A/N: Yay! We're back - thanks for all the support and encouragement, and enjoy the first chapter!
Simmons paced back and forth, wringing her hands. The Bus was about to take off and there was still no sign of Ward. She knew that there wouldn't be - he was going to go with Agent Hand to lock up Garrett. Understandably, she was upset that he was leaving her at the moment. Some small part of her, though she knew it wasn't going to happen, hoped that Ward would change his mind. The events of the last few days had been confusing, traumatic, and painful, and now she just wanted Ward back so she could pretend that everything was going to be okay.
"He's on his way."
Hurriedly wiping her eyes, Simmons turned to see Coulson standing behind her on the ramp. "Sir?"
"Ward. He should be here in," Coulson checked his watch, "about two minutes."
"But...but I thought he was going with Agent Hand? And how…?"
"I'm a good guesser," he smiled, then continued. "Apparently, he changed his mind. And he told me that he had a good reason for it, which I plan on hearing as soon as he returns." He walked towards her and put on hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Simmons. I promise."
"Thank you sir," she whispered, tears threatening to overflow again. Her whole life had nearly been destroyed - how were things going to be okay exactly? But she didn't verbalize her thoughts, instead just appreciated the comfort Coulson was offering.
She stayed silent until she heard the sound of Coulson's retreating footsteps, then let out the breath that she had been holding. And waited. Just as Coulson had promised, Ward came jogging up to the ramp only a couple moments later.
"You came back!" She cried down to him as he strode up the ramp towards her.
He smiled at her and took her in his arms the instant he reached her, but she could she that he was just as tired and pained as she was. "I couldn't stay away long."
Burying her face in his strong chest, she finally let a couple tears soak into the front of his shirt. "What's going to happen now?"
She felt more than heard him sigh. "I don't know, Jemma." Stroking her hair soothingly, he muttered, "I really don't know. But I do know that Coulson and I need to have a talk - I have a lot to explain to him."
"About what?" She pulled back and regarded him, noting his set jaw and the steely look in his eyes. Whatever conversation he had to have with Coulson, it didn't look like it was going to be enjoyable.
"Do you trust me?"
"Of course," she replied fervently.
"Then trust that I can't tell you. Not yet. Not without Coulson's approval."
Confused and slightly worried, Simmons asked, "Is something wrong?"
Ward stepped away from her and crossed his arms over his chest, obviously putting up the emotional walls that it had taken her so long to get down "You know that I have secrets and that I've done things that I regret. But you don't know the extent."
"You can tell me anything." Biting her lip, she willed the tears to stay in her eyes. After what she had been through today, losing Ward would be the final blow and she felt like she might fall apart.
"I know you think that, but…" he trailed off, refusing to look her in the eyes. "Let's just say that you might never want to talk to me again after today, and I want to put that off as long as possible." With that cryptic and disconcerting sentence, he strode past her and into the Bus. Simmons watched him leave and felt the tears start to run down her cheeks.
"Alright team, we have a lot to discuss." Coulson had summoned everyone immediately after he and Ward had finished their talk. Ward stood next to him, his face like stone so Simmons couldn't read his emotions. "Agent Ward just told me something...well, something unbelievable." The look on Coulson's face was pained. Wrapping her arms around herself, Simmons hoped that he would just get to the point so that she could stop feeling this horrible sense of dread for the eventual news. "But it's something that I think we can use to our advantage. Agent Ward."
At Coulson's gesture, Simmons watched Ward step forward and clear his throat. Her stomach contracted into a knot. "I...I am Hydra."
The declaration took a second to sink in, but then the whole team reacted - Skye and May pulled out their guns and pointed them at Ward, Fitz looked stunned, and Coulson tried to get everyone to calm down. But Simmons just stood there, refusing to meet Ward's guilty, pained-filled eyes. Refusing to believe that this could be true. Refusing to have her heart broken.
To be continued…
Please review! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, even though it was a little more intense than I expected...