"Your past doesn't define who you are. I know what you've had to live through your whole life Grant and I understand," she said gently, her hand softly stroking his cheek. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. Skye is the first person he willingly let touch him without permission. He never flinched, not once.
He opened his eyes and stared at her cut up, beautiful face. Her gaze held nothing but reverence and empathy, he shook his head to clear it, "How can you possibly understand?" he asked, his eyes downcast, ashamed of what he's done.
"Grant, look at me, please," she said, he brought his eyes up to hers and what she saw in them made her want to hurt the people that hurt him. I'll get to that later she vowed silently.
"I understand, because I have been an orphan my whole life. No one has ever wanted me and I was always sent back to St. Agnes. There was a man there and let's just say that if I didn't do what he wanted? Someone would get hurt and it would be me and someone else. He used my compassion against me; because whenever I refused he would beat me, and the second time he asked he would threaten to hurt someone else," she said, her voice quiet and her eyes blank, lost in the past.
"Believe me, I could handle the beatings, but when I had to watch him hurt someone else because of me, I couldn't take it. When I was 13, I had enough of the bastard manipulating me so I went to Mother Superior and told her what has been going on. She said that I deserved it, that God was punishing me for being different, that my parents didn't love me, that no one would ever love me, it was my entire fault. I believed her, Grant. So I took it and never made a sound," she finished and felt Ward tense beside her, he was rigid.
"How long did this go on for?" he asked, his voice had a dangerous edge to it and he was looking straight ahead.
"It doesn't matt-," Skye started, but Ward cut her off with a fierce glare.
"How long?" he repeated, his hand reaching for hers and gripping it tight.
She sighed and relented, no point in lying to the robot, "11 years. It started when I was five and ended when I ran away at 16," Skye said, her voice flat and eyes staring at their entwined hands.
"Skye," Ward said; his voice soft, he didn't know what to say. She really did know what it's like.
She looked up at him her eyes shining, "I believed her Ward. I believed everything she ever told me. How could I have been so stupid?" her voice was hoarse, and tears were pooling down her cheeks.
Ward gently wiped her tears away with his thumbs and cupped her face, "Do you still believe her?" he asked.
There was a slight hesitation and then she answered, "That depends, do you still believe everything your family and Garrett said to you?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" he growled, and she smiled for the first time in a while.
"It has everything to do with it, Grant. Now tell me, do you still believe what Garrett taught you?" she asked, squeezing his hand.
He looked at her, his eyes narrowed to slits, "How do you know about Garrett?"
Skye rolled her eyes, "I know a lot of things Ward. Now answer the damned question or tell me about the woods."
Ward couldn't believe what he was hearing and seeing. The look in her eyes was one of pain, misery and heartache. "How do you know about the woods?" he rasped, closing his eyes.
Skye leaned her head back on his shoulder and let the tears fall, "I know a damaged soul when I see one, Ward. And I know that bastard of an SO of yours did unspeakable horrific things to you. My bunk is right next to yours and you have night terrors. You talk in your sleep. Now get it off your chest and tell me what he did," she said, her voice commanding and her eyes hard as steel.
Ward sighed, he might as well tell her because by the look she was currently giving him; his rookie would not let this go. "He manipulated, and conditioned me into the perfect soldier. I was directly under his thumb for seven years Skye; he taught me everything the wrong way. I know that now, I figured it out when I got accepted into the SHIELD Special Operations Academy. I noticed how the other SO's treated their rookie's and Garrett did none of that," he explained; his voice thick with emotion.
Skye was disgusted, she wanted to jump out of this bed and pay Ward's SO and family a visit. She wanted to do to them what they did to him. But at the moment she was stuck here with her SO, whom she loved so deeply she didn't know how to tell him. She didn't want to scare him off.
Grimacing, Skye hissed, "So basically every time you messed up he beat the shit out of you, probably used a weapon of some kind too. He tortured you, in case you ever got caught by the enemy they wouldn't be able to break you because Garrett taught you what to expect. It didn't change at all when you joined the Academy either. Did it?"
He simply shook his head, stunned by his rookie. She was definitely something else.
"Every time you messed up a mission or operation you would pay severely for it. Same thing goes when you showed that you cared. He tried to beat the compassion out of you. He tried to break you down to your very soul; he made his word the law and if you didn't obey it was a different kind of Hell," she continued, looking him in the face. He didn't reply because she was spot on and with the next thing she said, he knew that this would change everything.
"You were in your third year at the Special Operations Academy when Director Fury noticed something during training. He noticed that you were favoring your right side and pulled you out for a private word; he asked you to take off your shirt. You did, and your whole right side was covered in black and purple bruises, your shoulder was bleeding. The bastard shot you! And Fury knew; he knew that Garrett was your SO and that he was doing this to you. He asked you some questions and you told him everything. He said he would assign you a new SO because he knew there was something shady and wrong with that psycho but you said no. You wanted to be his man undercover. So you stayed and then a few years later Director Hill, with a push from Garrett and Fury assigned you to Coulson's team. Where no one knows you're a Double Agent; deep cover SHIELD within HYDRA, HYDRA sleeper within SHIELD," Skye continued, her voice monotone.
She couldn't believe it! Ward has been carrying this burden and misplaced guilt on his shoulders since he was 12 years old when his older brother Christian tossed his younger brother Tommy down a well. Grant blamed himself for everything. It wasn't even a little bit his fault.
Ward was staring at his rookie, in awe, wonder and a little bit of fear. How the Hell did she figure all that out? When he composed himself, he looked at her and her eyes were filled with such sadness and vengeance that it made his heart race. She was on his side, she was looking that way for him; she was picturing the people that hurt him in her head. How did I end up so lucky? He asked himself.
"Skye? How did you find all that out? It wasn't in any report," he asked, his eyes imploring and when she didn't answer right away, just kept staring at the wall with a haunted look on her face he nudged her shoulder gently.
She looked up at him and then rested her head back on his shoulder; he was the best pillow ever, soft and firm.
"I've always been different Grant, people used to look at me like they were afraid of me because I knew things that I shouldn't. I'm a Psychometric and that last part I told you about it happened by accident. We were training hand to hand a few weeks ago and I managed to hit your right shoulder, there's a scar there from a bullet wound. Garrett shot you when you refused to kill your mark. When my fist touched your scar, my gift showed me what happened and the events that occurred afterward. I felt what you felt; I experienced it from your point of view. What may have been a few seconds for you; was a few minutes for me. That's why I felt sick for the rest of the day, I was having phantom pains down the entire right side of my body," she explained her voice strained. No one else knows about this.
Ward tensed, she felt what he felt? And she never said anything to him, just kept looking at him as if nothing changed. There was never anything different in the way she treated him, but now that he thinks about it? He could tell that she was holding something back, a dangerous secret. But she never said anything and for the life of him he couldn't understand why she would keep this to herself.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked tentatively, running his fingers through her soft hair, she immediately leaned into his touch.
"I didn't tell you because I wanted you to be able to come to me on your own, and even though it was by accident; I felt like I invaded your privacy," she replied softly, gripping his bicep like a vice.
Ward smiled into her hair. He was proud of her, but there was something else, "Does anyone else know about this?"
"No. Only you know that I'm Psychometric. I'm sorry Grant," she said, lifting her head off his shoulder to look him in the face, tears streaming down her cut up, battered face.
What? What the hell did she have to be sorry for? She's done nothing wrong. "Why?" he asked, gently cupping her cheeks wiping her tears away.
"There's something else. It's how I know the rest. It's called Dreamscaping. I can't control it. I slip into the head of the person sleeping closest to me and every night it's you. Your bunk is right next to mine. I slip into your dream or night terror, memory or nightmare and the thing I hate about this gift the most is that it won't let me interfere. I have to watch you suffer at the hands of your family or Garrett every night and I can't change anything because if I do you won't wake up," she said her voice trembling and her hands were starting to shake. He saw the despair in her eyes, all she wanted was to help him and he loves her all the more for that.
Grant pulled Skye into his arms, as much as their injuries would allow and let her cry into his shirt, whispering sweet nothings into her hair to calm her painful, wracking sobs. "It's okay, Rookie. You know, you're the first person to make me feel safe in a really long time," he said gently, kissing the top of her head. She stiffened at the affectionate action, but relaxed almost a second later.
"Really? I am?" she croaked out, her throat sore from crying.
"Yeah," he replied, his voice wavering slightly. Skye tightened her hold around his waist with her good arm.
She smiled shyly at him, "You're the only person to ever make me feel safe, Grant. Do you know why that is?"
He was stunned. He makes her feel safe? Ward shook his head.
"You make me feel safe because you care Ward. You may be a Super Spy trained to feel nothing and to show no emotion, but you care, deeply for everyone on this team. I can see it in your eyes every time you look at me; your first thought is protection, everyone else comes first. But you need to know that you're not alone anymore. You have a family that loves you and we will do anything to protect you in return. That's what family does Ward, they have each other's backs. I know that I will always have yours," she said seriously.
Skye will never stop amazing him, that bright light in her eyes; he hopes it never goes out.
He was about to reply when she put her hand over his mouth, he glared at her, she glared right back, then she spoke and her voice was strong as vibranium, "One more thing Agent Grant Ward; when the time comes you are not going back into HYDRA alone. I'm coming with you, whether I'm at 100% or not, wounded; unconscious or whatever," she smiled wickedly at him and in that moment he knew he would never be alone again, but her smile said she wasn't done talking so he just sat there like a good Agent and waited her out.
"Darling you can't stop me, because if you dare try to leave me behind for some reasonable bullshit, like keeping me safe? I will find your robot ass, because there is nowhere you can hide where I can't find you and when I do find you? I will handcuff you to me and swallow the key. Are we clear?" she said, her voice sweet as honey, but her eyes were dead serious.
Ward gulped and nodded affirmation, but he needed to know one thing first. He gently removed her hand from his mouth, but kept their fingers entwined.
"Why are you willing to risk everything for me?" he asked, not able to meet her eyes.
Skye sighed and then grabbed his jaw with her bad arm, she didn't let the pain show on her face though; she was very good at hiding it.
"Do I need to spell it out for you?" her voice was soft. He nodded, unable to form words. It was the way she was looking at him; like he was the most precious thing in the world and she couldn't bear to lose him.
"I love you, Grant Douglas Ward. Every single part of you," she breathed against his lips and in the next moment she kissed him; her good arm finding its way around his neck to bring him closer and his good arm finding its way to tangle into her hair. It was electrifying and passionate and indescribable. He kissed her back as soon as her mouth was pressed to his. He licked her bottom lip, asking for entrance and she granted. Their tongues battled for dominance and they were both lost in each other. Skye eventually let him win because she couldn't breathe. She rested her forehead against his and they were both breathing heavily.
Ward didn't need to ask if she meant it, he could tell right away because as soon as their lips touched he felt what she felt, her feelings and emotions intensified onto him. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. He will never let her go.
"I love you too, Skye. You're all that I have and you have come to mean everything to me," he said, staring her dead in the face, his eyes showing everything he was feeling. She smiled and snuggled closer into his firm chest, pulling out wires as she did so. Oh shit. The doctors are not going to be happy about that Ward thought, but he didn't seem to care at the moment. Skye was safe in his arms and that's all that mattered to him.
Before she fell asleep, Skye had one more thing to say, and she knew it would fry his circuits but she had to see his face, "By the way; I saw you naked," she whispered, a shit eating grin on her face. Ward stared at her slack jawed, eyes wide as saucers, but before he could even think of a reply she was fast asleep with a mischievous curl of her mouth. Damn! She did it again. Now he tried to think back to when this event could have possibly occurred. It hit him right in the face a few moments later; four months ago, that mission in Belarus with the backscatter glasses, him and Fitz playing a game of poker afterwards during downtime; Fitz repeating something twice and then suddenly folding…Skye was helping the little monkey cheat! And she must have said something to make him run off. Skye was in her bunk with those glasses! Ward couldn't help it, he looked down at Skye snuggled against him, and for the first time in a very long while he smiled a real face splitting smile. He soon fell asleep; they would have time to plan on how to get Coulson back later for now he just felt at peace and at home. Something Skye always made him feel.
His last thought before he pulled Skye closer and rested his head on top of hers was of one Technical Engineer named Leopold Fitz and how fun it was going to be serving payback.
You're going down Fitz.